UNIT 1: OUR STORY AND HERBAL HISTORY

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Entrepreneur Herbal Course

Lesson 2: Our Story

• A Glimpse into the Herbal Academy (VIDEO)
• The Herbal Academy Story
• The Business Plan Checklist

Lesson 3: The Humoral System and Astrological Medicine

• Origins of Medicine in Greek Mythology
• The Hippocratic Legacy – Four Qualities, Four Elements, Four Humors
• Product Prompt: Herbal Incense
• Aristotle’s Philosophic Contributions to Medicine
• Dioscorides: De Materia Medica
• Galen and the Four Temperaments
• Paracelsus
• Nicholas Culpeper and Astrological Medicine
• Product Prompt: Herbal Honey for Grief Support

Lesson 4: American Botanical Movement

• The Age of Discovery
• American Medical Botanists
• The Rise of the Sectarian Schism in the American Botanical Movement
• Product Prompt: Samuel Thomson’s Formulas

Lesson 5: Other American Botanical Traditions

• Native American Healing Traditions
• African American Healing Traditions
• Appalachian Folk Medicine
• The Wise Woman Tradition

Lesson 6: Modern Allopathy and Holistic Healing

• All of those Allopaths: Allopathy and Holistic Healing
• Medical Needs in Colonial America
• Product Prompt: Flower Essences
• The Allopaths Organize
• Opportunities in Complementary and Integrative Health in Mainstream America

UNIT 2: HERBAL TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD

Lesson 1: Ayurveda

• The Principles of Ayurveda
• The Five Elements
• The Three Gunas and the Twenty Attributes
• The Three Doshas
• Product Prompt: Ayurvedic Massage Oils
• Assessing Your Constitution: Prakruti and Vikruti
• The Seven Dhatus
• Digestive Fire: Agni
• Samprapti: The Causes of Disease
• Preventative Health and Ayurveda
• Ayurvedic Treatment

Lesson 2: Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Westerners Think in Squares. Chinese People Think in Circles.
• In the Beginning…Chinese Creation Myths
• Tao
• Fundamental Concepts in TCM
• Practical Applications of TCM

Lesson 3: Global Healing Traditions

• Global Healing Traditions
• African Traditions
• Unani: Greco-Arabic Medical Tradition
• Pacific Traditions
• Pacific Traditions
• Practicing Multicultural Awareness and Sensitivity

Lesson 4: Entrepreneur Video

• Entrepreneur Interview with Mary Blue of Farmacy Herbs (VIDEO)

UNIT 3: BOTANY, PHYTOCHEMISTRY & SOURCING RAW MATERIALS

Lesson 1: Plant Identification and Taxonomy

• Basic Botany
• Learning the Language of Plants: Introduction to Botanical Terms
• Introduction to Plant Identification + Plant Walk (VIDEO)
• Plant Identification by Family
• Other Ways to Identify Plants

Lesson 2: Plant Chemistry

• What are Plant Constituents and Where Do They Come From?
• Common Medicinal Constituents
• Secondary Metabolites

Lesson 3: Sourcing Herbs and Ingredients for Medicine Making and Product Manufacture

• Sourcing Herbs: Considerations
• Sustainable Growing and Harvesting Methods
• Sourcing Sustainable Bee Products
• Entrepreneur Video: Honey! (VIDEO)
• Sourcing Other Ingredients
• Other Considerations

Lesson 4: Wildcrafting

• Wildcrafting (VIDEO)
• Considerations and Core Ethics
• Preparation and Planning
• Supplies
• Technique

Lesson 5: Drying Herbs: Considerations and Techniques

• Choosing the Appropriate Drying Method
• Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) and Drying Herbs
• Processing and Storing Herbs

Lesson 6: Entrepreneur Q&A

• Wildcrafting Herbs for Product Manufacture: Q&A with Lauren Murphy of LaLa Earth

Lesson 7: Entrepreneur Video

• Entrepreneur Interview with Peter Borchard of Companion Plants (VIDEO)

