Earth’s Groove: How Herbal Experimentation Turned Into a Wellness Brand 

From harvesting fruit in her grandfather's garden to making homemade shea butter alongside her mother, Layla Morgan's connection to natural wellness began early. Today, as founder and CEO of Earth's Groove, Morgan has transformed those childhood influences into a growing wellness company focused on herbal teas, holistic health education, and community-focused experiences.

Based in Laurel, Maryland, Earth's Groove provides quality herbal tea blends and interactive workshops designed to encourage intentional self-care in everyday life. Morgan launched the company while studying Family Science at Towson University in 2023, when her personal interest in herbal remedies evolved into an entrepreneurial opportunity. 

Fascinated by the therapeutic potential of herbs, Morgan drew on her research background to study their properties, review scientific literature, and experiment with custom blends tailored to specific wellness goals. 

Turning a passion project into a startup

After sharing her creations with friends and receiving motivating feedback, Morgan began selling her products at local pop-up events. Despite having no formal business background and being only an undergraduate, she built the company through direct customer feedback, trial and error, and most importantly, a willingness to learn.

As Earth's Groove gained traction, Morgan sought opportunities to further develop the business. While still at Towson, she entered the university's student entrepreneurship competition, where she was selected as one of five finalists. The recognition earned her $1,000 in seed funding and a place in the university's summer accelerator cohort, where she worked alongside expert entrepreneurs and mentors.

Being a newcomer to the field, she learned quickly that credibility begins with self-belief. "You have to be true in what you want," she said. "People are going to take you as seriously as you take yourself. Show up, ask questions, and be firm."

Building a business around balance

At its core, Earth's Groove was built to serve women navigating the demands of modern life. Morgan primarily focuses on women between the ages of 25 and 34, many of whom are balancing careers, family responsibilities, and the many other stressful demands of life.

"A lot of women are moving into the workforce, but they're not having that balance," Morgan explained. "It's a lot of burnout. It's a lot of exhaustion."

Instead of promoting complicated, often trend-dependent wellness routines, Morgan wanted to create a product line that could be easily integrated into daily life. The point was to steer away from obligation-driven perfection and toward a more accessible way of healing.

Rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all solution, she advocates for people to identify their own needs and make intentional choices that support those needs. "Try learning and understanding yourself a little better," she said. "It is a big journey that is going to look unlike anybody [else’s]."

Fostering growth through community engagement and ‘staying curious’

Recently, Morgan has expanded Earth's Groove to engage communities through herbal tea-blending parties, wellness walks, and sound bath activations, while still remaining rooted in the values that inspired its inception. 

Much of that growth has been shaped by Morgan's openness to listening to and learning from the people she serves, and taking action based on those things. 

"As an entrepreneur, no one is going to tell you what to do," Morgan said. "If you don't want to get up and do anything, you don't have to. But then nothing is going to get done. You have to show up for yourself."

Although Morgan is the founder leading all of these new initiatives, she views herself as both an educator and student. 

"It is a lot of teaching, but it is also a lot of learning," Morgan said. "You will never know everything, so it is a matter of asking questions and staying curious."

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