Hi there! I’m Lauren (Lo), the Founder of Alchemiss. On this day, exactly one year ago, we decided to bring 3 initial Alchemiss products to market with a Pre-Launch. As I reflect on the past year, tears of joy bubble in my eyes. I would like to share my personal story with you as I grow, heal and continue to unlock more of the magic inside me. My hope is that it inspires you to unlock your inner magic too!
To start, let me share a little bit of my background as I believe many women will relate. I was introduced to CBD in 2015 while working with a nutraceutical company. At that time, hemp extract had to be imported from overseas, so we partnered with a biochemist and his extraction lab in Ukraine. I immediately began formulating and manufacturing the consumer goods product line here in the United States. At the time, CBD was mainly used to help with severe pain, seizures and cancer. I had many clients who had inspired me to continue my work because of their testimonials on what seemed to be a miracle oil. The products I formulated were able to help children reduce and sometimes even eliminate seizures, relieve symptoms and slow the growth of terminal brain tumors and improve the quality of life of individuals who had lost all hope. I was able to help save lives but, at the time, I was unaware of how CBD could and would impact my health in the years to come.
Fast forward to 2018. I was still heavily involved with manufacturing CBD and had expanded into private labeling for CPG brands. The marketplace was becoming diverse when President Trump signed the Farm Bill making the sale of Hemp and CBD federally legal in all 50 states. My professional career was skyrocketing and I was on a fast track to success with my feet dug deep in the cannabis space. Life seemed like it was in the palm of my hands UNTIL…my hair had nearly all fallen out. This is the moment that changed my life forever. I frantically began backtracking the few months prior to me noticing how short and thin my hair had become in what felt like a matter of days. To no surprise, I had lost touch with myself and had been naïve to the signs my body had been showing me for months, maybe even years. I tolerated chronic pain and chronic fatigue for so long, acting as if it was “the norm”, that my body had begun to break itself down. My nervous system was constantly activated, causing an immense amount of fear, worry and anxiety. My physical health was degenerating. My mental health was suffering. My confidence was gone. I felt stuck, weak, unwell and I slowly began losing hope. Why did I feel this way while on a fast track to success? I felt powerless. Powerless to change my state of being.
I surrendered my power to anxiety for so long I didn’t even know who I was or who I wanted to become. I felt most safe when I was alone. It was the only time I felt I had the most control. I began losing friends, I distanced myself from family. I developed a sensory disorder that prevented me from enjoyment anywhere. I couldn’t control the environment – lights were too bright, sounds were too loud sending waves of pain through my body. The only thing I felt I had left was my work. A close friend of mine, and also owner of a CBD brand that I supply for, offered to set an appointment with her holistic doctor to see if there was anything I could do to have a better understanding of what was happening in my body. This is truly where MY MAGIC began. This was the moment I decided I was going to take control of my physical, mental, and spiritual health. Where did I begin? My mind. I dedicated myself to learning my body and how to heal naturally with the tools Mother Earth provides us. Shortly after, I started believing in the power of my body and mind to heal itself. I still had so much work to do but clarity gave me hope and I was able to start a new chapter of self-healing. At the beginning of 2019, Bianca, a friend (who then later became my Co-Founder) approached me with a struggle to find a brand that focused on women’s health in the cannabis space. I immediately knew I was destined to CREATE one. This journey led me here, to you, through my brand: Alchemiss.
Starting a brand is HARD. It is something I had very little experience doing but in order to fulfill my mission, I knew this was the step I needed to take. I wanted to help women who were feeling powerless, hopeless, lost, like I once was. Alchemiss pre-launched on 11.11.2019. I worked diligently for 9 months prior to the pre-launch developing our products, packaging and vision. I was able to assemble an extremely dedicated team of talented individuals who I had worked with on previous projects. Sharing everything I had learned and developed in the CBD space for the past 4 years, has hands down been the most fulfilling experience I have had to date. It wasn’t until after the pre-launch that I learned that empowerment is one of my core desired feelings and the most important aspect of my mission.
Alchemiss was born, but my healing journey had just begun. Three months after launching our initial products, I encountered more challenges in multiple areas of life. It seems the stars had lined up against me and I felt like my life had crashed and was on fire. The chaos caused confusion and I still needed to take my power back. I had work to do. Professionally, I had to become a leader. Emotionally, I needed to mature. Spiritually, I needed to align with my authentic self. I had the mission in place, but the path was unclear. Failing was not an option so I invested in myself. I hired an energy healing coach to tap into the world of mind and body as one. I hired a business coach to help guide my business to success. I have completely transformed my life and business this last year, and I’m just getting started.
The take away I would like to leave you with as we celebrate our first year of being a brand is this: don’t wait! If you are being called to do something, do it for yourself. You may find that while you are doing good right now, you were destined for greatness. With that being said, I want to personally thank each and every one of you for the support. Every like, share, follow, purchase, and feedback leaves me feeling empowered to keep moving forward. Year one brings a phenomenal team, 8-product lineup and a plan to hit exponential growth for the year to come. I have been on this journey for me, to learn, grow and heal but this year. I want to invite you to join me on the journey of healing and unlocking your inner magic!
I believe in you; do you?
All my best,
hERE’S TO the BEAUTIFUL women who helped us SPREAD THE MAGIC✨
