Meet Kelly Edward | Entrepreneur & Small business owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly Edward and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe risks are a huge part of true growth. Stepping out of your comfort zone and into the unknown can be scary but it’s vital to see what you’re really capable of. I’m starting to be comfortable with the unknown after years of entrepreneurship. It’s really out of necessity. I don’t think I would have started any of my businesses if I didn’t feel like the leap was worth some risk. Whether or not those businesses were thriving I’ve learned such valuable lessons about life and conscious business ownership. Being a small business owner is risky no matter what. I love what I do and that makes it all worth the scaries.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Manifest Essentials is a wellness company for the body, mind and soul. We are an all encompassing wellness brand founded on the core values of doing no harm and careing for ourselves so we can better care for each other. When we launched, Manifest was exclusively selling handmade and custom meditation tools. Since then we have expanded to now include our line of Manifest Essentials small batch clean skincare products and now I am thrilled to introduce our recent launch of the pleasure shop featuring pleasure positive books, sexual wellness essentials and body safe sex toys.

Manifest Essentials is dedicated to being better. We continuously assess our impact and take action when we find ways to improve our business for people and the planet. We work in direct partnership with local farmers and artisans using only the highest quality organic and ethically harvested ingredients. Striveing to create products that are truly kind and make your soul feel good.

It has been a long journey to arrive at this place and I have treasured the process. I lead Manifest with my heart and am passionate about creating a better, more pleasureable world for us all.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I feel so grateful to live on the central coast, it’s such a special place. We have easy access to beautiful beaches, hikes, locally owned shops/resturants and quaint little towns. I’m a foodie so my recommendations tend to center around great food and drink. If I was to show a friend all of my favorite places we would most definitely start at Field Day coffee. Incredible coffee made by incredible human beings, I couldn’t recommend it more plus they just launched their wine program! As far as food goes, The Hidden Kitchen for breakfast, Bread Bike for fresh bread, one of our almost daily farmers markets for produce, Flour house for pizza, I could go on… If you are a beer person, There Does Not Exist is by far my favorite brewery in the area. They nail it every time! To shop a gorgous curation of jewelry, home goods, apothecary, ect, I reccomend checking out Len Collective in SLO and The Sunny Spot in Morro Bay. Getting outdoors exploring the coast line and all of its beauty is one of my favorite ways to spend a day around here. I obviously can’t give away the secret spots but exploring all the central coast has to offer could take a lifetime.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Without the love and undying support of my family, friends and partner I don’t know if I would have had the courage to create what I have. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Website: manifestessentials.co

Instagram: @manifestessentials @manifestpleasure @kellymarieedward