This SHEeo Healed Her Vagina Holistically & Created A Brand To Help Women Do The Same
With the rise of more and more black women breaking away from traditional 9-5s to become their own bosses, the CEO is getting a revamp as the SHEeo. CEOs are forging their own paths, blazing their own trails, and turning their passion into a profit. In the Meet The SHEeo series, we talk to melanated mavens leveling up and glowing up, all while redefining what it means to be a boss.
Mariah Gray's love for healing began while working at a local herb shop, where she learned the power of herbs and explored their medicinal properties. As a woman who suffered from heavy bleeding and severe pain during her menstrual cycle, she found that natural remedies and herbal steam treatments would quickly put her yoni at ease, and soon began creating her own herbal blends for other healing women. Today, Essential Wombman educates and provides natural products for vaginal health and womb care for issues often further exacerbated by toxic products on the market.
In this week's feature, meet Mariah Gray of Essential Wombman.
Courtesy of Mariah Gray
Title: Founder & CEO of Essential Wombman
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Year Founded: 2017
# of Employee(s): 1
30-Second Pitch: Essential Wombman educates and provides natural products for vaginal health and womb care. For years, women have suffered from vaginal health issues caused by most of the toxic products on the market. Essential Wombman specializes in creating natural products for your most sacred feminine parts. Our mission is to teach the importance of self-love and self-care.
What inspired you to start your brand?
I developed my love for healing others while working for five years at a local herb shop. During that time, I studied herbs and began trusting the healing properties they have. Positive feedback motivated me to create products of my own. As a woman, I understand the issue we go through every day. I created products that worked for me, essentially for every woman to enjoy.
What was your a-ha moment that brought your idea into reality?
While suffering from heavy bleeding and severe pain during my cycle, I began looking up natural ways to treat my issues quickly and was introduced to Yoni Steaming. I developed a Yoni steam blend with specific medicinal herbs and started to steam once a week. Within two months, my flow decreased significantly, my pain was nonexistent and my cycle only lasted two days! My Essential Yoni Steam blend changed my life.
"As a woman, I understand the issue we go through every day. I created products that worked for me, essentially for every woman to enjoy."
Who is your ideal customer?
Essential Wombman is for women who are tired of relying on prescription medicines to treat their issues. At Essential Wombman, we embrace all women, especially those that are ready to heal naturally. Our goal is to get women to discontinue the use of toxic products to maintain good health. I have created a line of holistic products for women that really work.
What makes your business different?
All of our products are created with intention and love. We offer quality organic herbs and ingredients in every product. Offering one-on-one consultations is essential to giving personalized treatment plans and product recommendations. I have a high success rate and appreciate all of the positive feedback I receive from my clients.
What obstacles did you have to overcome while launching and growing your brand?
Trying to encourage women to switch from a product they are used to using was very challenging. Getting women to trust plants and crystals was even more challenging.
How were you able to overcome them?
Through education and testimonies, it helped turn my followers into clients. Getting women to trust me became easier the more transparent I became and the more they got to know Mariah/Essential Wombman.
What was the defining moment in your entrepreneurial journey?
In 2017, I opened Essential Wombman Yoni Steam Spa; it was very successful and within five months, I outgrew the small space. It was the moment I realized I am living in my purpose and women are trusting me and my products to receive the natural healing experience they deserve.
"I realized I am living in my purpose and women are trusting me and my products to receive the natural healing experience they deserve."
Where do you see your company in 5-10 years?
In 5-10 years, Essential Wombman will be every woman's go-to brand for everything self-care. We are currently working on expanding to products for every woman's needs. We are working on opening Holistic Women's Wellness centers around the world where women can come to heal, connect, release and recharge.
Where have you seen the biggest return on investment?
I absolutely love vending. Vending has been very successful for Essential Wombman. I try to participate in at least two events per month. I enjoy getting to personally connect with my clients. I am blessed with the gift of knowing what a woman needs when I interact with her. I am forever grateful for this gift.
Do you have a mentor? If so, who?
I don't currently have an official mentor but I always believe that I am a student. I am always learning from other herbalist, healers and business owners. I will hopefully have an official mentor soon.
Biggest lesson you’ve learned in business?
You can't do everything by yourself, well you can but you will burn yourself out! Forming a team is essential to any business, outsourcing work that you may not be able to do is important. I am learning this lesson right now and currently seeking talent to add to my team.
"Forming a team is essential to any business, outsourcing work that you may not be able to do is important."
Anything else you would like for people to know, or take away from your entrepreneurial story?
Be authentic in everything that you do. Don't be afraid to jump into an oversaturated industry understand that what's for you is for you! Most importantly always Love yourself, Love your Yoni!
For more of Mariah and Essential Wombman, follow her on Instagram @Essential.wombman and Facebook: Essential Wombman.
