Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Kate Santulli.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I feel blessed to be the owner and caretaker to two amazing sister businesses. The Curious Heart Apothecary & Spiritual Boutique in Downtown Cranford and The Curious Heart Spiritual Healing Center in Fanwood, NJ. Both businesses grew out of my original business Little Flower Essential Oil Blends which is a Reiki imbued natural body care line.
Little Flower was born out of a personal journey I unwittingly began in 2013. At that time, I was (and still am) married to my best friend and partner in everything, Keith. We had (and still do) three amazing children who are now young adults. We lived (and still do) in a quaint small town in New Jersey where your neighbors are your friends….they shovel your driveway when you are ill, set up meal trains when your family is in crisis and come over for barbecues and a dip in the pool in the summer. Sounds idyllic, right? It is! Yet back in 2013 I could not see all of the amazing aspects of my life…I just felt numb and I did not know why. I soon discovered that it was not outside forces that were making me unhappy, they were inner ones. So, I began a journey which went inward to discover why I felt anxious and numb through most of my life.
That journey led me to practicing Reiki to help alleviate “the symptoms”. I soon discovered a whole new world of “tools” that could help me. Reiki led me to essential oils which led me to natural body care and meditation. It has been a beautifully slippery slope of “tools” to help me discover who I was always meant to be. On the journey I became a Reiki Master Teacher, a Clinical Aromatherapist, and certified in natural skin care. When I put all of these beautiful modalities together, Little Flower Essential Oil Blends was born. The name Little Flower comes from St. Therese of Lisieux or “The Little Flower”. She believed in simplicity in her devotions and service to God. Her “little way” made a huge impact on the world. I made my sweet little creations at a work bench in the back of my kitchen. I sold my products to family, friends and the local community. I would hand deliver products to mailboxes and front stoops.
In the summer of 2021, I had the opportunity to open up a little pop up shop in Downtown Cranford. I sold my natural bodycare, a few crystals and jewelry. It was small and sweet. The local community loved it and it was very successful. By the end of the summer, I knew that I needed to find a permanent location. So, the hunt began to find my perfect location. The space I really wanted was in the heart of Cranford. It was a large space with two levels (go big or go home). I had known this space my whole life. When I was a little girl, my dad used to shop for his suits adn ties in this location. I dreamed of all the wonderful things I would do to make this store a spiritual boutique. But it was not meant to be in 2021, the current tenant chose to renew his lease and I continued my search.
In November 2021 I found a sweet little space in Westfield, NJ. It was a little off the beaten path but I loved the energy in it. I signed the lease and I named my shop The Curious Heart Apothecary & Spiritual Center. My curiosity is what started the journey, so I thought the name was appropriate. I wanted this shop to contain all of the things that helped me on my spiritual journey. In addition to my natural body care, I added crystals, books, jewelry and other metaphysical items. I also began running classes teaching people about Reiki, energy and consciousness. The business grew and other spiritual solopreneurs wanted to collaborate with me, so my offerings grew. Soon a community of like-minded formed and my little experiment outgrew the Westfield location. The shop was doing great, growing and evolving. I felt like I had settled in. Well, The Universe had other plans…
In July 2024, my dream space became available. I knew this was my opportunity, if I passed on it, the space wouldn’t be available again for years. My challenge was that my lease wasn’t up in Westfield. I took a calculated risk, and said yes to both spaces. I moved all the retail to Cranford and maintained the Westfield location for energy work and events. I sublet part of the space to two other friends with spiritual businesses. The Cranford shop was large, when I saw it empty I was intimated by its size. How would I ever be able to fill the whole space? Fortunately a friend and local business offered to sell her furniture there on consignment. In addition to her furniture, I staged the Cranford store with antique furniture from my family which was not for sale. Consignment became a part of my business as I took on other local solopreneurs looking for a space to sell their merchandise which also helped me to fill the store. Very quickly the store was filled with unique items, crystals, natural body care, books, card decks and other metaphysical items. The Cranford store was well received and grew exponentially. Meanwhile, in Westfield…it was becoming apparent that I needed a bigger space. More and more spiritual solopreneurs were reaching out asking if I had space to sublet.
In July 2025, I began the search for a larger location. I found a space that was a former pediatric doctor’s office located in an office building. It seemed like an unlikely spot for a spiritual center. When I walked into the office suite, I could see its potential. I could envision the extra large former waiting as an event space where I would hold my workshops and host others. My challenge was I could not afford the rent on my own, I would need to be able to sublease the individual rooms. I told the landlord of my vision and he immediately resonated with the idea and agreed to let me sublease the individual offices within the suite. Once again, I took a risk and signed a lease for the 12 room suite with a 600 square foot event space. Within a month, I had more than half the rooms subleased to other holistic and spiritual solopreneurs. By the end of the second month, I had all of the rooms filled. My “Spiritual We Work” was born! We had a wonderful array of modalities, such as, acupuncture, massage, functional medicine, cranial sacral, sound and vibration healing, family constellations, shamanic healing and of course Reiki. In addition to hosting all of these fabulous solopreneurs, I was able to host larger events. We host meditation circles, Reiki Sound Baths, Family Constellations groups, psychic medium gallery readings, networking events and The Hippie Dippy Fair. I run the Hippie Dippy Fair with another business called Self Care Social. This event hosts over 20 spiritual entrepreneurs who offer their modalities. In addition, we have a VIP experience where guests experience a sound bath with Reiki and breathwork. We held our first fair in August and it was wildly successful with tickets selling out. As we begin our second year, we have had some changes. A few solopreneurs have moved on, which has created space for new spiritual entrepreneurs to move in and grow their businesses. In addition, we are hosting our second Hippie Dippy Fair on October 18th. It has been an exciting journey of twists and turns and I cannot wait to see where it takes me next. And to think this was all borne out of my existential crisis!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As any entrepreneur will tell you…self employment is not for the feint of heart. I like to say that I am an accidental entrepreneur. Prior to starting Little Flower, I had no business experience. I had been a litigation paralegal for 12 years and worked in corporate and school systems.. I need to learn how to manage a business, how to balance books, buy inventory without going into huge debt. When I opened in Westfield, I was definitely a destination spot because I wasn’t located downtown. The customers I had in Cranford were not showing up the way I thought they would. I really had to market my business. Not to mention that I opened my business at the end of Covid. People where still hesitant to shop in public. Thankfully, their curiosity to learn about what was happening in my store exceeded their fear.
