We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shamika Miller a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Shamika, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.
After college, I realized I wanted to address wellness from a holistic standpoint — the same way I had learned to do as a child. I wanted to help people reconnect with their bodies and nature, not just manage symptoms. I began by selling herbal products I made by hand, and before long, my community began asking me to teach what I knew. What started as small, informal workshops eventually grew into a full herbalism school where I now teach students all over the world.
Building the practice wasn’t easy. There were legal hurdles I had to navigate to operate properly, and I had to learn the business side of herbalism from the ground up. I turned to social media to share my journey through education, transparency, and storytelling — that’s really how my brand was built. It allowed me to connect authentically with people who were seeking the same kind of knowledge and healing.
One of my biggest struggles early on was content creation and consistency. Life happens, and balancing creativity, business, and personal responsibilities can be overwhelming. Being a business owner brings a different kind of pressure — it’s not the same as being an employee. You have to self-motivate, stay disciplined, and keep pushing even when things are uncertain. It’s a different kind of hustle, one that requires deep resilience and belief in your purpose.
Over time, I learned that in business, success comes from discovering a real problem and providing a genuine solution. When you build with purpose and focus on meeting a true need, your work naturally grows. I also learned to focus on what adds value to me — mentally, spiritually, and professionally — and to train my mind to think positively no matter what challenges come my way. Reading books and feeding my mind with wisdom and new perspectives has been one of the most powerful ways to grow, both as a person and as a business owner.
If I could give advice to young professionals considering starting their own practice, I’d tell them to stay anchored in their gifts. The gift God gave you will open doors and take you further than anything else. Don’t rush the process — every lesson, both good and bad, is shaping you and your business. Use those lessons to refine your mission, strengthen your systems, and grow with integrity.
Most importantly, remember that building something meaningful takes time. Stay consistent, stay authentic, and let your purpose guide you — because when you lead from that place, everything else eventually falls into place.
Shamika, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am absolutely in love with nature — it’s where I find peace, inspiration, and purpose. My journey into the herbal industry began with my grandmother, who taught me about natural remedies and the healing power of plants. Her grandmothers taught her, and that lineage of knowledge has been passed down through generations in my family. It’s more than just a career for me — it’s a continuation of a tradition rooted in care, resilience, and respect for the earth.
As a family herbalist, I provide both education and holistic support. I teach comprehensive herbalism programs for students at all levels, helping them understand how to work with plants safely, effectively, and respectfully. I also create and sell handcrafted herbal products — teas, tinctures, salves, and wellness blends — that are formulated to support common health imbalances from a holistic standpoint. My work focuses on helping people reconnect with their bodies and the natural world as a path to wellness and balance.
What sets me apart is my commitment to education, transparency, and community empowerment. I don’t just sell products — I teach people why and how they work. My approach is grounded, evidence-informed, and heart-led. I believe that when people understand how to use herbs properly, they gain the confidence to take control of their health in meaningful ways.
The problem I aim to solve for my clients and students is the disconnection many people feel from their own wellness and from nature. So many of us have been taught to see health as something external — a pill, a quick fix — rather than something that comes from within and is supported by what the earth naturally provides. I help bridge that gap by showing that plants can truly make a difference, just as they always have. They are our traditional way of assisting the body and restoring balance.
What I’m most proud of is my perseverance — seeing things through and never giving up despite the many challenges I’ve faced along the way. Building a brand and a school from scratch wasn’t easy, but every obstacle has taught me something valuable. I’m proud of staying true to my mission and continuing to serve from a place of purpose and authenticity.
What I want people to know about me and my brand is that this work is about more than herbs — it’s about changing the narrative around health in our communities. It’s about empowerment, education, and returning to traditional wisdom in a modern world. My hope is that through my work, more people will come to see that true healing starts with knowledge, nature, and nurturing yourself fully — mind, body, and spirit.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was operating from fear and a poverty mindset. I grew up surrounded by people who worked hard but often believed that struggle was just a part of life — that abundance was something meant for others. For a long time, I carried that same belief into my business. I undercharged for my services, overgave of myself, and doubted whether I truly deserved wealth or success.
As I began growing my herbal practice, I realized that this mindset was holding me back more than any external challenge ever could. I had to confront the fear I had around success — the fear of being seen, of outgrowing the familiar, and of stepping into something bigger than what I had known. I also had to recognize the ways I was self-sabotaging: playing small, second-guessing my value, and settling for less because it felt safer than fully believing in my own worth.
The unlearning process wasn’t easy. It took deep self-reflection, faith, and a lot of mindset work to shift from scarcity to abundance. I had to retrain my thinking and remind myself that I deserve to thrive — not just survive. I started setting boundaries, charging my worth, and viewing wealth as a tool for impact rather than something to be ashamed of.
If I’ve learned anything through that process, it’s that your mind is your greatest obstacle or your greatest ally. Once you can overcome the mental game — the fear, the doubt, the old conditioning — you can do anything in this world. Real success starts on the inside, and when your mindset aligns with your purpose, everything else begins to fall into place.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
Absolutely — because I truly love what I do. Becoming an herbalist and educator has allowed me to make a tremendous impact in the lives of others and, in many ways, in the world. Every day I get to witness people reconnecting with nature, taking control of their health, and finding healing through the plants. It’s deeply fulfilling work that aligns with who I am and what I believe in. I wouldn’t change this path for anything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.whatgrandmasaid.love
- Instagram: essencetheherbalist
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatgrandmasaid
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shamika-miller/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@EssenceTheHerbalist
