Business Spotlight: Wholly Essentials

Jayla Scott Wholly Essentials A Convenience Store for Herbal-Based Products

Interview by Angela Anderson

Jayla Scott is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wholly Essentials, a natural-based business. Born and raised in North Carolina, she is a creative being and lover of the arts. This creator has a versatile palate for the creative space, particularly dance, music, and poetry. She’s a writer who dances to the beat of her own drum. We cannot leave out the fact that one of her favorite pieces to listen to is “In the Distance,” composed by Tony Anderson.

Jayla is a distinguished woman of many talents and wisdom, destined to leave her mark and create an avenue for her legacy. In following her goals to be present in the world and make a difference, she genuinely desires to help others through the use of plant-based products with her company, Wholly Essentials.

Jayla, wise beyond her years, works with sincerity and from a place of peace and sureness when creating products set to heal and help others. She lives by the quote, “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” (Warren Buffett) She is a firm believer that your actions not only affect you but everyone around you in small and big ways.

Angela Anderson: What inspired the birth of Wholly Essentials?

Jayla Scott: My business was birthed for two reasons. One, I carried the knowledge that I did not want to “do” the conventional. Nor did I want to “be” the conventional. I asked myself, “What will people say about Jayla Scott when she leaves this earth? What kind of legacy do I want to be responsible for leaving behind? Who am I going to be?” And the answers to these three questions were far from the standard ‘work to live.’ I would not be known as one who slaved their life away doing work they did not desire to do, just to survive into tomorrow. I refuse. And I refuse because I know there is another way. Two, with this knowledge, I still carry my love for natural remedies. I learned all I needed to start my business. Plants have so many healing powers. And there is so much sickness and hurt in the world. I believe plants were put here to heal the sickness and heal the hurt.

AA: What is the mission of Wholly Essentials?

JS: Wholly Essentials is all about showing people that there is another option. One that may be better suited for them. With this business, I plan to not only show another way towards the healing people deserve but also spread the knowledge of what nature around all of us can do for our health, why it works, and the limitless possibilities that exist simply because there are countless amounts of plants living in this world. As long as there is a plant, there is a remedy. Wholly Essentials was created as a means to share this journey of information with others. People deserve to know all the choices that exist before having to make a decision concerning their health. And oftentimes, decisions are made without knowing all the choices. There are options, and Wholly Essentials desires to share these options.

AA: What’s the story behind the name Wholly Essentials?

JS: Simply put, I wanted to create a business that would only sell products that are actually useful to people. A business that completely, hence wholly, sells products that are essential to people because they are useful. Products that are essential because they are useful. I shared these wants with God. And not long after, He whispered the name Wholly Essentials.

AA: What is unique about the Wholly Essentials brand?

JS: I call Wholly Essentials a convenience store for herbal-based products. Even though I only have one line of products out at this time. I see the future. I know where this business is headed. And just as I said before, Wholly Essentials is a convenience store for herbal-based products. You will be able to shop there for what you need. And I can say this confidently now because everything that I do with this business, I bring God into it. The recipes, the formulating, the labeling, the products, the entirety of the business. He is what makes it different.

AA: What can customers expect from your business?

JS: Currently, customers can expect to buy quality products that only cater to their health. In the future, customers can expect the above too, but a wider array of products to choose from.

AA: What is one item that is a popular order and in high demand for Wholly Essentials?

JS: Wholly Essentials has a product titled “The Good Oil.” This oil is formulated for dry skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis. Customers love it and have told me that it really helps them with their psoriatic skin and eczema.

AA: What aspect of the business do you enjoy?

JS: Other than being able to call something my own. The aspect of business that I enjoy most is being able to learn and then create something based on what I learned about this herb or that flower. Watching the creation of a product unfold is a mind-bending but mesmerizing process. You will spend months creating one product. Oftentimes what you start with is not what you end with. So, looking at the end result and comparing it to the start of the process. It is like you finally get to breathe when the product is done, truly. Because you get to say, “It is done.”

AA: It’s summertime; what are your favorite products for this season?

JS: For summertime, my go-to moisturizer is body butter. If you are familiar with body butter, then you know using body butter in the summer is a bit backwards. They are thicker than your basic lotion or body oil, so they are typically used in the colder months. But I always find I reach for them more during the hotter months. They are an amazing moisturizer, and I absolutely love to make my own. My family loves to use my homemade body butter too!

AA: What’s your favorite summer activity with your family?

JS: A dip in the pool on a hot day is the number one way my family and I love to cool off! I’ve always loved the water and being able to submerge myself completely in it. The silence that follows when you’re completely underwater is entrancing!

AA: What is one piece of advice you would share for new small business owners who are just getting started?

JS: One token I have learned is that things usually never go as planned in business. But preparation makes the biggest game changer when plans deviate to another route. Business owners have to continually prepare for the unknown so that they can stay ready, so they don’t have to get ready. Preparation is key.

AA: What’s next for Wholly Essentials?

JS: Next on Wholly Essentials’ to-do list is to expand the product inventory. There will be new additions added to the list of herbal-based products. Research is also being done for a line of products, separate from the ones above, that will cater to women’s health. Apart from expanding my store, Wholly Essentials is joining partnerships and collaborating with other businesses!

AA: How can people connect with Wholly Essentials?

JS: To connect with Wholly Essentials, you can email us at whollyessentials.est@gmail.com. You can also access our online store by going to our website at www.whollyessentials.com. We can also be found on Instagram at whollyessentialsline.