I've been a Registered Nurse since 1997. As I looked back on my career in nursing and tried to articulate what I exactly did as a nurse, I realized it was helping people nurture their wellness and well-being. I also realized in my own life how important that has been, because if we aren't taking care of ourselves, it's difficult to take care of those we love. It brings me great joy and I consider it a gift to share my knowledge and skills with people, experience connectedness with others, and see other people experience joy.
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My first nursing job was in 1997 on a cardiac care unit when I moved to New Mexico from Upstate NY. I worked 12-hour nights, and it didn't take long to start feeling the fatigue and stress set in. I found that I was most interested in holistic living, always exploring nutrition, health, and fitness, finding ways of living more intentionally, simply, and calmly, and integrating mind, body and spirit. This was the catalyst for how my life unfolded from then on.
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The bath & body business...
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In my first year as a nurse, I was looking for a creative outlet, and needed a sense of calm on my days off. I loved creating things with my hands and imagination, anything from crafts to food. On one of my days off I was out exploring the city of Albuquerque. I walked past a shop whose doors were open and a wonderful aroma caught me so I had to investigate. The shelves were filled with dried herbs and essential oils. Nothing I was familiar with, I asked what these items were used for, and the rest is history.
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Thanks to my accidental discovery of the The Herb Store in Albuquerque, this wonderful adventure started in 1998, when I taught myself how to make bath soaks, balms and basic creams. Then I progressed to lotions, soaps, candles, and all the other products I make. After work, I'd spend hours researching recipes and ingredients. I started bringing my creations to work. Much to my surprise, people wanted to order them. I started my little business at that point, and got involved in the local craft show scene. I'll never forget the first one I did, in the blazing New Mexico sun. I had no experience, and therefore no pop-up tent for shade. The soap maker in the space behind me gave me one of her tents to use. I bought a bar of her soap called Taos Hum and the scent was one I remember to this day. I was so grateful for her help, and never forgot this kind gesture. I went back to visit New Mexico in 2017, and in a tiny gift shop on the Turquoise Trail, I found her soaps again. Of course I bought some and they brought back wonderful memories. I still have them (and Taos Hum still smells the same!). It's good to know her soap company is still going strong. So to the Diablo Canyon soap works lady...a huge thank you!
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My first divorce in 2002 brought me back to my home of Upstate NY. I bought a small house, and most of it was dedicated to my business. My kitchen was my workshop, a bedroom the storage area for supplies. I worked 12-hour shifts first in the ER and then at a busy urgent care, and in my days off I'd make products. I was a one-woman band again, doing all the research, marketing, supply orders, product making, packaging, and labeling myself.
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I was approached by a coworker who knew the owner of a luxurious spa in town, and encouraged me to talk to the owner about my products. So I did, and she gave me a chance to have my products in her spa. They sold so quickly she couldn't keep them in stock. She then asked me to be the formulator for her spa products. Unfortunately, I was unable to keep up the pace of working full-time as a nurse, which I still needed to do to pay the bills, and working 14-hour days making spa products on my days "off," so I had to kindly decline this venture.
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Around this time, I was approached by another coworker who was my best customer, who had a friend at the local television station. I was invited to be on the morning program of one of our local news channels, Bridge Street on Channel 9 News. The host and I made a sugar and oatmeal scrub from scratch - it was so much fun, and an experience I'll never forget.
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At this point I was still doing local craft shows, and I typically did these by myself, too. For people who aren't familiar with the craft show scene, there is a great deal of work and time that goes into them, not just in the products but the physical labor and travel. I remember hauling folding tables, a canopy for outdoor shows, displays, table covers, signage, and boxes full of products to a show, setting up and breaking down my displays, and hauling everything back home. Many craft shows are outdoors so weather is something to contend with, and more than once my products were damaged. It wasn't easy but I kept going because overall they were a fun experience and it got me some exposure.
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I continued on in this way until 2018, when I encountered the chance to have something I had dreamed about since I started the business - a physical storefront. It had always been just that - a dream - mainly due to overhead. At the time, I lived in a little rural village, and while out walking one day I noticed a "for rent" sign in a tiny office in the front of an old house. The rent was $300 per month, which to me was unbelievable, and I was sure there had to be something wrong with the place! But it was absolutely perfect. It was an office the size of a bedroom, but it was perfect for my shop. I jumped at the opportunity, signed a one-year lease, and did my best. I spent several thousand dollars of my own money to furnish the space, as I needed everything from tables to displays to window furnishings to signage to inventory. The space came together beautifully, and had a simple, rustic appeal to it, with inspirational wall art and a welcoming layout. I wanted people to step into my shop and feel like they temporarily escaped the outside world. I wanted it to be a place of solace for people, and I made sure people knew there was never any pressure to buy anything, just to find a moment of peace.
