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Relaxation is a much needed therapeutic remedy that we all need, especially within the current pandemic times. Speaking of relaxation, cannabis also helps people to relax, so why not incorporate cannabis into that spa life. This is what Brittany Angelica did with CannaB.
I recently interviewed Ms. Angelica where she chatted not only on cannabis, Hemp, and CBD, but she also talked about owning the FIRST cannabis spa in the State of Georgia.
The Empress Dee: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what it is that you do?
Brittany: I am from Atlanta, GA and I am an Esthetician and the founder of a cannabis business where I have CannaB and so it is an umbrella for what I am going to do for CBD and Hemp and one of the businesses under that umbrella is CannaBSpa and it is the first cannabis infused spa in Georgia and I am excited about it. We offer CBD and Hemp infused facials, skincare treatments, massages and more. I also sell CBD flowers that people are able to take home, pre-rolls, and edibles and so it is really like an experience (she smiles).
The Empress Dee: That is amazing! I was just thinking…especially in Atlanta where business is booming, it is so hard to start a business that nobody else is already doing, you know and so that is an accomplishment in itself, so congratulations! What inspired you to start a spa centered around cannabis?
Brittany: I would say that in 2017 was really when I got into CBD and Hemp because I was suffering with anxiety and depression around that time. I was put on medication for the first 3 months and I decided that I did not want to do that because I did not like the way that it made me feel and so that is when I was introduced to the CBD and Hemp and it was more of a natural alternative so I really loved it and I was able to get some great sleep which was great (laughs). I had better energy and was able to get through the day…so I loved that, but it was not until after I finished beauty school in 2018, that cannabis was entering into the beauty industry and I thought, okay, I can add this into a potential spa but at that time I was not thinking about a whole cannabis business. My first intention was to add some cannabis services into my spa, so that was the goal. It was definitely a business idea that I could not get out of my mind, I was not able to sleep at night. So, I realized that this was something that I must do and so I go to work and I was trying to put things together in my kitchen at first because I wanted to see how organic and natural it was, so I infused it into different things. I was mixing things in my kitchen and I wanted to see what affect it would have on my skin and I did that for a year and I thought, this is going to be really successful and so after that I put together a business plan, selected my brand name, and then designed my logo, built my website. No one knew that I was working on this, I was keeping it quiet. In November of 2019, I asked myself, why can’t I just make it all cannabis (laughs), once I had that idea, that same day I was doing research because I figured that someone had already done this and I wanted to see how someone else had been successful in this industry.
So, I discovered that there was not one out here at all (big smile) so then I realized that I really needed to keep this quiet. So, I would be the first in Georgia when I got ready to open it up. So, I ended up accelerating the process a little because the goal was for April of this year, but I realized that I needed to have it up and running at the beginning of 2020. By January, I already had my lease, I had my business license, so it was a done deal and that is when I told everybody. They were all surprised and I explained how I would be the first and that no one has done this before in Georgia. Sometimes, God gives something to you that is just for you. I was excited about it and I have gotten a great response to it.
The Empress Dee: I can only imagine, especially with cannabis being so popular now. That is so awesome, and I am so happy to hear that. Did you have any difficulties with people getting on board, or did people instantly gravitate towards it once you put it out there?
Brittany: The thing is, I believe that I got into the business right when it started to become popular and everyone was becoming interested in it. So, once people found out about me, they were excited. I had people coming to me saying OMG, a cannabis spa, we have been looking for this, or oh my goodness, you are the first one…stuff like that. At first, I was a little nervous because it is an industry that people are still scared of the word cannabis. They are still questioning whether or not it is legal, and I assure them that it is…I cannot be out here running an illegal business (laughs) I would get shut down. So, I just have to explain that to certain people but the response from most have been that they have been waiting for something like this, so it has been great!
The Empress Dee: I caught one of your IG lives where you were discussing the difference between Hemp and CBD and I was doing my best to catch on because let me tell you I do not know the first thing about this. So, what is the difference?
