"I calendar block so I know when I am spending time doing certain activities" with Susan Crews
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Susan Crews is the President/CEO of Huntsboro Hemp Company (huntsborohempco.com), a company dedicated to producing locally-grown, high-quality CBD products to help improve the wellbeing of customers globally.
She is a trusted entrepreneur and sought-after speaker whose mission is to educate people about the industrial hemp plant and the benefits of quality CBD products. Huntsboro Hemp products, including tinctures, bath balms, topical creams, and more, are now available in X states and are showcased in major trade shows in Soho, Atlanta, Raleigh, and Dallas.
Susan is a Meredith College graduate, a certified health coach, and a registered yoga teacher/studio owner who lives with her husband on the family farm in North Carolina.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
As a child my biggest dream was to be a good wife and mom. However, I found that I needed to not only share my gifts and talents with my family, but I needed to share them with others which brought out my entrepreneurial spirit. I have owned five very different businesses and what I have learned is I am an excellent networker and great at connecting people. So for the past 14 years I have been in the health and wellness industry as a personal trainer, yoga teacher/studio owner, and as a certified health and wellness coach.
What inspired you to start your business?
I have to be very transparent here and share that Huntsboro Hemp Company is the brainchild of my son-in-law, Garrett Brewer. Garrett learned about CBD and the industrial hemp plant while he was attending North Carolina State University. He would come home and tell his farmer father-in-law, my husband, that he needed to grow industrial hemp and then he would tell me that we needed to start a CBD company. I told Garrett I believed CBD was snake oil and he needed to stay focused on his college degree.
Because of his continued excitement I began researching CBD and learned about the Endocannabinoid System and how it functions in the body. I did this by attending medical seminars, CBD expos, and industrial hemp meetings to learn as much as I could. What I learned was amazing and I became a believer in CBD and the industrial hemp plant!
And from that excitement and energy, a mom, her son-in-law, and the rest of her children rolled up their sleeves and went to work to build Huntsboro Hemp Company, a well trusted CBD company.
Where is your business based? Huntsboro Hemp Company is based in Oxford, North Carolina; however, being an e-commerce company you can always find us online!
How did you start your business?
My son-in-law created the tinctures and we joined forces to create Huntsboro Hemp Company. From there, we planned a family meeting, introduced the rest of the family to the company, and invited them to join us in this business. It was shocking to the children and they needed a little time to do their due diligence, but they decided to join us and have been working hard ever since.
What were the first steps you took?
Because I was entering the world of CBD, the first thing I did was secure an attorney who had been practicing in the CBD space and understood the laws, challenges, and could guide to ensure Huntsboro Hemp Company was and is compliant with the changing laws. The CBD space is a rapidly changing market and it’s important to be on top of legal matters. The second step we took was finding a bank that would offer us a checking account and initial business loan. After that we continued testing the products, began working on the logo, website, marketing materials, building price lists, and preparing the business plans to get ready for launching our company!
Another first step and one of the biggest obstacles in launching the company was getting liability insurance. This process took months to complete, held us up from launching as planned, and is extremely expensive. However, I believe it is one of the most important pieces of the business puzzle.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
There were a few things we aimed to do to build awareness from the beginning that were successful for us. I am a great networker so I amped up my networking events and this was beneficial getting our name out to many people who already knew me and trusted me. I also used these connections to start building our email list.
The team and I also scheduled a lot of launch parties throughout our state and in areas where we have connections who were willing to host us. We were using as much in-person time as possible; however, we were able to get in front of a lot of people at one time.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
Ooh...where do I begin with this question? There are so many “big” challenges with a CBD company, but one would have to be the lack of knowledge from many consumers and overcoming stereotypes. One of the core values of Huntsboro Hemp Company is to educate as many people as we can on the history of the hemp plant and CBD, the Endocannabinoid System, CBD and it’s many benefits and what are some of the myths and truths of CBD. We feel when people are educated on this product they are able to make wise decisions and know what they are shopping for in the marketplace.
Another challenge is the ever-changing federal and state laws and regulations. This is why it is so important to have an attorney who understands this industry. Our attorney reviews all of our labels, website, and marketing materials. In North Carolina, there is a debate going on about smokable hemp and whether or not it will remain legal. I never dreamed I would be this involved in politics but it is necessary to help and offer guidance to our lawmakers as they write the much needed laws and regulations.
