ByAcademy of Culinary NutritionLast updated onReading Time: 2 minutes
After working for many years in publishing, Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik was tired of the nine-to-five grind. She always loved plants, and dabbled in her own garden before taking a plant medicine class – and became unbelievably hooked. In 2015, Shannon decided to start a herbalism business called Mayernik Kitchen alongside her husband Matt.
Shannon and Matt began growing seedlings in their spare bedroom, and as Shannon was searching for more information about plants and nutrition she discovered the Culinary Nutrition Expert Program. She noted that the Academy incorporated a lot of medicinal and culinary herbs into its curriculum, from elixirs to broths and everything in between.
“It was the perfect combination for me,” she says.
Since 2015, Mayernik Kitchen has expanded from Shannon’s spare bedroom into an herb farm (with an apprenticeship) and brick-and-mortar storefront that offers a full product line, cooking classes, and herbal education. Community and sharing are at the heart of what Shannon does.
In this exclusive interview in our online community (join for free here), Shannon shares many gems about starting, growing and maintaining an herbalism business, as well as how to run an intentional business that supports her community.
This conversation focuses on:
What drew Shannon to herbalism and plant medicine-making
What inspired her to create and build a business
How she integrates culinary nutrition into her work
The greatest lesson from her experiences
What she wishes she’d known from the start
What keeps her motivated every single day
If you are looking for ways you can use culinary nutrition to start a business like Shannon has, or enhance your current career, registration for the 2023 Culinary Nutrition Expert Program opens April 11th. Learn more about how you can take your skills to the next level.
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Reading Time: 2 minutes 
