Miss Withania is the story of a woman who was determined to use her knowledge of herbs and nature to help her get what she wanted most: a baby.
When Natalie, the founder, was told she had a severe case of polycystic ovary syndrome and would most likely never have children, her world crumbled.
Having children is something one never thinks about during one’s youth and something you just take for granted. You just believe it will happen, whenever you want it to happen. Sadly enough, for many women this believe shatters and they find themselves trying without any success. This was Natalie’s case.
Having studied about herbs and their use for medicinal purposes many years before, she decided to use this knowledge to create a mixture that would improve her chances of getting pregnant. She decided to use all herbs known to improve fertility and create the perfect fertility tea. Since she was geared towards that one goal and it was only for personal use, she concentrated exclusively on that purpose, ignoring what the tea would taste like. She was determined to make it work, putting so much effort and hours, that she finally succeeded. After 2 months of drinking the tea regularly, exercising and clean eating, Natalie got pregnant. She is now mother of a beautiful baby boy and is expecting her second. Now, she wants to share her discovery with other women going through her situation. This is how the Babymaker Tea came to live, creating the Miss Withania shop.
First of all the name Miss Withania, where is it coming from?
Well, I got the idea a long time ago. Originally I wanted to start selling a “depression powder mix” as well as a tea with Ashwagandha as the main ingredient. I was going through a rather difficult time and Ashwagandha root helped me a lot. The latin name for Ashwagandha is Withania Somnifera. I thought the name sounded really good and since I wanted to target women, I decided to use it as the business name. As it turns out, I ended up selling the fertility and the breastfeeding tea first, which have no ashwagandha whatsoever, but I am sure I will get back to that at some point. I am developing plenty of products that will be on the website in the future.
What are your goals currently?
Helping women in all ways possible with our products and within the company. Being a woman in this day and age is not easy. In the
But most importantly, I also know what it is like to raise children without any help and trying to make a living at the same time. If you are pursuing a career, you are expected to act, as if you were childless. But as soon as you try as hard as others, you are tagged as a bad mother. If you are a good mother, you are tagged as a bad colleague. Funny enough, the most difficulties have been given by other women. This is why I am committed to make the company grow as much as possible, so that we can hire single moms for every role. Most companies do not make it easy for single moms. Our vision is to create an environment in which single moms can work knowing that there is understanding about their situation and that their children come first. According to recent data, most single moms have financial troubles and can barely make a living. I would love to be able to change that.
What popular entrepreneurial advice do you agree/ disagree with? Why?
“Follow your passion”. I agree that you need to enjoy and like what you are doing, but I don’t think following a passion is necessarily the answer. For several reasons. Being passionate about something doesn’t mean that you are exceptionally good at it. It also doesn’t mean that your passion can make you money. Worst of all, sometimes being forced to work day in and day out on your passion kills your passion and it becomes an obligation. Why would you do that to yourself?
Of course there are a few lucky ones out there who can make a living out of their passion. But for most of us, I think passion should be there to make you feel good, not launch a business.
I do believe, however, that you should enjoy what you do a lot. It has been proven that the happiest people are those who enter a state of total focus when they do an activity, to the point that they do not notice hours have gone by. So as long as you do something that you enjoy enough to enter that state of pure focus, you are set. Or we could turn that saying around and state “be passionate about everything you do”. That would be even better.
There’s actually a book for entrepreneurs called “The Millionaire Fastlane” that talks about this with a lot of sense. I highly recommend that book to anyone who would love to be an entrepreneur, but is too scared to make the jump yet, it’s a real kick in the a**.
We all have our good days and bad days. What is your typical bad day and typical good day look like? And how do you stay motivated all the time?
I hate to admit it, but I do not stay motivated all the time. I am working on it, though!On a good day, everything seems possible. It’s like I have so much energy inside of me. Ideas keep popping up and I have to write them all down. I feel like anything is possible and I could rule the world. I’m invincible.
Before I discovered meditation, my bad days were impossible to recover, if they were really bad. Fortunately, I have come to learn that having a good or a bad day depends only on yourself. When bad things happen to you, you can either let it control your mindset or you can make the best out of it. Never let external forces control your internal state.
Having said that, if I am having a bad day, a take a break to meditate. I love the Insight Timer app, it offers all sorts of different meditations. Usually I do some metta and gratitude meditations and I automatically feel better. But of course we all have days that are more than bad, just plain horror. In those cases, I have come to learn that it is better to take a complete break and just do something for yourself. Wether it is spending the day on the couch watching TV, or doing spa treatments with a friend. When the world seems to be against you, pause, take a break, do things that make you feel good. It’s ok to let everything be and be motivated to conquer the world again tomorrow.
Tell us about your proudest achievement?
My kids. They are just amazing within and it is an achievement because I am, doing it all by myself.
I have managed to build my career, build a business and raise two fantastic little beings all at the same time and without help. If that is not an achievement, I don’t know what is! You never realize how tough and bad ass you are, until you are forced to bring it on. I wasn’t sure at first I would not be able to do it and I had many moments I actually thought I was going to break. But somehow, I kept finding strength and energy every time I thought I didn’t have any left. I actually wasn’t aware at first at what an achievement this all was (I was also focused on surviving), until many women around me kept mentioning it to me. Friends and people at work would ask me how I do it and tell me how amazing it all was. I kept brushing it off, but then one day I realized it was amazing, indeed! So whenever I need a bit of a pep talk to myself, I look at my kids and say “I did that!”.
