We recently connected with Melissa Eppard and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

My journey into the world of sexual health and wellness was born from personal necessity, pain, and the pursuit of healing—not just for myself, but for others like me.

In 2014, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a life-altering experience that changed everything I thought I knew about my body, my femininity, and my relationship with pleasure. One of the most unexpected and challenging aspects of that journey was the impact of sudden menopause brought on by treatment. I felt completely unprepared—and unsupported—by my medical team in navigating the sexual side effects of cancer recovery.

I was suddenly living in a body that didn’t feel like mine. My libido disappeared, intimacy became painful, and I found myself grieving a part of my identity I hadn’t even realized I’d taken for granted.

Through my work as a coach and support group moderator for other survivors, I quickly realized I wasn’t alone. Nearly every woman I spoke with echoed the same feelings: frustration, shame, confusion, and a deep sense of loss. And perhaps most heartbreaking—they felt isolated. Sexual health just wasn’t part of the conversation, even though it was such a significant part of the healing process.

While I could help them reclaim confidence, ease anxiety, and reconnect to their life-purpose, I still hadn’t found a tool that addressed the real physical pain and lack of arousal. That changed when I began experimenting with CBD lubes and suppositories. What started as curiosity became a calling.

Together with my longtime friend and now business partner, Michelle—who was dealing with her own post-childbirth intimacy challenges—we began formulating a clean, hormone-free, plant-based personal lubricant with CBD. We weren’t looking to start a brand. We were looking to find ourselves again.

There were already a few cannabis-infused lubricants on the market, but we noticed they all came up short in key areas. We wanted to create something better—starting with full-spectrum CBD to harness the full therapeutic power of the plant. It was also essential for us to keep the formula clean and all-natural, with no questionable ingredients that could irritate sensitive areas or disrupt the body’s delicate microbiome. On top of that, many existing lubes had off-putting smells or tastes, or they absorbed too quickly to be effective. We knew we could do better.

After a year of testing, refining, (and yes—plenty of orgasms), we finally launched FRIDAY: our full-spectrum CBD arousal oil that changed everything. It helped us reconnect with our bodies, deepen intimacy with our partners, and feel truly alive again. We knew we couldn’t keep this to ourselves. That spark—that joy—became the foundation for Upstate Mary, born in 2023. Since then, we’ve continued to push boundaries, and most recently, we introduced WILDCAT, our THC-infused sex oil. It takes the arousal-boosting power of FRIDAY and launches it into an entirely new stratosphere.

Melissa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Upstate Mary’s Farm to Bedroom™ collection of inclusive, body-positive products are infused with full spectrum CBD and THC from NY-grown cannabis. We hail from Woodstock, NY and are proud to be hyper-local, with both our farm partner and our manufacturer being based in the beautiful Hudson Valley. Fun fact: our products are named after some of the highest peaks in the Catskill Mountains—because we’re here to help you reach your orgasmic summit.

Before launching Upstate Mary, I got into the sexual wellness niche as a coach after realizing how little individualized support there was for women, and cancer survivors specifically. I recall the time right before I began 5 months of grueling chemotherapy when I asked my oncologist, “how is treatment going to impact my sex life?” He just brushed me off, shyly saying, “oh, you won’t have the energy for THAT!” It was totally mystifying to be dismissed like that.

Menopause is finally having a well-deserved moment in the spotlight. Women are speaking up, and people are starting to listen. For too long, a lack of honest conversation, education, and support around this major life transition has left half the population unprepared for the profound, whole-body changes that accompany this phase of life. At a recent menopause symposium, a medical doctor spoke up about how out of her 4 years of med school training, only a few hours were dedicated to menopause!

What began as a personal struggle with sudden medically-induced menopause became a calling and a mission. We believe that sexual wellness is about comfort in your body, confidence in your desires, and connection with yourself or others—regardless of your age, gender, body type, or life experience. No one should struggle with painful penetration, vaginal dryness and discomfort.

At Upstate Mary, we’re passionate about plant-based support—particularly the power of full spectrum CBD as a natural vasodilator that increases blood flow, soothes discomfort, and enhances sensation. Many people are familiar with the benefits of CBD for stress or inflammation, but few have explored its potential to enhance arousal and transform intimate experiences. We’re here to change that.

I like to remind my clients that where you are right now in relation to your body is not static. It’s a moment. There is an invitation here to make space for curiosity, compassion, and conversation. Acknowledge that your body’s needs may evolve—and that’s okay. Your sexual wellness is a lifelong relationship you build and nurture. Your comfort and pleasure matters!

Have you ever had to pivot?

Launching Upstate Mary as both a sexual wellness brand and a cannabis company meant we had to stay incredibly agile—especially amid the slow and complex rollout of legal adult-use cannabis in New York. From the start, we faced extra hurdles, including securing third-party payment processing. We launched our Shopify store just ahead of the busy Black Friday weekend in November 2023—only to have our payment capabilities shut down days later. Add to that ongoing shadow bans on social media, and the message was clear: we had to adapt fast. These kinds of restrictions force you to think creatively, pivot quickly, and keep pushing forward—no matter what.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Meeting people where they are is everything. By sharing our own struggles and creating space for others to do the same, we’ve built something truly meaningful. This connection deepens when we align with like-minded brands, practitioners, and events that support women in exploring intimacy, navigating menopause, and stepping into their power—whether through business, wellness, or personal growth. Our customers don’t just buy our products; they become passionate ambassadors for the movement. In many ways, I see this as a new kind of sexual revolution—one that starts by helping people reconnect with themselves on a deeper, more compassionate level.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://upstatemary.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/upstatemary/