Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Hardy.
Hi lauren, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The Good Village Co was started in my home kitchen in 2018, where I started with simple tinctures, experimental balms, and a LOT of elderberry syrup. In 2023, I lost my job when AI came around and I took what I knew (remedies!) and went to the farmers market with them. The rest is history as we had a very lucritive summer at farmers markets followed by going viral on Tiktok, which gave us the cash flow to move in to a commercial kitchen with an apothecary storefront filled with my remedies.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Ha! Each day as a business owner is just a new series of problems to fix. Balancing employees is the biggest blessing as well as the hardest part of my business. We also are heavily reliant on online sales, specifically tiktok, and they’re pretty moody and unpredictable, which has resulted in several HIGH highs and LOW lows. Just like any other business, we have the struggles of being small and having to create systems that function for everyone while balancing between being a tiny business and a “big” small business in certain seasons that feel borderline corporate. As an owner, I have had to learn to not only drive my brand, but be a resource for my community, become a content creator, and run a manufacturing kitchen as well as a storefront. I have to take a lot of mental health breaks – which is also challenging to balance.
We’ve been impressed with The Good Village Co, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business is called The Good Village Co and we make all kind of herbal remedies, but are most known for our teas. Everything is my formulation and was created to be functional and healing. I say that I specialize in nothing, but a passion of mine is to create a bridge where herbalism stops being “scary” or intimidating for those that aren’t immersed in it. I get excited to make custom remedies that meet people where they are in life, not forcing them to make huge lifestyle changes in the midst of the chaos of life when so many of those things feel too big to actually do. Not saying they don’t need to be done, but I like to say creating margin in people’s lives is very important. If I can help you feel a little less anxious, breathe a little better, focus a little better, have a little more energy, have a normal menstrual cycle – those things are “small”, but can create a lot of room in a persons life that allow them to breathe and prepare better for those big changes that may absolutely need to happen to fully heal.
Brand wise, I’m proud of building something that makes a difference in peoples lives in very simple ways – you’d be surprised what a cup of tea just a couple times a day can change for you!
We are continually growing and stretching and currently live on most major selling platforms as well as have our own website – we prefer you come in store and purchase from our website, that’s the cheapest for you as well. I can be particularly tough to nail down, but I do offer consulting and custom blends and that is my favorite thing to do!
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
To be a small business owner, like I said, every day is just solving a new series of problems and ALL of it is your job, unfortunately. Having the “that’s not my job” or “i don’t feel like it” mentality will stunt your growth, getting uncomfortable will help you grow the most. There are seasons of business that feel like you’re dying. Part of you is and part of your business is, you just have to see it through and come out the other end new. Anything I wish I knew when I was starting out? Don’t hire your family :). In honesty, I am still starting out. I’m only a few years in. I’ve learned a lot, but I am continuously growing and learning and I think that might be what it takes. Constant adaptation and pushing in different directions.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thegoodvillageco.com
- Instagram: @thegoodvillageco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegoodvillageco/
