Of The Goddess Ltd.: Founder's Bio

Pamela J. Leavey - Biography

Originally from Massachusetts, Pamela has resided in the Los Angeles area for 17 years. Still a country girl at heart, she enjoys Los Angeles for its cultural diversity and weather. Pamela was the youngest child of Depression-era parents whose values were rooted in respect for nature: “They were both raised in rural areas, and learned to make the most of the earth’s products. My grandparents did not serve any food they could not raise, grow or hunt for,” says Pamela. Fresh flowers, vegetables, fruits and herbs were an integral part of Pamela’s childhood; gardening was an activity that everyone in her family participated in.

Being creative has always been central to Pamela’s life. Pamela attended Vesper George School of Art in Boston in the mid 1970’s and studied dance in Cambridge. She attended floral design school and began a 20-year career in the floral design industry. “My mother adored flowers and gardens” says Pamela, “I was taught that being able to grow or create something of beauty would bring people joy, and make a difference in their lives.”

Pamela, an only parent, moved to Los Angeles in 1990 to raise her daughter closer to family. Soon after moving to Los Angeles, spirituality became the cornerstone for a new life for Pamela. Studying The Course In Miracles, Buddhism, Celtic, Goddess and Native American lore, Pamela began to find a sense of inner peace and happiness she had never known before.

Tired of the demanding hours of the floral industry, she realized that she needed a change. In the spring of 1995, she made a decision that would alter her life, to start a business from home. “I realized that happiness was a choice, and I must make the choice to be happy,” she explains. “To do that I needed to be able to utilize my creative talents and make a living at home.”

Pamela had been making and using aromatherapy products herself for years to help ease stress and pain and aid in her spiritual practice. Sharing these products with friends and family and receiving rave response, Pamela decided that creating her own line of products was the key to following her dream to work from home. Of The Goddess Ltd. was founded out of Pamela’s deep reverence for nature, her creativity and her spiritual connections to the great Mother Goddess, Mother Earth.

Starting with a small line of essential and fragrance oil blends (Goddess Potions), herbal incenses, body oils and bath salts, Pamela soon expanded her product line to include natural body lotion and bath & shower gel and other handmade personal care products. She created a catalogue and eye-catching packaging and began to sell her products to local shops. Success did not come easily at first, but Pamela continued to work hard and plant seeds. “I knew I had a line of viable products and I would not give up. My ambition was to be able to take care of my family and make a difference in the world.”

In 1998, Pamela saw the opportunity to use her creative talents and make the Internet the key to her success. She taught herself website design and studied online marketing. Describing her will to learn new things and succeed, Pamela says, “I am a strong willed, highly motivated and highly ambitious woman. I have a great faith that a higher power is always there for me.” Pamela’s faith and hard work paid off, the Internet was a hit for Of The Goddess Ltd.; in September of 2000 she added a second wholesale-only website. Pamela was named “Mompreneur of The Month” on IVillage.com in December 2000. Growing by leaps and bounds, her sales tripled during 2001.

“I think the reason my original website (www.aromatherapygoddess.com) is so popular is because it is not just about selling aromatherapy products,” Pamela affirms, “it is about giving and sharing.” Aromatherapygoddess.com offers pages about women’s healing: breast cancer and menopause awareness; a daily affirmations and inspirations page and Goddess lore. Pamela’s products were designed around many of these themes, stressing natural healing and the power of intent and affirmations.

Dedicated to helping to make the world a better place, Pamela spends some of her free time working on the causes that are dear to her goal. She writes many of the affirmations on her daily affirmations page, and sees world peace and the environment as issues that everyone should be involved in. After spending eighteen months as a volunteer writer for the John Kerry campaign web blog, Pamela is now continuing her political activism on with her own blog, TheDemocraticDaily.com, which she recently founded to provide news and information about issues important to Democrats.

As an only parent, Pamela takes a very active interest in her daughter’s life and education, teaching her daughter the ideals that she was raised with as a child. “Self esteem and taking responsibility for our actions are key to a happy life,” Pamela believes; “Those two factors alone instilled in every person can make a difference in the world.”

Read about Pamela on IVillage.com - December 2000, Mompreneur of the Month!