Episode 184 · May 13, 2025
Danielle Hampton and Kodie Edwards: Rooted in Business and Friendship
with Danielle Hampton and Kodie Edwards, Co-founders, The Rooted Willow
28 min
Danielle Hampton and Kodie Edwards: Rooted in Business and Friendship
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In this episode
In this episode I sit down with Danielle Hampton and Kodie Edwards — with sweet baby Eden along for the ride — the mom duo behind The Rooted Willow, a natural skin care brand rooted in nature and fueled by passion. What started as a conversation in a women's circle in 2020 about all the chemicals in our skin care has grown into a thriving business built around tallow, with products now on shelves in 13 stores.
I love how honest these two are about the early days — applying for their business license and the farmers market on the same day, then getting an acceptance email that gave them just four weeks to launch. They share how they figured it out by winging it, learning through trial and error, and listening closely to what their community actually needed.
What really moved me is the way they've built this around family first. They never shame each other when a product doesn't get made, they encourage each other to slow down, and they've turned a friendship into a partnership that supports their families, their team, and the local ranchers they buy from. If you're carrying a passion project and wondering whether to take the leap, this conversation will help you connect, learn and grow.
Key takeaways
- Start before you feel ready — Danielle and Kodie applied for their business license and a spot at the farmers market on the same day, then launched in just four weeks.
- Passion is the real sales tool. When you genuinely believe in what you're offering, people feel it — and you don't have to win everyone over.
- Let the farmers market be your test site. Real-time customer feedback (what works, what doesn't, what to tweak) shaped their product line week by week.
- Edit yourself. Instead of making everything at once, stick to a few products you're passionate about, see how they sell, then add one or two at a time.
- Put family first without guilt. If a product doesn't get made this week, it gets made next week — and a supportive partner and team make that possible.
- Lean into each other's strengths. Kodie thrives on social media and content; Danielle taught herself to build the website with a few YouTube videos. Tag-team the work.
- Build community as you go. Showing up locally led to wholesale invitations, a trusted team, and relationships with Oklahoma ranchers — thriving for everyone, not just the business.
Chapters
- 00:00Believe in what you're offering — a word from Danielle and Kodie
- 00:30Welcome to Sharing Passion and Purpose
- 01:15Meet The Rooted Willow: a mom duo and baby Eden
- 02:00A word from sponsor Tanya Bledsoe, State Farm
- 03:30Where the idea began: a women's circle and tallow for eczema
- 05:00From idea to launch: business license, farmers market, four weeks
- 07:30What tallow actually is and why it's good for your skin
- 10:30Fitting the business into family life and partnership
- 14:00Lessons from the farmers market and listening to the community
- 17:30A word about the Sharing Her Passion summer mini series
- 19:30Stepping out of your comfort zone: social media and websites
- 22:30Advice for women starting a small business
- 25:00The product line and where to find them
- 27:00How they each Thrive in 2025
“Be passionate about what you're offering. Believe in what you're offering because people will feel that.”
“We're not Amazon. We're just a couple of moms and we've got a family we have to take care of first. That was the whole point — the products we make take care of our family.”
“Edit yourself. Stick to a few products you're very passionate about, see how it goes, then introduce one or two and see what your customers like.”
“It's not us that are just thriving, it's our community — and the farmers and ranchers too. We feel like we're thriving in all senses.”
Resources mentioned
About Danielle
Co-founders, The Rooted Willow
Danielle Hampton and Kodie Edwards are the mom duo behind The Rooted Willow, a natural tallow-based skin care brand in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow area. They met in a women's circle in 2020 and turned a shared passion for chemical-free body care into a growing business now carried in 13 local stores, sourcing fat from three local Oklahoma ranchers.
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