Health and healing for the mind, body and soul
Michelle Campbell is a master herbalist, an Ayurvedic medical practitioner and the creator and founder of Green Cat Organic Health
What sets Green Cat Organic Health apart from its competitors?
Our comprehensive and integrated approach to health care sets us apart. We treat the mind, the body and the soul of the patient as we believe the three are connected. Illness and disease start in the spirit of the person, take hold and are fed in the mind, and then because that energy has to go somewhere, it pops up in the body and physically manifests as illness and disease.
Our motto is “first do no further harm”, and every treatment aims to restore, rebalance and recalibrate, and every treatment protocol is natural, pure, chemical-free, cruelty-free and created from nature.
What drew you to do this work?
I have always been a healer, from as far back into childhood as I can remember.
I knew that I wanted to heal humans and animals — not in the conventional ways, but rather the old ways of healing with nature, and love and getting to the root of what is causing the illness.
What do you enjoy most about it?
I love creating the products and getting feedback from customers and patients, telling me it was life-saving. Knowing that it is from something I have created is the biggest inspiration for me.
To be able to help others heal and see their lives change is the biggest reward of all.
How did lockdown affect your work?
We immediately applied for our essential services provider certificate, did home deliveries, worked on our online store to allow for easier online shopping, lowered our prices as we knew consumers were going to be pinched, and created new products based on what was needed, such as immune boosters and products for stress and anxiety.
We also managed to open two more stores (our first store is in St Francis Bay), in Cape Town and [Gqeberha], and a pop-up store in Camps Bay and Jeffreys Bay.
What is the best career advice you have ever received, and who gave it to you?
Your time is your most precious commodity. Use it sparingly and use it wisely. Think carefully about who and what you give it to. Once you have parted with it, you cannot get it back. My first boss told me this, and I never forgot those words or forgot to implement them.
What advice would you give a young person keen to become an entrepreneur?
Find your calling. When you align yourself with that calling, magic happens. Do not be afraid to fail; it is part of the cycle to success. Create a long-term plan and break that down into bite-size, achievable goals, but also allow for deviations in that plan.
Keep going, never give up on your calling. Do not listen to the naysayers. Find a way to incorporate your business idea into helping humanity by adding a strong social upliftment angle. Always give back where you can.