We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Meghann Kettler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Meghann, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Meghann, 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?
Of course! Well, I myself am a graphic designer by trade, getting my degrees in Art & Advertising. I shifted my focus from running my own design studio to growing Sacred Ace. I’m the creative director managing photo shoots, social media, etc. and have truly loved creating for this brand from the ground up! I also operate as our CEO, managing production and daily operations. We have our very own lab / kitchen where we make our products by hand to ensure consistency. Our product line seems to keep growing and we’ve grown to have 38 wholesalers nationwide in 10 states.
It’s our mission to share the healing properties of the cannabis plant with the world. It’s been used for its medicinal properties for millennia by cultures across the globe. The wondrous compound of CBD, whose effects can be attained topically, are non-psychoactive (doesn’t get you high) and non-transdermal (doesn’t enter the bloodstream). The emerging science behind CBD has legitimized the medicinal claims surrounding the plant and our body’s built-in endocannabinoid system. This system as a whole is responsible for our bodies homeostasis – rebalancing, managing pain, anxiety, sleeplessness, mood, inflammation, injury and wellness. CBD has also been shown to help shield the body from oxidative stress, which can cause cell damage and disease. Thankfully, the science (although often shadow-banned and censored) is slowly becoming more mainstream. We love to educate on the topic!
We are so proud of the products we’ve created and the results that we’ve seen. We work with estheticians, spas, salons, massage therapists, sports medicine practitioners and physical therapists to provide relief for a wide range of clients. The power of CBD in beauty, skincare and therapy is truly amazing! We’re also starting to dabble in custom formulations for high end clients and hope to get into corporate education so we can take CBD skincare to the next level.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Well, we launched in February of 2020, so it was a real slow start to business! We lost one investor right out of the gate and were sort forced to regroup and refocus as the pandemic played out. It wasn’t ideal, but it allowed us to get more organized, perfect our line, gather feedback on the products and create some great content.
Additionally, because we are a CBD brand we are constantly coming up against big tech restrictions in selling / promoting online and on social media. We are considered a “high-risk merchant” which comes with higher credit card processing fees and added restrictions for what we are and aren’t allowed to say. (Which is all very antiquated of course). Most people couldn’t even find banks to work with them when we started out. Currently, we experience a wide range of algorithm inequality and shadow-banning on all social platforms. We’re not allowed to advertise on Meta & Google and have had to do more grassroots marketing in order to grow our audience. Sponsoring events, attending markets / pop-ups and engaging in the psychedelics community has been helpful, but the hurdles have been plentiful. We hope the upcoming rescheduling of cannabis from Schedule 1 to 3 will help, but it’s a slow process. Cannabis is currently Schedule 1 which states there is “high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use.” Fentanyl is currently a Schedule 2 drug with medicinal use, and somehow less dangerous than cannabis (sigh).
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Events, markets and private parties have been really great for people to be able to try the products for themselves. We also give away a ton of free samples to potential wholesalers (because we are so confident in our line). We love to sponsor events and can custom curate any gift set for any occasion. Of course we are always seeking new and innovative partnerships!
Contact Info:
- Website: sacredaceskincare.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacredaceskincare/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SacredAceSkincare/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_odJ27z_vo4
Image Credits
Myself – Meghann Kettler & Aly Carlisle