Today we’d like to introduce you to Reginé Bumper.
Hi Reginé, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
EyeRmbr was birthed in December 2019 after the publication of my first book, Eye Remember the Paths Walked. This was based on lessons learned from my travels to four countries in a single year: Uganda, Rwanda, Haiti, and Thailand. At the time, my focus was on self-discovery and how it enhanced the mind, body, and spirit. I used travel as my primary channel to connect and grow with my community, particularly young ladies who looked like me. I began to expound by creating a virtual mentorship program for pre-teen and teenaged girls that instilled principles of confidence, encouraged self-discovery, self-love, and acceptance. We held a small soft launch, successful cohort, and everything was flowing according to my timeline…until. My entire business plan was turned upside down after my diagnosis with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in September 2020. From that point on, a new outlook and purpose of EyeRmbr was birthed. Today, EyeRmbr stands proudly as a wellness company, and I live proudly as a cancer survivor.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road hasn’t been smooth; however, I’m grateful. September 2020 marked one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced in my life: I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Nothing could have prepared me for being diagnosed with cancer at 23 years old, but cancer did prepare me for my new life after it.
On the surface, outer level, I struggled with finding community. This journey of my life occurred 7-months into the pandemic. So, during a time I desperately needed to be connected and surrounded by people experiencing the same thing, looked like me, and was in similar stage of life…I was disconnected. Deep down I was searching for comfort and familiarity in a space that was so foreign. I overcame this challenge by creating an outlet within myself and with the tools I had present at home. I avidly partook in journal writing, recording voice memo entries, meditating, using my reign stick from Sens’re3, taking walks and short drives just to clear my mind. Honestly, whatever my spirit yearned for I made my business to deliver it. Otherwise, it would’ve cost me my peace. I found peace within myself and made peace with my reality.
I am grateful for cancer because it brought forth a shedding in my life. Cancer can bring death, and it does. But the balance to that is life. Cancer gifted me the high privilege of a new life. It birthed a new ‘Reginé’ and the death of the old one. I learned – and am still learning – that obstacles and challenges presented are really opportunity for us to shed or release from ways of doing/thinking/feelings that no longer serve us. Letting go, listening, and attuning to my inner spirit played a large part in overcoming, conquering cancer. Once I surrendered to that, everything I desired began to find me: community.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
EyeRmbr (pronounced eye remember) is a wellness company specializing in holistic wellness products whose mission is to enrich the mind, body, spirit. EyeRmbr is rooted in love, connection, and alignment with self. The name, EyeRmbr, symbolizes remembering who you once were and honoring who you are becoming.
Much of EyeRmbr’s mission is heavily tied to my own journey, growth, discovery, and healing of myself. Herbal teas played – and still do – a major role in my healing journey and I share that in the hand-crafted tea blends, EyeRmbr offers. Each blend, Good Sis, Root, Peace of Mind, and Brutha are uniquely and intentionally crafted to improve and align the physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Oh, and of course the teas are delicious! We make healing taste good.
In addition to herbal teas, EyeRmbr offers educational wellness material, such as cellular detoxification and self-discovery, hosts our annual HERstory vision board and brunch event, and serves the community through our annual PeriodT menstrual hygiene drive. HERstory has impacted, connected, and created a safe community of over 70 women since 2020 and continues to grow. Since the inception of PeriodT in 2021, we’ve collected over 20,000 menstrual hygiene products and partnered with 5 Black, female-owned businesses and organizations. Our events connect the individual or personal aspect and conjoin it with community.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Based on what I’ve observed and experienced, I foresee a few primary shifts emerging in an amplified or intensified manner. All of which have always been present, but just may not have received high-level attention or awareness.
1. Connecting and aligning the mind, body, and spirit: For a long time, ‘healing’ has been revered as independent entities. In general, the mind, body and spirit have been viewed as separate from one another; each having no major influence on the other. I foresee this outlook changing over the next 5-10 years. In many ways, it has already begun. To know healing, to really want to grow and evolve means to overstand that the mind, body, and spirit are not separate. They are one. They all work together in a harmonious way. If one is misaligned or imbalanced, healing or growth overall is impacted.
2. Self-care: Self-care has already started to gain a lot of traction within the wellness and healing community. It really has grown in popularity and just something that heavily being prioritized. And I’m here for it all! People are making the conscious decision put their well-being and alignment with self, first. More people are setting boundaries and sticking to them, respectfully acknowledging boundaries of other and following them, saying ‘no’ to leave space to say ‘yes’ to other things, taking time away from this fast world to unplug and be with self, and so much more. I believe this will continue and strengthen where we see people unapologetically choosing to stay true to their spirit, align their mind with what their spirit needs and then behaving in such a way that reflects alignment of the mind, body and spirit.
3. Keeping things simple: A major lesson learned during my cancer journey was to keep things simple. Life really doesn’t need (and isn’t) complicated if we just get out the way of things. In my healing journey, I simplified a lot. The foods I eat are very simple, sometimes singular ingredients. The lotions or butters I put on my skin are simple. My workouts, self-talk, affirmations, everything: simple. Complexity can be difficult to break down, interpret, and digest. It can cause a backup which then slows things down and sometimes things shut off. This can present in our lives as breakdowns in the mind, body, and spirit. It’s exhausting and energy-draining. So, I believe simplicity will be the wave. Again, life is simple, and I foresee more people living life as a reflection of that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eyermbr.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eyermbr/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eyermbr
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@geeeniegene
Image Credits
Bre Newman Photography Photography by Kaylah
