Today we’d like to introduce you to Roshelle Zielinski.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
People often assume I got into herbal wellness because I grew up surrounded by herbs. While Jamaica definitely planted those seeds, my journey wasn’t a straight path. It was shaped by life, loss, motherhood, and a deep desire to take better care of myself and the people I love.
I was born in Kingston, Jamaica, but I was raised across different countries throughout my childhood. Experiencing different cultures, foods, and ways of living gave me a unique perspective, but no matter where life took me, Jamaica always remained my foundation. It’s where I first learned that food was more than something to eat and that plants had a place in everyday life. Bush teas, home remedies, cooking from scratch, and making the most of what you had weren’t trends they were simply a way of life.
We didn’t always have much, but we learned to make the most of what we had and what nature provided. Those early experiences stayed with me, even if I didn’t fully appreciate them at the time. Looking back, they became the foundation for everything I do today.
Before herbal wellness became my passion, food was my first love and it still is.
I’ve spent nearly two decades working as a chef, cooking for families, private clients, and managing professional kitchens. Food taught me that what we put on our plates has the power to nourish, comfort, and bring people together. But over time, I started asking myself a bigger question: if food can do all of that, what else can nature offer us?
That question became deeply personal after my own health struggles.
Years ago, I was diagnosed with uterine fibroids. That season changed me completely. It forced me to slow down and take an honest look at every part of my lifestyle not just what I was eating, but the products I was using, how I managed stress, how I moved my body, and how consistent I was with caring for myself. Surgery became part of my journey, but so did education. I spent countless nights reading research, learning from traditional practices, and studying herbs, nutrition, and wellness from every angle I could.
Then I became a mother.
Motherhood gave everything a deeper purpose. When my son was born, I became even more intentional. Every ingredient I brought into our home mattered. Every meal, every cup of tea, every skincare product, and every household cleaner… I wanted to know exactly what was in it and why. My goal has always been to create the healthiest environment I possibly could for my family.
There’s a saying I’ve always lived by: Now that I know better, I must do better. Becoming a mother didn’t just reinforce that mindset it accelerated it. My son gave me an even greater reason to put everything I had learned into practice.
That eventually led to Herbs of Her.
What started as making herbal blends, oils, and remedies for myself and the people closest to me slowly grew into something much bigger. I wasn’t trying to build a business. I was trying to solve real problems the way I always have: by researching, learning, testing, and creating products I genuinely believed in.
Today, my work is about helping people reconnect with food, nature, and the simple things we’ve become so disconnected from. I want to remind people to slow down, appreciate where their food comes from, spend more time outdoors, and realize that wellness doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether I’m foraging for wild plants, creating clean recipes, formulating herbal blends, or simply sharing what I’ve learned online, my goal has always been the same: to make wellness feel practical, approachable, and relatable to everyday people.
I don’t believe herbs replace modern medicine, and I don’t believe there’s one answer for everyone. I believe knowledge is powerful. I believe our bodies deserve nourishment. I believe traditional wisdom has value, science has value, and there’s room for both to exist together.
If there’s one thing I hope people take away from my story, it’s that wellness doesn’t begin with expensive products or complicated routines. It begins with curiosity. It begins with small, consistent choices. And sometimes, it begins by remembering the wisdom that has been growing around us all along.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced was my health.
Years ago, I was diagnosed with a 28 cm uterine fibroid that was sitting on top of my uterus. It wasn’t just large, it was growing rapidly and beginning to affect nearby organs. Surgery was the very last thing I wanted. I spent countless hours researching, making lifestyle changes, and doing everything I could to support my body naturally. But there came a point where I had to accept that surgery was the safest option.
Having an open myomectomy wasn’t easy. The physical recovery was one thing, but the emotional side was something I don’t think people talk about enough. It taught me that sometimes healing means knowing when to lean on modern medicine and when to support your body afterward through nutrition, lifestyle, and herbal wellness. That experience completely changed the way I view health. For me, it wasn’t about choosing one over the other, it was about respecting both and understanding that each has its place.
Another challenge, believe it or not, was going from being a chef to becoming a mom. (LOL) As a chef, my life revolved around routines, schedules, organization, and timing. Everything had a place, and everything happened on a timeline.
Motherhood humbled me in the best way.
