Self Made Women: Unoma Okorafor Of Herbal Goodness On How She Started With Nothing and Became A Millionaire

An Interview With Sara Connell

… Lean into the people who love you. Don’t take those relationships for granted. When you’re done with work and you have worked hard, you want to go home to the right people. Don’t take your relationships — your family, your children, your spouse — for granted. Invest in them.

Some people were born with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouth. Even then, becoming a millionaire is still quite an accomplishment. But people who start from nothing, and especially women who start from nothing, who make it to the top to become millionaires, despite the pay inequalities based on gender, the confidence gap, with nothing but grit, hustle, resilience, and “stick-to-itness”, are on a whole new level. We want to share those stories and inspire other women. In this interview series, we’re talking to “Self-Made” women leaders who started with nothing (i.e. started without investors or trust fund or capital or even people believing in them) and went on to create a million dollar business.

As a part of our series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Unoma Okorafor.

Unoma Okorafor is the CEO of Herbal Goodness, a wellness company that offers supplements made from superfoods and special herbs that are technologically vetted. Herbal Goodness’s products are backed with scientific research with the company offering manufacturing and supply chain transparency. Okorafor grew up in Nigeria and pursued a degree in computer engineering at a university that was majority male where she was threatened with sexual assault for being an outspoken and well-educated female student. She went on to pursue a master’s and PhD in the U.S. In 2007, she launched Women to Advance African Women (WAAW), a scholarship foundation to empower African girls with the power of education, before launching her company Herbal Goodness in 2013. Today, 10% of Herbal Goodness’s profits are donated to WAAW.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory” and how you grew up?

I grew up in a small university town. My father was a professor, and my mother was a principal who later went on to become an education manager. I have 5 siblings — 3 sisters and 2 brothers. I grew up in an upper middle class family and I really enjoyed my childhood. With parents who were both in education, I was taught that education is a great equalizer, and that I could be anything that I wanted to be. My happiest moments were spent with nature and farm animals.

Growing up, what were your early experiences and perspectives about money? Or we could say, what was the “money consciousness” in which you were raised? Can you please give an example of what you mean?

In my early childhood, I never really thought about money. We traveled often and didn’t lack anything. However, when I was 11, my dad lost his job and that was when it dawned on me that money could be an issue. We really went from grace to grass. In that whole experience, one of the biggest lessons that I learned was that money should not define who you are. Who you are stems from a deeper understanding that money doesn’t buy happiness.

Awesome! Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Let’s talk about what you are doing now, and how you achieved the success that you currently enjoy. Can you tell our readers about the business you’ve created?

Herbal Goodness is the number one manufacturer of unique superfoods and superherbs to support healthy living and impact lives. Our business is really targeting those who want to use food as medicine, rather than medicine as food. We are located in Texas and have been building the company since 2015; it’s 100% boot-strapped and 100% owned by me. We have been growing organically, but the most important thing is that we listen to our customers and we are looking to solve customer issues. We’ve been very fortunate with a hard-working team, but our goal is to really solve health problems for our customers.

In terms of our values, we really value quality, which is what helps us stand out in the marketplace. We go all out to find the best products in the marketplace, making them very convenient and putting them right in front of our customers. The other thing is that we really take time to build relationships with our farmers because we believe in sustainability. We want to support them so that they can support our business. The third thing that really helps us stand out is impact. Our company gives 10% of profits to support the education of girls across Africa. This is something that is very close to my heart, because I am a girl from Africa, and I’ve been given so many opportunities to get to where I am. I really believe in paying it back.

What was your vision when you started this business? What’s the WHY behind the work that you do?

My vision is to build a world where we can live whole, healthy lives in a very convenient way. I want to live in a world where our foods and our herbs are our go-to to living healthier. I’ve seen so many people suffer through ill health and lifestyle diseases and illnesses that could have been prevented if someone had educated them more. I’m very concerned about the commercialization of our food, the fact that food has become something that big companies have to profit from. I’m also very concerned about how much processed food we consume, and how much sugar we put into our bodies. Nobody is telling our children that what they will eat today will have an impact on their lives tomorrow. We think that just because we pop a pill, everything will be okay, but that’s not true. A lot of people don’t understand the connection between food and health. Health is wealth and happiness. I’m looking forward to a world that is healthy and happy because we are eating well and we recognize that what is given to us by Mother Earth is enough to sustain a healthy life.

