About Us
Meet Donna Bruschi, new steward of Three Sisters Herbals.
I was a fan of Three Sisters Herbals products from long ago.
I stocked them in my store, I promoted them to my customers, family and friends. Magic Salve was, and is, a staple in our family's life.
Over the years, Kim and I became good friends. And as she slowed down Three Sisters Herbals because of her health, I MISSED her and I missed Magic Salve!. The decision to step in and help her came from my heart.
The decision to purchase Three Sisters Herbals, and bring it into its' second incarnation, was a decision I wrestled with. I've always been in business for myself. I have had successes, wild successes and heart-aching failures. I've raised three kids and a handful of puppies. I'm taking care of my mom. I tried to imagine where this business had a place in my life.
I finally decided I was over-thinking the whole business.
Three Sisters Herbals had a place in my heart. We all know the heart has its own reasoning that the mind can't comprehend. So I stepped up, and Kim stepped back. She's not quite retired! We talk and text regularly because her creation is complex, and full of details that need attending to.
I do love creating Three Sisters Herbals products.
I have a dedicated kitchen in my home where the magic happens. I love putting my whole creative self into this business. I loved designing the new labels, and the new logos and ads. I love shopping for herbs and essential oils. I love the zen state of measuring, cooking, pouring, cleaning. I love packing and delivering. I love hearing from customers whose lives and skin are positively changed by Magic Salve.
I love starting the cycle all over again.
I'm here for you! And, please, let me know your thoughts on products and new product ideas.
--Donna
A word from Kim, former owner of TSH.
Back in the spring of 2021, I thought I just needed a break.
I needed to spend some time resting, enjoying summer, and taking care of myself. I needed to be there for my kids as they are becoming more independent, practicing adulting. I've had some health concerns going back, but I thought a couple of months would make me all better again.
That didn't happen.
After a bunch of tests, I learned I have a chronic disease. It's not fatal, or even exciting. And it will be better...and then...worse, like now. At this point, I am able to care for myself, Justin and our semi-independent kids, and then, drag myself into bed at night, worn out.
I do not have the stamina for my business...yet. But, I am confident that as I learn more how to deal with this, I will.
Still, the questions keep coming!
"Ummm, Kim, Where is the Magic Salve? I need it for my eczema."
"Kim, my customers keep asking, when are you going to make Germ Away?"
"Dang these mosquitos, Kim! I wish I had more Bug Away!"
One day feeling frustrated, I thought about my options.
My friend, Donna had called to ask how I was feeling, and if I was ready to make salve again. She is a lactation consultant and has stocked TSH for a decade. She had run out and also had been getting requests for TSH products.
So, I took a deep breath and asked,
"You wouldn't want to make some Magic Salve would you?"
And she said, "Maybe? What's involved?" And we kept talking. The more we talked, the more at ease I felt. She knows and uses all my products. She likes making things and is every bit the perfectionist I am. Donna uses all the same business apps I use in TSH. She loves working with customers. Most of all, she believes in the Magic of Three Sisters Herbals.
So, after some consideration, I'm letting you know that Donna will be handling operations while I continue my healing journey. Don't worry--I'm as close as your phone, if you need me--but, I think you will like working with Donna, as much as I do.
A note about product ingredients:
We refuse to compromise on the quality of our product ingredients.
We take the trust you place in us very seriously, and it is an honor to have Three Sisters Herbals products in your home. Please be assured we will not be cutting any corners, and the products you see for sale on our website and in shops are of the same high quality you have become accustomed to in the 17 years we have been in business.
With love and kindness, we wish you good health and safety.
Three Sisters Herbals is founded on Eco-Friendly principles-
We take pride in our products, but also take great care to respect our Mother Earth and her resources.
Our Herbs and Essential Oils are purchased through a globally reputable company that is:
• Certified organic processor through Oregon Tilth Certified Organic,
that is fully accredited with the USDA National Organic Program
• Fair for Life certified
• CarbonFund: the entire company’s carbon footprint including shipping, customer service, executive travel, distribution, etc, is offset through the CarbonFund!
- Our Beeswax in unbleached, lightly filtered and 100% pure golden goodness. It is a New York State product.
- The containers and lids that we purchase are also from a company based in New York State.
- By utilizing companies within New York State, we are reducing our environmental footprint by reducing shipping.
- We support our local economy by placing a high value on purchasing local.
A word about “Handcrafted”
We see this word a lot lately, maybe too much, but what does it really mean? At Three Sisters Herbals, it means this:
- Our products are crafted from a place of love.
- We genuinely love that process of making each and every product.
- For our Salves, this is a long three-day process.
- It is detailed, meticulous and very hands on.
- For other products, it is a shorter time frame, but still every bit as hands on and detailed.
- Hand crafting in large batches take discipline in the craft.
We pride ourselves on this.
