2 minute read
What motivated you to set up The Verdant Maiden?
TVM was a little bit of an accident. I was looking to change gears a bit from my current job at the time and found myself looking in our local Classifieds. I noticed a recent post regarding a small retail space for rent and thought "hmm... why not?" so I emailed them. Once I saw the space I knew it had to be mine, so I set out to define what I wanted in the space. I was already moving much of my life towards being more green and sustainable... and thus the rough outline of TVM was born. It wasn't until many weeks of research that I decided to focus TVM's offerings on women-owned businesses. I'll be celebrating one full year in business in a few short weeks - it's been a wild and amazing ride. I am so glad I took a chance on myself.
Long term vision?
For the future, I'd love to add services to my offerings. This would mean a different location, to say the least. My hope is that this comes together between years 3 and 5.
Who inspires you, and why?
I don't really have a "who" in mind, more so a whom. I am constantly inspired by fellow women in business who insist on pushing the envelope when it comes to balancing work and home and especially their perseverance in whole, natural personal care products. Mother Earth cannot continue to exist if we are not mindful of protecting her. And more so, we cannot take care of her if we do not take care of ourselves. This is such a huge part of my mission - making sure that people are aware of the correlation between what we put in and on our bodies vs. how we feel. They're all linked, choose wisely.
What do you love most about your work?
Honestly, I love the connections. Yes, of course, I love sharing the power and magic of organic and wildcrafted personal care, but the connections are what do it for me. My world has expanded in such a way that I could not have predicted.
What’s a typical day like for you?
Mornings begin around 6:45, let the puppies out (we have three doodles), make a cup of coffee and take my daughter to school. Once I'm back home, I check emails, place orders and tidy up around the house before heading into the shop. This time of year, the shop hours are limited, so if it's a "shop day" I head into town around 10:45. On days when the shop isn't open, it's more emails, researching new product lines and connecting with brand founders, in addition to housework and errands or grabbing lunch or coffee with a friend if I'm able. We're homebodies, so we spend most of our evenings at home watching TV, cooking dinner and snuggling with our puppies.
What kind of products can we find at TVM?
Wilder Botanics - loose leaf herbal infusions as well organic skin and body care. *exclusive to TVM in the United States.
Verité Spa Organics - organic skin and body care made in New Zealand.*exclusive to TVM in the United States.
Under Luna - Holistic haircare formulas to mix and match based on your needs.
Rosebud Woman - a intimate skincare line for women of all ages that soothes and heals discomfort in our most sensitive areas.
WellKept- a sustainable shaving brand from Canada dedicated to #plasticfree shaving!
Vivaiodays - an organic bath and body line for babies and children.
PAra Botanica - a reiki-infused skin and body care brand that brings peace to your mind and your body.
Life on Nantucket?
Winters on Nantucket are quiet - more time to be cozy, eat warm, homecooked meals and enjoy time inside. Summertime is much more lively - we have such a bustling community, the beaches are gorgeous so we spend as much time as we can outdoors, which is harder than you might think! I try to walk to work when time permits and after work, my husband and I go on beach dates where he fishes and I read.
And finally some Island life shoutouts for when life returns to our new normal...
Coffee? Roastd
Breakfast? Island Kitchen
Lunch? The Beet
Dinner? Dune
Cocktails? The Gaslight
Yoga - Not much of a yogi, but I do love a good wilderness walk with my family and pups.
Photo by: Brea McDonald Photography. Julie is wearing top by J.Crew.
Leather bags available in the online shop! (Handmade in Georgia, by Neva Opet)
...
Note that I completed this interview before the virus stopped us all in our tracks. Life throughout COVID has allowed for slowing down, enjoying time together and putting health first, which is not something we can say we all have always done. I’m not sure what the future holds but my goal remains the same for TVM - provide holistic, natural products made by women in business who believe that ingredients matter. I want to use the lesson COVID has taught us as more kindling for this passion of mine - we must put our health and our families first. And a good way to start? (Aside from washing our hands and continuing to social distance) is to take a deeper look at what’s in your everyday products and how they could be affecting your health.