One of my biggest WHYs is because I want to make an impact in the world — whether it’s through healthy living or through giving back to educate more girls. I’m very passionate about empowering women, whether in the workspace or outside the workspace. The fact that I am doing something that can generate the resources — whether it’s the money or the people who give back in meaningful ways. I keep wanting to grow because the more we grow, the more we can give back, and the more we can give back, we can make very significant changes for women, especially girls in Africa.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

There have been so many interesting stories. In my travels, I’ve been to so many different countries, and I have experienced so much. I’ve come to appreciate the lives of farmers, and to really enjoy spending time with them and their communities and their families. One of the most interesting stories I have was when I was visiting a farm in Sri Lanka. I arrived in Colombo, and the next day I met up with our guide who was someone we were working with. We drove seven hours deep into the country to visit the farmers and their farmlands, to sit down with them in their mud homes and their thatch roofs, and really talk about what is important to them. It occurred to me that these farmers valued the same things that we valued. These women were working hard to send their children to school, and they valued the land because the land is what is sustaining them. They take care of the land, they cultivate the land, they wake up at 4 to 5 am every day to go to the farms. For me, that was impactful and it meant a lot. I realized the value of the land and the connection we have with the Earth and the soil. We really need to take care of it. I believe in organic farming and I believe that we should use as little of chemicals as possible. The chemicals destroy the Earth and the soil, and if we keep tilling the soil in ways that are not healthy, we won’t be able to support that woman, her family, and her eight children ten years from now. That is important to me, and I really started to value the impact of our work a lot more. My goal is to help advocate for women and farmers in these communities who don’t have their voices heard.

We’d love to explore the traits that help you achieve your success. What were the mindset obstacles that you had to overcome in order to reach the place of earning a million dollars? Can you tell us what you did to overcome them?

I’m a doer. Learning how to trust people with my business and to delegate was one of the mindset obstacles I faced. I tend to want to do things myself and I do things quickly, but doing that will burn you out really fast. If you are a small business, it may be doable. But as you start to scale, you really need to learn how to delegate and find people who are trustworthy, making sure that the right people are in the right seats. Then you need to remove yourself so you can do what needs to be done. The other mindset obstacle I’ve learned to overcome is not keeping everything in my head and ensuring that we put processes in place and that everything about the business is written down somewhere so others can follow my vision. Process engineering and system thinking have been really important for me. In addition, it’s important to learn to work on the business rather than just in the business. You have your head down many times, constantly running, but it’s important to step away many times as well.

I’ve benefited from several programs, whether it’s the 10KSB by Goldman Sachs or the Catapult program by Capital One. I’ve also been in several programs with the SBA, such as Emerging Leaders. I’ve taken time to constantly learn and step away from the business, and it’s helped me take a birds-eye view of the business and learn how to grow it.

What were the external obstacles that you had to overcome in reaching these milestones? And how specifically did you overcome them?

I think that just being a woman, there are so many things that you have to balance. The balancing act of being a mother, a wife, an entrepreneur, a social impact leader, a mentor, and a coach. I started my business when I was pregnant with my third child. My husband was traveling for two to three months. And yet, I was also pursuing a passion — the dream of what Herbal Goodness could be. Those are factors that many women face; some people have help and some people don’t. Balancing that is really important. I leaned a lot on friends and went through a balancing act of trying to make sure that I put the time in for the things I valued.

The other thing that was external was funding. The company was bootstrapped, but when I look back, sometimes I think about what if we had raised funds. A lot of the things that we did, we did on our own. Maybe we should have raised funds to expand our team, to expand our product line. We may have gotten there faster, but when I look back, I have no regrets. It’s been a beautiful ride. One that I have been privileged and grateful to have had. Everything that we have gone through has made us much stronger.

Was there ever a point where you wanted to give up on your journey to creating a million dollar business? How did you work through that panic point? Please share a story.

You run so hard that you become exhausted. It’s important to keep the why in front of you. If you remember why you’re doing this, it helps you get back on track. The why never really changes. My why is that I am really passionate about making an impact. I also realize that a lot of people, young men and women, are looking up to me, and that when we let our light shine, we give others the courage to let theirs shine. I’m very aware of the role I play as a coach and as a mentor to many women and girls across Africa. That keeps me motivated.

The other thing is therapy. We all need safe spaces where we can go and say things exactly the way we feel them. Many times in the business world, it’s very logical. As humans, we need to feel and sometimes we feel exhausted, frustrated, and intimidated. For me, my safe spaces are with my wellness coach and my therapist. Having my wellness coach listen to all the crazy, silly frustrations and working through those feelings has been helpful for me.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I have had so many mentors along the way. The first person I like to talk about is my first supervisor, Professor Robert Nowak, when I attended Rice University. Coming from Nigeria, I felt like a fish out of water. Not only did I have culture shock, I was in an engineering program where I felt like I didn’t know anything. I was having imposter syndrome, and my professor took a special interest in me. He validated me, and let me know that I should be at Rice University and that I was capable of getting the Masters and Ph.D. program. He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. He saw me as a leader, as a strong capable person. Because he saw me that way, I became that way. He gave me confidence. I always go back to him and thank him for giving me a great start in life.

