Hidden Gems: Meet Jamie Russell of Elsewhere Apothecary & Bookstore

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Russell

Hi Jamie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Shannon and I have been friends (chosen family) for over 2 decades and we always envisioned creating something magical + meaningful together. We have shared many of the same passions and have walked the same spiritual path, helping each other grow, both on our own personal and collaborative journey.
In 2020, we found ourselves at home with our children assisting with virtual learning & decided it was time to start building the foundation for our future.
We built up our social media presence, built our website, our business model & created our brand.
In 2021, the opportunity for our physical location presented itself and it was truly divine. My family owns the plots of land that my sisters salon (The Social Salon & Spa) and our building is on. The A-frame was in need of a lot of renovation. (built in the mid 1950’s) Luckily, our partners are both in the construction field. They helped us work on it after their full time jobs and on weekends. We did everything that we could do, ourselves. The renovation took about a year and a half. On 9/9/2023, we opened Elsewhere Apothecary & Bookstore to the public.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Since opening, the response from the community has been amazing & has made any challenges or set backs seem minuscule.
We planned things out carefully, planted seeds (literally in the ground & of intention) built a really strong foundation, got our mind, body + spirit in alignment with what was possible & what we wanted, and haven’t looked back. Every time I think about all the love and support we have, I get emotional (I am a double Cancer ♋️ so you know I’m gonna get teary eyed!) Being authentically us, scary…but the MOST rewarding feeling. We highly recommend it!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Elsewhere Apothecary & Bookstore?
We are a metaphysical shop offering a safe space where all people are welcome, no matter where you are on your own spiritual journey. Inclusion and community is very important to us.
We support local artisans, crafters, spiritualists and brands. We believe collaboration is one of the highest forms of magick.
We are very intentional with every aspect of our business and what we offer. The brands we offer align with our values, are curated to be affordable & meet the needs of our clientele. We have something for every budget.
As far as services, we have tarot readers & energy workers that are available for walk-ins or private sessions. (Check our digital business card hi hello for current offerings)
We offer classes from time to time, have festivals with vendors (we plan on doing our Spring tea party and Autumn Equinox celebration every year), and we occasionally go off site for events like Dark Forest at Powell Gardens. This will be our second year at Dark Forest. It’s an amazing experience and we get to connect on a larger scale.

How do you think about happiness?
Connecting with the community is everything. Whether it’s customers, artists, spiritualists, musicians, other small business owners…everyone that we have met has impacted us & our hearts are overflowing with love. It’s the best feeling.
We felt called to open the shop and we had a LOT of patience, trusting in divine timing & balancing all of life, knowing it will happen when it’s meant to, it will be what it’s meant to be. And in this last year, it’s proven to be exactly that. Hearing “thank you for being here” from so many people that walk in the door! It’s really so touching and puts everything into perspective. We love finding all the hidden magick in the Midwest!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hihello.me/hi/elsewhereapothecary