After leaving the military, Braden Crist wondered what was next for her. What career would she take on and where? Having grown up in Donds, Iowa, she was always drawn to the natural world, and with her father, learned to forage from a young age.
Because of this, her partner suggested she explore homeopathy. “At first, I was like, ‘Don’t tell me what to do,’” Crist laughs. But eventually, she signed herself up for homeopathy classes, not realizing that the classes could help her navigate her own struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“It was a wonderful experience to try my first remedy. It really encouraged a lot of healing, on an emotional, mental and physical level.” So, she decided to open her new business in Grinnell, Homeopathic Remedy Apothecary - Grinnell, IA, which the Chamber Ambassadors celebrated with a ribbon cutting.
In Crist’s store, expect to find a wide variety of goods, from essential oils to lotions and teas to skin care. Some items are marked with where they come from — whether from indigenous communities, veteran owned and out of state businesses, and even communities around Iowa. Her selection of chocolates come from Marion, for example, whose business owners were deployed with Crist in Afghanistan. She also carries tinctures and kid-safe products — that are safe enough to be used on pets, too. (Fun fact: one of her employees, Staca Sothman, sells her own sage bundles that she harvested and dried on her own.)
“In the homeopathic world, there are over 8,000 remedies,” explains Crist. “Remedies are recommended to the individual and how they experience life.” Her staff are also trained on acute homeopathic knowledge. They can assist customers with pairing certain remedies with ailments, and for those who come in with more chronic ailments, Crist and her staff will refer individuals to an affordable homeopathic clinic based in Minnesota.
But her store is a great place to start for specific ailments — “basically, these remedies are triggering the body to recognize its pain, and it becomes a catalyst for a person to heal themselves, whether emotionally, physically, or mentally,” says Crist.
For instance, her homeopathic brown vessels are sugar pods that customers can take often. Once it relieves 85-90% of the symptoms, the body then kicks in to do the rest of the healing work.
“Homeopathy is something I really wanted to bring to a small town and bring awareness to,” says Crist, who currently lives in Newton. “I love how diverse the Grinnell community is and love that the college is here.” One customer even joked that she is glad she doesn’t need to drive to Des Moines anymore for a remedy!
Once settled in, Crist hopes to bring yoga and self-defense classes to her large retail space, as well as a sound bowl event. If you’re interested in learning more about homeopathic remedies, visit their website, https://homeopathicremedyapothecary.com/, which has a FAQ page and overview of their business! The store is also open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM-5 PM and Sunday 10 AM-4 PM.
Chamber Ambassadors, from left to right:
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