MEET: Emma King of Empathy Holistics

Today we pleased to meet the lovely Emma King, the brainchild behind Empathy Holistics...

Please tell us about yourself and how you got started.

Hi, my name is Emma King I have always had an interest in complementary therapies since I was ten years of age. I was given a book by Danielle Ryman about Aromatherapy this then jump started my passion and interest in the subject. I attended the university of Salford in 2001 were I obtained a BSc (Hons) Complementary Medicine and counselling Studies. As part of the degree I was lucky enough to gain a diploma in Aromatherapy this is when my interest in essential oils started to grow. After university I got a job as a mail order assistant at Neal’s Yard Remedies. I was able to sometimes work in the shop front, I got inspired by their products and how they blended their products. In 2006 I decided to launch Empathy Holistics; a mobile holistic therapy business. Last year when I was expecting our first child I decided to develop and create my own handmade products including oil blends and creams.

What is the story and ethos behind your work?

The ethos behind my products is to produce an array of natural products for everyone to enjoy. As a therapist I have been using a variety of different products made by other holistic businesses when carrying out massage and relaxation workshops, hence I wanted to start using my own. These products can help people with different medical conditions and allow people to relax their mind, body and spirit. A lot of people I have worked with in the past have been living with terminal illness, going through pregnancy and childbirth and others just want to de-stress more my products have helped them to do this.

Can you tell us a bit about where you make your products, can we take a sneaky peek at your studio?

At the moment I make all my products from the study in the comfort of my own home. I feel very inspired in this room because I also love all the different aromas that are in the air a mixture of Lavender, Chamomile, ginger and many more; I chose the colour of the room, how the storage would work with plenty of space for my materials and tools and I wanted to have a lot of room to spread out and get creative as well!

What do you love most about what you do and what do you find the most frustrating?

I love having an idea for a new oil blend or cream, then creating it and then selling it to real customers all over the UK and sometimes Europe to help them feel better and more relaxed. Choosing which oils will go well together for example Lavender great for soothing busy minds, Chamomile to aid restfulness and Ylang ylang which helps to ground busy people.

I find the paper work very frustrating when running a ‘business’ I do realise that accounts need to be done, but I have often struggled with numbers; it is very lucky that I have a family member to help me with this.

Do you have any special projects you are working on at the moment and, if so, can you tell us a bit about them?

At the moment I have been running Baby Relax courses at a local Sensory room in Bury to help relaxation between babies and their parents. I want to develop this course, but I also want to create some creams which are gentle on baby’s skin and calm them at the same time and that can be used during the sessions; while also helping them with baby related ailments i.e. colic, cradle cap, digestive problems and nappy rash etc.

Gift baskets for special occasions like the birth of a baby, birthdays and weddings I really feel as though customers want a gift that encompasses a variety of products, and products which complement each other.

What are your tools of the trade and which is your favourite?

The tools of my trade are my hands and essential oils. I love Ginger, Cinnamon and Orange; I have chosen these three oils as they complement each other, they remind me of Christmas and each of them has different properties. For example Cinnamon is very biblical oil and is used in a lot of incenses and is great for busy minds. Ginger is great for digestive complaints and aids digestion. Orange is often used to uplift our moods.

What’s your main goal for the next 6 – 12 months?

My main goals for the future are to concentrate on getting my products out there to parent and child groups, midwives and other allied health professionals.

I would also like to focus my efforts at being at craft and gift stalls or trying local markets to help with my product awareness.

To keep creating yummy blends for everyone to enjoy! I would also love to expand the product ranges for labour and childbirth. I want to develop my own range of hand soaps that are kind to everyone’s skin, especially the young and elderly.

Really all I want is for my creations to get out into the local community and then the world.

Who are some of your favourite artists/designers/makers?

Danielle Ryman. I was given her book by a family member for Christmas when I was very young this then sparked an interest into wanting to know more about Aromatherapy and other complementary therapies.

Robert Tisserand was a name I came across regularly when researching for university assignments. He had a vision to bring aromatherapy based products into everyone’s home. As that is what he has done; he has also written extensive literature in relation to essential oils. He has inspired me greatly in my own work.

Neal’s Yard Remedies inspired me not only because I used to be an employee, I was lucky enough to be able to handle their different product ranges, I would love to one day be known as widely as they are!

Starting a small crafting business in tough economic times is always a challenge. What advice can you give those who want to start their own craft business?

I would say that believing in yourself and your own talents are very important. Know your competition, try to be a little different from them in what you are offering the market and enjoy what you do, if you enjoy what you are doing people and potential customers will pick up on this and will inspire them to want to buy from you.

What do you like to do when you're not working?

I enjoy relaxing with my new family (husband and our little son) on days out to local farms, walks and holidays. I enjoy taking part in yoga and I am a keen believer that everyone should try it at least once in their life. I love watching films at the cinema, home baking and sewing.

How do you get the word out about your work and where can we buy it?

I have a website for the business: www.empathyholistics.co.uk I also promote myself on facebook and Twitter, I love social networking and connecting with other like minded people and businesses within and out of my sector. I also run a small online shop as part of the folksy.com community where I sell my oil and cream creations: http://folksy.com/shops/empathyholisticshop

I am also known to sell my products at local events in and around Manchester and surrounding areas for example local craft fairs.

Thank you for taking the time in reading this article I really appreciate it and look forward to connecting with you!