There was also my Ph.D. supervisor Professor Deepa Kundur who is an amazing woman. She was the first woman I saw in technology academia. She was bold and brilliant and amazing. She spoke up for me and for that I am very grateful.

What were the most important resources, tools, affirmations, mindset strategies or practices that you used to build your business to where it is today?

I am a huge reader. The one book that got me started in business was The 4-Hour Workweek. That book really broke down the steps of getting a business going, and it’s one of the books that I have really stayed with. The other book that I really enjoyed is Traction by Gino Wickman and it’s really an entrepreneur’s operating system. It really teaches you how to take a business to a small business and scale it.

I also recently read a book called Untethered by Michael Singer. It talked about saying yes to the universe, and that is a life-changing concept for me. I’m in a place where I want to say yes to the universe. I think it’s about the journey more than the destination. I want to enjoy the journey, I want to build more community, and take people along with me on this journey, but I am excited to see what the universe has for me.

What do you think is the greatest challenge for women and creating wealth/abundance? What advice would you have for someone that is feeling blocked by that obstacle?

I think that one of the biggest challenges for women is our mindset. Somewhere in our mind, culture, and conditioning, we’ve been told that we are not capable. We’ve been told that we can’t lead. We’ve been told to take a backseat and we’ve been called bossy for trying to build our companies and drive towards our dreams. In the culture that I come from, we’re told that women should be seen and not heard. There’s so many mindsets that we have to work against. We’ve been told that when we start a family, we need to slow down. If you want to work outside the home, you’re ambitious and that’s not good for your kids. We’ve been told that women aren’t good with technology, money, and so many other things that we’ve come to believe that is not helping women grow businesses. It’s that mindset that we need to advocate for and address. I don’t think that there is one single way to be a woman. We all have to define who we are and be bold enough to take a seat at the table and say this is who I am, and show up as who we are. Those stereotypes that tell us that this is what a good, fantastic family woman should be like need to be dismantled.

Find a group of empowered women and are going to where you want to go. I’ve come to believe that community is a powerful motivator and driver.

Great! Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?

1. Be kind to yourself. Know that you’re enough and that you’re going to get there.
2. Fire fast. If you have somebody who is not the right fit, do yourself and your team a favor by letting them move on to the next opportunity. Surround yourself with the people who understand the vision and are actively working towards it. They get it, they want it, and they are capable of doing it.
3. Don’t be afraid of using other people’s money. Raise capital and use it to grow your business. The culture that I came from was very cash intensive and you would only do something if you had money saved up.
4. Lean into the people who love you. Don’t take those relationships for granted. When you’re done with work and you have worked hard, you want to go home to the right people. Don’t take your relationships — your family, your children, your spouse — for granted. Invest in them.
5. Relax and enjoy the ride. The universe has a way of helping us get to where we’re going. Relax and let others join in and help.

We are sure that you are not done. What comes next? What’s your next big goal and why? What plan have you put in place to achieve it? Why is it a stretch for you? What will achieving it represent for you and for others?

For Herbal Goodness, our next goal is to hit the $10 million in revenue mark. Our goal is to be in the top 10 herbal supplement brands in the next ten years and to become a household brand name for unique superfoods. One of our visions is to have physical retail stores across the nation and to be in several retail locations across the country. We want to be in mass distribution and in mass retail. We are currently in the process of opening up our first retail location. We are working very hard to launch by Q4 this year. It will help us open up a lot of opportunities and really understand the customer and to innovate much faster.

It’s going to be a huge stretch for us. It’s our next big goal. In my wildest dreams, I didn’t know I would be talking about running a company that will achieve $10 million in revenue. It’s a stretch beyond what I thought I was capable of — but that’s how you know that you are where you always were supposed to be. We have to lean into a strong team and we’re going to have to put everything on the table, but it’s going to be a beautiful and exciting journey for us.

Achieving this goal will represent the fact that women can do anything that they put their heart to. For any small girl from Africa, it will show them that their dreams are just as valid as anyone else’s dream. For me, it would be a validation of my hard work and dedication paying off.

The more we grow as a company, the more we can give back. That’s the most important thing — to be able to give back significantly to those who need it. It’s one of our driving forces and why we keep doing what we’re doing.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

We’re active on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. I urge you to learn more about Herbal Goodness on our website and to sign up for our newsletter to follow our work. We are working on a podcast focusing on the benefits of super herbs and superfoods that will be released around Q3.

To follow my work online, you can follow me on LinkedIn.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us and our readers. We know that it will make a tremendous difference and impact thousands of lives. We are excited to connect further and we wish you so much joy in your next success.