How Gardening and Herbal Wellness Connect With My Sales Experience

Most mornings, you will find me gardening in my small backyard with a cup of tea in my hand, checking on my plants. Sometimes I am checking on a cutting that is rooting in a jar, a pot of green mint that needs a trim, a crochet plant hanger swinging gently with something green growing out of it. It is my favourite part of the day.

If you had told me years ago that I would be a container gardener who loves herbal teas, I would have laughed. And if you had told me that this would end up connecting with my years in sales, I would have laughed even harder. But here we are, and the more I think about it, the more these parts of my life make sense together.

How Gardening and Herbal Wellness Became Part of My Life

I started gardening only recently, and I am doing it in containers because that is the space I have. Pots on a small table, buckets, and some herbs lifted in my crochet plant hangers so they get more air and sunlight. I grow green mint, guinea hen weed, blue vervain, leaf of life, scallion, holy basil, rosemary, aloe vera, red callaloo, sweet potatoes, and more. I will keep adding more to the list.

What pulled me in was curiosity about our Jamaican bush teas. So many of us grew up with them. Someone always knew which bush to boil or steep for what. I wanted to understand more than “this is what my elders did.” I wanted to know why, and I wanted to grow it myself so I know exactly what I am drinking.

My garden has become my classroom. I test the soil with my fingers before I water, because I have learned the hard way that more water is not always better. I root cuttings, I make mistakes, I try again. I am not an expert, and I do not pretend to be. I am simply a woman in my fifties learning as I go, and I enjoy sharing what I find along the way.

The Professional Experience I Bring

Outside the garden, I have 18 years of experience in media sales. I sold advertising and sponsorship placements for radio stations in Jamaica, and during those years I also spent a few years as a broadcaster at two community radio stations.

Sales taught me more about people than I ever expected. It taught me that a good conversation starts with listening. It taught me that you cannot match a business with the right audience if you do not understand both sides. 

I remember recommending a newscast sponsorship to a client because I knew exactly which age group listened at that time. That was never about pushing. It was about paying attention, and then following up, again and again, until a relationship was built.

I stepped away from media in 2017, then came back to sales for a while between 2020 and 2022, and I have been rebuilding my connections in that space ever since. Those lessons have stayed with me through every season.

Where My Personal Interests Meet My Professional Experience

This is the part I did not see coming. As I got deeper into herbal wellness, I started noticing the people behind it. The ones making teas and herbal products, the ones hosting wellness events and workshops, the ones trying to build something meaningful from what they know and love. And I realised something that my sales brain could not ignore: many of these businesses are doing beautiful work, but they also need visibility, customers and a steady way to grow.

Passion alone does not pay for an event. It does not put a product in front of the right audience. That takes planning, relationships and, very often, partners who believe in what is being built.

I know that world from the other side of the table. I know what it feels like when a brand finds an audience that truly fits, and I know how much easier it is when a sponsor sees real value in standing beside something. That is why herbal wellness interests me so much. It is not just a hobby I enjoy on the weekend. It is an industry full of people with real stories, and I understand some of what they will need to grow.

I did not plan for my love of herbs to lead me here. But the more I learn about herbal wellness brands, the more I see how sales, marketing, and meaningful partnerships can support them. It feels natural to me, because it comes from something I already care about.

Exploring the Possibilities

I am curious about the opportunities that exist when herbal wellness brands and the entertainment industry come together. What might that look like in practice? 

Imagine a wellness market, a festival, a community event, or a show where the right brand connects with the right audience. Thoughtful sponsorship, brand partnerships, and public relations can help create those connections in ways that bring value to everyone involved.

This is an area I am exploring through Mystique Professional Services. I am learning, observing, asking questions, and having conversations. I also attend events through the lens of both a container gardener and someone who appreciates the value of a good partnership. I don’t have all the answers, and I am comfortable with that. Sometimes, meaningful opportunities begin with curiosity, a willingness to learn, and the right conversations.

Bringing It All Together

Gardening, herbal wellness, and sales may look like three unrelated things. 

For me, they are chapters of the same story. The garden keeps me grounded and curious. Herbal wellness keeps me connected to my health and to our traditions. And my professional experience gives me another way to be part of a world I am growing more interested in every day.

Container gardening and herbal tea will always be part of my personal journey, no matter where else life takes me. I will keep growing, keep learning, and keep sharing as I go.

Thank you for being here with me while I do.

With love, 💚
Queen Gee