UNIT 4: DEFINING YOUR PATH

Lesson 1: Defining Your Path

• One Path, Many Ways
• Entrepreneur Video: Defining Your Path with Mary Blue of Farmacy Herbs (VIDEO)
• Entrepreneur Video: Open an Herb Shop! With Salli Greene of Alternatives for Health (VIDEO)
• Entrepreneur Video: Getting the Book Deal with Noah Wilson-Rich of Best Bees (VIDEO)
• Role in Community
• Many Approaches to Training

Lesson 2: Continuing to Grow

• Ways to Continue Professional Development – Continuing Education
• Ways to Continue Professional Development – Professional Networking

Lesson 3: Useful Resources and Organizations

• Resources
• Organizations

UNIT 5: MANUFACTURING

Lesson 1: Incorporating Essential Oils into Herbal Products

• What is an Essential Oil?
• History of Aromatherapy
• The Three Methods of Essential Oil Use
• Groups Requiring Special Consideration
• Blending Essential Oils
• Aromatherapeutic Blending (VIDEO)
• Incorporating Aromatherapy into Other Modalities
• Using Essential Oils for Healing

Lesson 2: Making and Managing Herbal Preparations

• Herbs, Solvents, and Preparations
• Making Herbal Products – Tutorials
  • Infused Oils
  • Salves
  • Creams & Lotions
  • Honeys, Electuaries, Syrups, and Elixirs
  • Macerated Tinctures
  • Percolated Tinctures
  • Infused Vinegars & Oxymels
  • Body & Facial Scrubs
• Shelf Life

Lesson 3: More How-Tos

• How to Choose Your Packaging
• Designing Labels for Both Look and Longevity
• Naming Your Product and Writing Descriptions
• The Fire Cider Controversy (VIDEO)
• How to Price Products
• How to Ascertain Product Lifespan
• Journaling Your Steps Through Product Creation

Lesson 4: Advanced Formulation

• Advanced Formulation (VIDEO)

Lesson 5: Good Manufacturing Practices for Dietary Supplements (21 CFR 111)

• What are cGMPs?
• Definition of Food, Dietary Supplement, Cosmetic, and Drug
• Terminology and Language in 21 CFR 111
• cGMPs: Required Documentation
• Document Guidelines
• Record Keeping
• Established Specification Requirements
• Production and Process Control System: Requirements for Manufacturing Operations, Packaging, and Labeling
• Botanical Identification
• Microbial Testing

Lesson 6: Labeling Herbal Products

• What Kind of Product Are You Selling?
• What You Need to Put on Your Dietary Supplement Label: For Starters
• Exemptions & Tricks to Know
• Basic Label Requirements for Food & Dietary Supplements
• Labeling Requirements for Cosmetics
• Dietary Supplement Claims

UNIT 6: HERBAL BUSINESS

Lesson 1: Setting Up Your Business

• Taking a Vision to a Plan
• What is Your Vision?
• Creating a Business Plan
• Entrepreneur Video: The Business of Selling Herbs (VIDEO)

Lesson 2: Stories from Entrepreneurs

• Building a Successful Business
• A Success Story
• Entrepreneur Video: Best Bees (VIDEO)

Lesson 3: Creating a Business and a Brand

• Intent/Vision: Why You’re Starting a Business
• Vision as Structure: Questions to Help You Move Forward with Your Business
• A Brief History of My Personal Business Experience
• Slow and Steady: Growing with Your Business
• Considering Where To Sell Your Products
• Seeking Help: Interns as an Asset to Your Business
• Business and Product Naming: Creating a Brand Name and Image
• A Successful Herbal Company: Herbal Revolution (VIDEO)
• Marketing Your Products
• Running a Business: Other Considerations

Lesson 4: Evolution of a Brand

• What’s In a Name?
• Your Logo

Lesson 5: Herbalism and the Law

• Legal Issues in Herbalism (VIDEO)

Lesson 6: Running an Herbal Business

• Legal Business Structures
• Insurance
• Accounting
• Receiving Payments
• Shipping

Lesson 7: Creating an Online Presence

• Creating and Maintaining a Website
• Social Media
• Writing and Publishing Online

Lesson 8: Resources for Entrepreneurs

• The Entrepreneur Booklist
• Handy Business References