So, you have a side hustle as a maker that you’re interested in turning into a full-fledged, full-time creative business. What steps do you need to take to reach the next level? How do you develop a business mindset and make a living monetizing a product that you’re passionate about?

Lauren Haynes is the founder and herbalist behind Wooden Spoon Herbs, a small-batch herbal apothecary out of southern Appalachia. Lauren’s products are thoughtfully made with American-grown herbs, sourced directly from the farms that grow them. Wooden Spoon offers plant medicines in every approachable incarnation, including tinctures, salves, creams, sprays and syrups. Lauren is dedicated to empowering people to take self-care into their own hands.

Today, Lauren joins me to explain how she turned her interest in herbalism and natural medicine into a business. She walks us through the first steps she took in up-leveling from part-time maker to full-time entrepreneur, describing how she tripled her business in just six months. I ask Lauren how her spirituality and wellness practices show up in her business, and she explains how she infuses slow living and nontraditional business systems like meditation and manifestation in her day-to-day operations. Listen in for Lauren’s insight around healing yourself as a subversive act and get her best advice for starting a business around a product you believe in!

What You’ll Learn

How Lauren became an herbalist and herbal product maker

Lauren’s transition from three jobs to full-time entrepreneur

Lauren’s evolving marketing strategy based on social media

How Lauren has grown a team of four in the last six months

Lauren’s advice around defining your mission and values 

Connect with Lauren

Wooden Spoon Herbs

Wooden Spoon on Instagram

Wooden Spoon on Facebook

Connect with Beth

Beth’s Website

Beth on Instagram

Beth on Pinterest

Beth on Twitter

Local Milk Blog

Local Milk on Facebook

Email [email protected]

Resources Mentioned

Kati Forner Design

Jenna Kutcher

Amy Porterfield

Super Natural Sales

Feminist Business School

Google Drive

QuickBooks Self-Employed

Dr. Bronner’s

Spirit Speak

Beth’s Instagram Preset Collection

Review Raw Milk on iTunes

Twitter Mentions