We recently connected with Unoma Okorafor and have shared our conversation below.

Unoma, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I would say that Herbal Goodness started out in 2011 but was formally incorporated in 2013. While pregnant with my third child, I was eager to eat healthier to give my son the best start in life. A good friend in Nigeria mentioned that I should load up on papaya as it is Rich in Vitamins C and E and will improve my baby’s skin and overall health.

I started searching for papayas but the ones I found in the stores tasted much different from the organic papayas of my youth. When I grew up in Nigeria, everything was organic or wild-grown. I ate fresh papayas, mangos, grapefruits, and Guava every day! This made it relatively easy to spot the difference between the amazing fruits I grew up on and the genetically modified variants abundant in the stores. I became passionate about showing the world the real deal and Herbal Goodness was born.

Knowing the amazing health benefits of truly organic papayas, I started searching grocery stores and natural health food stores for products that compared to the papaya of my youth but was surprised to realize such products did not exist. This set me on a journey to source and provide the best quality non-GMO, natural, organic products, I started out solely with Papaya and have since then been expanding into other beneficial, nutrient-dense superfoods.

Another thing I am passionate about is education. I am particularly interested in the education of the girl-child in Africa especially in STEM and engineering courses. Herbal Goodness gives me the opportunity to do so much in fueling this passion. 10% of proceeds from sales go to the education of young girls through the WAAW foundation, a non-profit focused on championing the education of young girls in Africa. The WAAW Foundation is headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria with offices in Kigali, Rwanda, and McKinney, Texas USA.

Through its bi-annual regional summit, WAAW trains and mentors hundreds of University fellows each year, and operates 17 STEM outreach and mentoring chapters in University campuses across 10 African countries, reaching thousands of young secondary girls each year.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Herbal Goodness, we source and manufacture premium quality superfood products including herbal extracts, teas, supplements, nutraceuticals, and smoothie powders. Our signature products are our organic Papaya seed and leaf extracts, Guava leaf extract and tea, and Gymnema leaf tea. At Herbal Goodness we recognize the meaning of phytonutrients and the versatility of nature’s superfoods and herbs working synergistically as a whole and not just isolating individual components. We focus on unique, nutrient-dense herbs from ancient wisdom such as Papaya Leaves, Seeds and the Green Papaya fruit, Guava leaves, Graviola (Soursop) leaves, Guayusa, Cat’s Claw, Gymnema and so much more. Many of these are not well known in the US but have been used for centuries to support healthy living. Collectively, they offer many health benefits for the digestive system, immune system, blood platelet, metabolism, sleep and relaxation, joint health, stress support, beauty, and more.

Herbal Goodness started out as a desire to provide better superfood options in Texas with only a single product on sale but has expanded to several beneficial superfood products. We are certified 100% Women and minority-owned and give 10% of our profits to support the education of girls in Africa, through our partnership with the WAAW foundation. We are most proud of our social impact efforts and the contributions we make to bringing education to remote parts of Africa.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

I quit my job in 2008, right in the middle of the economic meltdown. At that time, so many thought it was the worst time to launch a startup. Funding for the business largely came from personal savings and assistance from relations. I had saved aggressively for two years and also got a major capital investment from my spouse. These were used to set up the business and so far we have not had the need to borrow money. Our growth has been steadily increasing on these foundations.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

A book that I have found instrumental in my growth as a business person and brand would be “The four-hour week” by Tim Ferriss. It helped me successfully launch my company as well as sustain it over time. Another book I have found extremely helpful is “Traction” by Gino Wickman.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.herbalgoodnessco.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/herbalgoodnessco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HerbalGoodness/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/herbalgoodness
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/herbal_goodness/…
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/herbalpapaya

Image Credits
Herbal Goodness