Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanteka Belton.
Hi Shanteka, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
For years I have had a passion for learning about the benefits of using plants and herbs to heal. I would watch YouTube videos, documentaries and read books to learn how to make home remedies and about the healing properties of plants as an alternative to the use of prescription medication. In 2020 right before the pandemic began, I remember hearing about Covid and the effects of it. I started to research and learn about ways to make sure that myself and my family wouldn’t fall victim to Covid. During that time, I learned more about natural healing herbs and Dr.Sebi’s contribution to health and wellness. One thing he always discussed in his past videos and speeches were the benefits of using sea moss. I was so amazed by all of the benefits of Sea Moss that I couldn’t wait to try it.
During that time, taking sea moss gel had become one of the most popular and natural ways to help eliminate and prevent Covid. It was a good friend of mine who told me where to purchase the raw sea moss and taught me how to make my own sea moss gel. We were both making jars for our family’s to use during that time. Once I got the hang of making my own sea moss gel, I began to post my personal jars on my Facebook and Instagram along with an explanation of the benefits of using sea moss gel. I would make 8 oz jars for my close friends and the word eventually got out that I was a person to go to for health and wellness tips. More and more people began to reach out to me asking where can they purchase the immune support supplements that I was posting about. At some point, I had a strong feeling that it was my duty and purpose to spread the knowledge that I’ve learned. With the encouragement and push from my boyfriend who has always been my biggest supporter, I stepped out on faith and away from my comfort zone and decided to launch my first business, Essence of Wellness.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I will be honest, it was a smooth road for me in the beginning. I started off doing weekend deliveries during the pandemic. Back then, there was little to no traffic. Most of my customers worked from home and I was able to make drop-offs at the front door. During that time between 2020-2021, it was super easy. It began to be a bit rough at the end of 2021. The delivery process became harder to manage. The traffic in Atlanta was back to normal and we all know how Atlanta traffic can get. Most of my customers were no longer working from home so it was difficult to make deliveries. Another struggle was the cost of gas. The prices increased a lot. I was beginning to spend more money on gas and I was taking a loss in profits. Although this was a rough time for me, it also made me think of new ways to expand and sell my products nationally as well as locally. In January 2022, I announced that I would offer priority shipping for all of my products. This allowed me to expand by business and reach new customers. Now more than half of my customer base is out of state in addition to my local customers.
We’ve been impressed with Essence of Wellness, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Essence of Wellness specializes in providing natural immune health supplements. What sets us apart is that we provide wellness products and also focus on the education of health and wellness. We believe that “the first line of defense against any illness is a strong immune system.” Here at Essence of Wellness, we pride ourselves on providing high-quality products. All of our wellness products are organic and natural with no additives or preservatives. I am mostly proud that I was able to find the courage to launch Essence of Wellness at the height of the COVID pandemic and three years later we are still here.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
In the next 5-10 years, I see my industry being at the forefront of Health and Wellness. There are so many people that are more aware and interested in learning more about healing with natural herbs and plants. There was a point where people didn’t know that you can heal yourself without the use of harmful chemicals that are connected to prescription medication. Today, social media platforms are now flooded with so much education and information about health and wellness. It’s definitely not just a trend, the desire for people to learn more about health and wellness is here to stay. My mission is to continue spreading the knowledge and providing the best quality immune wellness services.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.essenceofwellness.org
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/EssenceofWellness_
- Facebook: Essenceofwellness
- Yelp: Essence of Wellness
- Other: essenceofwellnessllc.etsy.com
Image Credits
Bellerougephotography for Professional images
