I was pretty obsessed…
Seriously. I was obsessed.
I mean, it was January 1 and freezing cold out. Yet, there I sat in my beat up Subaru wagon outside the public library, leeching off their wi-fi on a Holiday morning.
While many were hung over from New Years Eve, I was staring at the little blue progress bar crawling across my screen as the first LearningHerbs pages slowly uploaded.
I had just spent months working on the Herbal Medicine Making Kit design in every spare moment I had. I was working at a non-profit that I helped start, going to acupuncture school, and raising two kids. Hailey was a newborn. I was pretty busy.
I didn’t own a laptop, so I borrowed one from work in the off hours. I only had dial-up internet at home. Besides, there was no quiet space to work in our tiny one-bedroom apartment. So, I sat outside that library many nights. I also spent hours at a local cafe on a couch, frantically typing away.
I didn’t have any free days between work and school, so the only extra income I could get would have to be via my own creativity. We were also on food stamps and used the food bank. I was hoping the Kit could make us an extra $200 or so a month. I dreamt every night of getting out of that dingy basement apartment.
When I was nearly finished with designing the Kit, I had a realization…. I needed a website to sell it. I never built a website. There were no simple website builders back then, or even Facebook! So, I dove deep into the world of website creation.
I had actually registered the LearningHerbs.com domain name and let it go twice before. It kept coming to me in this dream. I had no idea what to do with it, which is why I kept letting it go. However, I finally figured out what that dream was about, so I registered it a third time.
I had no idea I was even starting a business until a friend pointed that out to me. I didn’t know anything about budgets, spreadsheets or business plans… still don’t. When the banker asked me what name to register my new checking account under, all I could think of was “LearningHerbs.com,” as this was the website name. I didn’t realize my business even needed a name. Some people take weeks to name their business. I did it in 10 seconds.
Something bigger than myself was driving me to do this. It wasn’t just the extra $200 a month. It sort of felt like a mission, which is where the obsession was coming from. Many times in my life I have no idea why I’m doing something…I just feel like I have to do something…so I do it. And I did it.
When I came up for air after 9 months after starting this project, this is what I launched…
That very same LearningHerbs site I designed in late 2004 lasted our company nearly 10 years.
What happened between then and now has been an incredible journey, and these are stories for another time.
I am here today to celebrate the BRAND NEW, built from the ground up, completely reimagined, beautiful, easy to use and inspiring LearningHerbs.com!
This new site recommits us to our original roots and mission of “herbs made simple.” It focuses and clarifies who we’ve been all along, and shows you where we are going.
It has just about everything the old site had, and a whole lot more.
What you see in front of you is just the beginning.
This new site was created by LearningHerbs Design Director, Jan Bosman. He redesigned HerbMentor a few years back and we are grateful to have him on staff.
Althea Cunanan, who has been with me 7 years, worked insane hours transferring information from the old site. Thanks to Althea and Jan!
Of course, thanks to the rest of our amazing team… Education Director Rosalee de la Forêt, Operations Manager Debbie Winters, and Savannah Winters, Queen of Herbal Kits.
Here is a photo of our family taken right after Wildcraft! came out in 2007, back when it was still Kimberly and I running everything…
And here is an updated photo…
It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come, and it’s all thanks to YOU.
Here’s to our second decade AND here’s to the BRAND NEW LearningHerbs.com!
I so proud of all we have done, and incredibly thankful for all we’ve received.
Warmest regards,
John Gallagher
Co-Founder & Director of Mystery, LearningHerbs
Congratulations to the whole Learning Herbs Team. Your old site has been amazing so I can only imagine the wonders you have coming for us next.
Iv’e followed your site for some time now and I’m excited to see your new look, very nice!
If you are open to a service/product trade, let me know! My sister lives in Lacey and I drive down quite often.
Sorry, here is my link.
I really love the new site! Great job! Looking forward to all the things you have in mind to help me learn all I can about herbs and what they are used for.
What a beautiful adventure …and family!!
Congrats buddy, I know what a long road it’s been and you deserve huge success. Can’t wait to catch up!
Congratulations John and Kimberly. Keeping herbs in people’s hands, hearts and homes continues a tradition of deep honoring for our ancestors, ourselves and a future connected with the green.. Bright Blessings, EagleSong of RavenCroft Garden
Awesome site…love the look, love the personal connection/stories! Best wishes for continued success on the NEW
Super duper good time!
John & Kimberly….Thank you so much for helping me to become confident and self reliant in using herbs for my family and friends. I make salves, tinctures, etc., and it feels so empowering to have family or friends call and ask for more salve, or tell me how well the salve/ tincture worked. I was very skeptical at first….but after successfully using herbs as medicine…..I know they work!!
Keep up the wonderful job you are doing!
Suzie in Montana
This is my view of the real U.S. We work our way out of tough places and then kindly share with others.So glad I found you!
I just want to say THANK YOU ! I’ve always been such a loner in my plant world my family is all doctors,lawyers and you know,Indian Chefs and I’m the plant girl so it’s nice to know I’m not alone.
Really lovely site – wonderful tools, easy to use. And the best content on the subject. Thank you!
What a wonderful story and example! The spirit behind it all is truly love and care, my favorite ‘handles’. I’m always so thankful to find people I can trust to have our best interest as a primary motivation. Thank you ALL so very much for being and upholding who and how you are…………. And thanks again for such a special webinar.
Thank you for putting herbs back into the hands of the people!
Making it accessible, easy and fun has had me coming back over and over throughout the past few years!
…and I can’t say enough good things about Wildcraft!!! My two oldest children are 9 & 11 and love playing it! It’s by far our favourite game!
Much of my knowledge and my children’s knowledge of herbs comes from all of you here!
Thank you from all of us!
So excited to have connected with you! Please let me know when your Herb Fairies is available! Thanks
Hi, I just wanted you to know that I thought this site would be useful to our readers at FerventTimes.com, so I used it in my latest article on becoming a Herbalist. Here is the link:
http://www.ferventtimes.com/how-to-become-a-herbalist/#more-578
It would be a huge boost for us if you wanted to mention this article on your blog or twitter. We are @FerventTimes.
Thanks so much for putting together such a helpful site.
This website is amazing! I just ordered Wildcraft! yesterday and my daughter and I are so excited to receive it! I am truly honored to have found you and even if we live in Canada, we are blessed to have people like you, Susun Weed, Rosemary Gladstar etc. around us. Please continue this wonderful mission and I am sure the world will be a better place.
Sincerely,
Andreea
Your’s logo is very good, the dandelion is so healthy and how much it grows in wild nature and allmost all it left not in use same as the pine, which we have there in Finland grows so much to our health. So, Benecol we have here, other side of it is made from pineoil. Many years I had think that in this case have to do something, only own use it isn’t enough. In the winter when I have bad influence I cook or disolve pine needles example to my soup or tea. If this should happen in global world it save
I’ve been a fan of Learning Herbs for years. Always love the stories you have to tell. Since I bought the Herbal Medicine kit, I’ve made lots of herbal concoctions, using them and giving them to family and friends. We’re moving to a new place sometime in the next year, and I’ll grow my own elderberries for your fantastic elderberry recipes. My four trees are in large pots now but I’m sure they’ll be happier when they’re in the ground in their new home. Can’t wait to make elderberry gummies. I know how wonderful and effective elderberry syrup is since first using it after reading about it on your website.
My niece owns an organic herb farm in Texas (Piney Woods Herb Farm) where I get some of my dried herbs. Many I grow myself in my small garden in Renton, Washington.
Thanks to Learning Herbs for being an important part of my life, helping me to remain strong and healthy at 77.