Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennie Najarro.
Hi Jennie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I remember when I was young, my grandmother briefly exposed me to the power of herbal medicine. She was a big fan of adding chlorophyll to her water, and taking a variety of herbal remedies daily, which I am sure she learned from her upbringing in El Salvador. She planted the seed of curiosity in me around herbs, their benefits, and as I got older, I wondered why herbal medicine wasn’t utilized by everyone.
I always knew I would be involved in making an impact. I’ve worked at non-profits throughout my career, however, like many of us during the pandemic, I took a pause to really think about my purpose and what I truly wanted out of life. In April 2020, I was accepted into USC’s Marshall School of Business, and I am happy to say that I have now graduated with my Master’s Degree in Social Entrepreneurship. This program equipped me with skills and knowledge to create business models that are centered on addressing social issues. Many group projects, reflections, and brainstorming sessions later, The Wellness Connection came to fruition.
The Wellness Connection was created in response to my own and familial health issues, and the effects pharmaceutical medication has had on my mom. Growing up in a low-income household, and as a family of color, I didn’t see my mom prioritize her wellness, I mean how could she? She had to raise two daughters, keep a roof over our heads, and keep food on the table. This eventually took a toll on her health resulting in a high blood pressure diagnosis and a lifelong prescription.
At its core, The Wellness Connection aims to address the inequities that people of color face in healthcare, and in society. The wellness industry as we know it is not designed to serve people from historically marginalized communities, as it heavily caters to those with wealth and privileged backgrounds. Due to institutions, systems of oppression, and lack of access, BIPOC and low-income communities are not placed in ideal situations to thrive. Oftentimes there are poor quality food options and limited recreational activities, resulting in their inability to invest in their wellbeing and health as much as they’d like. There are many people like my mom who are functioning in survival mode, and it ultimately affects their health. Although western medicine has made great strides in our society, medication usually brings a warning label and dangerous side effects that inhibit us from healing the root cause of our ailments. The Wellness Connection focuses on connecting people back to their roots and engaging in natural practices so that BIPOC and low-income communities don’t have to solely rely on big pharma.
With that being said, The Wellness Connection is an aspiring brick and mortar apothecary and wellness hub, that creates avenues of accessibility to holistic wellness practices for BIPOC communities. Through education, apothecary, and community, our goal is to bring power back to the people, help them maintain healthy lifestyles, manage stress, and prevent major illnesses and diseases.
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?
Not at all. It’s difficult creating something on your own, especially while working a full-time job, going to school, finding time to create content, trying to grow, fluctuating support, and balancing life overall. It’s a lot!
Despite the obstacles, it only pushes me more to bring awareness about TWC, and bring it to its full potential!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Wellness Connection?
The Wellness Connection is a labor of love and dedication to BIPOC’s wellness. We deal with a lot, many of our parents, grandparents have had it rough, and we have a responsibility to do better in order to break generational cycles. Our offerings come in the form of an apothecary/ wellness shop, that will focus on educating the community about the benefits of medicinal plants, the various aspects of holistic wellness, and building community through wellness events and workshops. Through these avenues, the community will gain access to knowledge, services, and medicinal herbs. Ultimately, we want people to reconnect with traditional and natural ways of healing to live healthy lifestyles, manage stress, and learn holistic practices for preventing diseases and other health disturbances.
The community can shop our apothecary through our website: twcla.co/shop, where people can purchase herbs by the ounce, and read descriptions and key uses for each herb. We also offer custom herbal steaming blends, loose leaf teas, herbal smoke blends, and we are planning wellness events with a holistic lens so we can begin building community.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I believe my passion and authenticity are the keys to my success. I always enjoy seeing brands that have a meaningful origin story, and you can see their love and passion through their projects and products. Passion is contagious, and people can usually see how much you care through the work you put in and out, and support organically forms.
Pricing:
- Loose leaf herbs range from $3.75-7.50 per ounce
- Herbal steam blends start at $25
- Loose leaf tea blends start at $25
- 3- pack: Pre rolled herbal smoke blends starting at $15
- Sampler boxes start at $25
Contact Info:
- Website: https://twcla.co/home
- Instagram: _twcla
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewellnessconnection.la
