Spotlight On… Amora Wellness & Gifts with Owner Jill Koskiniemi

Tell us about Amora Wellness & Gifts.
Amora Wellness & Gifts offers natural solutions for health, beauty, home, and more. We’re in Laurium, about a block from Aspirus hospital.

I saw a need in myself and others for natural options, and some people just had no idea what was out there. So I wanted to open up a place that had that, so they could know there are natural options for cleaning, face care, body care, and for those who knew about these options, but they just weren’t readily available to them.

When did you start this business?
Nov. of 2016. It’s already grown and expanded. I was pulled in this direction for so long, and finally just had to take the leap, start small, find out what people were looking for in the natural realm, and try to provide that.

I wanted the space itself to feel healing and relaxing too, so very relaxed music, scents, and salt lamps are going, which I feel contribute to a more relaxing shopping environment than what we’re all used to at the big box stores.

How did you choose the name “Amora” for it?
It was a name I saw on a reality TV show, Alaskan Bushpeople, about a family living in the wild. There was a character called Ami, and they used her full name when she went to the doctor once–Amora. I thought, “Wow, that name is really nice!” And it doesn’t have connotations to anything, aside from love, and what could be more healing than love? Because my whole focus is natural health and healing, I thought, “Perfect.”

What is your background?
I don’t have a medical background, but I’ve always been interested in retail. I’m a shopper, always looking for new products. Eventually, as people around me started to deal with different health issues, I would be searching. I had this knowing there was something in nature that could probably help this person or issue.

I got a degree in business administration at MI Tech. Right out of college, I worked at Bath & Bodyworks. Eventually, I realized, “Wow, you can smell that as soon as you enter the mall. Is that really natural?!”

For a while, I sold Avon, which taught me some of the entrepreneurial aspects of learning how to run a business and what it takes.

I went into home and auto insurance for eighteen years and worked my way up to management, which helped me get more familiar with managing an operation.

All of it coalesced into a path for me. In the meantime, I took a lot of trainings in alternative healing and energy work. I’ve always had a fascination with the more natural, alternative, and energy-based medicine.

Owning a business like Amora was a seed that germinated awhile for me. A similar business was just going out of business–it was doing well, but the owner needed to get out of it for personal reasons. I would have liked to have bought it, but the timing wasn’t right for me and my husband.

When I got to that point where I was ready to write the business plan and resume to apply for a loan, I realized having some retail, natural health, and management aspects all came together to give me a good background to help me manage all the aspects of this business. Of course you’re always learning as you go. I kept getting this nudge to do this. I felt like if I don’t do this now, am I going to look back when I’m eighty and go “Why didn’t I try it?” So I took the leap and dove in.

Have there been any surprises for you?
I was surprised how well received it was once people found out about it. Part of me knew people are ready and they’re looking for options because they’re sick of being told this product now can causes cancer, or you can take this pill, but it’s going to have side effects. I intuitively felt that was something people were ready to move on from. I thought it would take longer to build up the business but it seemed I hit the ground running. I think part of that was pure luck. I happened to open around the holidays, and it happened the salt lamp craze was hitting at that time. I was aware of their health benefits and had had one for many years and always planned to carry them, because they are health-related and can be a good gift too. People were finding us because we had them in the window and everyone was looking for them that year.

The synchronicities are kind of interesting. You trust your intuitive nudges and the universe provides another step, or shows up in ways you didn’t expect. I didn’t think salt lamps were going to be the big thing. I think it helped get the word out that Amora is here.

What do you enjoy most about owning and operating Amora Wellness & Gifts?
Helping people find solutions for the issues they’re dealing with. Having someone purchase something and come back to tell me, “Hey, that supplement’s really helping me,” or “I didn’t know you could buy natural cleaning supplies, and it worked for me.“ People are getting back in touch with natural options and enjoying it, and getting results with it. That’s really rewarding for me. It’s also been great getting to meet people.

I continue to learn. There are so many supplements out there. All this ancient wisdom from herbal traditions is coming back now it seems because people are ready for it. People still ask for things I’ve never even heard of yet. So I start learning about them. I’m continuously learning and don’t expect to ever stop. There’s always something new and interesting, but also old in some ways– many of these herbs have been used for thousands for years and we’re just rediscovering their power and their effectiveness. So it’s really been awesome finding out about these things, and connecting with people, and helping them on their healing journey.

What’s most challenging about owning and operating Amora?
Because I want to help everyone, and I want to serve people in this natural realm, when I can’t get something they’re looking for. Although I have some large vendors, sometimes someone’s looking for something I don’t have access to yet.

Sometimes people look for things that don’t fall in the natural category, and there’s that challenge of walking the line between what people want and what I feel good about offering. I’ve been researching and trying to be healthier for many years, so I’m an avid label reader. I’m always looking at ingredients and asking, “Are they necessary? Are they detrimental? Sometimes I have to be honest and say “That’s not something I can offer; it doesn’t fall under the mission of providing natural solutions for people.”

