Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Holly Drake, Founder of Wild Blessings, located in Todd, NC, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I teach people how to identify, gather and enjoy wild edible plants for their nutritional and healing offerings. My students are local and international as I began online classes in 2020 and have participants in other countries and around the US. My In-person classes and forage to feasts attract people of all ages and from all over the High Country.
Tell us about yourself
I have always been interested in nature. My grandfather was a naturalist and took me on adventures in Minnesota's north woods to gather wild berries and mushrooms. I homeschooled our four sons and did many things together in nature.
When they left home, I focused on furthering my education in wild edible plants. I began offering forage to feasting adventures in 2008 to my friends. Since then, I have taught countless classes and foraging adventures.
In 2020 when Covid hit, I began teaching online as well and enjoy lighting wildfires to help others gain the confidence I have in nature's abundance and learn the skills of living off the land sustainably and nurturing manner.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I'm not sure if it's an accomplishment. Still, the thing that brings me the most joy is working with children and getting them into nature to nurture their sense of wonder and wild knowledge, get them off of 'devices' and into God's playground and fantastic grocery stores!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It is a challenge to market all my events and to charge people for what I used to offer for free. I always say, "sign up for this and this and this and this..." There is so much 'noise' on the internet that standing out from that noise is not easy.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
I don't feel qualified to share tips. I am just learning myself. But what I try to do faithfully is:
- Be organized and have things on my website and event pages so people can see what I am offering this month.
- Welcome each new member to my private FB foraging group personally.
- Faithfully post Instagram reels (just getting into this) to expand reach.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://wildblessings.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wildblessingswithhollydrake
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildblessings/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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