A little about me

I’m a regular person, a mom, a wife, and a garden lover. I’ve loved gardening since I was a child and my first-ever plant, an old sprouting potato I planted out of curiosity, grew to amazing proportions. Well, amazing to a 10-year-old, anyway.

From that time on, I was hooked. There was nothing I wouldn’t plant to see if it would grow; my hamster’s sunflower seeds, onion tops, cuttings from other plants all made it into a little corner of our back yard. Some of the easiest and most successful plants in my kid garden were herbs. I grew mint, thyme, rosemary, and sage to start with. As years passed, my herb garden got bigger, my flower garden got smaller, and my quest evolved into a search for knowledge about these wonderful plants called herbs. I read every book I could get my hands on, experimented in the kitchen (not always successfully), and explored the world of traditional remedies.

Over the years, I’ve tried many different types of herbal remedies, and I’ve settled on three time-honored and reliable forms: tincture, capsules, and tea. These are the most basic yet powerful herbal medicines, and the ones I continue to reach for any time I or one of my family needs a bit of health care.

When the recession of ’08 hit, my family, like many, many others, were hurt financially, and I decided to go back to school for a degree in economics. Boy, the things I learned. The most important lesson of all was that it’s possible to take a life-long skill or knowledge and create something of your own, something worth having, something that gives you a little independence. That’s where EarthWise Organics comes in.

In 2011, with many economics classes, accounting classes, and a little cash tucked in my jacket, I started my own online herbal shop. There were some mistakes, a little bump (actually a couple of little bumps) in the road, but I didn’t give up. It’s been an incredible journey, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Five years on I still love what I do, I love my wonderful customers, and I love facing the day knowing I’m doing something truly worthwhile. That’s the best part of all.

I know it’s not the most interesting story out there, but it’s mine, and I hope you weren’t too bored reading it. If you made it through the whole thing, you deserve a cookie. 🙂

With all best wishes from our family to yours,

Shawn Hanel
Owner/herbalist
EarthWise Organics