Bridget Molloy Troublemaker at Bridget’s Botanicals

Imagine you’re using a seriously scientific method in an industry and your customers confuse what you do with the “more relaxed” side. Welcome to the botanical / herbology industry.

FIRST, SOME BACKGROUND

“Although herbalism may apply modern standards of effectiveness testing to herbs and medicines derived from natural sources, few high-quality clinical trials and standards for purity or dosage exist.” -Caleb W. Lack

“Botanical medicine comprises plants (or substances that come from plants) that are used to treat or prevent disease. Plants have been used in this way in all cultures from pre-history on. Many people use the term herbal remedies, which is fine. We use the term botanical medicine because it includes plant parts that are not strictly herbs, such as bark, seeds, roots, and stems.”
-University of Minnesota

“Herbal supplements are regulated by the FDA, but not as drugs or as foods. They fall under a category called dietary supplements.” One of the rules for dietary supplements is: Manufacturers don’t have to seek FDA approval before selling dietary supplements.
-Mayo Clinic

With all that as a background, this podcast introduces you to a company founder in the botanical medicine space who’s got a strong business acumen and years of scientific research and experience behind her. She has been practicing botanical medicine over the past 11 years and is an expert on women’s sexual health & wellbeing.

Bridget’s mission statement:
“To inspire the vibrant health of people and our planet. We embody a culture of well-being through high-quality, accessible, fun, and personalized botanical solutions.”

A MAJOR POINT OF DIFFERENCE

Since 2014, Bridget has formulated and manufactured over 40 products and developed 30 community classes, 2 courses, and an online course portal. Each health product she launches is formulated based on current scientific research combined with traditional global healing practices and manufactured in small batches in Colorado from sustainably sourced organic botanicals. In other words, she’s highly credible and very serious.

Bridget brings a level of integrity to this category that differentiates her from others. She’s spent years doing molecular biology, biochemistry, and combining those with pharmacology and botanical medicine. How these different natural chemicals are combined is critical. They must be synergistic with one another and within the physiology of the human body to be effective.

Contrast that with people selling herbal remedies on Amazon, ETSY, and random websites and you’ll question whether you should ingest products from some of these enthusiasts and hobbyists.

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BRIDGET GOES MOLECULAR

The herbalism world is the “more relaxed” side of the industry, but Bridget says there is a lot of tradition in the use of these plants as well. After all, the practice of using plants to heal has been around for eons. However, just because someone takes classes in biochemistry and “scratches the surface” doesn’t mean they get down to the molecular level or pharmacology of ingredients. She’s definitely working at the level of some of the large companies doing the scientific approach.

THE USUAL CHALLENGES

Bridget has all the difficulties that small businesses experience: managing finances, keeping on schedule, perishable inventory, and wearing too many hats. She’s very interested in the advantages supply chain management might bring to her.

One of Bridget’s biggest issues is educating her audience. Some customers price shop her without understanding the materials or detailed processes she goes through to formulate high quality products. It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison. “I’m looking at the percent alcohol. I’m looking at the phytochemicals in my plants. I’m studying how it extracts out. And then compounding it together to be a perfect formulation.”

MIND OF A TROUBLEMAKER

One consistency I see with troublemakers is a clearly identified differentiation from their competitors.

Bridget identified three things that differentiate her in the market.

Eleven years of travel during which she studied with different healers, doctors, and naturopathic doctors
Fourteen years of science
Thirteen years of working one-on-one with women to understand their health needs

I see another differentiator: Bridget’s drive to educate the market about the importance of buying from companies using a highly scientific approach.

LEARN MORE

Bridget has a beautiful website. She’ll be happy to guide you into her botanical world.
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