We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Naftal recently and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Bitterroot is the state flower of Montana, a beautiful flower, and with a root that is and has been for a long time, a very important food staple of indigenous people of this region. I really love this flower and the story of this flower. It seemed fitting that an important medicine should be the name of my business.

Stephanie, 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 live in Red Lodge, Montana on the edge of the Beartooth Mountains and about 60 miles from Yellowstone National Park. I didn’t know when I moved to Red Lodge that within a few years I would start a botanical business. Looking back, it seems obvious, as well as a natural progression. I now offer more than 20 products, all hand-crafted in small batches using high-quality ingredients.

My life as an herbalist began in the 90’s. Playing with herbs, tinctures, salves, and any natural remedy that would help with my chronic sinus issues. I experimented a lot and it paid off. I started making Stephanie’s Miracle Salve in 2003, mostly for friends, family, myself, and my dogs. Over the years my salve became trusted and loved by many. Strangers would tell me it helped with their psoriasis or eczema or burns when nothing else would. At the end of the day, that’s what I want to hear – that I’ve created something healing, that I’ve created something that improves peoples lives.

For a product to be healthy, certainly not harmful, and effective it does not need to have a long and complicated ingredient list. That’s why I create simple, healthy, beneficial products. If anything is wildcrafted it is done so in an ethical manner and with gratitude to the plant. This understanding of the whole and gratitude for the abundance around us is also why I prefer minimal packaging and therefore minimal impact on the planet. I want my products to contain the blessings of an abundant planet and to inspire people to simplify – an action that can be joyful instead of a struggle.

Before becoming a massage therapist in 2004, I earned my degree in Wildlife Biology and worked on several Wolf projects from Minnesota to the Southwest and finally to Montana. I spent time studying River Otters and surveying White-tailed Deer, participating in Bison research on the National Bison Range, and generally tried to stay in the field as much as possible. Eventually, I made the jump to plant ecology work in South Dakota. That work only increased my love of plants and desire for more knowledge. For me, everything has led to this place. I couldn’t be more grateful for the winding road and generous teachers that have brought me here.

During the summer months, I lead educational plant walks and during the winter I teach people how to make their own herbal medicines. My goal is to have a herbalist on every corner!

I also offer herbal and wellness consultations, Maya Abdominal Therapy, and Maya Spiritual Healing. It has been quite a journey learning these ancient techniques and I am really proud of the work I’ve done so far – mostly working with women with fertility and other reproductive issues. It is really beautiful when a woman, who’s been told she cannot become pregnant or has had a difficult miscarriage, commits to the work I teach her and she heals physically and emotionally. I feel that we take this journey together and sometimes I feel like I learn as much from them as they do from me!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve had a lot of pivots – many lives as I like to say. The last big pivot was in 2015 when I started my business, Bitterroot Botanicals. I’d been working for the city as their Noxious Weed and Education Coordinator. I had sort of fallen into this work – having been a plant biologist as well as having a master’s in education. I was always trying to turn it from a conversation about chemicals and pesticide use to healthy plant communities and stewardship of the land. It worked sometimes! But mostly I was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. When my position erupted in a political way and it became clear that it was time to move on, I decided to finally call myself a herbalist and start this business.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Definitely word of mouth is the best source of new clients. Social media also brings new people to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bitterrootbotanicals.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bb_herbs/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BitterrootBotanicals

Image Credits
I’m not concerned with image credits for these photos.