We were lucky to catch up with Mollie Nelson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Mollie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.
With all industries, larger companies tend to focus on profit. This can lead to inferior ingredients used in products that are supposed to improve health and wellness. Too many times you can find health and wellness products that contain toxic ingredients or chemicals that actually do more harm than good. Within the herbal community, you have quality, well-respected brands that strive to maintain a higher level of quality products and then you have the profit minded companies, who have jumped on the healthy band wagon and are selling products to an unsuspecting populace who are looking for alternative ways to improve their health. This means more and more people are purchasing herbal products and remedies that are not made with health in mind or contain ingredients that are cheaper and therefore less impactful. As with all things. there is something to said for getting what you pay for. When you choose a company that is committed to quality, you are choosing a product that may actually benefit your health, and that generally comes with a higher price tag, which may be a harder choice.
Mollie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Mollie Nelson and I am the founder and owner of Wilde Lake Botanicals in Columbia, MD. I fell in love with herbs while obtaining my Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. It became an instant fascination with how powerful the plants around us are and how they have been harnessed for hundreds, or sometimes thousands, of years in traditional medicine across the globe. I started creating small herbal remedies for myself and my family to replace drug store items or prescriptions that just weren’t performing. That blossomed into family and friends asking for their own remedies and what was supposed to be a hobby became a potential business in progress. The Wilde Lake Botanicals line consists of teas and tinctures, skin care and a few specialty items, like herbal shrubs. I think what sets Wilde Lake Botanicals apart is that I am committed to creating quality products without the use of chemical preservatives or synthetic fragrances. The products I create are well researched and backed by science or well-documented historical use. All of our products use all natural and organic ingredients and are specifically blended with an intention in mind. I want to being the traditions of our ancestors to modern products that make you look good and feel good from the inside out. I think the thing I am most proud of is hearing my customers come back and tell me how a product has changed their life…. finally finding something that actually works for them after living with their issues for so long.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I like this question because I think anyone who has started their own business (or who may even be simply thinking about it) can relate. For me, one of the biggest challenges getting off the ground was the task of putting all the pieces in place. I know herbs, I know how to formulate and I LOVE the creative side, but I am not a web designer or a graphic designer, or a finance professional. That part was hard! Of all the tasks it takes to start a business, creating a website was by far the toughest part for me. There were so many days I sat in front of the computer trying to bring my vision to life and simply failing, so many times I walked away frustrated and ready to throw my hands up. But, I always ended up coming back. And I know, people may say, why didn’t you just hire someone? Well, in all honesty, I am a bit of a perfectionist and didn’t want to (or maybe couldn’t) put my vision in someone else’s hands. That, and the fact that it costs money to hire someone to do what I wanted, money I didn’t have for that. I simply decided that I needed to put my head down and approach this like anything else…. do my research, learn everything I could, and make it happen. Eventually I had a design I was happy with and that I think represents me… simple and understated but powerful. I will always be striving to make it better and learn new things but that doesn’t seem so daunting anymore.
Have you ever had to pivot?
This question is a bit more personal. I come from a military background. I am a US Air Force veteran and worked within the military and government community for about 15 years. After my second son was born, I realized the travel and time spent away from my family was taking a toll on all of us and I chose to step away from a job I loved. Then it became a question of, “well, what am I supposed to do now?” I was an athlete as a child (a gymnast) and I played multiple sports through high school and college, so nutrition has always been a big part of my life. I decided to go back to school for a Master’s in Nutrition. I ended up obtaining a PBC in herbalism (concurrently with my Master’s) and adding a concentration to my nutrition degree, which made the whole process just a little longer. This is no easy feat with 2 children under the age of 5. It was a lot of late nights and weekend spent studying or writing papers or sitting in class. Anyone with kids knows being a parent is a full-time job. There are no vacations and no time outs. Luckily, I have a very supporting husband who did everything he could to help make sure I had time to dedicate to my studies and my internship. It was a massive change for me. But it led me to where I am now and I think my family is the better for it all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wildelakebotanicals.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildelakebotanicals/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildeLakeBotanicals/