Nikki Bostwick is the Founder and Editor in Chief of THE FULLEST and host of THE FULLEST Podcast. She has always been passionate about providing wellness content that offers a perspective outside the mainstream narrative — one that is holistic, diverse, and inclusive. 

Since launching, Nikki has grown THE FULLEST to include a daily digital platform, a podcast, a botanical product line, and a wholesale business alongside her amazing team. Nikki has been in the wellness scene for 10+ years — after receiving a B.S. in Entrepreneurship, she studied plant-based foods at Matthew Kenney Culinary, is reiki & yoga certified, and has traveled with wellness pioneer, David Wolfe, to Peru and Iceland.

What inspired you to build a business dedicated to saffron?

Growing up as a first generation Iranian-American meant that I had a very strong understanding of my culture and an awareness of Traditional Persian Medicine. The combination of my background and a personal interest in wellness and preventative medicine is what inspired me to create a platform that educates women to trust their intuition and have a better understanding around ancient healing practices and modern holistic medicine. Our products are an extension of what we believe will support women on their journey to live a more intentional, non-toxic life. 

When it comes to saffron specifically, a double-blind placebo study found that 30 mg of saffron per day is as effective as Fluoxetine, the generic form of Prozac. What is even more profound is that pharmaceuticals for anxiety and depression (SSRIs) take 4-6 weeks to kick-in but saffron works right away! At that dose, saffron reduces anxiety and naturally increases the body’s ability to make serotonin and dopamine. 

Because I’ve been in the industry for a while, once I came across the science behind saffron’s benefits, I began to realize that the foundation for wellness really starts with our mental health. It’s our mood that affects how we show up in relationship with ourselves, our partners, our families, and our work colleagues. It’s through rituals and self-care practices that we can heal our emotional wounds and expand our world. That’s when our product line came to life.

Holistic and alternative healing modalities, solutions, and discussions are integral to your brand. How do you share these products and information in a way that’s digestible and approachable, especially for those curious about (or skeptical of) unconventional traditions?

What we emphasize as a whole when it comes to our content and alternative healing practices is a desire to educate, inspire, and inform our readers of alternative methods to the mainstream narrative. Like you said, many people find it difficult to discern between this type of information because there is a lot of confusion around what is actually good for us and what is just a trend. 

Although we aren’t afraid to push the wellness envelope, our goal is to remove fear and fads completely to get to the root issues, provide healthy perspectives, pique curiosity, and empower self-care sovereignty. We do this by partnering with renowned doctors and health specialists that can share both anecdotal evidence as well as science backed research into why these time-tested rituals and health optimization tools and practices have been proven to work. 

Through this approach, we are able to gain the trust, respect, and loyalty of our readers and customers, and harness this newfound relationship to encourage them to incorporate these preventative practices into their lifestyle.

Content is a huge component of THE FULLEST brand. What made you invest your resources so heavily into education via your blog and podcast, and what kind of impact has that had on your business overall?

Our content has always been a really important part of our brand. The whole reason we started the brand is because we felt there was white space in wellness media when it came to empowering women to trust their bodies, to listen to the messages our body is giving us through pain, discomfort, our cycles and intimate parts. 

We tend to forget that the body is communicating with us when issues arise, and as a society we look to quick fixes and band-aid remedies. We are afraid to go against the narrative and therefore, even in the wellness space, we fall into trends. But the issue with trends, just like medicine, is that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. So, while intermittent fasting might work for one person, it can be incredibly detrimental to another. 

This is why we set off to publish content that was holistic, timeless, and inclusive for everyone to take what resonates with them and leave what doesn't. Most other media relies on click-bait advertising and psychological manipulation that leaves readers feeling less-than by not following along, or takes readers on an adrenaline ride by pulling at their heartstrings. Our commitment has always been to lift our readers up, to guide them to trust their instincts, and to find ways to support and reconnect to the self. 

As far as how it has impacted our business — it’s been an incredible journey. Rather than spend money on building our community through social media ads, we built our community slowly and steadily based on shared principles and genuine information. This type of content takes more time, therefore it can be expensive. But the end result is a like-minded community that appreciates and understands your brand and vision as a whole, and feels more confident in supporting what you are looking to build.

What is one “woo-woo” practice/habit/item that you wish everyone would get on board with and why?

Pelvic Steaming! I am so amazed at the gentle-yet-powerful results that women can benefit from when incorporating a steaming practice into their monthly routine. Pelvic steaming is a long forgotten practice that cleanses, tones, and heals the womb and internal tissues through the use of medicinal herbs and heat. Even just one steam every 28 days can improve emotional and mental conditions such as depression, anxiety, and fatigue. Physically, it can aid in hormonal and cycle balance, and the easing of cramps, headaches, and vaginal discomfort. We formulated our Womb Protector™ blend specifically for gentle monthly support. Our proprietary blend also aids in conception, fertility, postpartum healing, and can even help prevent recurring infections.

How do you instill the value of maintaining a clean lifestyle to your children?

I believe the best way to instill any foundational life values with our children is to embody those values within ourselves daily. I also know that as a parent, it is so hard to find the time to take care of our own needs when we are spending so much time tending to our children. 

Many child psychologists and parenting philosophies emphasize the importance of a routine for our children — this is so they feel safe and know what to expect, but I also believe it teaches them the importance of paying attention to their own needs and taking care of their bodies. Morning and evening routines are a great place to start.

What are your top tips for maintaining a non-toxic household?

We actually have an entire resource page on our website where we share helpful information like this. We are so passionate about encouraging people to detox their life that we share about all sorts of things from “THE FULLEST Guide to House Hygiene” to THE FULLEST Guide to Supplementing and THE FULLEST Guide to Your Birth Plan. If you’re someone who likes lists, it’s a great place to check out. I find myself referring to it and sharing it with friends often.