Auralie Westie graduated
from the OTDC ACE-IT program in December 2020 and is working hard to bring
Okanogan Herbs, her apothecary business, to life. Auralie
is from Armstrong, British Columbia and has been self-employed for over 20
years as a hardwood floor installer and finishing carpenter; she is also a
certified Thai masseuse. This entrepreneur decided to take the I-ACE program
for the purpose of “bring[ing] her passion forward” to pursue her ultimate goal
of owning and creating a community apothecary.
Since 2002, Auralie has
held a chartered herbalist certification which allows her to diagnose and
prescribe herbs medicine. She is passionate about introducing and guiding
others through holistic treatments where she utilizes the natural healing
properties of herbs. Herbs are multifunctional; they can help to prevent and
treat diseases and can be used to regulate digestive, respiratory, and hormonal
imbalances as well as many other conditions.
For as long as she can remember, Auralie
has introduced herbal solutions to her friends and family that were suffering
from issues like arthritis and allergies. They often complained that
prescriptions were not working, they had unwanted side-effects, or they wanted
to avoid the pharmaceutical industry. While Auralie
was happy to help her friends and family, she also wanted to branch out to
share this knowledge with her community. Her future apothecary will be a place
for connection, community and conversation where she will not only teach and
provide herbs, tea and medicine, but create a “place where neighbours can
gather and learn” as a way to integrate “herbal knowledge into their daily
lives.”
It is evident that COIVID-19 disrupted many lives; Auralie found that many individuals sought means to
become increasingly self-reliant. For one, people were learning how to grow
their own food through gardening. During the I-ACE program modules, Auralie learned about the importance of surveys to
conduct market research and assess demand for specific products or services.
She created a questionnaire to gauge her community’s interest in learning about
medicine and growing their own herbs. Surprisingly, the response was overwhelming,
so she organized a nature walk in downtown Armstrong. Auralie
educated others about the many useful herbs that grow outside along the
pathways during the trek. From the questionnaire, Community Bloom (a non-profit
assisting in fostering environmental responsibility) saw the post and asked Auralie to be a guest speaker.
As an experienced Thai masseuse, Auralie
has harnessed the potential of her existing channel to introduce customers to
her apothecary business. She currently learns about the body and pain points
through her massages; she wishes to further her offerings by providing
additional pain support with accompanying treatments using herbal teas and medicines.
Throughout the I-ACE program, Auralie
learned how to create a website and Facebook page and was introduced to various
marketing techniques, all of which have helped her expand and introduce her
practice to potential clients. She admits that the I-ACE program has encouraged
her to “dig deeper” and establish a solid foundation for her business, which
includes a lot of market research and a robust financial plan. Since launching
her social media, she has seen a large increase in bookings as many clients are
looking for new ways to keep themselves and their loved ones healthy.
She still has a lot to do to reach her apothecary dream. Her
next step involves finding an acreage to grow her herb field, installing a
thermal greenhouse, and renovating a barn. She hopes to hold many workshops for
medicine-making and herbal remedy education. To learn more about Auralie’s inspiring work and her journey, visit her
Okanagan Herbs Facebook page or her Thai Massage Facebook page. We at the I-ACE
program are excited to see what the future has in store for Auralie and Okanagan Herbs!
Relevant Links:
https://www.facebook.com/Ahhhh-Thai-Massage-543347292844869
https://www.facebook.com/Interior.Herbalist