What future plans and/or goals do you have in mind for Amora?
We recently got a cooler, so we offer healthy drinks now, and also snacks. Often people end up reaching for chips and candy bars that aren’t really so healthy to help them get through their day, and there are options out there that actually are nourishing to your health, so we’re expanding that a little bit.

I’m really passionate about educating people on natural options. Right now, it’s about the product offerings, but eventually we may offer more workshops. I brought in a speaker on herbalism last spring. I’d also like to help people learn about eating cleaner, without genetically modified foods. I feel a lot of people have heard of this, but don’t really know what it means. I feel there are some health concerns and things we need to be aware of because we’re voting with our dollars. Anything you’re buying, you’re telling these companies you want more of it. So if we’re not paying attention, we may inadvertently send the message that we want more of this stuff that isn’t nourishing and maybe could be harmful to our health.

Anything else you’d like our readers to know?
We do offer some natural gifts—natural candles and incense, smudge sticks, jewelry handmade in Ishpeming, and other local gifts. In winter, we have some nice organic wool socks. If you want something in the natural realm, and I can get it from my vendors, I’m happy to order it for you.

Community Improvement: NOT for Women only – The Women’s Center’s Support for Children, by Katelyn Swanson

Have you ever needed a safe place to escape from someone who was trying to hurt you or your children?

Hopefully you can answer with a confident “no.” The sad reality, however, is that many in our community can’t. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the US. In one year, that is more than 10 million men and women affected by abuse. What’s even more upsetting is 90% of the time, children are eyewitnesses to this type of violence. Domestic, sexual, stalking and dating violence happen much more often than you might think. Those residing in Marquette and Alger counties are very fortunate to have the easily accessible Women’s Center to provide protection and resources if they find themselves in these terrifying predicaments.

The Women Center’s Harbor House is a safety shelter for adults and children fleeing from violence. It is also a place where staff and volunteers can help implement safety plans and assist in organizing personal protection orders, if necessary. The Harbor House offers counseling, support groups, and childcare. It also provides transportation for those attending counseling, seeking employment, or attending court hearings. The Women’s Center helps residents find employment and affordable housing. By uplifting and supporting mothers, it also gives hope to the children of broken families.

Sudden new living situations can be an exceptionally hard adjustment for youth. The Women’s Center focuses on providing an inviting setting to make the transition as comfortable as possible. Every year, the Marquette Breakfast Rotary supports the youth program by providing money supporting fun activities for the children such as play room furniture, art supplies, sporting equipment, and more. Even with an inviting space, those evading intimate violence usually need more material support. They typically arrive with only the clothes on their backs, and the children have had to leave their favorite blankets or stuffed animals behind. That’s where the PakRatz Resale shop comes in! PakRatz Resale is a space where clothing and home goods donations are accepted from the public, then distributed to those who find themselves in need before the remainder is made available for sale to the public, helping to sustain services. If you’re looking to donate, one of the shop’s biggest necessities right now is quality children’s clothing.

The Women’s Center provides a Sexual Assault Response Program which is an on-call emergency response program available 24/7.

This program provides counseling, support groups, and educational information to any woman or child who has survived sexual assault. The staff and volunteers will accompany survivors to the hospital and to interviews with the law enforcement officers on-scene. The Women’s Center’s staff and volunteers have been trained to provide exceptional care and support. This is a much-needed service for adults, but also especially beneficial for children. Sadly, current numbers indicate one in three girls and one in seven boys will be sexually assaulted by the time they reach eighteen (Department of Justice).

Just in the last fiscal year, the Women’s Center’s staff and volunteers helped nearly three thousand people escape domestic and/or sexual violence in the Marquette and Alger communities. The Center is so thorough it even has a program in place to help survivors keep their pets out of harm’s way–the Sasawin Project. Since 1973, the Women’s Center staff and volunteers have been committed to helping not only women affected by abuse, but also the children. According to the Journal of Family Psychology, more than 15 million children witness domestic violence each year in the United States. Such situations are hard enough on adults, and can be particularly detrimental to the impressionable minds and souls of children. The Women’s Center offers counseling for youth survivors to learn coping mechanisms and lay down a hopeful path to recovery. They also host Children’s Group, open to youth residents of Harbor House and children whose parents attend the Domestic Violence support group. In Children’s Group, participants can learn how to stay safe, develop problem-solving skills, and understand that what happened to them is not at all their fault.

The Women’s Center does everything in its power to create communal awareness of these unfortunate situations happening around us.

The Women’s Center hosts fundraisers and family friendly events, and makes special efforts such as decorating the local courthouse with purple pinwheels for domestic violence awareness. They’ve even had a free self-defense class for those ages twelve and older. In addition to hosting events, they help with necessities by providing items such as socks and warm boots, an absolute must-have here in the U.P.

