Plant Power: My Story of Starting a CBD Company as a Black Woman

I didn't seek entrepreneurship in the THC-Free CBD business at first. It was something my partner, who is an addiction physician, nudged me towards while working in corporate America. When the coronavirus hit, we saw our friends and family suffering from anxiety and stress due to job loss, staying at home, lack of exercise, and uncertainty. We knew we had to do something to help, without relying on medication. If you go to a doctor and complain about anxiety, stress or depression, he/she will probably recommend medication as the first line of treatment. They bypass natural remedies, because they don't teach about them in medical school. That is where the problem lies with most people. We identified a problem where doctors did not look at viable alternative treatments and we wanted to change that.

Being a divorced mom, I always want to "be in the game," and ultimately, I want my daughter and young African American females to see that you can have a corporate career but also have something that is yours and build a future.

If our various medical problems can be tackled without medication, would someone be willing to at least try it? I believe absolutely, why not? Why suffer or become addicted to pain meds when something as simple as applying a salve to the area of pain can help? Antidepressants and antianxiety medications have many side effects and can change your personality. I learned that you can change your life gradually — small changes can have a big impact on living a happier, more fulfilling, more successful life. Our products are geared to help you make those changes. That's where Brooklyn Hempology came about.

I gained great experience working as a senior executive in the cable and digital worlds and always felt the need to solve problems and create. I want to take charge and use the passion and purpose that my partner and I have to create that niche market but make it a high-end cool brand. You must take risks and be in the game to win. Being a divorced mom, I always want to "be in the game," and ultimately, I want my daughter and young African American females to see that you can have a corporate career but also have something that is yours and build a future. Women now have opportunities that were never available to our mothers. Our moms would cater to the family while our fathers went off to work. I appreciated how my mother took care of our large family and never complained, but I always knew she wanted more for me and my siblings. She instilled values of hard work, responsibility, and dedication in me to look beyond just where I am today but instead look to a future that I control.

We must eliminate the gaps between African American women and others so as to give an opportunity to strengthen the overall female workforce and our purchasing power.

I majored in communications while in college and worked to get through. I realized that you must work hard and not worry about failure to make it in this world. Sometimes, even your so-called failures can bring more joy and happiness. My infertility issues led me to find a wonderful surrogate to carry my beautiful daughter. I was scared at first, but my mother always told me to press forward with things and keep my head up. I wrote my first children's book in 2010 called Why I'm So Special, which is a story for all parents who used a surrogate to share with their young children, to let them know just how special they are. Seeing my daughter allows me to remember to never to be afraid to try new challenges and to not be afraid of the unknown. This keeps me motivated and gives me the belief that I can meet and conquer these seeming less business challenges.

When we look at the gaps in business between men and women in general, we see this large distance, but it's even greater for African American women. We must eliminate the gaps between African American women and others so as to give an opportunity to strengthen the overall female workforce and our purchasing power. We must seize the opportunity, and that opportunity is good for the economy, which in turn is good for everybody.

I realized that you must work hard and not worry about failure to make it in this world. Sometimes, even your so-called failures can bring more joy and happiness.

Brooklyn Hempology is born out of Brooklyn being known as the coolest New York City borough. Our products are organic, fully third-party tested, and our customers love how it works for them. We started out with six products working with an experienced CBD manufacturer who understands that we are not looking for just any product but one where we can be proud of what we are putting out. We are working with several physicians and veterinarians to market our products not as a substitute for medical care but as an adjunct to a healthy lifestyle. I see Brooklyn Hempology not only as a CBD business but as a lifestyle brand where we have healthy CBD products but also hemp derived fashion and possible food products in the future. Why not shoot for the moon!