Meet Blue Poppy

Bob Flaws and Honora Wolfe, owners of Blue Poppy Enterprises, Inc., have spent a lot of time in the last couple of years trying to create the Blue Poppy team and the environment in which we all work. Blue Poppy is very much a family business, and we're really proud of the friendly, fun atmosphere and close-knit community that's evolved here. Allow us to introduce ourselves.

Rick Brearton,
Production Manager

WOW! Blue Poppy has grown exponentially in the Eleven years that I have been lucky enough to work here. What a user-friendly, and professional staff we have!

My niche here is quite varied. I co-ordinate book reprints and implement the designs for covers and interior layouts of our new books and re-editions and reprints. I produce and estimate anything that has to do with print design i.e., bottle and CD labels and jackets, catalogs, postcards, flyers, brochures, mailers, trade show graphics, print ads. My main collaborator, Honora, co-owner, has been my right-hand designing conscience, that has helped to produce some great designs. I am the liaison between Blue Poppy and our Web developer, making sure new products, special offers, information content, and image files requested are in their hands when needed. New horizons for me this year include video production and editing for online information from our various practitioners; videos of seminars taught by various authors and practitioners.

We are continually fine-tuning our processes which make for a leaner and more efficient company. Our core values and positive attitude in our day-to-day operations, the professional interrelationships with all who work here, and our combined constructive work ethic and eco- friendly practices, make this a most attractive business to be a part of. We continue to strive to maintain the highest quality products and services in our industry. Our main goal is the happiness and success of the customer. This makes for an enjoyable experience for whomever comes into the Boulder office, calls our awesome sales department, or visits us online.

I am the proud, single dad of daughter Kiva (soccer star in her own right), who will be 12 years-old in January '12. We live Erie, CO, with our cat Koko. I enjoy workouts at the gym, bicycling, hiking, fly- fishing, skiing, reading, coaching soccer, traveling, not to mention all soon to be 12 year-old activities.

Marjorie Roberts,
Accountant

Being the accountant at Blue Poppy Enterprises, Inc., I have the opportunity to work closely with every department and every person. Blue Poppy Enterprises, Inc. is the most incredible places I have ever worked. The work environment and atmosphere here is absolutely amazing. It is truly family oriented.

I am originally from northeast Louisiana. I moved to southern Colorado in 1997 and then to the Boulder area in 1999. Whenever I am not working, I can usually be found outdoors. I enjoy gardening, oil painting, photography, camping, hiking in the mountains and fishing. There are really too many to list. I am a very busy person and seldom bored.

Shawn Kirby, Dipl.OM, L.Ac.
Sales and Marketing Manager and Practitioner on Staff

I am one of the practitioners on staff here at Blue Poppy enterprises. My other responsibilities include ad design, product development, managing customer service, and many other responsibilities, including blogging about the more humorous side of the profession.

I began my studies in alternative health care in 2001 at the Rolf Institute in Boulder Colorado.  While studying there I had the opportunity to learn from such eminent Rolfers as Ray McCall, Jim Asher and John Martine (who appeared on Oprah).  I also had the opportunity to receive advanced training in cranio-sacral therapy and visceral manipulation under the noted French Osteopath Didier Pratt, a colleague of Jean-Pierre Barral author of Visceral Manipulation vol I and II.  

I am a proud graduate of Southwest Acupuncture College.  At SWAC I had the extraordinary opportunity to study under Jiayu Zhang, an expert in Shang Han Lun theory as well as an eminent acupuncturist who was a TCM physician for the Chinese Olympic team. While attending SWAC, I also had the opportunity to study under Ted Hall, a practitioner for nearly 25 years, who studied with the legendary Masahilo Nakazono O’Sensei.  I primarily follow the tradition of Kototama Inochi Acupuncture, a form of Japanese Meridian Therapy as taught by Nakazono O’Sensei, in my personal practice.  

I am married to Malia Kirby, L.Ac., one of the other practitioners on staff at Blue Poppy.  My hobbies include bread baking, brewing and drinking espresso, Japanese green tea, dog walking, and engaging in what my wife refers to as “turd-like behavior.”

Malia Kirby, L.Ac.
Director of Continuing Education, cGMP Compliance Officer, and Practitioner on Staff

Since my initial hire date here at Blue Poppy, I can say that my job description has grown exponentially.  While my primary function here is to continue to improve our continuing education department, I also help to ensure that we follow all cGMP regulations in-house, not to mention assisting our practitioners in their diagnostics, determine appropriate formulas in accordance with their patients' pattern identifications, and identify any potential herb-drug interactions.  On top of that, I also help update and troubleshoot our website as needed, proof and edit our written materials, and anything else that Bruce, Bob, or Honora send my direction.  I suppose one might say I've slowly become Blue Poppy's jack of all trades!   

Outside of Blue Poppy, I've had the luxury of studying with a number of outstanding practitioners in our field including, but not limited to Bob and Honora, Jake Fratkin, Chip Chase, Richard Tan, Whitfield Reaves, Ted Hall, Jiayu Zhang, and Valerie Hobbs, all of whom have influenced my Oriental Medical skills in a number of ways.  In my private practice, I specialize in Japanese Kototama Inochi acupuncture, moxibustion, and bodywork techniques as taught by Masahilo Nakazono O'Sensei, as well as utilizing Chinese herbal prescriptions from the Shang Han Lun and Jin Gui Yao Lue to treat a wide range of complaints.  I'm particularly interested in women's health and menstrual disorders, dermatological complaints, sports medicine, and pain management, although I'm perfectly happy to tackle any case that walks through my door!

I'm married to Shawn Kirby, L.Ac., our other licensed practitioner on staff, and we're the proud parents of Powder the Wondermutt, Blue Poppy's enthusiastic door greeter, and Rio, our spastic Sun Conure (parrot).  We reside in Longmont, Colorado, where we spend the majority of our spare time hiking and backpacking in the Front Range, creating new food dishes to enjoy and share on Five Flavors Alchemy,  and reading almost any book we can get our hands on.

Steven Morris,
Shipping Manager

Born and raised in Illinois, moved to Boulder in 1990 from Arizona.
Hobbies include: Photography
Joys: Cooking, fishing, camping
Accomplishments: Making an enjoyable meal for my friends children other than macaroni & cheese

Bruce Staff
General Manager


The past eight years at Blue Poppy have been an incredibly productive and exciting part of my life. To be given the opportunity to help this company grow and prosper has been fantastic. How often do we get the opportunity to be part of a team that we really enjoy; we work together, play together and are all committed to what we are doing here at Blue Poppy.

What is especially good about working at Blue Poppy is that I spend every working day with people who are committed to doing an excellent job, who are worried about the environment, who are interested in helping people, and who care about each other.

When I’m not working, my wife Adrienne and I love to travel, hike, snowshoe and take care of our garden. We have a six year old Golden Retriever named Emma who loves to hike with us, chase balls and swim in our local lakes. Adrienne helps out in our production area helping Steve make many of the external products that Blue Poppy sells. And, Emma spends many days in the office looking for pets.