We recently connected with Tamara Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Tamara , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My mission through Ensō Apothecary is to end the cycle of abuse and trauma through holistic self-care.

In the past, I was a rule follower. I checked all the boxes my family and society had for me. My existence was full of obligations, which meant me spending every ounce of my energy doing for others. I suffered from depression, hypertension, and adrenal fatigue. It all came to a head when my doctor recommended brain surgery as a remedy to control my daily migraines. Despite me working out on a regular basis, I was 30+ pounds overweight, my anxiety level was through the roof, and thanks to the combined stress of the relentless demands of parenthood, a bad marriage, and corporate America, I was in a constant state of fight or flight. I knew I had to make some changes—fast.

I dove in deep with research on holistic self-care. The book that inspired my mission statement was You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay. She mentioned that in our society, so many people live in a state of fear which can manifest in hateful acts, abuse, trauma, war, etc. She mentioned that her goal in life was to “create a world where it was safe to love.” This statement was so profound to me. Living a love-based life starts with self, hence, self-love. We have to unlearn that putting ourselves first is selfish. And in its place, I have to learn to give from an overflow of love, not a lack of it.

And so, I started Ensō Apothecary, which is centered on optimizing your holistic self-care routine. We offer handmade vegan skincare, and a safe inclusive space to practice yoga and meditation.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

I am the owner and founder of Ensō Apothecary LLC, currently based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Noticing the improvements yoga and eating a plant-based diet made to my emotional and physical health, I started paying attention to what I was putting on my skin. I was horrified to learn that the main ingredient in most mass-produced soaps is sodium tallowate, which is fat rendered from beef or mutton. I knew that animal-derived fats along with additives and preservatives can be toxic and sometimes carcinogenic. I immediately searched for natural alternatives but could not find an affordable vegan soap that did not contain artificial colorants or fragrance oils. The available options would leave the skin dry and irritated and the fragrance oils would trigger headaches.

So I decided to make my own soap. Now I have formulated a beautiful line of skincare products, essential oils, and yoga apparel. The ingredients of our skincare products are ethically sourced and sustainable so as to not compromise our consumers or the environment. The raw ingredients are imported fair-trade from Ghana, supporting marginalized farmers with a living wage. And the vegan skincare is handmade in small batches with love. Each product is formulated with no more than six simple organic ingredients. It is also vegan, cruelty-free, and non-toxic. My products have been featured on BuzzFeed as well as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Who What Wear by way of Thirteen Lune, an e-commerce site dedicated to Black and Brown-founded brands.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I have a love-hate relationship with the word “resilience.” On one hand, I am happy that I can power through the hardest of times, but on the other hand, I wish I didn’t have to. It’s similar to the “strong Black woman” trope. I don’t want to be “resilient” if it means I can’t be soft, fully supported, and vulnerable.

Entrepreneurship is hard. Honestly, the word “hard” is an understatement. I created a concept that I felt has not existed before; there is no blueprint for me to follow, which makes it almost impossible for me to raise the amount of capital I need to scale. I have only been able to raise approximately $80K in the almost 5 years I have been in business. Seed rounds for most startups are roughly $2M, however, due to systemic reasons, I do not have access to that level of capital. I have exhausted my savings and live on a shoestring budget. Throw in a global pandemic, and you have a recipe for constant threats to going out of business.

My passion will not allow me to give up. Seeing the impact Ensō has had on communities of color who feel seen and represented due to our branding, welcomed when they attend Ensō events, as well as reading the product reviews from so many of our customers keeps me going.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I have learned the value of collaboration. Ensō started as a passion of mine that has grown to mean a lot to people, especially communities of color. When you’re an entrepreneur, especially starting out, you get in the habit of doing everything yourself—from production to marketing and everything in between. That’s rooted in serving others at the sacrifice of our own needs. And like I mentioned before, I’ve begun to unlearn that; I don’t need to be running the show 24/7 to meet everyone else’s demands. People love the products and what I stand for in the community, and they want to see Ensō grow. So I’ve begun aligning myself with other small businesses with the same passion as me to see how together we can grow and better serve.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ensoapothecary.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ensoapothecary
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ensoapothecary
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbl1aTE9kUXyPfSvL-UnOtw

Image Credits
Cactus + Petal Photography