Life & Work with Shamika Miller

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shamika Miller.

Hi Shamika, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My start with herbs really began with my grandmother. When I was little, she took me to an herbalist for some health problems I was having at the time and it really had an impact on me. It opened my mind to a whole new world, and I was able to see the reality of taking care of myself and others with natural medicines. From there, I was inspired to attend college where I studied biology and chemistry. All of that started with my interest in the plants, but while actually being in school, I saw that the curriculum didn’t really deal with fixing the problem of illness but rather perpetuated it by merely giving people drugs instead of resolving the root causes of their issues. I couldn’t do it. I was actually only one semester away from graduating with honors, but I just couldn’t bring myself to becoming a part of the problem that I set out to help solve; so I let it go. I went back to my Granny’s to live and started making herbal products in her kitchen. I studied holistic medicine from different disciplines, sold my products internationally, started teaching, and have now opened my own school.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Things have definitely not been a smooth ride; but I truly have no regrets. While uncomfortable at times, I’m so appreciative for my journey and it’s been every bit worthwhile. I’d say the most challenging things I’ve had to face would be cutting through the programming so much of my community has had in regard to health and getting them to embrace our roots; a return to a more holistic way of viewing health and understanding that they can actually do something to participate in their own wellness. Besides that, I would say that having not come from a business background, there was definitely a learning curve in acquiring the knowledge it takes to become an entrepreneur; both from a managerial standpoint and also in the area of personal development. The habits and belief systems I had to confront have been a task for sure, things like doubt and fear. The lack of diversity also was disheartening, not only not seeing many people in my field that looked like me, but even with the perspective in which herbalism was presented so often. It seemed like everybody was coming at things from the same angle, and I knew there was more to it than that, so I sought to embody that in my work; showing that there’s more than one way to practice herbalism and seeking to show others how rich of a heritage exists in plant medicine. I was able to capitalize off these challenges. Through my transparency of having struggled, I’ve been able to build and connect with my community and show them what’s possible with God and Faith. Also, by identifying the lack of diversity and barrier of entry due to high pricing, I was able to provide quality services at a price my community could actually afford. Every household deserves an herbalist and my goal is to make that a reality.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m truly on a mission to change the narrative in my community regarding holistic health. It’s not alternative medicine, it’s the original medicine and I want to teach people how to incorporate the plants into their everyday lives in order to cultivate wellness; the way people have done it for thousands of years, and how many still do today. Plants are so much more than what many people realize, they can literally be used for just about anything the human body needs, from food to hygiene, medicine, beauty care, you name it. It’s important to me to preserve this knowledge for those of us living today and the generations to come. I really desire to cultivate community around these things and see people grow thrive from having access to this knowledge. I would say I’m most proud being able to say that I now have a brand recognized around the world. To have my products reach different countries and help people of different backgrounds and cultures really means a lot to me.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I really do see herbalism and holistic health continuing to grow and expand in the coming years. We’ve been seeing a really big boom in regard to interest in these areas over the last few years and I really do believe it’s for a reason. People are tired of the status quo and they’re seeking change. There seems to be a great return to tradition going on right now. I think people are getting back to the basis of what health is about and what life is about. People are getting back to the soil. I think what’s going on in herbal medicine right now is going to shift perspectives for generations to come.

Pricing:

• Monthly herbal workshops with kits starting at $55
• Herbal product made with love starting at $6

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.essencesherbs.com/
• Instagram: @Essencetheherbalist
• Twitter: Essence the Herbalista
• Youtube: Essence TheHerbalist

Image Credits
All photo’s were taken by Spencer Charles his Instagram is spencer_charles