In Conversation with Chloë - Emily from Rock & Soul

Our latest conversation is with Emily from Rock & Soul.  Emily creates exclusive aromatherapy diffuser jewellery for us, as well as some gorgeous other bracelets and necklaces.  We love what she does and wanted to know a little bit more about her and her business.

Hi Emily! Tell us briefly about yourself & what you do.

My name is Emily, I’m a very lucky mother of two enjoying midlife and the good life in Dorset.  When I’m not running around after my kids or at my desk, I love cooking, practicing yoga and enjoying a walk in the beautiful Dorset countryside with a good podcast and my 12-year-old black lab, Sage.  

I’m also currently doing my yoga teacher training and will be launching a new yoga business in Shaftesbury called The Breath Movement.  I don’t have an official launch date yet as I need to renovate my home studio, but I’m hoping to open the doors in late spring.

How did your brand, Rock & Soul start? What inspired you?

Rock & Soul was born in 2017. At the time I had a business called Emily Jolie, blending aromatherapy sprays, and an old school friend got in touch and asked if I would be interested in creating a line of essential oil blends to compliment her new collection of aromatherapy diffuser jewellery.  

I got involved with Rock & Soul in August 2017 as the aromatherapist, then in January 2017 Betsy asked me if I would like to take the whole business on as she had too many other commitments.  I had never made jewellery in my life and initially went into complete panic as to how I was going to make the jewellery, but a local friend who is a bead-smith (and YouTube!) saved me.

I realised how much I loved the creative process, seeing materials on your desk, then holding a finished product in your hands, such satisfaction!  I think it was very good for me to get pushed out of my comfort zone too. I had never been a crafty person growing up, but now I love it.  I think life is amazing like that and I always try to stay open to new learning experiences and opportunities.

Explain to us about the benefits of aromatherapy.

The benefits of essential oils are so extensive, I couldn’t even begin to extol all their virtues. For me personally, I enjoy using aromatherapy for relaxation, memory, and focus. When I have a full day ahead, I diffuse some bergamot at my desk, as it really helps to keep me in a positive mindset and avoid getting too overwhelmed. Rosemary is useful too, to help stimulate memory and for focus I use peppermint, sweet orange, and lemon.

Do you have a favourite essential oil and why?

It has to be lavender. My love for lavender began in 2009 when I worked on a lavender farm in Kelowna, BC, Canada.  We grew over 60 different varieties of lavender from three different species, Angustifolias, Intermedias and Latifolias. We would use some varieties for distillation (the Angustifolia’s have a deep, floral, sometimes sweet fragrance, and the Intermedia’s have more of a woody scent) then other varieties we would harvest with a scythe, dry the bundles and strip the buds for culinary and cosmetic applications.

Tell us about 3 brands you follow who are doing good things...

The Make & Mend co create lovely DIY hoop embroidery stitch kits, their motto is “A stitch in time, mends the mind”.  Run by two lovely girls Rachel and Lyndsey, they promote sewing for the mental health benefits. I found their kits very healing when I went through some challenges with my own mental health in 2021.

@bettyflyvintage is a new Instagram business run by my most stylish mate Emma. She is a big fan of a daggered collar, and she curates vintage magic which she sells on her Instagram page. She’s on a mission to share the vintage love and to encourage people to wear preloved clothes rather than supporting the fast fashion industries.

Coconut and Cotton in my local town Shaftesbury are running a wonderful business selling ethical and  plastic free products for the home. I’m a big ‘shop local, think global’ kind of girl and love supporting small businesses in my local community where I can.

And finally, what is your favourite Bramley product and why?

It has to be the Hand Cream! I adore the scent- lavender, geranium and petitgrain is a beautiful combo.

The cream absorbs so well and doesn’t leave a greasy residue. I rely so much on my hands for work and sometimes I don’t treat them very well (pulling baked potatoes out of the oven without gloves on- my husband calls me asbestos hands!) so I do like to treat them to a nice massage with a relaxing brew as I wind down in the evening.

Thank you, Emily!  We always love to learn about other small businesses.

Check out the jewellery Emily has created just for Bramley:

SHOP BRAMLEY X ROCK & SOUL