What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
The freedom and the knowledge you gain. Building something is a lot of work, but it is under your own terms. You don’t owe explanations to anybody and you can take your own decisions. Of course it is a lot of pressure, but it feels great. It’s also a great adventure and I love adventures. You try to make the adventure as much fun and as successful as possible, but if it goes wrong, the adventure becomes an invaluable lesson. Building a company teaches far more than any MBA.
What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
There have been a few. Most of them came from a lack of knowledge mixed with inefficient organization, but it all turned out to be great lessons to improve. Once I had to throw away over 60kg of herbs, because I ordered them too soon and I did not have the necessary storage for them, so they went bad. You lose money, you gain experience.
But a failure that has surprised myself has been making choices I knew were not right for business, but my heart kept insisting I do them. And I haven’t learned that yet. This is because the fertility niche is touching me more than I thought it would. Every time we would dig into social media to improve our marketing, I would end up seeing this touching and sad stories of women who are trying so hard to have a baby and can’t. Some posts just break your heart. And I know our Babymaker Tea is no miracle worker, but I also know it has helped in many cases and it should not be left untried. However, I also know, if I tell that to those women, they will just think it’s a marketing effort to get them to buy the product, so they won’t buy it. Since I truly believe it could maybe help, I end up giving the tea away for free. I had a fixed amount of tea to give away for 2018 as a promotion and we have exceeded that number because of that.
This is obviously not good for business and I won’t do this again this year, but I also have to say, I do not regret it. If any of those women end up getting pregnant, I will see it as an investment in increased worldwide happiness.And after all, this is what we are all about.
Could you suggest three guidelines for the individual who is entering the field of entrepreneurship in herbs en natural medications?
I see one main and important guideline: get legal help. It is very difficult to find help with all the legal stuff in this area. I know legal help is expensive and new companies most of the time can’t afford to spend a lot of time in legal help. (business opportunity here for anyone in the legal field!). But it is highly important to get legal advice. When it comes to herbs, natural medications and even food, there are more regulations than one might imagine. Especially in Germany, where we started.
It’s a tough field to enter, because you need to be very careful how you talk and what you say. If you are trying to use natural remedies, it is treated like you are trying to fool people, so anything you say can be a reason to stop your business. This is why legal advice is so important.
Apart from that, my suggestion would be: Do not follow trends, do not follow the money. Offer something you truly believe in. But this is not just for businesses in this field, this can be applied to any business. You should always do something because you believe in it, not because you are looking to get rich.
What advice can you give to women out there who are trying to get pregnant longer than a few months?
Never give up hope and talk about it. In these past years, I have come across so many women who were sure they would never have children and ended up pregnant when they least expected it.
Of course there are some medical conditions with which getting pregnant is close to impossible. But whatever the reason, it is important to sometimes let go and keep trying.
I met this woman 5 years ago, she was in her 40s and a high profile lawyer in London. She had tried to get pregnant for over 7 years, without any luck. She got depressed after a while, so she gave up, got divorced, sold everything she owned and moved to Argentina, somewhere in the middle of nature to live with horses I think it was. She had an affair with some Argentinian and a few months later, she was pregnant.
I like to tell this story because it shows some of the main behaviors I believe are very important: getting rid of stress, no putting yourself under constant pressure that you have to get pregnant, a healthy lifestyle and getting closer to nature. I am not saying this heals everything, but I am positive it is a great help.
Talking about it is also very important. Studies have shown that many women do not talk about it and these are more likely to suffer from depression. Of course it also matters to whom you talk about it. Be sure to find someone who is going to understand your situation and will just listen and not give some BS advice. Getting a therapist might also be a good idea, since it can help to lead your sadness and frustration in a healthy way.
Women often fall into depression when they are having a hard time to get pregnant, you fell through this yourself as well. What have you learned from this period? What is the greatest advice you can give from your own experience?
Well, my history with depression is unrelated to my desire of having a baby. It happened many years before that and it was actually because of that time that I got the idea of this business. But it is true that many women can suffer from depression when they are faced with infertility or even after having a baby.
Depression is a very tricky illness, because it can’t be seen. Sometimes even you can’t see it yourself and years can go by until you are aware that it is there. On top of that, it is not something you like to talk about, because most people do not understand it. You can either get tagged as “crazy” that needs psychiatric help or you get ignored because people think “you have no reasons to be sad”.
I think the most important thing if you are dealing with depression or if you think you are close to it is to be honest with yourself and to talk about it with people you trust or with a professional. Never keep it inside and think that you can deal with it all by yourself. It will only make things worse.
If you get help and fight to overcome it, you can learn a lot from it. I am actually really grateful for that time, because it made me deal with myself and get face to face with the darkest side of my being. This helped me realize who I really was and most importantly, it got me close to meditation and
See her products HERE
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
I actually know that shop! A friend of mine used the Babymaker feritlity tea. Great to see people build something while figuring out how to help others.
Inspiring story of superation and incredible natural products to achieve such a beautiful dream as it is having a baby. Definitely trying it!
Inspiring story of superation and incredible natural products to achieve such a beautiful dream as it is having a baby. Definitely trying it!