The products meet our high standards every time, in every batch, or they are not sent to our customers. We feel this care, discipline and devotion to “the process” gives a finished product with consistent results.
When you purchase our Handcrafted products, you are investing in a family owned and operated business that holds their products to very high standards and is truly in love with the process…each and every time.
From Kim, Owner and Creator of Three Sisters Herbals, LLC
When I look back at how TSH started, there are 2 pivotal moments that came to mind. The first one was when I received a gift of a “make your own salve” kit. I remember opening it and it felt like the heaven’s opened up right there on my lap. Everything in the box was intriguing – dried herbs, beeswax, even the little glass jars, (I have always collected old apothecary jars.) T hey were like my new best friends. Really, as I would find out, they were the old friends I have found again, as I believe this gift has been with me for many lifetimes.
And the first time I made salve, I was totally hooked. The action of it soothed my body and mind; it invigorated my creative side and just felt right. The whole thing reminded me of when I was a little girl and my Dad gave me a tackle box that I used to organize my crayons. When I opened it to create art work, I would be instantly soothed and ignited by creative energy….creating my products is that same feeling, herbal medicine is an art form to me.
I began educating myself, experimenting with different recipes and formulas. I gave them away to my family and friends and used them on my own young kids. During this time, I was rediscovering my childhood roots in another way too. My mother had instilled me a love for all things natural, especially in the food you put in your body and the products you put on your skin. I was the only kid in our school eating carob instead of chocolate, and getting groceries from the natural food coop. Becoming a parent and having the realization that my oldest son had ADHD (later we would find out he has Asperger’s Syndrome as well), forced me to scrutinize everything that my kids came into contact with. I had happily become my mother—that hippy and crunchy in all it's glory.
Then the next pivotal moment came when someone said to me “You are really good at this, you should start a business” Duh…why hadn’t I thought of that??? I had left my corporate job a few years prior when I was 9 months pregnant with my first baby. Starting a business when you are pregnant with your third child is a good idea, right? Honesty, it didn’t even occur to me to think of it as a “good” or “bad” idea, because in my mind it was already a done deal.
"TSH brought together my love for being creative artistically and with my love for all things natural and I had truly found my calling."
The name came almost immediately too and has two meanings. The first is dedicated to my mother, who passed away many ago after losing a long battle with cancer. Growing up, my mom and her two sisters were always constant friends, helpers, companions, comic relief…whatever a sister needed could be found among the three of them. I was taught the way relationships between women should be. This was an invaluable lesson for a girl with no biological sisters.
The other side to the name is to inspire and cultivate a positive community of between women— It is putting out there, the hope that we can all treat each other with the same respect that those three sisters showed each other. A hope that we can leave behind the backstabbing, condescension and judgment that we inflict upon each other. And remember that we are all “sisters” here to support each other.
As TSH has grown in the last 11 years, so have my babies sprouted up. Being a work at home mom gives me the means to continues to parent my kids in an attached style. I am able to be there for them and still work. Some days this seems impossibly hard-when the kids are running wild and I have a deadline. Some days it is a dream come true-like when I have a sick kids nestled on the couch that I can see from my desk. In the end, it all balances itself out.
The lessons I teach my kids thru TSH are invaluable-hard work, dedication, self sufficiency and to follow your dreams. They see the sacrifices we have made along the way are, so far, paying off. But the most important lesson is one for my only daughter, Josie. She is seeing that a woman can have babies, love and nurture them and have a business too. She is seeing that you are not always going to be the perfect mother or business owner, but as long as your do your best everyday, then you are triumphant. What I strive everyday to show her is that you can be strong but gentle. That life is about balance…sometimes kids needs come first, sometimes the business comes first, as a woman, you can be successful at both.
It is with my little family in mind that that I design my products. I tried to make the products good mutli-taskers, just like a working mom. Meaning they have many different uses. This gives them more value for the money invested in them. The prices are kept fair with the family budget in mind, still using carefully selected quality ingredients. My goal is to make my herbal skin care products an attainable for a families on a budget.
I feel I have so much to be thankful for. I couldn’t have made it this far without of the women in my life—constantly supporting and encouraging me, labeling products, redesigning packaging, being product testers…you name it, they a have been there for me."
Kim Tompkins
Kim holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design with a minor in Art History from the State University of New York at New Patlz. She is the proud owner of Three Sisters Herbals, LLC. She takes great pride in mixing and blending her herbal line. Each product made with the finest ingredients and a touch of love goes in every handcrafted batch. A former Le Leche League Leader where she served many women on their breastfeeding journeys. She is the mother of 3 children and step-mother to 2 more. She lives in the rural town of Hyde Park, NY, where she keeps chickens and rabbits and enjoys gardening. She spends her spare time outside, and learning about natural living and homesteading.
Wishing you the best in life and health, naturally!
Kim, owner and creator of Three Sisters Herbals LLC
Memberships:
 Hudson Valley Women in Business |
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