My (Short) Story
Hi! I'm Lisa.
I'm an herbalist and aromatherapist, with a passion for making products and helping people. I sometimes say "our" and "we", but really it's just me (and sometimes my husband, Mike).
I started my first business, Wunder Budder, full time in early 2010. We make natural, botanical lip balms, salves, and other skincare products in a studio located in my house. I love my work! But, making products out of my home studio means that I often miss out on community.
In late 2019, I started my second business, Alchemy & Herbs, a brick & mortar herbal apothecary and intentional living shop. We curate a collection of bulk herbs and teas, and after lots of requests during the first few month of opening, I started making loose leaf herbal tea blends for the shop. We also carry bulk DIY ingredients, and eco-friendly plant-based products for body, mind, and home.
The shop is stocked with lots of maker-made goods, with a focus on other women-owned independent businesses, and includes Wunder Budder products, and what are now our most popular items: our Alchemy & Herbs tea blends.
I love meeting and talking to people, learning from each other, and building a community with my customers - together we grow!
Our Dream Space
Alchemy & Herbs is tucked away in a peaceful spot, next to the river that flows through our town. We're on the backside of the row of buildings downtown, where many of our town's shops and restaurants are located. It's accessible from the main street in town, but it's almost in its own little world. It's the perfect location for a shop like mine! Being off the beaten path while still being in the middle of town adds a little magic to our space.
Another great thing about our space is that it has a back room, a room almost as big as the shop itself. It's an ideal space for a production kitchen! A space to make Wunder Budder, to produce our herbal teas in large batches so we can expand into wholesale and collaborate with local restaurants, and a space to hold all sorts of classes. A dream space.
This is where you come in!
We weren't eligible to receive emergency financial assistance because we were too new when the pandemic hit. There was no way I was going to let the pandemic take away my dream, so we used our kitchen budget savings and took on new debt in order to stay open during our first year. We not only made it through 2020, but we GREW in 2021!
I've bootstrapped every part of both of my businesses from the very beginning. I've done it this way for over a decade with Wunder Budder, and through a pandemic with Alchemy & Herbs. While it's rewarding, and there's a certain magic about taking things so slowly and doing it all by hand, it can be limiting.
It's time to expand in a new way: a big, impactful change all at once.
What We Need
When I first looked at this space, I opened the door to the back room, and immediately pictured our kitchen. I didn't want to move forward with such a big project until I knew this type of shop was wanted and needed. After two years here, I know that it is!
It's ready for our total customization so we can grow in all the ways we want and need to grow. I'm reaching out now to help fund the following improvements:
- $5,400 - electricity (a second fuse box, additional outlets, lights, etc)
- $7,300 - plumbing (hot water heater, pump, three bay sink, handwashing sink, etc)
- $10,800 - walls, ceiling, and floors (finished surfaces that are easy to clean)
If we end up raising more money than our contractors estimate we need, we'll will put it towards small equipment upgrades. These aren't immediate necessities, but will improve work flow (e.g. a larger wax melter and a second lip balm pouring tray).
If we raise less money than we need, this project will still go forward! But, not as we hoped. The build will still go on, but all of our plans for growth (expanding to wholesale, hiring help, holding classes, etc) may be held off until 2023.
After two years of growing a business during a pandemic without financial assistance, we’re trying our best not to add any more debt. Funding with your help will ensure we can keep growing.
What We'll Do
Having a finished space and production kitchen means that Wunder Budder can move in with Alchemy & Herbs, so both businesses will be in the same location. It will also allow us to:
- bring on a team
- increase our open hours
- reduce processing times for online orders
- expand Wunder Budder wholesale sales to more stores across the US
- collaborate with local restaurants to serve our herbal tea blends
- open up wholesale production and packaging for our herbal tea blends
- meet the current requests for classes and educational workshops
Ways to Help
If you would like to help but can't contribute financially, you can still help by sharing this campaign!
You can also find us on social media and like and/or share our profiles to spread the word:
Alchemy & Herbs on Facebook & Instagram
Wunder Budder Facebook & Instagram
Thank you!
Thank you for reading, donating, sharing, or contributing in whatever way you can.
I appreciate you!
Lisa
