Interview: CBD Entrepreneur, Alexis Rosenbaum

We asked Alexis Rosenbaum, founder of Rosebud CBD, to provide some insight into her experience and business savvy in the cannabis industry. She talks about life as an entrepreneur, the women of cannabis who inspire her, what sets rosebud apart, and what she believes is the biggest misconception about CBD.

High Herstory: Can you tell us about your company, Rosebud CBD?

Alexis: Rosebud CBD oil is a full spectrum CO2 extract of CBD rich hemp flower sun grown on a small farm in Oregon. We are third party lab tested and share these results on our website. Rosebud wants buying cannabis products to be like buying our food and personal care products where ingredients matter, knowing the farmer or founder, and buying from companies that offer transparency. Rosebud CBD Oil came to market in April of this year after realizing the demand for a transparent, organic, US grown and processed CBD supplement. I had my first edible on my 29th birthday (4 days post 4/20) and soon after, smoked my first joint. My mind was blown that I had avoided cannabis for most of my life.After finding the right dosing with flower and seeing its tremendous impact on my life, I was on the hunt for other ways to bring this plant to more people. CBD oil offers medicinal potential without the high. From seed, to stalk, to flower, hemp is going to change the direction of our world.

High Herstory How long have you been working on the Rosebud CBD formula?

Alexis : I started working with my farm during the winter of 2017. It all happened pretty fast, but that's sort of how I like to do things. I'm on a mission and when I'm ready, I AM READY. Luckily my farm was on the same page.Our formula is simple, and we plan to keep it that way. Rosebud believes in whole plant cannabis standing on its own - only the good stuff from the all powerful and mighty hemp plant.Rosebud consists of a CBD hemp oil extract and fractionated coconut oil. Cannabinoids are fat soluble and are most effective when consumed with fat. Coconut oil contains saturated fat which helps the body absorb the cannabinoid. Using MCT oils allows for a relatively rapid release of cannabinoids compared to other oils. MCT oils are also directly metabolized into energy allowing your body to burn those fats and put the cannabinoids they hold to use right away.

High Herstory: What differentiates Rosebud CBD from other CBD products out there?

Alexis : First and foremost, Rosebud CBD is transparent. We share our test results and have plans to introduce our customers to our farmers later this year. We want buying cannabis products to be like buying food and personal care products; ingredients matter, know your founders, buy from companies with a mission beyond profit, and seed to soil transparency.Rosebud CBD is sun grown on a small farm in Oregon without herbicides, pesticides, solvents and does not include ingredients such as fillers, flavorings, sweeteners or preservatives.Rosebud is a full spectrum CO2 extract offering whole plant in its most natural form extracted with a process that retains the plants natural compounds and makes the least amount of environmental impact. CO2 extraction requires no solvent residues, no heavy metals or other impurities that are typically found in other extracts.And lastly, we are women owned.

High Herstory: When did you realize you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Alexis: My childhood was really great. My parents didn’t go to college, so they taught us common sense, street smarts, and how to problem solve. We were given free rein to do as we please, and this freedom allowed me to build anything. I was raised by a mom who built a multi-million dollar construction business.In a long winded way, I guess you could say entrepreneurship was decided the moment I learned I could make a dollar off a braided bracelet in elementary school. The power to make my own money meant I could do my own thing, and I always wanted to get paid to be myself.

High Herstory: What is your favorite part about running your business?

Alexis :The challenges and problem solving really get me hyped. I love stressing out, crying, and chipping away only to find myself breaking through what felt like a steel wall. Now more than ever, we are all connected to our phones working for someone else’s dream. We aren’t given many challenges to solve, and I truly believe this is the root of most of our collective depression. We are meant to build with our hands, get in and get dirty, and figure shit out.I also love meeting new people. I thrive off networking. I go to a networking event almost every week and I challenge myself with something new each time

High Herstory: What has been your biggest challenge in business so far? How did you overcome it?

Alexis: Visuals. When I first launched Rosebud, I was not in a good place with visuals of the brand. I am still very much struggling with what this brand looks like. Rather than digging myself deeper and deeper searching for the answer, I decided to keep it simple, let the product speak for itself, and hopefully the visuals will continue to appear and evolve. In the cannabis industry, credit card processing and banking is a pain. They nickel and dime you left and right. The processor I am using now is great, but expensive. I am actually shopping for other options and believe the more the industry advances the more options we will have. I pay roughly 10% a swipe when all is said and done. That is not sustainable when other industries are paying a standard 2.5% or less.

High Herstory: What is the best piece of business advice you can give us?

Alexis: Oh man, just one?! I am going to give two! (1) Everyone has an opinion, suggestion, direction, and a million ways they’d do it differently or better. I think most of us who own businesses think this way - how would we do that better or differently? While these comments usually come from a well-intended place, it’s usually when these suggestions are in your face every day that make it hard to see your own vision. Find your lane, pave it the way you want, and always follow your gut.(2) Get started. Wherever you are with whatever you have, get started.

High Herstory: How do you feel that women are shaping the cannabis business community?

Alexis: Women are powerhouses and this is an exciting time for us. As a new industry, we have the opportunity to open the door to collaboration, friendly competition, and to realize there is enough space in the market for all of us. And that market is up for grabs for anyone.Women have the opportunity to step in and lay the ground rules for this industry. When we come together we are a force to be reckoned with, and I have experienced that with industry women in NYC.I have seen women in cannabis stand strong against the bro culture we have all played along with and no longer want to be a part of. You have publications like Broccoli Magazine calling out the wrong doings of businesses that we all support, such as: Select CBD CEO and founder’s allegations of rape and Med Men’s anti-immigration donations.We have female-focused companies like: Ladies of Paradise, MJLifestyle, Girls Who Say Fuck, and so many more that are redefining the cannabis culture. There are so many women changing the imagery, products, and information we use, consume, and understand: Stonedware Company, SVN Space, Chelsea Leyland, Miss Grass, Love and Destroy … I could keep going!