Growing up, I always wanted to work in a profession where I could help people. My dedication to health, wellness, and helping others was instilled in me through my grandmother, who my family refers to as Grandma Clover. As a strong, hardworking leader in her community, Grandma Clover believed that natural remedies and herbal medicine could help heal a variety of different ailments.
The knowledge and use of natural remedies were passed down to my mother, who then passed those same teachings on to me. Hearing the stories of how Grandma Clover was always around to provide a helping hand to those in need made me realize my own passion for helping those experiencing sickness and pain. This is how I began my journey to become a Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit nurse.
To me, there is nothing more important than investing in your health.
Through my current work as a nurse, I witness first-hand the debilitating effects of chronic pain and sleeplessness on those I serve. Many of my patients, in addition to their medical treatment, turn to CBD to help alleviate their symptoms. While I initially did not know much about CBD and its healing properties, I was quickly able to appreciate the amazing effects it had on my patients. I wanted a way to bring this wellness and healing to individuals outside of the hospital, which is what inspired me to launch my own CBD brand named K'dara CBD.
"Dara" means wisdom in Hindu, and it's the foundation of the brand. We invested significant time and resources in researching and finding the highest quality ingredients and working with a leading pharmacist to formulate our natural, organic, and premium quality products. My vision for K'dara CBD is simple: provide a natural yet effective solution for those suffering from pain, sleeplessness, anxiety, and stress. To me, there is nothing more important than investing in your health. As a nurse, my greatest joy is taking care of people, and K'dara CBD helps me do that in a completely new way and reach so many more people. I intentionally developed a range of CBD products so anyone can find a solution to living their very best life, from pain creams, oils, and tinctures to gummies, pet chews, and bath bombs.
So, on my days off work, I focus on building my company and making it successful so I can continue to bring natural health and wellness products to everyone.
In February of this year, I was in the final stages of establishing my brand and preparing to launch the products when the COVID-19 pandemic began to catch the attention of every major news outlet around the world. It was scary, surreal, and unbelievably stressful, not only personally but also as a professional. There were more questions than answers and more uncertainties than clarity. I had to make a choice: either put K'dara CBD on hold, a brand I had been working tirelessly to build for over a year, or I could roll my sleeves up and put my full faith in the vision I had created by moving forward with the launch. I began to reflect on what I believed that Grandma Clover would do in my situation. She was never one to give up or let anything get in her way. Reflecting on her strength led to my decision to take my chances and launch K'dara CBD in the midst of the pandemic.
If there was one piece of advice I could give to other women who dream of starting their own company one day, it would be to not fear failure.
In the months to follow, the virus grew worse; hospitals were in desperate need of additional resources, and hot spots, such as New York City, were struggling to meet the demand. Though my original plan was to cut back on my bedside nursing hours to focus more energy on K'dara CBD, I made the decision to temporarily relocate to NYC to work as a nurse on the frontlines of the pandemic, all while dealing with the endless obligations required of a new entrepreneur. I knew I could not sit idly by while hospitals and patients were in desperate need of nurses just like me. Though scary at first, I then saw this opportunity as a new way to challenge myself and, more importantly, take myself out of my comfort zone to where true growth could happen.
Life serving on the frontlines, especially during a pandemic, is challenging, overwhelming, and heartbreaking. My patients are extremely sick, and some have succumbed to this virus with no family allowed to visit them during their final moments. It can be physically draining running around on your feet all day wearing hot PPE equipment for hours at a time. On some units, even taking the time to drink water can be taxing. However, despite the challenges, I choose to celebrate the victories no matter how big or small. Many people have asked me how I've dealt with such tragedy while working in the ICU. My response is that the best way to honor those who have passed is to keep on living. So, on my days off work, I focus on building my company and making it successful so I can continue to bring natural health and wellness products to everyone. It is what truly brings me joy.
The road to where I am today hasn't been easy, and the road to where I want to go feels thousands of miles away at times, but I refuse to give up. I know that in order to succeed, I must believe and invest in myself. Meditating, exercising, and keeping a positive perspective are all ways that I keep myself moving forward, even on my toughest days. If there was one piece of advice I could give to other women who dream of starting their own company one day, it would be to not fear failure. Starting your own business requires taking risks. You will fail more often than you will succeed, but if you keep pushing forward, that's when you will grow the most.
WRITTEN BY
Katrina Thompkins