By 2024, my business was rapidly growing, so I needed to be creative with how I used my resources to support the growth. Since my business split into two parts with two places, I needed to learn how to budget and balance my time. I had to be mindful of burnout. I did hire a store a manager for the Cranford space to oversee the day to day operations. Michelle has been a huge asset.
I also needed to learn how to be a people manager. With 12 different solopreneurs with 12 different needs happening in Fanwood, I quickly need to learn how to manage people! It is a learned skill.
Marketing is another challenge. Its not enough to open the doors to your business and say Hi, I’m open! I needed to learn how to market on Instagram, Facebook and, yes, TikTok. It is a challenge to keep up with algorythms and trends. Hiring someone to do it for you is expensive. Do I use the funds for marketing, buying inventory or hiring staff?
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a Reiki Master Teacher, Clinical Aromatherapist, and certified natural body care formulator, I wear many hats to bring holistic wellness to life. I am the creator of Little Flower Essential Oil Blends, a line of natural products handcrafted with deep intention. From uplifting body washes to soothing creams for sleep and stress, every product is made using only natural ingredients and therapeutic-grade essential oils. To elevate your self-care routine, I imbue each batch with high-vibration Reiki energy, enhancing the natural qualities of the ingredients. Little Flower is my original business and the reason The Curious Heart exists.
The Curious Heart is an expression of my spiritual journey. It houses all of the tools, books, and workshops that helped me with my spiritual awakening. My Cranford shop is personally curated by me and contains a wide variety of crystals, books, card decks, metaphysical jewelry and natural body care. It also has a blending bar where you can sit and create your own essential oil blend with me. The Curious Heart is meant to be an experience, not just a retail shop. We encourage you sit and read a mind expanding book or experiment with a pendulum or dowsing rod. Our staff are all well trained and can guide you through your experience.
Above all of this is my absolute passion for helping people to become more conscious. We walk through most of our lives on autopilot. Wake up, eat breakfast, go to work, pay bills, eat dinner, watch tv, go to bed…then rinse and repeat. We are meant for so much more! We grow up being trained to be put in a box with rules and programming that limit us and keep us asleep. I support people who are at the beginning stages of waking up. Suddenly they are dissatisfied with their life. They begin experiencing synchronicities they can’t explain, they hear ringing in their ear, they continually see repeating numbers. These are all signs of a spiritual awakening. I help people to navigate their awakening while staying grounded in their life. I share all of the tools and that can help a person to navigate their awakening without blowing up their life.
At our Spiritual Center, I have many spiritual entrepreneurs with whom I host and collaborate. I believe in collaboration over competition. Competition breeds a scarcity mentality that blocks the flow of energy. I believe that collaboration invigorates energy and helps it flow with abundance. So, my business model always includes all skilled professionals who can contribute to the mission of the Center.
The mission of The Center is to help people work their their traumas and limiting beliefs to help them become conscious and awake. Here they can explore their spirituality and connection to the Divine without judgement. We offer healing modalities, such as, Reiki, acupuncture, Family Constellations, sound and vibration healing and so much more. We off workshops, to expand your consciousness, such as, Spiritual Awakening 101, Reiki Attunements, Protecting Your Energy, and Family Constellations. We help people to realize that their programming and conditioning are limiting their life and keeping them asleep. We need everyone to begin waking up and truly live their life. I believe together we can change this world but we must be awake and aligned with each other in a supportive community. Building a community of heart centered people was why I created The Curious Heart. At the heart of this community is my own family: my husband and my adult children. They support my work and help with managing different aspects of the business. My husband, Keith, is truly the magic behind the scenes…managing all things technical and structural. My son, John, manages the center while my daughter, Emily, works part-time as a sales associate as she earns her masters in social work. My youngest, James, is my guy-Friday…doing all the running around I need while he finishes up his degree in history at Keane University.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The spiritual industry is exploding! The crystal business alone is a nine billion dollar a year industry. After the pandemic, people began to see metaphysical and holistic products and services as crucial self care items and not a woo woo luxury. The industry is only going to continue grow and expand as people want more ways to support their mental, physical and spiritual health in a holistic and authentic way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thecuriousheart.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriousheartshop/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecuriousheartshop
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-kate-santulli-017354243/?isSelfProfile=true
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marykatesantulli6899
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecuriousheartshop
