From Trauma to Triumph: How Healing Hollow Emerged from Adversity

Interview with Michelle Cubin, conducted by Lynn Hiscoe

Lynn: Tell us about your backstory and how you got into your business.

Michelle: I was blending essential oils at home shortly after my sister was killed. We were going through court, as her ex-boyfriend took her life. It was traumatic and I didn't have a ton of support. I would come home after work and just sit there and play with oils and blend different things for my son and myself.

A Pilates client then gifted me an essential oil textbook, so I started using that and realized that a lot of the intuitive blends that I had made were spot on. That was reassuring, and I kept going with it as an almost meditative practice to deal with life.

Moving to Kimberley in 2012, I decided to open a Pilates and essential oil store, and keep creating. It was one of my more challenging years, as I had a baby. So, I made the hard decision to give up the shop. I kept blending at home while the kids were in bed.

That year, I made two or three of my top-selling blends for sleep, teething, and insect repellent. These took off and people would message me on Facebook to buy them. I put them in the mailbox for pick-up as I couldn’t afford a website.

Moving to Fernie, I continued at home but decided to try a brick-and-mortar space again. I didn’t have a lot of support as I had already closed one store and was basically broke. Against everybody's advice, I opened the new space in 2013 and by 2017, I had five stores: Kelowna, Cranbrook, Kimberly, Invermere, and Fernie.

Lynn: That brings us to where you are now, in 2024.

Michelle: I'm down to two stores now. It’s kind of sad. But COVID, the economy, and the real estate market changed everything. The buildings I rented went up for sale and I was unable to find other locations for those stores. Plus, it was harder to maintain five stores. I was dealing with personal stress and burning out. Kelowna took a hard hit post-COVID, so I let that one go as well.

Managing two stores allowed me to get back to basics and the way I started, which was helping people through the blends and being able to create all the time — being able to post and connect to people. I think I was just run ragged to the point where I’d lost my creativity. So now we just have Kimberly and Cranbrook.

**Lynn: I've been in your Kimberly, Fernie, and Kelowna stores — and they are beautiful.**

Lynn: Changing topics, what have been your biggest struggles?

Michelle: Going through my divorce after dealing with business during COVID as well as with the changes in a lot of my employees. I had long-term employees and I think with the stresses of COVID, everyone decided to look at their life again. Some people moved or couldn’t get daycare. Some people quit and decided to stay home with their kids. Retraining employees and having to deal with the divorce took a lot longer than I anticipated — three years. That took away my creativity and my drive, but I suppose everything happens for a reason. That's one of the things about businesses, especially small business owners: we bring our whole self into the business. Kids and motherhood and all of that impacts your business.

I've always been a Nurse’s Aide, good with kids and animals, I've always had that empathic side where I intuitively help people, but I can also get easily overwhelmed with too many people. Plus, I'm not really good with noise.

When I started blending these little tiny bottles, I would end up helping so many people create this product that can help them, whether it's for anxiety or eczema or teething or whatever. People just seem really happy that they found something natural so they don't have to be taking prescriptions, although prescriptions have their place, obviously.

Lynn: What would you recommend to someone trying to start up a business?

Michelle: I think if you believe, you can do it. When I started, I had negative $14,000 in the bank, which I rebuilt. It wasn't easy, but I trusted and believed that I did not deserve to suffer financially, like my parents. My dad was kind of feast or famine. I just decided that I wasn't going to live like that. I did a lot of meditation, manifestation, and energy work on the oils. I used to put every single bottle outside before I sold it — put it beside a tree and did the affirmations.

If it's unique, it'll work. If it doesn't feel good in your heart and you're just doing it because you want to do what someone else is doing, it could fail, but if it’s your passion and your creation and it’s unique, it’ll take off.

One other thing: don’t involve too many people when you’re seeking advice: just select a few people who are like-minded, who will encourage you and be honest. Find your intuition and follow it — don’t get too far ahead of yourself.

Lynn: Did you get any advice that you wish you would've ignored?

Michelle: No. I think maybe in opening five stores I overdid it, but it was fun. I am a bit of an overachiever and possibly hid behind work after so much trauma. But it was fun and I learned so much I can use now that it's simple. I do think simple is better: more is not better.

Lynn: What is the nonnegotiable for your business and in your life?

Michelle: The quality of products and markup: I just cannot overcharge. I cannot gouge my customers. I can't be like the big names. I think it’s just being honest and transparent with customers, especially now post-COVID. Being honest, high-quality, treating your staff well. You have to change with the times. I suppose it’s the same as the ‘90s when online shopping came into play.

Lynn: When you feel overwhelmed and unfocused, what do you do to get back on track?

Michelle: I'll hang out with my dogs or meditate. I've gotten a lot better at going home and having a bath, not looking at my phone, or just going for a walk with my youngest or taking the dogs for a run. And I’ve really learned a lot about getting off social media…

Lynn: We’re hosting a women’s summit for women and business in September. Do you think it's important to connect with other women?

Michelle: I think it can be so discouraging for women. I think we still have that belief that because Mom is at home and always there, she has a ‘Mom’s job,’ while ‘Dad's job’ on the other hand commands respect. If Dad’s tired, it’s because Dad worked all day, whereas Mom runs a business yet still does all the household work and child minding.

When you own a business, you definitely have to have boundaries: you have to respect yourself and treat it like it's your job. I think boundaries could help a lot of women not burn out. A lot of women try to do business with their babies or their kids at the same time, which can be done if you have support, but it can drain you.

If I’d had the proper help, I could've run the business properly, especially throughout my divorce.

Lynn: So what support do you wish you’d had?

Michelle: I honestly think everyone should get a prenuptial (agreement). If you start your own (business), you should have it, no matter how many kids you have. I've seen people lose everything in divorce because people change. Just respect yourself enough that you have something in writing that you split it this way or you split it that way. Have the talk. I definitely would encourage women to get it in writing.

Plus, I wish I hadn't involved other people. I wish I'd listened to my intuition the whole time and done it my way by myself.

So even if you have to step back and go home and meditate on it, take time to figure out what you really want, and to discover what your intuition says. Stick to what you believe, but also be open to advice — then sit with it. You cannot find your intuition if you are exhausted.

Lynn: Finally, where do you find your resilience? Because you're still in the game!

Michelle: I don't know what else I would do. Last year, I worked outside my business, I just put my head down and worked, running the business on my days off. I don't really know what else to do though, as a single parent with kids in sports. Because I don’t have family support, I don't think I had a choice.

My kids are a big reason for my resilience. I don't want my kids and my niece, who doesn't have a mom or dad, to struggle. That was my whole argument through the divorce: that these three kids would always have shares. They can always have a job; we could sell the business in 10 years and at least they would have some money