Shatoia Robinson graduated from DePaul University in Chicago with a bachelor's in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Her strong work ethic and motivation have given her the drive to succeed in the medical sales industry for more than a decade, and while working in the industry, Shatoia discovered the benefits of CBD firsthand. This passion, along with her entrepreneurial spirit, led her to launch Budzy, the first Black woman-owned monthly CBD subscription box that introduces women to a world of high-end CBD products that are beautiful to behold and backed by research.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I was raised by strong women who taught me how to work hard for what I want to achieve. My background is in medical device sales with a concentration on diabetes. In fact, that’s where I learned the most about CBD while working with type 2 diabetic patients. The more I educated myself on the power of CBD, the more I wanted to share my knowledge.

What inspired you to start your business?

I was inspired to launch Budzy at the beginning of the pandemic because I wanted to help women heal themselves naturally from the inside out. With the experience I bring from my medical sales career, I’m able to take complicated scientific jargon and express it in relatable terms. This, in particular, has been an important differentiator for my company, as one of my goals is to break the stigma surrounding hemp and CBD culture through education. I simply use CBD education as a tool to help empower more women! 

Where is your business based?

Chicago, IL 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I started by hiring a subscription box consultant. I stayed up and watched every single YouTube video and tutorial I could find on the industry, and the same name kept coming up—Jesse Richardson. So I reached out to him and asked him to be my coach to help get me up and running. Shortly after, I launched Budzy!

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Influencer Marketing has been key!

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Access to capital is very hard for a cannabis business. Luckily, being in Chicago, there are a lot of resources for small minority owned businesses, so I just kept chipping away until I made progress.  

How do you stay focused?

I meditate daily, and I have a great partner that helps me keep my mind clear.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

I differentiate Budzy via our branding, messaging, and the type of products we curate and create. Speaking of which, we recently launched our first proprietary product – The Cake Cookie by Budzy, which is the first CBD infused dry cookie mix on the market. Our goal with this product is to teach people how to safely make edibles at home. And we are excited to launch additional cookie flavors later this year.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Pivot….always be willing to pivot and try new things. 

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

Manifest Now by Idil Ahmed. This book helped me clear all the clutter out of my mind and focus my attention on what I truly want for my business and my life.

 Who is your business role model? Why?

My Mother! She has been an entrepreneur my entire life. So it was pretty cool to see a woman take charge in a male dominated world. 

How do you balance work and life?

Oh gosh, I’m a workaholic! But, somehow I make it all work and find my balance. 

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

I love to cook for my family. The ritual of cooking puts me at peace.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

We are launching additional flavors of The Cake Cookie this year, and we will be partnering with Showfields for our first activation.

How can our readers connect with you?

You can find us on Instagram @budzybox

https://budzybox.com/