Life & Work with Bethlehem Degef of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bethlehem Degef.

Hi Bethlehem, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story begins in Wolkite, Ethiopia. A small town near the capital is where I was raised by a village. That sense of collective culture shaped my entire worldview. I spent a lot of my formative years with my late grandmother, Wodenish. Although my parents shaped my values, her home was my anchor and my first classroom. In 2012, my family won the Diversity Visa Lottery, and we moved to San Diego, and my grandmother followed shortly after. That was when my education in wellness and holistic medicine truly began. I grew up watching her and my mother create homemade cures and self-care routines for everything. At the time, it felt bizarre seeing my emaye chewing raw garlic in the morning or putting turmeric on everything, and putting kibbeh (clarified butter) on my hair. My mother never wore makeup because her beauty was maintained through her various at-home remedies that didn’t require a trip to Sephora.

It wasn’t until I moved away for college that I realized those “bizarre” remedies were actually a profound legacy of raw beauty and holistic health. As a 21-year-old Black woman, I see how the current beauty industry pressures women, especially women of color, to indulge in endless consumerism to meet rapidly changing beauty standards. In defiance, I returned to my roots. In my return, a wellness brand rooted in dismantling consumeristic self-care and building community through public health initiatives was born.

Currently, in Los Angeles and San Diego, I host community-based events because I started with a village and continue to believe that wellness is incomplete without meaningful connection. By fostering spaces where individuals can come together, we create relationships that uplift and remind us that healing and growth are not meant to happen alone. Through Holistic BD, I honor my grandmother’s wisdom by proving that we are our healthiest when we heal together, naturally.

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?
Being a founder is never a smooth road. It is a vulnerable process to constantly bet your reputation on ideas that might sound confusing or insane to others until they are physically brought to life. I’ve learned the importance of having immense, almost radical faith in yourself. One of my biggest hurdles has been navigating the pressure to have a large crowd or high engagement to prove that an idea is working. In a very digital age, it is easy to let metrics dictate your efforts. However, I’ve learned that growth happens in the persistence of the future, not while hyperfixating on current outcomes. Enjoying the process of building an intimate foundation where people can connect deeply and gain a true community is a lot more fulfilling.

This contributes to why I’ve intentionally delayed monetization. I always get the question, “Are you selling products (any of the remedies I share)?” But I am unwilling to slap a price on wellness until I have a foundational space where people feel seen and supported. Navigating the tension between “hustle culture” and my personal commitment to public health requires a lot of discipline, but I believe building long-term community before earning short-term profit provides a longevity that hustle culture could never offer.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am currently an undergraduate student studying Health Administration with a Biotech emphasis and Africana Studies minor, integrating my academic background into the growth and vision of Holistic BD. This is more than a wellness brand; it is a commitment to dismantling the consumerist version of “self-care” and replacing it with traditional, communal healing. I specialize in bridging the gap between holistic, Ethiopian-rooted medicine and the modern, everyday need for nurturing beauty and movement. I am known for my personal brand and my relentless push for a more authentic version of wellness. I advocate for the idea that health isn’t something you buy but something you cultivate through community and holistic healing. While I can recognize that the innovation of new-age technology holds a powerful place in modern medicine, I believe we overlook the sophistication of our biological roots: community, movement, and traditional remedies regulate our nervous systems in ways a manufactured product cannot do so.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The characteristic most vital to my success is being faith-centered. I believe it is essential for humans to have a connection to something higher than themselves. A private, healing space that remains separate from the noise of the world. For me, that is my relationship with God; it anchors my self-fulfillment in ways words truly cannot describe. This relationship is the true birthplace of my vision. Before I ever bring an idea to my mentors, family, or peers, I take it to God first. In many ways, God is my creative director. I am given direction and trusted to see it through. When asked what I attribute my success to, the common denominator will remain the same. In a world that often feels chaotic, being faith-centered allows me to move with a level of peace and conviction that I couldn’t find anywhere else.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holisticbd.co/