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The shop did great during the holiday months, and I renewed my lease for a second year. I did great with stocking it initially...but when things started selling out, I had a hard time keeping up with inventory while working full time. So the shop oftentimes appeared quite lean. Then there were the long, harsh winters, and its rural location, so there weren't many sales during the rest of the year. Still, it was MY little slice of wonder, a place I often went to to gain motivation, creativity, and solace.
Then I went through my second divorce. I decided to not renew the shop lease, as the distance was too far to travel from my new home. But I was beyond grateful for the experience and am so glad I did it.
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On the heels of my divorce, the pandemic started. I used this period of time to temporarily slow down. I took a break from making products, and focused instead on just living and getting through the day to day.
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I now am engaged to a wonderful man, and we have built a home together full of love. I got back in my workshop, with a renewed sense of creativity and direction - one of simplicity. I make a few products here and there as I have time, and I now teach soap making and other craft classes. ​
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My handmade body and home products are made in small batches, and products can vary based on my creativity. Everything I make has been done 100% myself, since the beginning. All the research, development, testing, production, labeling, advertising, website design, social media...I've been a one-woman band, while working full time as a nurse, and I am so very grateful for my little cottage industry.
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The plant-based adventure...
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In 2013 when I turned 40 some interesting things happened in my life. My dad struggled with some serious health issues, beginning with a triple coronary bypass at 39, followed by an angioplasty on another coronary vessel at 43, and a stroke at 51. At 63 he suffered a mini-stroke, and the doctors could no longer "fix" him. In a desperate attempt to help him, I literally searched online for natural therapies for vascular disease, and kept coming across a plant-based diet. My dad decided to give it a try, and I did this right along with him to support him. My dad worked on improving his lifestyle habits through diet and exercise, in conjunction with the medical care provided by his doctors. My dad and I experienced some wonderful things, from weight loss (we each lost 70 pounds), to lowering our blood pressure and cholesterol, to just overall feeling good. Over the years our ways of eating have evolved and we each do what's right for us, but 10 years later we still eat plant-based because it makes us feel our best.
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This prompted me to start a YouTube channel called I Kill Chickpeas, which is now Jeannette's Essence: Healthy Over 50. I changed the channel name to reflect my focus on wellness and well-being, and now that I'm over 50 (and discovered most of my viewers are 35 and older), some of the content will focus on us folks in midlife and beyond (though anyone can benefit from the ideas shared here!). Food is one part of that, but I also share tips for better living and health. My dad and I share our experiences and food ideas here (his Gary's Kitchen videos are very popular!), and our food ideas are ones anyone can enjoy. The channel is very laid back. I believe food is a personal choice, and I encourage you to eat however you choose. Of course as a nurse, I encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables, so hopefully you can find ideas and inspiration here. Our channel led us to write a cookbook together called Plant-Based for Anyone, which was published in 2024.
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Becoming a yoga teacher...
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I've been exploring and practicing yoga for over 20 years, but I had always felt intimidated and less than welcomed in yoga classes. I would look around at the people doing headstands, or executing a series of 26 poses over and over again in a 105 degree room with ease, with their beautiful bodies in their beautiful yoga outfits. I felt like an outcast. I even had one student in a hot yoga class suggest I just quit, since I had to keep leaving the room whenever I felt like I might pass out. In every class I would look at my not-so-flexible body in my T-shirt and shorts and think, 'I don't belong here.' I was turned off from yoga classes, yet kept trying them at different studios and exploring different kinds of yoga. Discouraged, I turned to online yoga sessions on YouTube, doing yoga in the privacy of my home where no one could judge me or tell me I didn't belong.
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I initially adopted yoga mainly as a way to stay flexible and manage stress. I knew it made me feel calmer, but I never knew the true meaning of yoga.
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In January 2024 there was an unmistakable pull for me to take a 200-hour Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher Training at my local yoga studio. I was familiar with Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medical system based on integrating mind, body and spirit, and I had a feeling this training would be something special. I'm not going to lie, it was difficult - physically, mentally, and spiritually. But what I learned was worth every ounce of pain I experienced. I finally understood the roots of yoga. I learned that yoga is your yoga - this was pivotal for me, because once I learned that, all the judgement, all the comparisons, all the fear and misunderstandings I had around yoga faded away. Yoga is in my heart now, and I feel it is a gift to share my knowledge with others.
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I have chosen to teach gentle yoga. This is the type of yoga that I enjoy the most. As an Ayurvedic yoga teacher, my goal is for my students to feel balanced from a class. My classes are a blend of breath work, gentle movement, and meditation. I am also exploring restorative yoga, and plan to incorporate this style into my teaching as well.
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I have started a YouTube channel called Gentle Yoga with Jeannette, where I offer free gentle yoga classes, breath work sessions, meditation, and tips for taking yoga off the mat with ideas for improved wellness and well-being.
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Thank you for visiting and I'm very happy you're here! Please enjoy exploring the website and my social media. I hope it brings a bit of joy to your day.
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In wellness and well-being,
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Jeannette
