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

Hi Phaedra, how do you think about risk?
When I think of risk I immediately think of reward, personal and professional. But it has taken me a couple of decades to get to that point. Risk taking is part of entrepreneurship and I knew that if I wanted to be an entrepreneur I was going to have to take risks to bring my ideas to fruition and develop businesses. I have learned to surrender to the uncertainty and discomfort that comes with taking risks. I have learned to not be fearful of the fear that comes with taking risks, not let it inhibit me from moving forward. But also, I have taken small steps in my years of self-taught entrepreneurship. With every step and every evolution of business I have forced myself into new realms. By choosing to arrive in unknown spaces, I have learned to be comfortable in ingenuity and growth. I have learned a lot about my capabilities and I have learned to trust myself, my ideas, my decisions and how I do business. I am now able to take much bigger steps more easily and take risky leaps to create the change I see is needed. I have learned that risk-taking is essential to personal and professional growth and risk-taking increases my self esteem, empowers me and helps me be more resilient to failure. I would prefer the risk of losing something to achieve my goal rather than not try.

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?
My business is FloraLuna Apothecary & Trading Co. I manufacture botanical bitters and syrups for the food and beverage industry. “Trading Co.” plays tribute to my brick and mortal herbal apothecary that sold other handcrafted products by me as well as treasures from other small makers. I am currently pivoting that part of my business and the store is being transformed into an alcohol-free cocktail lounge showcasing my bitters and syrups in craft beverages. Although there are many craft brands within my industry, I believe my products are exceptional because my brand ethos supports small batch, handcrafted products using organic and wild harvested botanicals and non-GMO ingredients. Many of my first batches included botanical I foraged throughout Sonoma County. My products are not made with extracts, flavorings or colorings. They are made with whole botanicals only and the high standard in which I craft comes through in flavor and quality of my products, I am very proud of my brand values. My hands are still involved in every batch, I make everything myself. My branding and packaging is very unique and the imagery has symbolic meaning that is important to me. Everything I have chosen within my brand has been deliberate and has meaning.

Everything I have done in my life has a hand in being able to own my own business, create delicious high quality products, develop a business around them, market and sell them, etc. It has been a life long journey getting to this point. It has not been easy, it has taken patience, self-trust, dedication, perseverance, a love of learning, resilience, overcoming fear, dedication, multi-tasking, flexibility, interpersonal growth, confidence, belief in myself and my capabilities and willingness to live in unpredictability. This pathway is not for the faint of heart and fortunately I embody the strength and determination to withstand it and keep pushing to the next step daily.

I think it is important for people to know that anything is possible at any moment. Although I have spent most of my adult life working for myself, I started to build my brand at 41 years old as a single mom of 3 with very little resources. I set a pace that made it possible to raise my kids, work another business to support us while single handedly building my brand. I did it with little money, no investors, no knowledge of the industry but with a belief in myself.

About Phaedra:
Think of Phaedra Achor as an esoteric chef. She can take a single ingredient and turn it into something unfathomable, weaving unexpected flavors together in a heightened, sensorial experience.

Much like her blends, Phaedra speaks to the elemental appeal of botanicals and herbs poetically. A blender, a perfumer, a coastline forager, and a student of herbalism, she believes ingredient lists are not linear. They don’t express all the nuances and processes that go into fashioning a formula. Hers prove otherwise.

Inspired by old-world apothecaries and history’s alchemists, our creative alchemist honed her aesthetic by liberating antiquated 18th-century formulas. She is guided by her intuition for scent and blending and is the formulator behind every magical, handcrafted elixir. And because she believes sophistication lies in simplicity, Phaedra looks at ingredients as characters, each with a role to play, working to bring them together in harmony.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My town, Petaluma, and Sonoma County in general is one the of the most beautiful places in the United States. Because I gravitate to nature I am always excited to share our exquisite and unique Sonoma Coast, Drake’s Bay and Pt. Reyes Seashore. I love to take visitors to the Russian River and surrounding area with beautiful redwood groves. We have some of the most incredible farm-to-table cuisine so there are endless options for food and drinks. There are many local breweries and distilleries to visit and taste at. Sonoma County is a big wine region with creating some of the best California wines with tasting rooms scattered throughout the county. There are many farms to visit as well. San Francisco is near-by with many things to offer. A week in my area would include the coast, the country, the city, the ocean, the river, redwoods to hills and meadows, lots of food, drinks and wine, music, art and farm visits. It’s a wonderful place to live and explore!

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?
There are 5 people within my business story that absolutely deserve a shout-out. I often think of them and feel convicted that I would not be where I am if they were not part of my story, they are foundational.