Brittany: Okay, so for the Hemp, it contains lower CBD levels and no THC, while the CBD has lower THC levels, but it contains a little bit of Hemp and then you have the cannabis plant of the marijuana which has the majority of the THC level which is what gets you high. So, with the CBD, you do not have as much THC, so you do not have to worry experiencing that high feeling and Hemp, it is the most natural because it does not have any high levels of CBD or THC.
The Empress Dee: Okay, I got you…nice, I like that (laughs). You know what it is so crazy because I am in Georgia all the time, I am going to come and check you out. So, I see based on the research that I did before speaking with you that CBD has a lot of healing properties, what are some of the properties that you mainly use it for?
Brittany: I would say that I do use it mostly for healing, as for skincare, it is healing but we all know what it does for anxiety and depression, so I would say that I use it for healing and relaxation. People love it for anxiety because of its calming effect, especially with what we are going through right now with the pandemic. But the healing properties are the main thing because you can use it on the inside and on the outside of your body, it can help with digestion; even with topicals, I can put some cream on your body and it will provide healing for the inside of your body as well. So, yes there are a lot of healing properties in it and it is natural, so you do not have to worry about chemicals.
The Empress Dee: I was wondering about whether or not it can affect you if you did not digest it and just put it on your skin…WOW! That is awesome, I love it! Would you consider yourself an herbalist at this point?
Brittany: I would say that I am pretty close to one, yes (laughs).
The Empress Dee: So, with that being said, do you find yourself mixing other concoctions even now that you have your spa, are you experimenting with different things?
Brittany: Yes, definitely…especially with the serum’s and the natural oils, they are easy to infuse in your own facial cleaner or mask and it can became a CBD infused skincare regiment that you can use at home. So, I have definitely been doing a lot of that.
The Empress Dee: So, do you make all of your products?
Brittany: No, some of the products that I make, I use for services but the products that I have now come from a CBD and Hemp manufacturer. So, they manufacture all of the skincare and all of the other products. So, it was good that I was able to find a good one (smiles).
The Empress Dee: This is an amazing accomplishment, so what would you say has been your greatest accomplishment to this day?
Brittany: I would say just seeing everything come together, seeing my vision that I had just last year in October and everything that I planned out for my business officially come to light. Everything from the interior design to the services, the warming presence with everyone being so excited about it, all of the opportunities. I would say that I am proud of myself that I actually stuck to this and then when I actually started, I was only opened for about 3 weeks and then Covid-19 happened. So, I had all these plans for the business and then as soon as I get out there, I have to close my doors. So I realized that it was a little setback because I could have stopped, I could have thought that I would come back once everything settles down. But I made sure to keep my business moving as if I was still open and if I had not done that then I would be in a totally different situation than I am now. So I am glad that once things got a little better and I got out there, people were already waiting on me to open back up, so it was a really good response. So I am definitely proud of that.
The Empress Dee: Do you feel like it was mainly your ambition in ensuring that you were getting everything done in a timely manner… do you feel that it was just you working hard, or do feel that your location played a role in your ability to complete things quickly?
Brittany: I would say that it was a little bit of both, but I would say that it was mainly my ambition because it was just me, everything was all on me because no one even knew about it. So, I just have to make sure to stay motivated through it. I had to think, okay, this is what you want to do, and this is what your end goal is and so I had to keep moving…you have to. Even when things stopped, I kept it moving. I think that it is very important especially when you are in business to know that there will be hiccups and there will be things that happen, and you may not know how it happened but you just have to make sure to keep moving and focus on your end goal.
The Empress Dee: Was it difficult to keep things on “the hush” because I know that we can get excited, you know, so did you have a hard time with that?
Brittany: It definitely was, especially when you have a mother who was like, you are up to something (laughter) and you are doing your best to keep things quiet. But as hard as it was to do it, I was like look…I had businesses when I was younger and it was something that I just kind of just jumped into, and I did not know what I was doing, and I was putting more money in than I was making. So, I made a lot of mistakes because I wanted to run a business at 19, I did not know everything, and I jumped out there and then it did not work out. So, I told myself that if I was going to present this to somebody, I want everything to already be in place. I did not want to bring this to somebody as an idea, I wanted it to be a done deal, so that was another goal for me.
The Empress Dee: So underneath this umbrella of what it is that you do with cannabis, what are some of the other things that you do outside of the CannaBSpa?
