A Mother's Journey to Holistic Health & Healing · Marissa Prieto, Holistic Registered Dietitian & Well-Being Coach

42. From Hairstylist to Herbalist: Gaby's Journey of Healing

September 23, 2025·1 hr 15 min·35 clips

The host opens with the story of meeting Gabby at a community event in El Paso and feeling immediately drawn to what she was building. Gabby introduces herself as Gabriela Sanchez and says this is her first time on a podcast. The conversation then settles into the path that brought her here. She explains that chronic pain pushed her to rethink her work and her relationship with her own body. What used to be her earlier work slowly turned into a search for something more supportive and more honest. That search brought her toward herbal medicine. She talks about wanting to serve people in a way that feels holistic rather than forceful. Her new hair and scalp oil becomes part of that vision. The host keeps coming back to the idea that hair care and overall well-being are linked. Gabby agrees, and the discussion stays grounded in the everyday work of making products and helping people feel better. She speaks plainly about closing her earlier business. The transition was difficult, and it asked her to leave her comfort zone entirely. Even so, she says the change mattered. Watching other business owners keep going gave her hope. It also helped her see that her own story might encourage someone else. From there, the episode widens into memory and migration. Gabby shares that she moved to this country without knowing English well. She remembers missing her siblings, her city, and the culture she left behind. Juarez remains part of her identity even though life across the border has never felt the same. The host keeps returning to the idea that sharing lived experience can itself be medicine. The episode treats healing as something slow and lived, not polished or neat. It makes room for grief, courage, and the ordinary work of rebuilding. By the end, the conversation points listeners toward Gabby’s markets, her Instagram, and the chance to support her herbal work in person.

As heard by us

A reflective story about chronic pain, reinvention, and building a more body respectful path through plant medicine.

Gaby's story is rooted in chronic pain and the practical work of letting life change shape around it. She closes one business, returns to studies, and starts again with Rice Botanicals, where the products are meant to come from a more holistic way of working.

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Why you'd press play

If you need a soft reset, Gabby's reinvention story lands with real tenderness.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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