A Love for Natural Living
My name is Elizabeth Slusher, but everybody calls me Beth. Sage + Stone has been a journey that’s always been in my heart, even if I didn’t know exactly what it would look like.
I’ve always been attracted to natural things. I’ve always been a gardener. I love being outside in nature. I love canning and preserving food and knowing what my family is eating and what I’m putting into my body. Years ago, when my children struggled with eczema, it was hard to find natural products. Things like shea butter weren’t sitting on every store shelf the way they are now. That natural, holistic approach has always been part of who I am.
Several years ago, my daughter Aurelia decided to start making essential oil products. I encouraged her to go down that path because it aligned so much with what I had always believed in. She built her business and eventually asked me if I would make jewelry to go along with her products.
I’ve always been crafty. I’ve made wreaths, candles, jewelry, sewn things, braided things, knotted things. I just love creating. So I started making jewelry, including pieces with lava stones that can hold essential oils. A lot of people still don’t know that lava stone can be worn as a natural diffuser. You can add a drop of essential oil and carry that scent with you throughout the day.
At the time, Aurelia was traveling constantly, setting up at markets and events all over. She had the energy for it. She was everywhere.
From Restaurant Kitchens to a New Calling
Then in early 2023, both of us found ourselves at a crossroads. We had both left the restaurant where we worked, and I knew I was done cooking professionally. That was a huge realization because restaurants had been my world for years. I worked in kitchens, managed kitchens, cooked on sauté, made sushi, developed menus, and spent years creating food from scratch. Cooking was always an art form for me. When I worked at Cerulean in Winona Lake, I made all the soups. We would rotate soups every week or two, and apparently I developed a bit of a following. I didn’t even know it until servers started telling me that people were coming in asking what my next soup was going to be. One of my coworkers used to ask me how I made my food taste different from everybody else’s when it’s the exact same recipe and she’d say, “Don’t say it’s because you make it with love.” And I’d laugh and say, “Well, I do make it with love.” Maybe it was love. Maybe it was salt. Probably a little of both.
But after years in kitchens, my body hurt. I was tired. I had reached a point where I knew there was something else I was supposed to be doing. I told Aurelia, “Why don’t we look around and see if we can find a place to rent and open a store?” In my mind, I was suggesting we start thinking about it, make a business plan, get our ducks in a row. Aurelia heard something completely different.
My husband and I went out of town for a weekend, and by the time we got home she had already found the building, looked at it, scheduled appointments, gathered information and was basically ready to move forward.
I remember saying, “Let’s sit down and talk about this.”
She said, “No. We’re doing it.”
Building More Than a Store
And that’s exactly what happened. We painted walls. We figured things out. We decided to use the Sage + Stone name because she had already built that business. Then we stood in this big building and looked around thinking: How are we going to fill all this space? At that point we had essential oils and my jewelry, that was about it. So we started calling people we knew from markets. We started reaching out to makers and artists. Aurelia would walk through markets collecting business cards and meeting people. We just kept building relationships. The store evolved into something we never originally planned.
Today, we have local artists and authors, jewelry makers, candle makers, farmers, wellness products, handcrafted gifts, paintings, crystals, local honey, books, clothing and so much more. Right now we have over 40 vendors.
One thing that’s important to me is supporting local people whenever possible. If I can’t find what I’m looking for locally, I search for small businesses around the country. I specifically look for family-owned businesses, women-owned businesses and people creating quality products. I want the products in the store to mean something. I also want to know what I’m recommending. I don’t just put things on shelves and hope they sell. I try them.
One example is mushroom coffee. After surgery last year, I experienced brain fog that completely caught me off guard and I struggled to focus. My daughter would be showing me things on the computer and explaining processes, and I felt like I couldn’t retain anything. That’s when I started researching mushroom products. I found a small company called Pure Shrooms and started drinking their mushroom coffee. For me, it made a huge difference. I felt clearer. I felt more focused. I lost some bloating. I felt more like myself again. That experience led me to bring mushroom products into the store because I had personally experienced the benefits.
The same thing happened with other products.
I found a small woman-owned company called Evergreen Apothecary and tried some of their tallow products and herbal tinctures. I was amazed by the results I experienced personally, especially with seasonal allergies. Those experiences matter because when someone walks into the store and asks me about a product, I can honestly say, “This is my story.” I think that’s important.
Finding Healing Through Reiki
Alongside all of this, another journey was unfolding. I started studying Reiki. The more I learned, the more I felt like I had found something I was meant to do. Reiki is a Japanese energy healing technique. For me, it wasn’t just about healing others–it changed me. It made me more aware of my emotions, my thoughts, and how I wanted to show up in the world. I continued training for years and eventually became a certified Reiki Master.
Today, I offer Reiki sessions and have what I jokingly call my “Reiki M*A*S*H Unit”–a portable setup that allows me to provide healing wherever it’s needed.
One of the most humbling things has been hearing people tell me how grateful they are that a place like Sage + Stone exists in Columbia City. I never expected that We’re a small town. We’re different from most stores people are used to seeing. But people continue to come through the doors looking for healing, wellness, creativity, and connection. And that’s exactly what we hoped this place could become.
Following My Intuition
One of my favorite things is still creating. When I finally get a little free time away from the day-to-day work of running the business, I sit down and make things. Sometimes I’m drawn to certain colors or stones and I don’t know why. I just feel like I need to create something with them. Often those pieces sell almost immediately. Other times I’ll make something and think it’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever created. It’ll sit there for months, and I’ll be ready to take it apart. Then somebody walks in and says, “This reminds me of my aunt,” or “These colors remind me of a trip I took.” And suddenly I realize that piece wasn’t for me. It was waiting for them. That’s one of the things I love most about creating. You never know who needs what you’re making.
Built Together
This business has never been just about me. It’s always been a family effort. Aurelia built the foundation and still helps. My husband builds displays and booths. My boys help whenever I need them and proudly tell people, “My mom made that.”
Recently, a professor visiting the store asked me how long we’d been open. When I told her we had just celebrated three years, she looked at me and said, “You made it. You’re a woman-owned business in small-town America, and you’ve been here three years. You made it.” That still gets me emotional. Because she’s right. My daughter and I made this. My family helped make this. Our vendors helped make this. Our community helped make this. And every day I feel incredibly blessed to be part of something that brings creativity, wellness, healing, and connection to the people who walk through our doors.
That’s what Sage + Stone has always been about. Light. Love. Community. And helping people find what they need for their mind, body, and soul.
Sage + Stone is located at 124 W Van Buren St., Columbia City, IN.
Store Hours: Tuesday – Wednesday | 10 AM – 4 PM, Thursday & Friday | 10 AM – 5 PM, Saturday | 9 AM – 3 PM (during Farmers Market season), 10 AM – 3 PM (during non-Farmers Market season). Closed Sunday + Monday.