Featured image by Essential.Wombman/Instagram
Exclusive: Melanie Fiona On Making High-Vibrational Music & Saying Yes To Partnership
Melanie Fiona is back! After taking a little more than a decade-long hiatus, she has officially made her return to music and blessed us with two singles, “Say Yes” and “I Choose You.” While both singles are very different from each other, they both reflect who she is today and the type of music she wants to make. In our conversation, the mom of two expressed what she learned during her time away.
“It's interesting, even when I said it is like coming back, I don't ever feel like I really left because I was always still performing. I've still been public. It's not like I went into being this recluse person or version of myself, but the thing that I really learned in this process is that I think things take time,” Melanie says in a xoNecole exclusive.
“I think often we're so caught up in it, being on the timing of demand or popularity, or, like, striking while the iron is hot and the thing that I've learned is that everything is on God's time. That's it. Every time I thought I would have been ready, or, like, things were taking too long, I had to reship some things, personally, professionally, in my life. I also gave myself permission to make a living, not just make a living, but make a life for myself.”
Making a life for herself included getting married to Grammy-nominated songwriter Jared Cotter, starting a family, and embracing new landscapes, such as podcasting as a co-host of The Mama’s Den podcast. She also began doing more spiritual work and self-care practices like meditation, sound healing, Reiki, acupuncture, and boundary setting, which allowed her to get in touch with her inner voice.
“I wasn't putting out music, and I wasn't experiencing a number one record, but I was being a number one mom,” she says.
“I was experiencing things that were allowing me to heal and get in touch with myself so that I could make new music from a space of joy and freedom, and excitement again because I definitely feel like I did lose some excitement because of just politics and industry and what it can do to your mental health and even your physical health. So giving myself the space to really just say, ‘Hey, it's okay. Everything's right on time.’”
The joy and excitement are felt in one of two new singles, “I Choose You,” which is more of a lovers rock vibe, a tribute to Melanie’s Caribbean roots. While the Grammy award-winner is known for ballads like “It Kills Me” and “Fool For You,” she is becoming more intentional about the music she makes, calling it high-vibrational music. She says her music is a “reflection of my life,” as it captures every facet, from hanging out with friends to riding around in her car.
“Say Yes” has the classic R&B vibe Melanie is known for. However, both songs are inspired by her relationship. Melanie and Jared got married in December 2020, and the Toronto-bred artist dished on their relationship. Fun fact: he is featured in the “Say Yes” music video.
“When we first started dating, I had come into that relationship post a lot of self-work. I had gotten out of a long-term relationship, I had a year and a half to date and be by myself and do a lot of work on myself alone. And when we met, I remember feeling like this has to be my person because I feel it,” she says.
“And so when we went into that relationship, and we started dating, I was very clear. I was like, I know what I want. I'm very clear on what I need, and I'm not going to withhold my truth about myself in this process because of pride or fear of rejection. I know you love me, but I'm coming with my heart in my hand to let you know that if we're gonna get there, we have to put fear aside and say yes. So that was kind of like my open letter to him, which is why the video is us having a conversation.”
Melanie also shares that saying yes to her partner has empowered her in many ways, including motherhood and showing up for herself. Her new EP, also titled Say Yes, will be available at the top of 2025.
Check out the full interview below.
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Feature image by Franco Zulueta
Serena Williams Hits Back At Skin-Bleaching Accusations: 'I’m A Dark, Black Woman, And I Love Who I Am'
Serena Williams is clapping back at skin-bleaching accusations. During a makeup tutorial for her beauty brand, Wyn Beauty, the tennis legend took the opportunity to address the "haters."
“And then I put just that neutral color, that is actually my skin color, and no, for you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin,” she said. “There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors.”
The rumors started after the mom of two posted a video of herself and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, at their daughter's school play. In the video, she appeared to look a few shades lighter. During her response, she revealed that she was volunteering at the play and wore stage makeup.
“Yes, I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous that everyone’s like, ‘Oh, she bleached her skin,’" she said. "I’m a dark, Black woman, and I love who I am, and I love how I look and that's just not my thing.”
The 23-time Grand Slam champion also said that she doesn't judge anyone who bleaches their skin as she "stays in my lane."
Serena has always had style on and off the court, and even collaborated with Nike with her own collection Serena Williams Design Crew. However, the tennis champ has now pivoted into beauty.
Wyn Beauty was launched in April 2024 with at 10-piece collection of lip, eye, and complexion products. The brand was inspired by Serena's time on the court and the packaging is reminiscent of a tennis ball due to its chartreuse color.
“Throughout my career, I was always searching for makeup that looked good after hours on the court, mixing products myself and creating my own formulas while traveling the world,” she said in a statement. As she continues to make a name for herself in the beauty industry, I'm sure we will see a lot more looks from the tennis star.
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Feature image by Marc Piasecki/WireImage