Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jess Hale. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jess, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
What I thought was my purpose 15 years ago looks completely different today. Back then, I believed my path was to work in a lab, doing research and discovering new things. And for a while, I loved it. I’m a scientist—I spent over a decade doing research in cellular biology, but something started to shift inside me. I needed a change.
Today, I can confidently say that I didn’t quite find my purpose—I created it, rooted in a passion that kept finding me over and over again. My love for nature and sustainability has been with me since I was a kid. In good moments, I celebrated in nature; in hard moments, I turned to it to heal. Eventually, I realized I was missing that connection in my daily life, and the lab began to feel heavy. I couldn’t unsee how much plastic and toxic waste we used every day. The more I learned about global pollution, the more I realized it’s not just harming the Earth—it’s jeopardizing all of us. Ecosystems, vulnerable communities, human health—it’s all connected. What we do to the planet, we do to ourselves.
I didn’t know exactly what I wanted, but I knew I needed a shift. So I took a month off to hike the John Muir Trail in California. I wanted to clear my head, but even out there, I found plastic—on the trails, in campsites. It broke my heart. We can’t escape it. That was my turning point. I said no more plastic in my life and started creating sustainable alternatives for personal care. When I returned home, I made my first shampoo bar.
That’s when Allpa Organics was born. At Allpa, we make small batches of personal care essentials like shampoo bars, conditioner bars, and mineral toothpowder—all free of plastic and toxic chemicals. It’s where science meets purpose.
Today, I choose to live as a creator of sustainable solutions because and I believe personal care is a powerful place to start. It helps us reconnect with nature, allowing ourselves to be healed by pure ingredients and intentional rituals.
Building Allpa Organics has been a beautiful and expansive journey. I’m often in nature, learning directly from communities who’ve practiced plant medicine for generations. I’m merging modern science with ancient knowledge—and I feel more aligned than ever. Allpa means Earth in Kichua, an Indigenous Peruvian language—and I can’t wait to show you what we’re creating.
Your passion will continue to reveal itself in many forms. Here’s a clue: love and anger are your greatest guides. Ask yourself: What do you love doing? What makes you angry, and why? Listen to your heart. Let anger show you what you care about most, and let love guide you to create a solution—and share it with the world.
Purpose isn’t something you want. It’s something you do. It’s energy. It’s action. It’s that one thing only you can create because it lives within you. Every passion holds the seed of a new purpose.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m currently focused on growing my brand, Allpa Organics, full time—a personal care line inspired by ancestral plant wisdom and backed by science. What excites me most is blending two powerful worlds: the ancient and the modern. With every product we create, we’re proving what our ancestors always knew—plants heal. Medicinal herbs, clays, oils, butters, and mushrooms from Latin America are at the heart of our formulas. These ingredients have been used for generations, and now science is finally catching up to validate their power.
Creating clean, biodegradable essentials is deeply personal. As a scientist, I felt a responsibility to speak up—because many of today’s biggest health threats like hormonal disruption, infertility, cancer, inflammation, and allergies are linked to toxic chemicals and plastics in everyday products. One thing that especially moved me was learning about multigenerational toxicity—the idea that the chemicals and nanoplastics we accumulate in our bodies can be passed to our babies during pregnancy, even impacting their reproductive systems. That means we’re polluting the lives of our grandchildren before they’re even born. Isn’t that wild?
We make shampoo bars, conditioner bars, mineral toothpowder, and other zero-waste personal care essentials that are safe for the whole family. But Allpa is more than just clean products—it’s a movement. Every step of our process supports human rights, biodiversity, and Indigenous land protection. We work closely with Latin American communities to source ingredients ethically, preserving ancestral traditions and supporting local economies.
Taking care of the planet is taking care of ourselves. We’re here to reconnect people with nature, inspire conscious living, and lead with love and respect. Through Allpa, we’re healing people, communities, and the planet—one ritual at a time. Come join our journey to zero waste! #LiveAllpa
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, I’d say these three qualities shaped my journey more than anything else:
1. Accountability: everything in life starts with you—how you feel, how you respond, what you say, what you do (or don’t do), and what you dream. No one else is responsible. Owning this truth was life-changing. But accountability only works when paired with consciousness. Take time to reflect, remember who you are and know that you are the only responsible of how you show up in life regardless of the circumstances. This is true ownership and puts you closer to freedom.
2. A Good Attitude.
A positive attitude is one of the most underrated superpowers. It doesn’t mean ignoring hard things—it means choosing to stay open, grounded, and curious. Good energy attracts good energy. People will remember how you made them feel, and opportunities flow more easily when your spirit is vibrating in a high positive energy. Learning how to cultivate a good attitude will fill your days with joy.
3. Time Management.
Time is your most precious resource. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Learning to use time intentionally—strategically and lovingly—has helped me grow with clarity. Share your time with people who uplift you, spend it doing what fuels you, and protect it like the sacred gift it is. Most of my time is build around my “non-negotiables”, exercise, meditation, family time and a good sleep.
These three qualities matter most when things don’t go as planned. That’s when your mindset is tested. Are you still taking responsibility? Are you still showing up with heart? Are you using your time wisely? These are the foundations for a purpose-driven life. Practice them often, and your life will reflect the intention behind them.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
In personal life, I believe it’s important to invest effort in improving areas where we’re not naturally strong—growth happens there. But in business, I’ve learned it’s better to go all-in on your strengths and delegate your weaknesses to people whose strengths complement yours.
In my journey, I had to master time management and self discipline. Without them, I couldn’t get important things done when it mattered most. Today, I can confidently say I’ve aligned my time with my purpose—but that only happened after letting go of a lot of distractions. It took me about two years to get to a point where I’ve design my calendar that reflects the priorities in my life as well as a self discipline system that helps me get them done. Before this I went through many vision boards, mental rehearsal, learning to say “no” and knowing who I am, where I wanted to go and my why.
On the business side, I knew early on that tech wasn’t my strength. I tried creating my website, but it didn’t reflect the premium quality of my brand. Hiring someone to help was one of the best decisions I made—it freed me up to focus on what I’m good at: creating formulas and managing the financial side of my business. Knowing when to delegate is a superpower.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.allpaorganics.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allpaorganics/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561712979260
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesshale-entrepreneur/
Image Credits
Photo credits to Rachel A Sale – RAS Photography
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