Meet Shannon Curtis | Naturopathic Doctor & Holistic Acne Specialist

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

Hi Shannon, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
To be truthful, my thought process wasn’t linear and straightforward like many business owners. My business naturally evolved and transformed over the past couple years as I gained clarity on who I could help and how I could do it best. And truly, I wouldn’t have it any other way! It was the path of least resistance, and I find I work best when I’m in a state of flow and just following where the journey takes me.

The journey of Wild Roots Alchemy (my online business) first started off with a blog about plant medicine and women’s health, but in 2020, it quickly moved into an online women’s health consulting business where I offered 1-on-1 consults.

While my initial focus was broad, I kept attracting similar clients who all wanted help healing their acne naturally, so I started to zoom in on this as my area of expertise. Now I run an 8-week online group program called Naturally Radiant Skin, where I help women clear their skin naturally without medications or harsh topicals.

While I was building out the Naturally Radiant Skin program, I knew I wanted to offer a clear skin solution that no one else was offering, which is a truly holistic approach that’s all about reconnecting to Nature as well as reconnecting to oneself. Acne is a sign of imbalances that go beyond just skin-deep, and with my program, I’m here to help women with acne heal more than just their skin.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Wild Roots Alchemy is my online health consulting business where I help women clear their skin naturally, without medications or harsh topicals, and feel confident in their bare skin. My mission is help women heal more than just their skin; to guide them to unearth the healer within and realize they already have everything they need to be healthy, happy, and whole.

I myself experienced cystic acne after stopping the birth control pill. It came on suddenly just 3 months post-pill, and I was absolutely devastated. I felt dirty, ashamed, and angry with my body. I couldn’t go out in public without layers of caked-on makeup in an attempt to hide my pimples. I avoided bright lights and had a hard time making eye contact. I felt hideous and couldn’t go five seconds without saying something awful to myself. Saying that acne completely destroyed my confidence and made everyday life very challenging is an understatement.

Over 4 years, I had tried everything except Accutane to heal my skin, including harsh topicals, expensive skincare, antibiotics, dietary changes, and various supplements. Nothing seemed to make the acne improve. It wasn’t until I started working with plant (herbal) medicine, changing my self-talk, and working on healing my emotions that my acne finally healed. That’s why I do what I do–because I know exactly how it feels to have acne. And I also know exactly what it takes to clear it.

I currently run an online group program called Naturally Radiant Skin. It’s an 8-week transformational journey to clearer skin that focuses on two key aspects of healing that set me apart from other acne specialists: reconnecting with Nature (primarily in the form of plant medicine) and reconnecting with oneself.

By reconnecting with oneself, I’m referring to cultivating self-love and compassion, while changing your thoughts and beliefs so that healing is not only possible, but certain. It’s about rewiring your nervous system to embrace your new belief systems and heal from old emotional patterns so that your physiology can heal. This is key, as your mental/emotional body and physical body are intricately connected, and you can’t heal one without healing the other. When it comes to acne, it’s crucial to address the thoughts and emotions that come up about it.

I always say that acne is your body’s way of showing you what’s out of balance (mentally, emotionally, and physically) and teaching you how to come back into balance. And to heal from acne, you often need to heal from those deeper imbalances that acne is now bringing to the surface to be addressed, for good.

I’m proud to offer my program to the acne community. It hasn’t been easy being a new business in a sea of related online businesses who all have prettier social media aesthetics or multiple established programs with loads of social proof and testimonials, but even so, I know my offering is unique and will absolutely help those who are seeking out my approach.

In fact, it already has! I’ve witnessed many women in my program get clearer skin during our time together, yet often their biggest takeaway is that they’ve learned so much more than just how to heal their skin. They’ve learned how to love themselves–acne and all–and trust that they can and WILL heal.

My biggest lesson myself has been trusting that the people who need my services will come, as long as I’m acting in alignment with my truth and who I am. The more I trust and the more I just do what feels best to me, the more the Universe provides proof that I’m on the right path.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
What a fun question!

We’d start the day at Trident Booksellers and Cafe in downtown Boulder with a coffee and a scone. (Or their tea–they have the best tea in all of Boulder!) If it was a cold day, all the better. The ambience there is incredible with the brick backgrounds, fireplace, and outdoor seating. (Makes for a great night out too–drink some wine while watching a live singer/songwriter performance!)

If it was a Saturday, we’d be sure to hit up the Boulder Farmer’s Market. I’d load up on my veggies at the Aspen Moon Farm stand and then we’d walk along the creek, getting some sunshine and taking in all the plants growing along the trail.

Perhaps we’d go hike Mount Sanitas afterwards and then hit up either the Rayback Collective or Rosetta Hall after that for cool drinks and some yummy food. If there was still time to catch the sunset, we could watch it from the roof of Avanti F&B or go to Realization Point off of Flagstaff Road.

The next day, we’d go into Denver for brunch at Jelly. The gluten-free donut holes are out-of-this-world amaaazing! Then we’d hit up Washington Park or Cheesman for some sunshine and lounging in a hammock, and then head to the Highland neighborhood for lunch and some shopping.

Most of our days would likely be spent going into the mountains, let’s be real! There’s so much nature to explore here in Colorado.

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?
My online business was started in 2020, at the same time my husband, Donald, and I were also opening up a brick-and-mortar holistic medical clinic here in Boulder called Whole Systems Healthcare Boulder Clinic.

March 2020 was quite the time to start up our practice! We got off to a rough start as we weren’t able to open our doors for 3 months due to the pandemic. During that time, I was busy learning the ropes of running a business online and starting to set up the infrastructure to offer online consults.

It was a trying time for our relationship, both personal and career-wise as business partners, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Donald has been incredibly supportive of me as I’ve been growing my online business over the past 2 years, taking charge of our medical clinic while I split time between seeing patients there and managing my clients online. He helps me stay calm in the face of insecurity, gives me clarity when I don’t know where to go next in my business, and inspires me with new creative ideas all the time. I’m incredibly grateful for his love, friendship, and support throughout all the years we’ve been together, but especially during these past 2 years. So grateful!

Website: www.wildrootsalchemy.com

Instagram: dr.shannoncurtis

Linkedin: shannoncurtisnd

Facebook: dr.shannoncurtis

Other: Pinterest: wildrootsalchemy

Image Credits
Celebrate Again photography