Jill Kari and Alice Jondal have recently opened their business, Gichi Gami Apothecary, located at 323 North Central Avenue, just a couple of doors down from the West Theatre. If you have not visited that stretch of North Central Ave in a while, you are in for a nice surprise. Plan on spending the afternoon or evening there: Gichi Gami Apothecary, Wussow’s Concert Café, Zenith Books, The West Theatre. It’s really shaping up!

I interviewed Kari and Jondal recently about  their journey in opening Gichi Gami Apothecary.

1.  How long have you been in business?

We've had our doors open for almost 4 months

2.  What inspired you to start Gichi Gami Apothecary?

We've been helping people with tobacco harm reduction at our previous job for 8 years. From that location we had been educating/introducing our clients to cbd and kratom as alterative options to a more standard pharma approach. We also both had personal interests in alternative medicines and spiritual practices.  On top of our passion for tobacco harm reduction, we knew we wanted to create a space that we could offer the community the products, education and support that we have gathered personally over the years.

3. What has been your greatest challenge so far?

Foot traction and getting people in the door has been our biggest hurdle so far. Growing awareness of who we are and what we are providing. Getting the word out that our wellness umbrella is vapor options instead of combustible tobacco, cbd, thc, plant medicine, crystals and tarot, Have there been and particularly difficult decisions you've needed to make?Deciding which products to pick up has been a big challenge, trying to have complimentary products that all work in unison with each other.  Being a small startup and working on a tight budget means we have to be patient with what we can bring in, and at what pace.

4. What have been your greatest rewards so far?

Being able to interact with customers, help, educate and guide them to alternative wellness products and hearing positive feedback about the impact on their lives. 

Hearing from customers that the information we’ve provide, and products we carry, have significantly improved their lives is one of the most rewarding aspects of working here.  

5. What is your previous work experience? What have you learned from these experiences that are influencing your current business?

We’ve been working together for the past 7 years. While Co-operating Lake Effect Vapor, we were entrusted to research, carry, educate and provide to our clients quality options/alternatives that best suited the individual to make their goals of quitting smoking a success.  Those practices have all been carried forward with us and are now expanding with our product lines.  We strive to provide obtainable options that suit the individual.  

6. What have you found most satisfying thus far?

Getting to reconnect with previous customers and growing new connections with our local community!. Being able to support others on their journeys to healthy mind, body, and soul is so important to us! 

7. Least satisfying?

It's been a long, exhausting journey to get the doors open, and with working 7 days a week and not yet having other staff has made it particularly hard.  We have pushed ourselves so far beyond burnout, but know this is part of the price we pay to build a new startup from scratch. 

8.  Do you have any advice for someone starting a new business?

Follow your passion, but be ready for it to be 20 times the workload than anticipated. 

9.  Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Here continuing to serve the community and growing our product offerings, potentially shifting gears with the pending recreational marijuana laws coming.  Depending on licensing and infrastructure possibly becoming a microbusiness in the cannabis industry.

10. Can you share some particularly unique items in your store?

We have a wide selection of different plant medicines and adaptogenic products in tinctures, gummies, powders, salves and teas.  We have been guiding a lot of our customers towards these products, and especially the women’s health products have been doing really well. 

We have a growing offering of crystals and tarot and plan on continuing to expand in the metaphysical space; we don't think there are all that many stores in this category in our area.

We have a growing selection of Minnesota-legal THC products. It has been really fun to be a part of the growth of this industry in Minnesota.

11. Anything that you are particularly proud of?

 We put in so much work doing the remodel with just the two of us and are extremely happy with what the space looks like with our renovations.  We are proud to be a part of the Spirit Valley community and are grateful for the opportunity we have to serve our community whether its helping them quit smoking, find a new herbal remedy, or just relax after a long day.

12.  Care to share more details about your community offerings such as journaling, foraging, and learning about properties of flower essences?

A big part of our building design and remodel is to encourage people to use it as a community space.  We want people to know they can host workshops/classes here. We can help promote those events or, if preferred, this can just be a place for them to meet. 

We just finished up a flower essence class with our friend Courtney, from Alseth Acres Apothecary and a women’s journaling class also winding-up at the end of May. We will be scheduling more journaling classes soon.

Additionally, we are having  small social gatherings, board games and starting to promote promote our space as a lounge.