For Kimberly Johnson, caring for people has always been closely connected to her professional identity. As a registered nurse, therapeutic herbalist, mother and entrepreneur, she has built her career around an enduring interest in helping people make informed decisions about their health and wellness.
That philosophy is expressed through Elements of Healing LLC, the Virginia-based company Johnson launched in 2016. The business creates handmade herbal products while educating customers about the safe and proper use of herbalism. Johnson describes her motivation in deeply personal terms. “I love being a mother, nurse, herbalist, and entrepreneur,” she says.
Her approach is informed by years of professional healthcare experience. Johnson has been a registered nurse for 15 years, and her professional experience includes personal care and home health, serving clients covered by Medicaid, Medicare, private pay arrangements, and Veterans Affairs programs. She has also taught Personal Care Aide classes and Certified Nursing Assistant classes.
Johnson subsequently pursued an additional area of expertise. In 2018, she earned a master’s degree in therapeutic herbalism from Maryland University of Integrative Health. For Johnson, that education became an important part of developing a broader understanding of wellness and the role herbal practices can play in personal care.
“I want to help individuals live their best lives,” Johnson says, describing a philosophy that places education alongside products. “I want people to improve their health and wellness through herbalism.”
That emphasis on education is central to Elements of Healing. The company’s mission is to promote self-care by educating individuals about the safe and proper use of herbal products while addressing misconceptions surrounding herbal products and alternative healing modalities. It also seeks to encourage greater awareness of self-healing practices passed down through generations.
For Johnson, the educational element gives context to the products she creates. Her business is built around the belief that people benefit when they have greater knowledge about the choices available to them. “I love bringing different elements of my life together through my work,” she says.
Craftsmanship is another defining feature of the company. “I make herbal products by hand with undivided attention and love,” Johnson says. That attention is reflected in the company’s origins as a home-based business and its subsequent expansion from the Hampton Roads area to customers across the country.
The company’s product range includes handmade herbal preparations designed to become part of customers’ personal wellness routines. Among its leading products are Calendula Cream, Calendula Salve, and Cayenne Salve. Johnson has recently introduced monthly subscriptions for each of these three products, creating a recurring option for customers who want to continue purchasing products they use regularly.
The subscription model also represents a natural progression for a business built around relationships and consistency. Rather than treating herbal products as occasional purchases, Johnson is creating ways for customers to incorporate them into established self-care routines.
Elements of Healing also offers e-gift cards that can be delivered by email, giving customers another way to introduce friends and family to the company’s products.
Johnson’s professional background continues to distinguish her perspective as the company grows. Nursing has placed her in direct contact with people managing different healthcare needs, while her graduate education in therapeutic herbalism has given her specialized knowledge in another area of health and wellness.
Together, those experiences have shaped an approach that Johnson sees as centered on helping people become more informed. Her work reflects an interest in bringing traditional herbal practices into contemporary conversations about self-care while encouraging responsible and educated use.
The evolution of Elements of Healing demonstrates how a personal interest can develop into a purpose-driven enterprise. Johnson has combined her experiences as a healthcare professional, herbalist, and entrepreneur to create a company where education, craftsmanship, and wellness are closely connected.
Ultimately, Johnson sees her work as an opportunity to encourage people to take greater interest in their own well-being. That philosophy gives Elements of Healing its purpose and Johnson’s entrepreneurship its direction.
