Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Hansen Rustin.
Stephanie Hansen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I had an “ah-ha” moment in 2009 when we were watching incredibly sad documentaries for Valentine’s Day. I just felt like I had a calling and I wasn’t answering that call in my current position. So fast forward to 2012, on maternity leave, caring for a newborn and just intuitively thinking to myself “why are we using all of these ingredients on our kids?”
This began years of work towards educating myself completely in the natural world. A.K.A. the world before chemicals. I bought, checked out from the library and borrowed every book I could on healing herbs and essential oils. I eventually got to a point where I could afford to get my Aromatherapy Certification and I took it! It was so enlightening. I began blending and creating product with confidence. Completely simple, all natural products made by me by hand that actually worked. I was so nervous, but my new venture was received warmly amongst my friends and family.
So I put my toe in the Etsy pool and with the help of a very dear friend I was able to dive all the way in! My inventory and my confidence grew. With the meager income I make selling my wares I am able to continue to experiment further into my craft. I get to do what I love everyday. It can be difficult some days to get it all done while homeschooling my 7-year-old, but it gets done. I want to get chemicals out of the everyday household and help them find a natural substitute. It is my life-long goal and one that I am adamant about fulfilling.
Has it been a smooth road?
With a baby, toddler and now emotional seven years old at home it was always a struggle to find the time and space to practice, blend, read or create. There are so many things that I learned along this journey that I couldn’t have done without my certification program. So I would stay up late, I would work during naps and I would mix ingredients while doing the dishes. Just full throttle 24/7. So time management and my own space has been the biggest struggle I think. I just want to fill orders, create new products and lead people away from chemicals and show them that there is always a natural substitute for just about everything you use every day.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I started The Whypsy Jaghon (inside joke) because I wanted to run my own business completely created, run, made, packaged and marketed by me. I call my shop a Gypsy Apothecary because I can make just about anything for anyone given I have the ingredients on hand. I specialize in natural skincare: balms, salves, pain management, hair care, beards, bruises, cuts, kids, diffusing, perfume and moisturizers. I am very proud that all of the items I sell in my Etsy shop are all 100% natural and created in my mind. I have over 40 recipes that I have created for my shop and over 1200 sales in about two years. What sets me apart from other apothecaries? I am tuned into to my customer’s needs. I stay in contact with my customers and always make sure they are getting free samples, extra product or just help in their natural journey. I give out consultations for free because I want the public, in general, to veer toward a natural life more than I want money in my bank account. It is for the common good. Build and provide for your community and you will see it repaid tenfold.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
It think every city in the entire country can benefit from a natural apothecary. There is literally not one place I can think of that wouldn’t benefit from having an on staff aromatherapist or an herbalist to guide those wishing to lessen their “human footprint”.
Pricing:
- $5-$30
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheWhypsyJaghon?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
- Email: thewhypsyjaghon@gmail.com
- Instagram: @theywhypsyjaghon
- Facebook: @thewhypsyjaghon
Image Credit:
Portrait by Celina Gomez, All other pictures by Stephanie Hansen Rustin
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
