8 minute read
Woman owned business: Cinnamon’s Botanicals
from Taos Woman 2022
Bringing back the vintage apothecary vibe
By Megan Jones
courtesy photo
WITH $30 AND A LOT OF
determination, Cinnamon Bird set out to start her own business.
Five years later, she’s established a boutique apothecary business selling her own blends of herbs and healing ingredients formulated into teas, salves, balms, tinctures, potions and capsules. Her cozy little apothecary shop is located at 114 Kit Carson Road in Taos.
Bird, a single mom, says that she became more interested in herbs and natural healing when her two children (now grown) were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She was curious about hemp and the healing properties of CBD which she had heard about claims that it helps with diabetes so she signed up for classes with a longtime herbalist. She says the claims were actually concerning Type 2 or adult onset diabetes but in the class she learned more about the other uses of CBD and hemp.
Bird says the way she was raised made her appreciate the benefits of growing her own food, canning, drying and freezing it for future use. Bird says that her family had a garden, cattle and horses. She says as a child she was immersed in a “natural, homeopathic way of living.”
So after learning about hemp and CBD she decided to make a topical salve with some feedback from her massage therapist. After going back and forth over the dosage strength and finding a milligram quantity that was efficacious she went out with the first batch of salve and it sold out quickly. Bird took the earnings and put it back into making more and now it has become a business with stores and spas stocking her products in multiple states.
“I make everything in small batches and it works because I am very particular
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about what I put in it,” she said. “I always make sure that it is going to work.”
Bird’s background is in journalism. For years she ran her own magazine and there she had to do everything from ad sales to writing, graphic design and marketing. She had freelancers to help but she says she did the bulk of the work herself. With that experience, she easily created her own labels and packaging. She says that her goal was to avoid adding more waste to the landfill. She also created her own promotional materials and took her own photos. She also has some experience in education. She taught elementary school students and college courses on marketing for small businesses in Pueblo.
Stress and anxiety, insomnia and boosting the immune system are the three most popular requests Bird says she gets. She has herbs, teas and various other options for treating these complaints. She also sells a variety of other locally sourced products from other Taos businesses.
Bird’s adult daughter Sophie helps out in the store and was the model on the vintage style logos and marketing. Sophie says her mom has been an inspiration and she enjoys working with her.
One day Bird got a call from a former Shark Tank judge who was a fan of her products who wanted to partner with her and could procure backing to grow the business into a corporation but she said no. Bird asked how he had heard of her and found out her products were ranked the top in Colorado. She did build a dedicated following through word of mouth and beat out big Denver companies to get her products used and sold at the downtown Wyndham spa in Colorado Springs.
Bird’s next project is to outfit a
courtesy photo
traveling apothecary van so she can provide products on the go for people who need “something for what ails them.”
She says it will be similar to a vet truck (but for humans) and a sort of “gypsy wagon” like the traveling salesman, or “the medicine man.” She can carry concoctions and potions directly to those who need them. She said that the pandemic has inspired many people to return “back to the earth,” and to seek out plant based remedies and folk medicine. She sees it as an opportunity to educate people because “so many people need to know about herbs.”
THEY DESERVE A HOME, TOO. THEY DESERVE and families by going to https://taosheart.org/how-you-can-help/ to donate. THEY DESERVE A HOME, TOO. THEY DESERVE A HOME, TOO.
A HOME, TOO.
