Behind the Business with Freedom Apothecary

The trend of self-care has recently taken social media, magazines and media outlets by storm. Here in Philadelphia, two entrepreneurs have taken this trend and turned it into a true lifestyle, creating a brick and mortar store that embodies what it means to care for yourself holistically. 

Freedom Apothecary, located in Northern Liberties, is brightly lit with floor to ceiling windows, modern yet natural tones and textures, minimalist product displays and a tile mosaic that fittingly reads “Be Free”. During this special Behind the Business interview, Planning 2 Perfection’s Egypt Graham sat with the entrepreneurial power duo behind Freedom Apothecary, a women-founded, women-led health and wellness platform for female-founded brands.

ABOUT THE BUSINESS

Freedom Apothecary was founded by Morrisa Jenkins and Bonkosi Horn and has been open to the public since mid- 2019. This unique business is a self-care and wellness space offering non-toxic beauty and lifestyle products for a clean, holistic life. Specific to Freedom Apothecary, all products in stock are from independent female founded businesses. 

For many entrepreneurs, the path to opening a business is rarely linear. The idea for the Freedom Apothecary store actually began manifesting in 2015 as a natural and holistic products brand known as Mo Moisture. The popular product line led to a light bulb moment which spurred a successful entrepreneur partnership and a massive re-branding into what we now know as Freedom Apothecary. 

IMPACTING LIVES THROUGH HOLISTIC WELLNESS

For Morrisa and Bonkosi, balance is the foundation of their business partnership. When this introvert and extrovert joined together, what they found was a harmony of ideas and aspirations. “We balance each other” is how Morrisa simply expressed how the dynamic duo has been able to succeed. The most rewarding part of this entrepreneurial experience, they said, has been the ability to positively touch the lives of consumers and create a safe space for women to escape and take care of themselves. “We did that” is the eye opening and humbling realization Morrisa and Bonkosi experience everyday they open their shop doors. 

DOUBTS ALONG THE JOURNEY

Bonkosi describes the entrepreneurial experience as “eye opening, challenging and rewarding” while Morrisa refers to it as “fulfilling, journey and hard as sh*t”. Despite mentorship and business inspirations the challenges of business are often long lasting and hard fought. On the path to store opening, these founders encountered significant battles with the City of Philadelphia Licenses and Inspections Office as well as doubts of their capabilities. A lack of experience in skin care and thoughts such as “Is my voice important enough to be heard?” nearly toppled their plan to change lives through holistic wellness. However, after declaring “Alright, let’s do something crazy!”, the team reached for their dreams and never looked back.

DON’T EXPECT OVERNIGHT SUCCESS

“Starting a business is not always glamorous” is a word of advice from Morrisa and Bonkosi to young entrepreneurs. In Philadelphia specifically, it can be much harder to open a business and some real patience is necessary to succeed at the 24-hour job of owning and operating a physical store. From an outsider looking in, the act of starting a business can seem fun, exhilarating and incredibly rewarding. However, those rewards come at the price of hard work, persistence and some potentially restless nights. This entrepreneurial duo continually turned to the words of Audre Lorde for motivation to keep going in the midst of chaos: “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare”

You can learn more about Morrisa, Bonkosi and their business, Freedom Apothecary, on their website and Instagram.

ABOUT THE SERIES“Behind the Business: Insights from the Everyday Entrepreneur” is a written interview series developed by the Planning 2 Perfection team. In each interview, we will explore the entrepreneurial journeys of everyday people turned self-starter and how they have been able to grow their business. Interviews will span across various industries to offer a wide array of advice, learning lessons and personal anecdotes.