I struggled with letting go of perfection. I had to learn that not every day would go according to plan, the laundry wouldn’t always be folded, the dishes wouldn’t always be done before bedtime, and toys would somehow find their way into every room of the house. Instead of stressing over the mess, I started seeing it differently. Those toys on the floor meant my son had another day filled with imagination. The fingerprints on the windows, the tiny shoes by the door, the endless laughter echoing through the house… those became the things I learned to appreciate instead of constantly trying to tidy away.
Motherhood taught me to slow down, to be present, and to give myself more grace. I’d like to think I’ve finally found a balance. Not because everything is perfect, but because I’ve stopped expecting it to be.
Building Herbs of Her came with its own set of challenges, too. Like many small business owners, I wear every hat. I’m the researcher, the formulator, the photographer, the content creator, the customer service department, the packer, and the shipper. There have been late nights, early mornings, mistakes, lessons, and moments where I questioned myself. Growing a business while raising a young child isn’t always easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding because every product I create reflects the same care and intention I put into my own home.
I’ve never wanted Herbs of Her to be just another herbal brand. I want it to be a place where people feel empowered to ask questions, learn, reconnect with nature, and make informed decisions about their health. If someone walks away knowing just one more thing than they did before, then I’ve done what I set out to do.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Food has always been at the center of my life. Long before I became known for herbal wellness, I was a chef. I attended culinary school, built my career in professional kitchens, and have spent nearly two decades cooking for families, private clients, and managing kitchen operations. Those years taught me discipline, creativity, and, most importantly, that food has the power to nourish far beyond filling an empty stomach.
Over the years, I’ve specialized in scratch cooking, recipe development, menu creation, clean ingredients, and bringing people together through meals that are both comforting and nourishing. My approach has always been centered on understanding ingredients not just how they taste, but how they work together and how they support the body.
I’m incredibly proud of everything I’ve accomplished throughout my culinary career. From graduating culinary school to building a successful career as a chef, earning the trust of countless clients, launching my own business, and receiving recognition for my work, each milestone represents years of dedication, sacrifice, and perseverance. None of it came overnight, and I never take those accomplishments for granted.
But if you ask me what I’m most proud of, my answer isn’t an award or a career milestone, it’s my son. Becoming his mother changed the way I define success. He reminds me every day why I work so hard and why I care so deeply about creating a healthier, more mindful life. He is my greatest accomplishment, and everything I build now is with him in mind.
I think what truly sets me apart is that I don’t see food and herbal wellness as two separate worlds. To me, they’re inseparable. My background as a chef gives me a perspective that many wellness creators don’t have. I understand ingredients from a culinary standpoint, but I also understand how they can support our overall well-being. I know how to take herbs, whole foods, and traditional practices and turn them into recipes and everyday habits that people can realistically enjoy and stick with.
Whether I’m developing recipes, foraging for wild plants, creating herbal products, or educating online, everything I share is backed by years of culinary experience, continuous research, and a genuine love for helping people reconnect with real food and nature. My goal has always been to show that wellness can begin right in your own kitchen, using many of the same ingredients we cook with every day.
Looking back, I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I’ve overcome challenges that could have easily defined me, yet they’ve only strengthened my purpose. Today, I’m in a season of life where I’m building a business I’m passionate about, raising an incredible little boy, and doing work that genuinely fulfills me. Success, to me, isn’t measured only by accomplishments it’s measured by the life I’ve built, the family I’m nurturing, and the impact I hope to leave behind.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m always learning, and I genuinely enjoy reading and researching. A few resources have had a big impact on my journey.
When I started taking foraging more seriously, Sam Thayer’s Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants of Eastern and Central North America became one of my go-to references. I also regularly refer to Herbal Clinician: Herbal Actions & Treatments, Diagnostics, Therapeutics & Case Studies by Jesse Hardin and Native American Ethnobotany by Daniel E. Moerman. They’ve helped deepen my understanding of medicinal plants, traditional uses, and herbal practice.
Outside of books, I listen to a lot of mindset and affirmation music. It helps me stay grounded, focused, and reminds me to protect my peace, especially as an entrepreneur, creator and a mom.
One podcast I come back to often is The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett. I appreciate hearing honest conversations about business, personal growth, resilience, and the different paths people have taken to build meaningful lives.
Those are just a few, but I believe some of the best lessons also come from simply spending time in nature. The more time I spend outdoors observing, learning, and staying curious, the more I realize there’s always something new to discover.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.herbsofher.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roshellezielinski?igsh=MTZiM2o2dXNkbm92NQ==
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@roshellezielinski?si=zNBLHNxmKHpD6ZSt
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@roshellezielinski?_r=1&_t=ZP-982Y739cU7q