Annually, the Women Center’s Harbor House provides over three thousand shelter nights to men, women, and children, with the average stay lasting between forty-five and ninety days. These stays run an average of over $1,000 per person. That doesn’t include the many other services provided which are all free of charge. Without community donations, these acts of compassion within our community wouldn’t be possible. Monetary (tax deductible) donations can be made online at wcmqt.weebly.com/donate or over the phone at (906)225-1346. The Women’s Center also accepts used cell phones, and donations can be made at PakRatz Resale. Your donations will go to those who desperately need them, and to help out a center that greatly improves our community!

Emergency hotline: 906-226-6611 or 1-800-455-6611

Sources:

Statistics

http://wcmqt.weebly.com/

Katelyn Swanson is a women’s health enthusiast and doula at Katelyn Swanson Birth and Family Services. She also creates social media content under the figure Really Rosemary and joins together a community of women by sharing her vulnerable and honest mothering of three young children.

Positive Parenting: Simplify This Holiday Season, by Angela Johnson

The holidays are meant to be a time of peace, connection, and celebration. However, in our consumer-driven culture, the holidays seem to be more about guilt-driven gift giving than the deeper meaning of the season. There are many reasons to want to share more meaning than money this holiday season. You may want to simplify the holidays for less stress, environmental concerns of unnecessary consumption and waste, or maybe you can’t afford to spend that much this year. When I was looking for some resources to support this article, I came across a lovely quote that inspires my reasons for wanting to simplify the holidays:

If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them, and half as much money. – Abigail Van Buren

I have two teenage daughters, and for me this quote rings true. Over the years, it is the quality time that I have shared with them, not the gifts I have given, that forms our strong bond, cherished memories, and the base of their overall well-being. This quote is a good reminder of that truth and it makes me want to do even better for them. Yes, do better for them by giving them less. I even like the mathematical formula for this and may try it out this year. “Twice as much time, and half as much money.” This might be a good place to start.

Okay, so maybe you’re sold as I am, but now what? How do we fill the void of piles of presents under the Christmas tree? We still want Christmas to be special, and depending on the age of your children, Santa may still be visiting. So how exactly does this whole simplifying the holidays thing work? According to the “Simplify the Holidays” booklet by The New American Dream (www.newdream.org), the best place to start is with some personal reflection:

“Before deciding how to simplify, take a moment to reflect on what kind of holiday celebration you want. Are you looking for more activities to enjoy with your children? A celebration focused more deeply on nature? New charitable or community-based traditions? A clearer confirmation of your spiritual beliefs? Or are you trying to reduce stress and get a little extra time to sleep? Once you have decided what you want to do differently, it’s easier to decide how to act.”

Once you’ve done a little contemplation, I suggest checking out “The More Fun, Less Stuff Catalog,” also created by the Center for the New American Dream (https://newdream.org/downloads/New_Dream_More_Fun_Less_Stuff_Catalog.pdf).

My favorite idea from the catalog is a coupon book.

In the catalog, you can download a free, easy-to-use coupon template which you can customize. I have done this for my husband in the past, and he loved it. (He keeps all his coupons in the drawer next to his side of the bed with all his special keepsakes.)

The catalog has great ideas for all the people in your life—from children to other family members, and friends. Whether it’s art lessons, concert tickets, donations to a charity, or handmade gifts, there are tons of wonderful ideas. Some people, especially those with children, may still want to purchase a few store-bought items.

What I usually do with my children is use the holiday gift-giving time to buy them one or two things they need and also some things we can share as a family. Things they might need include socks, or a pair of jeans without holes in them (when they were younger the holes were from playing and now as teenagers, they are because they bought them ripped!). Either way, this mom prefers the no-holes version. Another idea, if you still want to purchase something simple to put under the tree, consider family-fun items such as a good board game or outdoor play gear (sled, fishing pole, etc.). Right now, my daughters and I are totally hooked on Scrabble. Back in the day, it was Memory and Sorry! If games aren’t your family’s thing, think of what is, and take this holiday season to invest in quality time doing that.

When thinking about buying less this holiday season, a good place to focus instead is on quality family traditions.

This might be something classic such as making Christmas cookies together or watching or reading a favorite holiday story. Children (and adults) love family traditions, and if you want to focus less on gift giving, creating a new holiday family tradition is a great place to start. It could be a simple as a walk through the woods, but oh, how fun it could be to traipse through the snow as a family under the stars on Christmas Eve! Maybe that’s just me, but whatever you choose, tailor it to your unique and wonderful family, and have fun!

Simplifying will mean different things to different people. No matter what you decide to cut back on materialistically speaking, I wish you and your family a holiday filled with “less is more” meaning, so here’s wishing you less stuff, and more quality peace, meaningful connection and celebration this holiday season.

Angela Johnson, Great Start Collaborative (GSC) Director for Marquette and Alger Counties, works at Marquette-Alger Regional Educational Service Agency (MARESA). The Great Start Collaborative (https://www.maresa.org/early-on/marquette-alger-great-start-collaborative/) works in communities throughout the state to ensure Michigan is making progress towards four priority early childhood outcomes.