About Me

Hi, I’m Colleen, founder of Herb Nerd, herbal product formulator, educator, and lifelong nature-loving geek.

I’ve been obsessed with plants for as long as I can remember. I grew up wandering national parks with my family, learning to see landscapes not just as scenery, but as communities of living, breathing green things. That early curiosity eventually guided me into herbalism, though I didn’t realize it at the time. In my early twenties I wandered into Moonrise Herbs in Arcata, and that single moment set the course for everything that followed.

For the last fifteen years, I’ve been chasing one big question: How do plants actually work, and how can we use them in ways that help people?
That question led me through farmers markets, apprenticeships, messy experiments, lab work, ingredient sourcing, regulatory work, and eventually product development for legacy natural wellness brands. Along the way, I discovered that herbalism and product formulation weren’t separate lanes for me — they evolved together, refining one another with every batch, every mistake, every breakthrough.

Today, my niche is helping herbalists, makers, and natural beauty founders bring their ideas to life with clarity, intention, and scientific grounding. I translate herbalism into real, effective products, and I support founders who want to build brands that are thoughtful, sustainable, and structurally sound. See my portfolio of clients below.

I also understand what it means to build a business while mothering a young child. I craft my work around school drop-offs, nap windows, and dinner prep, and that lived experience shapes my approach. I believe businesses should support our lives, not overshadow them, and I guide founders with that same practicality, compassion, and realism.

At present, I’m a Certified Herbalist, an educator, a product development consultant for wellness brands, and the creator behind Herb Nerd, a place where herbalism meets real-world formulation, education, and brand development.

Teaching lights me up. My theatre background and Virgo moon mean my classes are equal parts quirky, grounded, and crystal clear. I love breaking down complex concepts until that spark of understanding appears in your eyes. If something doesn’t click the first time, trust me, I’ll find three more ways to explain it.

I’m grateful you’re here. Whether you’re a budding herbalist, a formulator in the making, or a founder with a dream and a notebook full of ideas, welcome to this community of Herb Nerds.

Let’s make things. Good things. Plant-rooted things. Together.

Hugs,
Colleen