Our Story
Herbal Cacao was born out of a deep passion to share the nourishing and healing powers of the sacred cacao plant, medicinal mushrooms, and adaptogenic herbs. Our mission is to empower holistic wellness through our medicinal ceremonial cacao blends, crafted for daily rituals that cultivate a deeper sense of self-love.
We are deeply rooted in reverence for Mother Nature and the rich traditions of Maya culture, which honours cacao as the feminine spirit Ixcacao. Our journey is infused with her essence, guiding spiritual growth and helping you open your heart to its inherent wisdom.
We are committed to upholding the values of
ethical community support found in Maya culture, ensuring that everyone in our supply chain thrives. (Read more in our Reciprocity program.) This dedication to authenticity and love extends to our Herbal Cacao family, where we focus on creating meaningful connections and providing heartfelt support within our community.
Through our unique and powerful blends, we invite you to join us on this transformative path toward a conscious and healthy lifestyle. Together, we are co-creating a new world of heart-centered living, empowering
self-love, one sip at a time.
Be the love | Share the love | Spread the love
Meet Our Founder
Free-spirited by nature, Sharon left her homeland of the Netherlands at 18 to embark on a journey around the world.
She discovered her deepest connection in the ancient Maya lands, where she immersed herself in their culture and developed a profound love for the sacred plant medicine known as cacao. It was during this time that
the vision for Herbal Cacao was born.
However, it wasn’t until much later, after returning to the Netherlands to care for her ailing father, that she began to bring this dream to life.
Eventually, Sharon learned from Maya elders that her Nawal Tz’ikin—a guiding spirit—was calling her to embrace her mission and fully step into her soul’s path. This journey inspired her to share the transformative power of sacred cacao, encouraging others to connect with a heart-centered, conscious, and holistic way of living.
“Be the love, share the love, spread the love. Together we raise our vibration“ – Sharon Fernie
READ SHARON’S FULL STORY:
My personal wellness journey began with a deep passion for nutrition, which I formally studied to gain a deeper understanding of how the body can thrive through food and natural healing. This foundation in nutrition, combined with my interest in superfoods, adaptogenic herbs, and medicinal mushrooms, gave me the knowledge and skills needed to create Herbal Cacao’s powerful cacao blends—crafted to support holistic wellness and spiritual growth.
Born and raised in the Netherlands, with roots in both Dutch and Scottish heritage, I spent over 10 years in the fast-paced city of London, where I increasingly felt disconnected from nature and my own heart.
Driven by a strong desire for freedom and a deeper connection to my heart and the world around me, I embarked on a transformative spiritual journey. During my three years in Mexico, I immersed myself in the Indigenous Maya culture, which ignited my spiritual path. It was there that I discovered the sacred plant cacao—a powerful medicine of the heart.
With my adventurous spirit awakened, I travelled to various continents, from the mystical lands of the Maya to the African continent, and eventually to the majestic Himalayas. As I developed my meditation practice, I began incorporating cacao into my ceremonies. Each time I consumed a full ceremonial dose of cacao, I experienced profound heart-opening moments. Through these magical meditations, a clear calling emerged: to share this sacred medicine with the world.
During one of my powerful meditations in the Himalayas, while I was at a mushroom farm completing my yoga teacher training in India, I fully aligned with my true purpose. Herbal Cacao was born from this magical connection—a way to introduce this ancient plant medicine to the modern world through expertly crafted cacao blends that nourish both body and spirit.
Today, I work directly with indigenous Maya tribes in Belize and Guatemala, to bring their sacred cacao to the world. Herbal Cacao is not just a product; it’s a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern holistic wellness, designed to empower your daily rituals and deepen your connection to self-love.”
In 2022, during the first year of bringing Herbal Cacao into the physical world, I was involved in a serious car accident that left me on an intense recovery journey from a traumatic brain injury. This life-altering experience heightened my commitment to staying connected to my heart and igniting my own healing mechanisms. Balancing my entrepreneurial spirit with the need to go inward was extremely challenging, but it made me stronger and even more determined to harness the power of the heart and holistic healing.
