Lily Kunning shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Lily, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is a normal day like for you right now?
I wake early, before my kid and animals and write content for online courses, blog posts, podcasts. Then I fill the orders for the day, wake my kid for school, and care for my family.
From 10-5, I work from home- seeing clients for wellness consultations, doing marketing work for Haven, teaching classes. I make formulas for Haven and clients (and teach my kid herbalism in the process) and eat lunch and dinner with my homeschooled kid.
We make dinner together or share a meal with friends before watching a movie or playing games. It’s a good life.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Lily Kunning, and I am an herbalist. My work includes formulating for and running a small herbal apothecary (Haven Herbs), teaching classes, writing educational books, articles, and podcasts, and doing wellness consultations with clients. It keeps me busy, and I love my work.
I turned to herbalism when nothing else was helping me- twice. Once with early perimenopause, I worked with an herbalist who righted everything and I went on several years later to have a child. Second, when I was injured from computer work, and a Doctor of Oriental Medicine treated me with herbs, acupuncture, and cupping. Intrigued, I went on to school for western herablism and acupuncture. I wanted to help others the way I was helped.
Haven Herbs is the synthesis of my training and passion for botanical and holistic medicine. My goal with Haven Herbs is to be The People’s Apothecary- to help the uninsured, underinsured, and those that modern biochemical medicine has not helped. I teach classes for Cancer Support Community for free, keep products and consultations affordable, and work weekly to help as many as I can.
My teenage son is learning herbalism and entrepreneurship alongside me- Haven Herbs is now a family business!
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Evil, to me, is disconnection. When people become disconnected from one another and from nature, they are capable of horrible things. My job as an herbalist is to serve and heal. I do this by listening to my clients, restoring their faith in connection, and linking them to the plants that will help them in their condition.
I play matchmaker between people who are suffering and the plants that can alleviate that suffering. I work to maintain a connection with my community, my clients, and the green world.
Do you remember a time someone truly listened to you?
I know the first time I felt heard was a revelation, it made me feel worthy. I work very hard to ensure that my clients feel that way after each visit.
The power of being heard is the first step to healing. It restores connection and allows the client to get vulnerable and feel safe. It’s why my intake form takes 20 minutes to fill out, and why I spend 45 minutes or more on wellness intakes. I listen. It is a small but powerful act that starts a journey of healing.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
“Wellness” has become a million dollar industry with many people taking advantage of others. It had become another industry based on people hating their bodies and wanting to change them- and there are businesses based on providing the latest fad to take advantage of people who hate their bodies. It creates disconnection.
Weight loss is not a health goal. BMI is a 19th century measurement that measures nothing important. By looking at actual indicators of heath, (blood pressure, blood sugar, metabolism, the skin, tongue, and pulse) you can measure health. People can be healthy at any size and the human race has amazing diversity of shape and size.
I do not indulge in fad diets, “detox” (as a code for weight loss), or supplements that are marketed for “obesity”. I focus on real health and wellness!
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope that people will think of me fondly as someone who cared and went out of her way to help people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://havenherbs.com
- Instagram: @havenherbs
- Facebook: @havenherbs
- Youtube: @havenherbs
- Other: https://havenherbs.bsky.social
Image Credits
Bethany Ford
Angela Fortin Washington
