We recently connected with Sarah Bergmann and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah , appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

My idea really is not new but was needed for the area in which I had lived. I grew up seeing my loved ones suffer and never being truly helped by the medical industry. It was devastating to watch. I too had started experiencing a lot of health issues especially with my digestive system. It was horrible to say the least and of course I did not get much relief from the medical industry like so many people I knew. There was a health food/ herbal apothecary store near my home and it was a tiny place with all sorts of herbs and herbal products. With some education and guidance, I started switching over to a chemical free lifestyle, shopping at farmers markets to eat local healthy foods, and using herbs, homeopathic products, as well as having some body work done. I finally started to get better. My skin problems went away, my digestion problems got better and eventually went away, as well as a number of other problems went away.
Time went on and I eventually moved away from this place to an area where there was no herbal store like the one I used to attend. For a few years when I would go to visit I would stop by the store and grab as much as I could but they had eventually closed. The closest store I could find was in the city. I just was not going to go into the city especially with a small baby to go herbal shopping and then have to lug it all home. Nope. So I said I would open a holistic style pharmacy in my new area if all the right doors and situations opened up. One Day, they did. My area really needed one and I was happy to become a part of the community offering these types of natural holistic products and offer a space for holistic education and experiences.
Due to my previous background, and at that point with my education in herbal studies and businesses, I had some money saved and credit to use to open a business. Yes, there were still a ton of sacrifices to get to that point and to actually open a business especially a store front. I also had a ton of experience in management and working in and running a store front and office. I would be able to have some help and run the business while growing my family and business. My store front had a large variety of herbs, homeopathic products, herbal skin care, oral care, pet care, body care, remedies, all natural products, and more. Doing all of this was so hard especially when support became an issue. It also took me away from so much that I actually wanted to do. After a few years, When the opportunity arose to revamp and leave that part of the business, I took it. I closed the holistic apothecary I was creating and building and decided to make it into a more personalized and customized holistic herbal experience.
I still have some amazing common remedies that are great for a large variety of situations and ailments. But there is a lot of customization. I have a herbal apothecary for those who need custom blends formulated because they did not have access to an large herbal apothecary. I have herbal skin care packages that can be mixed or matched for the individual to choose from. I provide consultations to make a variety of custom herbal blends for customers. I also provide some herbal and energetic body services such as sound bowl therapy, raindrop therapy and more which pair well with the herbal products and packages.
I am now able to work from home and at a local healing center providing small personalized shopping, online shopping, and herbal body care for those who are local. I can now be more present and active with my customers and clients without having to worry about all that comes with a store front. I can give them my full attention, help them more with their wants and needs and better guide them on their holistic journeys or just support the one they are already on. That is how I came up with the idea and then how it grew into something similar but very different all at the same time.

Sarah , 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?

I came into herbalism and holistic health care and products when I was getting ill and the medical industry could not be of much help. I turned to herbal plants, eliminating chemicals, and trusting in the Lords creations. My auto immune issues, digestion issues, and skin problems went away and I started feeling significantly better. I had seen so many loved ones suffer with their health and not receive much relief which lead me to become passionate about learning as much as I could about holistic health care and herbalism.
During my journey I learned, saw, and experienced how everything is connected and needs the support of everything else in order to thrive, putting it simply. It made such a difference when you took away single compounds like supplements and instead used the plant as a whole, the results were so much more significant.
What I realized at the time is so many need guidance, or some help when selecting herbal products for holistic health support or even culinary support, since so much food and herbs are used for healing a variety of conditions. What I am most proud of is that I provide a more personalized shopping experience by appointment for you or a few people in which I can provide my full attention to the needs and questions of the customer or client. This means the customer can shop in my shop with herbal tea provided, and I am available the entire time for any questions or help needed without the distractions of many customers.
Since I am a certified herbalist I offer herbal skin care products and other types of herbal products, such as herbal teas and so much more.
I am also really proud to be able to offer herbal and holistic body work services using foods and herbal recipes to address the soft tissue of the body and address topical application of herbal applications. I also provide energetic service such as Sound Therapy (Bathing) using sound bowls, chimes, drums, or other types of instruments, and other types of energetic work.
I have recently started putting on events like Sound Bath Meditations, and Cacao Ceremonies. More events will be coming soon. It has been amazing combining the scientific side with the spiritual side.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

One of the most recent risks I took was renting space again. This time I was not renting a store front but office space in a new upcoming holistic center. This center just got started and was looking for practitioners to come and rent rooms. With my big move and having to significantly slow my business down to the point of where I was losing money instead of making it, I was feeling very on edge about this decision. I needed to get my name and face out there in the local area. To network. I also needed a quiet place to offer my herbal skin care and body work services. This place I felt had fair pricing and was close by. I wanted to take the opportunity but didn’t want to make the investment. I didn’t have the money for the deposit or the first months rent so I had to bite my tongue and put it only business credit card hoping this decision would pay off and I would be able to pay my credit card back. It was nerve wrecking the first month. I knew not to expect much as people have never heard of me before, the place was new, and my services were also a new idea or concept. Week after week I wasn’t getting much at all. A few people walked in to ask about the place and the services and that was it. The first month passed and nothing. Then after the middle of the second month I finally started to meet more people. More people become aware of me and had time to see my offerings and reflect on them and then reach out to make appointments or just to learn more. Now, My services are being well received and I am now glad I decided to take that risk to rent the space I needed to make myself and business known to the area.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for me is by word of mouth. I have had a lot of success in going to local events consistently to support and learn about others, especially those who do similar work to my own. It has helped me meet more people. Make wonderful friends. Make wonderful clients who are supportive of my work and services. It has allowed me to show others my commitment and consistency with my business and support.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sagesherbal.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sages_h_apothecary/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sagesherbalapothecary

Image Credits
Photos were taken by myself or taken from a website that provides free photos such as istock.com