After the stroke, I had a long road of recovery ahead of me. Learning how to talk again and regain normal energy levels took years. In the months after my stroke, I went through hell. My battle with my mental health compounded due to my new physical disability. It wasn’t until the Fall of 2016 that I was finally fortunate enough to have spiraled into a deep rock bottom, my final rock bottom. I am happy to say 2023 will be my 7th year of sobriety and 7th year of being mentally healthy!
About Us!
Hi! I’m Jeremy Westrum, owner of Rootz of Inspiration and Window Wonderz. Both of these businesses would never have come to be, without me going through some pretty tough times. In my “previous life”, I struggled immensely with my mental health. An untreated Bipolar Disorder resulted in chemical dependency problems that went on for over a decade. This all culminated after having a massive, ischemic stroke in January of 2016 at the age of 30 years old. The stroke wiped out most of the left hemisphere of
my brain.
I was slowly able to recover and stay healthy with the help of various things like medications, eastern medicine, mindfulness, good vibes, and really focusing on learning more about my true self and my emotions. But believe it or not, the number one thing that complimented my life in a healthy way, allowed me to recover, and what sent me on a fulfilling path was… succulents! I started propagating lots and lots and lots of succulents (I was, and still am, an addict after all!). After running out of space in my little 500 sq. ft apartment – I started creating suction cup planters out of acrylic (plexiglass)! It’s true what they say, “Invention is the Mother of Necessity”. This is when Window Wonderz was born!
Rootz of Inspiration transpired about 4 years down the road and truly created a new home for me to continue to grow and help others grow through an incredible place I am blessed to call “my office”. Currently, I have 6 part-time employees calling Rootz and Window Wonderz their place of employment. I hire and help individuals with various types of disabilities and others in recovery from chemical dependency.
Rootz retail also enjoys the beautiful work of 35 local artists, tons of plants, pots, crystals, Window Wonderz products, and of course Mr. Wesley – my doggy! Last, but not least – we have some amazing customers from both the Rootz physical brick-and-mortar and online that help make this possible. We appreciate you all very much!
If you’ve made it this far, I really appreciate you getting to know me and my story! Once you’re done perusing the website, be sure to stop in and see Rootz in person, if you haven’t yet. We are located at 1121 7th StNW, Rochester, MN, 55901.
If you’re interested in learning more about my story and seeing all the fun happenings going on at Rootz, be sure to check out our blog!