Unknown woman – A stranger came a party I was having, she was the guest of a guest, and I found her at my bar table sniffing all of my tincture bottles full of bitters that I had made for the cocktails I was serving at my party. I had never made bitters before but gave it try when I was planning and preparing for my summer cocktail party. She asked me where they came from and she was stunned when I told her I had made them. She encouraged me to bring them to the bar she worked at and sell them because she said they were far superior to what they used and was available in the market. Soon after that conversation she left, I have never seen her again and do not know her name. But she planted a seed that 6 years later has turned into an international bitters brand. It’s as if this unknown stranger was an angel that stepped in and out of my home and in a matter of a few minutes completely changed my life.

Jon Krop – A brilliant graphic designer and founder of Atomic Pop Monkey, Jon was referred to me by a graphic designer friend who, among many others, were unable to help me use the art files my original artist finally handed over to me after a year of chaos and turmoil in trying to finalize my branding. I was facing having to start over with logo and branding development given that all of the art that was surrounded to me was unusable, according to multiple designers. Jon was a magician and was instantly able to use and transform the art I had spent a year and a great deal of resources developing. With his expertise and creativity, Jon literally saved the day and was the key factor in moving the launch of my brand forward. He is the most important piece to the behind-the-scenes branding and graphics aspect to my business, which is a huge piece. I value him and his contrition to my brand deeply.

Eric Bennett – A dear friend who has a long history is spirit and wine sales who, from day one, has encouraged me and been a rock solid sounding board for information, education, guidance and feedback. He tasted everything I made, his feedback helped build my confidence and his coaching helped me know how to approach buyers for tasting appointments. He spent a lot of time taking my calls, responding to texts and meeting with me for lengthy discussions because he genuinely wanted to help, support and see me succeed. He met me at the back door of the very first restaurant I went to for my very first tasting appointment, gave me a pep-talk and energetically held my hand as he walked me to the bar to meet the buyers. He made the introduction to who is now my California distributor. He has been a great friend, fan and cheerleader since I began this journey and I know I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn’t have him in my corner with his kindness, expertise and generous spirit.

Danny Ojinaga – When I was first introducing my products to the bar and restaurant scene I had been told by many people I needed to meet Danny. One evening when I was sitting at a restaurant bar, trying to make a connection with the bar manager, he sat next to me. We were happy to meet each other, we had both been told we needed to meet the other. He was instantly kind and welcoming and was open to tasting all of my products right then and there. He loved what I made and was very encouraging. Come to find out he was well connected in the bar scene in Sonoma County, a true master of his craft and well respected by his industry counterparts. Danny shared the news of my brand, he invited me to participate in events, introduced me to many people and those connections were fundamental in the rapid growth of my business. He has been a huge supporter of my craft, has been wonderful with encouragement and bolstering my confidence and has connected me with people and opportunities that have positively changed the course of my brand growth. He has become a dear friend and I credit him having a important hand in the evolution of my brand.

Ziggy Eschliman – “Ziggy the Wine Gal” is a radio personality and internationally renowned wine and spirits expert who, in my first year post-launching, was introduced to my brand and she quickly became a huge supporter and advocate. I had been invited to bring my products to a cocktail competition (through Danny) when no one knew my brand existed. Ziggy was the MC for the competition and at the end of the day I handed her a bottle of my Rose Petal bitters as a “thank you.” I didn’t know who she was at the time and fast forward to almost a year later, I learned that my brand had been nominated for USA Today’s Top 10 Best Craft Mixers in the US. Come to find out Ziggy is a judge for USA Today and was so impressed with the Rose Petal Bitters she felt my brand was worthy of such recognition. Since then Ziggy has included me and my brand in everything possible from events, to parties, to competitions, to classes, to interviews, to radio announcements, to media opportunities and exposure to inclusion in international competitions, etc. She has had a direct and deliberate hand in national and international brand exposure and I am certain that the fast and extensive brand exposure that began in my first year of business is a direct result of Ziggy and her support of me and my craft. I don’t know what I did to deserve her but I am incredibly grateful for her and her constant and consistent support since we first met, her belief in what I create and for how she has influenced and effected my life and my business. I would not be where I am without her part of my story.

Website: floralunaapothecary.com

Instagram: FloraLuna_elixirs AND FloraLuna_apothecary

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phaedra-achor-8b181a55/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floralunaapothecaryelixirs AND https://www.facebook.com/floralunaapothecaryandtradingco

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/floraluna-apothecary-and-trading-petaluma-2?osq=floraluna

Image Credits
photography: Ashley Wright graphics/branding art: Jon Krop

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.