Conversations with Lauren Alexander

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Alexander.

Hi Lauren, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started Ital Wellness with the mindset and intention to help improve people’s lives, as well as my own, through health and wellness. I would always make various self-care items for myself, and when I saw the benefits I wanted to share them with others as well. I started out making loose-leaf herbal teas for different ailments, which then extended to also making body butters, balms, bath products, jewelry, wrapping sacred plants and more. I love creating things, so I enjoy making my own labels, handwritten tags, signs and banners as well. I’ve been working jobs for 15+ years while doing things I love on the side. I evolved from that state of mind to where I can now focus on running my business by doing things that I love and leaving the corporate 9-5 world behind. We each have a special calling in life and if we’re not pursuing that to the fullest then we’re wasting our gifts, talents and time. Tomorrow isn’t promised, so I take pride in trying my best to fulfill what I’m truly called here to do. It gives me pure joy to put out genuine high-vibrational products that truly help people; whether it’s with their health, self-care, mindset and so on.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I believe when you feel you’re doing what you’re called to do and are passionate about it, there will always be some struggles and obstacles down the road. You can either embrace it or fight against it. When you embrace that struggles are a part of life, you can mentally be ready for them but not let them overtake you. I’ve lost family including my dad, and while trying to organize a funeral, I was also planning events and pop-ups for my business. That’s probably been one of the toughest things; losing people I love while figuring out how to keep going. My dad was one of my biggest inspirations. He was the one who taught me about plants and always believed in me. He was a small business owner himself, so I feel like I owe it to him to keep my dream alive and keep pushing. I’m hella thankful for my tribe and their constant love and support. I wouldn’t be to where I am today without them, especially my man Robert. If anyone can keep me lifted up and motivated to move forward with love, grace, and resilience, it’s him.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve always had a deep love for the earth; plants and animals, which ties into my name, Ital Wellness (pronounced ‘eye-tal’). Ital is organic. It’s from the earth, free of chemicals, growth regulators, pesticides, gmo’s and toxins. It’s clean and unprocessed. To me, ital is a way of life. It’s energy, divinity, pure love for mother earth and all of her inhabitants. It’s what I represent and stands for; it’s who I am. I specialize in herbal teas because I believe so strongly in plants. Everything I use is all organic and or self-harvested, sustainable/wildcrafted. Robert and I also implicate these standards with our food business Ital Wellness Eats. We do pop-ups, meal preps and custom orders; everything is vegan as well. We create beautiful drinks & dishes using natural plants and healing tea blends. Our dream is to have a walk-in place where we can serve up our high-vibrational meals while also providing apothecary space for my herbs, teas, crystals and self-care products.

My mission is to help as many individuals as I can and share my products with all who can benefit from them. When you respect the land/inhabitants and live by that, you see things differently. I believe there’s a plant remedy for every ailment; I want to change the way people care for themselves. It’s about what we’re putting into and onto our bodies. Nature has all the answers and if we can get back to that, we’ll be alright.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
The covid 19 crisis impacted my business in a few different ways. First, things slowed down because I wasn’t able to get out there and do events since most were canceled or put on hold, so I had to rely on my online presence for sales. I really enjoy interacting with customers/clients in person. It allows me to meet a variety of people and hear their stories so that I can properly recommend my products. With covid, I’ve seen an increased number of people panicking about their health, whether it be friends, family or strangers. My mission remains the same- to help people through plants and to spread awareness before the individual gets sick. I’ve taken the extra steps and I’m currently back in school to become a CMH (clinical master herbalist). I feel that I can expand my knowledge in health and wellness to further grow my career by taking these courses.

This will allow me to help more people in the future; I’ll be able to see patients and make recommendations while still producing helpful products. I’ll be accredited by the (AADP) American Association of Drugless Practitioners and I couldn’t be more excited! Now more than ever, people need to get back to nature. Back to our indigenous ancestor’s practices. The world we live in today, especially the health industry, profits off of sickness and disease. Instead of healing people, the standard protocol is to prescribe pharmaceuticals to cover up and mask the problem instead of getting to the root cause. They are ‘treating not ‘healing’. Most so-called health professionals do not evaluate diet or even take the time to identify a proper solution, which in turn leads to more sickness and pain. When we bring ourselves back to nature, combined with proper knowledge of chemistry, I believe we can live and thrive off of plants. Covid was a downfall for communities as a whole, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Now more than ever people need natural remedies and all the healing- and I’m here for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: italwellness.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ital_wellness