Due to COVID-19, HEART House transitioned to HEART’s Hotel Program in October 2020 for the safety and health of the guests and staff. To avoid any outbreak, HEART of Taos believes this is the safest way to continue to support women and families facing homelessness during a worldwide pandemic. The Taos CARES Crisis Housing Program began in December 2020, with DreamTree Project PLEASE DONATE! www.taosheart.org Due to COVID-19, HEART House transitioned to HEART’s Hotel Program in October 2020 for the safety and health of the guests and staff. To avoid any outbreak, HEART of Taos believes this is the safest way to continue to support women and families facing homelessness during The Taos CARES Crisis Housing Program began in December 2020, with DreamTree Project PLEASE DONATE! Due to COVID-19, HEART House transitioned to HEART’s Hotel Program in October 2020 for the safety and health of the guests and staff. To avoid any outbreak, HEART of Taos believes this is the safest way to continue to support women and families facing homelessness during PLEASE DONATE! Due to COVID-19, HEART House transitioned to HEART’s Hotel Program in October 2020 for the safety and health of the guests and staff. To avoid any outbreak, HEART of Taos believes this is the safest way to continue to support women and families facing homelessness during a worldwide pandemic. The Taos CARES Crisis Housing Program began in December 2020, with DreamTree Project Due to COVID-19, HEART House transitioned to HEART’s Hotel Program in October 2020 for as the fiscal agent and employer of the program staff, and HEART as the manager of day-today operations. The CARES Program is a collaborative effort, operated by DreamTree Project in partnership with HEART of Taos. In fall 2021, management transitioned to DreamTree with HEART serving in an advisory capacity. For more information about DreamTree please visit www.dreamtreeproject.org. In 2021, Taos CARES provided 154 individuals with shelter and services in 16 hotel rooms using federal CARES Act funding and funding from HEART for 4 rooms. Please help support women as the fiscal agent and employer of the program staff, and HEART as the manager of day-today operations. The CARES Program is a collaborative effort, operated by DreamTree Project in partnership with HEART of Taos. In fall 2021, management transitioned to DreamTree with HEART serving in an advisory capacity. For more information about DreamTree please visit In 2021, Taos CARES provided 154 individuals with shelter and services in 16 hotel rooms using federal CARES Act funding and funding from HEART for 4 rooms. Please help support women The Taos CARES Crisis Housing Program began in December 2020, with DreamTree Project as the fiscal agent and employer of the program staff, and HEART as the manager of day-today operations. The CARES Program is a collaborative effort, operated by DreamTree Project in partnership with HEART of Taos. In fall 2021, management transitioned to DreamTree with HEART serving in an advisory capacity. For more information about DreamTree please visit as the fiscal agent and employer of the program staff, and HEART as the manager of day-today operations. The CARES Program is a collaborative effort, operated by DreamTree Project in partnership with HEART of Taos. In fall 2021, management transitioned to DreamTree with HEART serving in an advisory capacity. For more information about DreamTree please visit www.dreamtreeproject.org. In 2021, Taos CARES provided 154 individuals with shelter and services in 16 hotel rooms using federal CARES Act funding and funding from HEART for 4 rooms. Please help support women the safety and health of the guests and staff. To avoid any outbreak, HEART of Taos believes this is the safest way to continue to support women and families facing homelessness during a worldwide pandemic. The Taos CARES Crisis Housing Program began in December 2020, with DreamTree Project as the fiscal agent and employer of the program staff, and HEART as the manager of day-toand families by going to https://taosheart.org/how-you-can-help/ to donate. and families by going to https://taosheart.org/how-you-can-help/ to donate. and families by going to https://taosheart.org/how-you-can-help/ to donate. day operations. The CARES Program is a collaborative effort, operated by DreamTree Project www.taosheart.org Anyone who is looking for a safe place to stay should call Taos CARES at 575-425-1738. Anyone who is looking for a safe place to stay should call Taos CARES at 575-425-1738.www.taosheart.org Anyone who is looking for a safe place to stay should call Taos CARES at 575-425-1738. www.taosheart.org In 2021, Taos CARES provided 154 individuals with shelter and services in 16 hotel rooms using federal CARES Act funding and funding from HEART for 4 rooms. Please help support women and families by going to https://taosheart.org/how-you-can-help/ to donate. Anyone who is looking for a safe place to stay should call Taos CARES at 575-425-1738. in partnership with HEART of Taos. In fall 2021, management transitioned to DreamTree with HEART serving in an advisory capacity. For more information about DreamTree please visit www.dreamtreeproject.org. In 2021, Taos CARES provided 154 individuals with shelter and services in 16 hotel rooms using federal CARES Act funding and funding from HEART for 4 rooms. Please help support women and families by going to https://taosheart.org/how-you-can-help/ to donate.
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