When developing a small business, some of the most important lessons come from recognizing what needs to change for the business to grow sustainably. For Tammy, owner of Healing Birch Waters, that meant learning to value not only her products, but the time, knowledge, and purpose behind them.
Education and sustainability run deep for Tammy. As a Black and Indigenous woman, her connection to the earth’s natural resources has always been a part of her heritage. She grew up near the Mississippi River, exploring its banks with her father, honoring the water and the birch trees that lined its shores. Birch trees are sacred in Tammy’s family, who feel connected to the energy and memories they carry.
That love for water systems continued to flow throughout Tammy’s life. In addition to her day job as a social worker, she founded Healing Birch Waters in 2023 to create balance between humans and nature through art and healing energies. Tammy began this journey inspired by the Mississippi River, creating goat milk soaps made with natural ingredients to limit chemical runoff into waterways and encouraging consumers to become better water stewards.
“We started with one bar of soap at a time,” she shares. Tammy is the sole owner of her business but works alongside her sons and granddaughter to keep up with inventory and operations.
Tammy later expanded to soy-based and beeswax candles, including teacup candles inspired by a desire to put her inherited china sets to use.
Beyond her products, Tammy leads educational programming through Healing Birch Waters and works closely with BIPOC Outdoors, St. Paul Parks and Recreation, and the Capital Regional Watershed District. She teaches community groups about water quality, sustainable fishing, outdoor recreation, art, and water stewardship.
“If I can do a little piece of that, especially with the young people, each little ripple can start to change things. Water is all we have – water is life.”
Just as Tammy teaches sustainability through her work, she recognized that Healing Birch Waters needed to become more sustainable as a business. Tammy learned about WomenVenture’s Launched & Growing course, a training program for established business owners looking to scale with confidence and dove headfirst into the next stage of her entrepreneurial journey.
“When I started my business, I jumped in running without really knowing what I was doing. I just got my LLC, started making soaps, and started doing markets. I didn’t really think about what else I needed to do,” she reflects. “I took the class to really know what I was supposed to have done.”
Launched & Growing uncovered some tough lessons for Tammy, not about the desirability or market value of her business, but about how she valued her own work. She realized she was underpricing her products and services; rather than feeling discouraged, the confrontation energized Tammy.
“I was excited to do it. I was excited to see that I wasn’t making as much money as I should have been. I was excited to see that I was pricing some things wrong.”
Throughout the program’s 10 sessions, she built momentum alongside WomenVenture trainers and community mentors to strengthen her understanding of profit and loss, evaluate financials, and update her pricing with confidence.
“I was so eager to get the sale that it took me awhile to realize that the magic wasn’t to sell 10 of something that was cheaper, but to actually value my product,” shares Tammy. “Having someone really love that one is way more worth it.”
Launched & Growing graduates are paired with small business mentors to provide ongoing support after the course ends. Since graduating in July, Tammy has been working with her mentor, a fellow candle maker, and shop owner. Together, they’ve strengthened Tammy’s social media presence, expanded her market opportunities, and explored what a storefront and production space could look like for Healing Birch Waters.
Tammy’s journey is a reminder that entrepreneurs already bring creativity, passion, and subject expertise to their businesses. Sometimes, the next stage of growth comes from having the tools, resources, and community to recognize the value of what they’ve already created.
“If you have this [Launched & Growing] right when you start this business – that would be amazing,” reflects Tammy. “It’s not too late to catch it when you catch it.”
What’s next for Tammy? Healing Birch Waters is sponsoring the upcoming Indigenous Peoples Weekend at Battle Creek Regional Park. Tammy will be selling her creations throughout the event in addition to teaching a free candle-making course on October 12 for Indigenous Peoples Day. You can find more information about Healing Birch Waters on her website or follow along on Instagram for market updates and where to find Tammy in community.
Author: Heather Cook, WomenVenture Marketing Manager