I am deeply grateful for the Herbal Cacao family, who supported me during this journey and upheld the mission and vision of Herbal Cacao during my recovery. Their unwavering dedication strengthened my belief in the power of community and heart-centered living.
During my rehabilitation from the traumatic brain injury caused by the accident, I was introduced to the studies from the HeartMath Institute, which played a crucial role in my healing process. Through this experience, I became deeply interested in how heart coherence can support not just personal healing, but also transformation in others. I studied the profound impact of the heart’s energy at the HeartMath Institute and learned about the science of heart coherence and how it connects us to our higher selves and our innate healing potential.
This knowledge, combined with my background in nutrition, has allowed me to create powerful cacao blends that not only enhance your daily rituals but also support your physical and emotional well-being. As a self-love manifestation coach, I integrate my expertise in heart coherence and plant medicine to guide others on their journeys of self-discovery and spiritual growth. My mission is to empower individuals to live authentically, aligned with their highest potential. Whether through our Herbal Cacao products, our Inner Circle community, or personalized 1:1 mentorship, I am here to support you in unlocking your inner power and manifesting the life your heart truly desires!
As guided by the Maya elders, my Nawal is 13 Tz’ikin, which means vision holder. This sacred energy inspires me to co-create a conscious new world of heart-centered living, where we can reconnect to our hearts, heal ourselves, and fulfill our soul’s purpose.
Together, we can weave ancient wisdom into our modern lives, raise our vibrations, and manifest a brighter future—empowering self-love, one sip at a time.
Meet The Herbal Cacao Family
Josefien de Vos
Lisa Nina
Jessica Strong
Joyce Kuit
Alessio Veneziano
Sharon Fernie
our values
At Herbal Cacao, we embrace a holistic approach to health, considering the connection between the mind, body, and soul. Our commitment is to provide you with the highest quality ingredients, selected for their exceptional nutritional benefits and their ability to enhance overall well-being—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Community is at the heart of Herbal Cacao. Our dedication to ethical and sustainable practices drives our positive social impact. Sharon envisioned transforming Herbal Cacao into a fully established 100% social
enterprise. We aim to make a positive imprint at every stage of the supply chain, ensuring that it resonates with every sip of our cacao, making it truly exceptional.
HERBAL CACAO IS BUILT UPON THESE CORE VALUES
1. Your Health
Physical, Emotional, & Spiritual
Your holistic well-being, which encompasses the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life, is extremely important to us. We carefully source only the finest offerings from Mother Nature, ensuring that each Herbal Cacao blend contributes to your overall health and wellness.
2. Sustainability
Leaving a Positive Environmental Impact
Understanding our obligation to the environment, we are committed to reducing our ecological footprint. By making deliberate choices, we aim to protect and conserve the invaluable resources of our planet, ensuring harmonious coexistence between nature and humanity.
3. Community
Creating a Positive Social Impact
Community is the beating heart of Herbal Cacao. We are dedicated to creating a positive social and environmental impact on the journey from bean to cup, empowering self-love one sip at a time.
Our Mission
Our mission is to unite the world through the transformative power of sacred plants, bridging the realms of nutrition and spirituality. We are here to guide you on a conscious and healthy journey while nurturing your spiritual growth and deepening your connection to your inner self.
We are committed to making a positive impact throughout our entire supply chain. This includes supporting sustainable agroforestry, empowering the workers who cultivate the land, and preserving the traditions of ancient wisdom keepers. Our dedication flows from our collaboration with a social workplace to you, the end-consumer, creating a cycle of love and respect from the source to your cup.
Our goal is to encourage you to connect with the wisdom of your heart, allowing the plant spirits to nourish and uplift you. By strengthening your connection to yourself, we help you explore what lies within your heart, so you can align with your purpose, follow your soul’s path, and share your unique gifts with the world.
Be the love | Share the love | Spread the love
At Herbal Cacao, we are more than just a brand; we are a community of like-hearted individuals on a shared journey toward wellness, sustainability, and spiritual growth. Join us in nurturing hearts and honouring communities as we work together to create a conscious new world of heart-centered living, empowering self-love one sip at a time.