Brittany: My partners, since I have pre-rolls and flowers and things like that…I have 7 partners that have partnered with me before my spa which is really great, so I have local dispensaries where I am selling their own CBD and Hemp flowers and pre-rolls. I have chocolates, some new gummies that I just brought in and then I have other affiliates that have vape pens and then there are some other dispensaries as well. So, it has been great to bring those things together because I want it to be an experience. I want to not only have a spa service but before people walk out the door they are educated about CBD and Hemp and they are able to take it home with them. So, that was another goal. I was like I have to separate myself I was already in my own lane as an esthetician with just having CBD and Hemp, but I realized that if I am going to do that then I have to go all out. You have to come to my spa for a certain type of experience that you will not get somewhere else. So, all of my partners were on board…seeing that I was going to be the first, they were excited to partner with me. I could not be happier with how things have turned out. It gets overwhelming sometimes but it a good thing. I definitely want to bring awareness to other brands and educate my customers about the industry and what to look forward to with the skincare industry and Hemp. I am also starting a class for estheticians…I am getting a lot of estheticians hitting me up trying to incorporate CBD and Hemp into their practices, so I am about to start an academy for them…it will be virtual so you can take it wherever you are. I want to teach them about the things that I went through, about partnering and how to educate your customers, and how to infuse it into their products. I am really excited about that, so I have a lot of big things going on.
The Empress Dee (YASSSSS) you better get in your bag! That is beautiful!
Brittany: I have a few wholesale orders with a few estheticians so that is exciting, and everyone is pretty much on board…they are ready when I am ready. So as soon as the class is open, they are ready.
The Empress Dee: Listen, do your thing…that is so beautiful! During this journey, what has been the most intriguing thing that you have learned?
Brittany: I would say that it is becoming a very competitive industry. I would say that right now in 2020 there are a lot of people that are jumping in and they do not know what they are talking about, they just want to be in the industry. So, you definitely have to be mindful of that and because you have those people who are motivated by the money aspect of it, they are not really educating their customers. I have a lot of customers that come through and are like, oh well I thought that it did this, or I thought that it did that and I am like no, you are not going to get high at this spa experience (laughter), that’s not what this is. So, I would definitely have to say that. Even when I had the idea last year, we have 5 to 8 dispensaries that have popped up in Atlanta that were not there. So, it is growing fast, it is a booming industry especially out here in Atlanta because most people do not know that CBD is legal in all 50 states as long as the THC level is 0.3% or lower…yes CBD is legal all over The United States as long as the THC is under that level, a lot of people do not know that and when they see cannabis or CBD and they will be like, you cannot do this and I am like yes I can, so there is a lot of that.
The Empress Dee: I am glad that you are into educating because like you said people are just jumping in just for the money and that will be something that separates you from them. It is amazing how you have created all these different businesses from this, so what advice would you give up and coming entrepreneurs?
Brittany: I would say that if you have an idea to just go for it, do not sit on it. If I had sat on this, I would have been in a totally different situation and it would have been a lot tougher if I had not done it when God gave it to me. When God told me to move in October and I moved, there was a reason why He told me to move because He knew that all of this stuff was going to happen. So, if something is really on your heart to do, just go for it! You may not always have the tools that you need right away but you can always get those tools as you are going through your business. So, stay focused and believe in yourself, believe in your passion because it makes for a successful business and if you are not passionate about your business, it will not be successful.
The Empress Dee: Can you tell us one more time about the services that you offer and what else it is that we can look forward to from you?
Brittany: I have facials, I have a CannaB experience where I have my top spa experiences that you can get for a low price. I offer beard treatments for men as well as some other services available for men. I am also adding some waxing and other skincare treatments as well this year. I just rolled out my own skincare line, my own CBD line, CannaBSkin, I have a facial wash and I have a CBD face mask that you can also purchase. So I have those available on-line.
The Empress Dee: I need to see what this is about so I will need to invest (laughter). Thank you so much for allowing us to do this interview with you. You have been delightful, and I appreciate you for sharing all of these amazing gems with us and we wish you the best of luck on your future business ventures.
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