Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Steele.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When my youngest daughter was born, she had some problems with her lungs. The slightest cold would turn into a visit to the emergency room. The doctors would prescribe medicines and steroids that this tiny person was supposed to take regularly and I just didn’t feel right pumping her full of chemicals. In my day job, I grow food for my community and know the healing power of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. I also grow herbs and know so many stories passed down about how to heal different ailments and illnesses with herbs and traditional practices. I dove into to that, and my little one now has nice strong lungs, we were able to heal her eczema, and we were able to take care of my household in ways that made us stronger and more connected. I wanted that for everybody!
So hoodfairy & co. is my way of helping people connect back to the magic that is in our heritage and in our earth. It’s an urban apothecary with herbal remedies for everyday (& not so everyday) ailments. It’s a community for people to learn and explore. hoodfairy & co. is born out of a desire to give my people pride in and restore our access to the magic that is our heritage. Pride in our ability to heal ourselves and our community, pride in our connection to the earth.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have a whole day job lol, plus I have two kids. So my struggle is finding the strength to do it all to be honest. I come from a social justice background so I feel deeply compelled to make sure people have the tools they need to heal and are empowered to thrive. I never have quite enough space, or time, or raw materials or capital for my business to take off the way I see it in my head lol, but its coming. I’m always grateful for the people that support me and this dream so it’s not hard to keep going.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
hoodfairy & co. is an urban apothecary that creates herbal remedies for everyday (and not so everyday) ailments and self-care. My body butters are my most popular product; they are really good for calming eczema and other issues with the skin. I create teas, facial and yoni steams, scrubs, herb-infused oils, and personalized remedies and self-care products. I grow some of my own herbs as well and am heading toward growing them all.
hoodfairy & co. is also a learning space. I believe being well has many facets so there are movement classes (#trapzumba), there’s fairy school where we dive into learning about herbs and practices and the fairy gatherings where we participate in some kind of wellness practice or make a remedy together.
I think what sets hoodfairy & co. apart is that its a space for empowerment & community. Rarely does someone just buy a product; they come to a class, they visit a garden, or come to an event and then feel empowered to go on a journey with herbs, with traditional practices, with their own body and spirit.
What were you like growing up?
This is a hard question to answer lol, I don’t often reflect on myself as a kid. I grew up with a single mother in a strict, religious household. I was always a critical thinker and pretty smart. I skipped kindergarten, top of my class all through school, was accepted into a private school with a hefty scholarship for high school. I loved exploring the world, was always in a dance class or an art program, summer camps and whatever my mom could find to keep me occupied. I’m grateful to her for that because it exposed me to so many different types of art, and history, cultures and people. When I hit high school, there was such a stark difference between the world of private school and where I lived; I had a pretty serious culture shock right in my own city lol. I became really involved in social justice at that point. Other than that, I’ve always been pretty chill… I fear I’m not really interesting enough for this interview, lol. I am honored.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hoodfairy.com
- Email: hoodfairy.co@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hoodfairy.co
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/hoodfairyco
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