Exploring Life & Business with Teri Williams of The Melanated Apothecary

Today we’d like to introduce you to Teri Williams.

Hi Teri, 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?
Wow! Where do I begin. 2013…..that’s where and when it all began for me. I got really sick in 2013, and it made me take a good hard look at how I was taking care of myself mentally, physically, and emotionally. It was then and there that I realized I’d let a lot of things go. I started to eat right, practice yoga (I was already practicing, but mostly off and on), work out (CrossFit), 5k’s, and obstacle mud runs (Spartan Race, Tough Mudder, Savage Race just to name a few). The more I got into taking care of myself the more I searched for guidance and information from people who looked like me; an African-American woman that was tall and has curves. It leads on a new journey of being that person for others. But, life happens and I became pregnant with my son in 2014. I didn’t let it stop me or change my course. I just included him into my journey. I wanted to show him what wellness looked like. I had put in the time and research to teach him that wellness and self-care looks different for everybody and that as an African-American male self-love and care is just as important. I wanted to teach him the things that I was not taught. I went on to obtain my yoga teacher certification and personal trainer certification.

At the end of 2018 beginning of 2019, my son came down with a common cold, and like most mothers I went and got the common over the counter cold medicine to give to him. I’m not sure what was in there, but it was like I’d given him straight sugar. He was bouncing off the walls, running around in circles, just acting super wild, and then he super crashed, and his cold was nowhere near gone. Instead his fever got worse, he broke out in hives, and was just miserable! Not only that, we were battling night terrors which are common in boys from 18 months to two years of age. I wanted to help him but not give him all the stuff that was over the counter. I started researching holistic ways to help him, and in doing so different herbs and herbal recipes popped up. I went down the rabbit hole of herbs and natural healing, and two (2) schools locally (Austin) popped up for herbalism school. I’ve actually pushed it out because we were using and trying out essential oils recommended by a friend(s). But the herbs kept calling me! LOL. I actually had reached out to a friend about one of the schools but didn’t think much of it until it popped up again in a Facebook sponsored ad. I wanted to get back to natural ways of healing the way my grandmother would use on me, and in late 2019 I enrolled in The Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine.

In early fall of 2019, The Melanated Apothecary was born! But true to form for me, while I was killing time on Facebook a video popped up of 2 African-American women; one was an esthetician giving a facial, and my mind exploded, and I saw The Melanated Apothecary for what it could truly be. A place rooted in self-care and wellness that meets the needs to foster self-care for people from all walks of life of all colors. A true educational hub of how to take care of yourself and support yourself outside of traditional means and modalities. After that video, I went searching for esthetic schools so that I could learn more about taking care of our body’s most precious organ; the skin! With my knowledge and understanding of the body, movement, and self-care I knew I was making the right decision. True story that not a lot of people know…..I was actually going to beauty school while I was finishing up my community herbalism program, raising my son as a single mother, and working a full-time job!!

Once I was done with beauty school and herbalism school, I was very blessed to connect with another like-minded friend who believed in me and my journey just as much as I did. She provided me with a space and opportunity for my dreams and goals to manifest, and I’m forever blessed to have her love, support, and guidance in my corner.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a moderate road. I’ve never been one to think that I can’t do something. As mentioned before, I got pregnant with my sweet son right before I started yoga teacher training. I found out at the end of 2014 I was pregnant and started yoga teacher training in 2015. I did my entire training pregnant (I had him, took some time off, and went back to finish my training). I went on later to get my certification as a personal trainer, BUTI yoga instructor, community herbalist, and licensed esthetician with my little by my side. The road wasn’t always easy, but I was fortunate to include him in journey. He attended some of the classes, and I was fortunate enough to have friends and family that were willing to watch him for me and instructors who enjoyed having him around! He was just as eager to learn as I was!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am proud and encouraged with the direction The Melanated Apothecary is heading. My goal and mission is to create a peaceful atmosphere by focusing on health and wellness through the use of environmentally friendly products and services. And addressing the needs of the individual as a whole. I want to be an environment where one came come to seek out guidance and help to support their overall wellness and self-care needs. I believe in the interconnectedness of body, spirit, and earth. I want to help nurture that connection.

I currently offer mini express facials, basic facial, holistic facial, and love the skin your in facial. Waxing services. I will be expanding to include lash services. I will offering small-batch herbal support in the form of tinctures, tonics, teas. 1 on 1 personal yoga instruction and personal training one on one.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is in the eye of the beholder! I feel like success is ever-changing. I can’t truly define success because how I view success today has the potential to change on how I view success tomorrow. When I started this journey I would say, “I just want to be successful, I just want The Melanated Apothecary to be successful”, but that looked different every day, and it was stressing me alllllll the way out!!! LOL. I had to change my mindset and view everyday as a success even if it was the smallest of tasks. If I posted about an herb, I was crushing on, that was success to me. If I completed 1 task on my to-do list that was success to me. If I went to the grocery store and didn’t curbside my groceries that was success for me! LOL. I just try to be better than the me I was yesterday. That’s my definition of success.

Contact Info:

• Email: themelanatedapothecary@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_melanated_apothecary
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/themelanatedapothecary