Lastly, I would say banking is a huge challenge. When I started Huntsboro Hemp Company one bank in my town would open a CBD company business checking account. And this bank was also the only bank that would offer a start-up loan in the company name. When I went back to the bank to inquire about another loan for land, things had changed and now this bank could not offer any new loans to CBD/hemp companies, even though my business is completely legal and compliant with all laws. This is another area that is constantly changing and will continue to become easier.
How do you stay focused?
To be truthful...at times this is really hard for me and something I have been working on for years because I am an alchemist. Today I have a routine that keeps me on track and focused. First, my goals are written down and I read them several times a week. I have a morning routine which includes reading the 10 belief statements about the company (these are dreams and goals), studying the Bible, meditating which brings mental clarity, and reading in a business type book. I also keep a monthly and daily calendar with as many things as planned as possible. I calendar block so I know when I am spending time doing certain activities.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
Huntsboro Hemp Company combines small-town service and family strengths to bring high-quality locally-sourced industrial hemp products to North Carolina and beyond. We provide an all-natural supplement that is grown in a safe, natural environment, processed in clean, approved facilities, and shipped from our manufacturing facility in our hometown to you and we oversee the production every step of the way. By providing educational opportunities to help debunk the many myths around CBD we are able to create informed customers who are entering the CBD market. Lastly, the taste of our tinctures is the best!
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
In the beginning, word of mouth was the most effective marketing tool we used. We chose people to help us market HHC because of the know, like, and trust theory. We also set up all the social media platforms and began consistently growing our following.
Additionally, we began going to markets to gain business to business customers that were willing to carry CBD in their stores. The markets have proven effective to get our products into 15 different states.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Once you’ve made the decision to get started, do it by taking one step at a time! WRITE your goals with expiration dates, write 5 - 10 belief statements about your company and read them every day and work towards them realizing that progress is always better than perfection. One of my favorite quotes that I keep in front me is from Thomas Edison, “Recognizing opportunity is so difficult for most people because it goes around disguised in overalls, looking like hard work!” So do the hard work, learn from the failures, and never give up.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
Currently I am in love with UNPLUG, written by Suze Yalof Schwartz, which is an app that has a variety of meditations led by meditation gurus. What I love is the variety of meditations, access to a variety of teachers and that it is quick and easy.
My favorite blog is on Half Baked Harvest. Because I love to cook and need easy meals I choose to follow Tieghan because her recipes are delicious, (I have not had one I didn’t like yet), she shares fun stories about her family and truthfully, she’s relatable.
My favorite novel is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers because it is a true love story of forgiveness and redemption. It is heartwarming and inspiring.
My favorite business book is an oldy, but goldy, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I am currently reading in my business book club, Think and Grow Rich for Women by Sharon Lechter. Both of these books are great books for creating and keeping the perfect entrepreneurial mindset.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
Google Calendar! I love to calendar block, and I love color-coding my calendar. Google calendar allows me to create the weekly color-coded calendar that keeps me on track!
Who is your business role model? Why?
My Dad! My Dad built one of the largest privately-owned industrial refrigeration companies in the United States with very little money in hand. In 35 years, he had built the company to over 300 employees and during that time he only had ONE engineer leave his job. He was an incredible business leader that is shown with that amazing attrition rate!
What is your beauty routine? What are some of your favorite products?
I love this question! My two favorite parts of my beauty routine are for the eyes and lips. However, I do believe in quality skincare so I use the Rodan+Fields Reverse regimen. For the eyes, I use Laura Mercier eye shadows, but it’s really the lashes that are important to me. I like long eyelashes so I use Lash Boost to keep them healthy and long and my all-time favorite mascara is pink/green tube of Maybelline Great Lash!
Lastly, my mom taught me the importance of color on your lips especially as we age. I mostly use Laura Mercier, but will occasionally buy Dior, and if I am choosing red I wear MAC Ruby Red, it’s the perfect red. By the way, most of the time I use the lip liner pencil, lipstick, and gloss!
How do you balance work and life?
Whoa … balance… that’s a tough one because I can become a workaholic doing busy stuff! Through the years, I have learned to view it more as work and life harmony because there are times when one or the other requires more of me. Several of the things I do to maintain harmony are to set boundaries and to create a calendar that has work, home, and white spaces in it. For years, my husband and I have had Sunday Summitt where we share calendars. This has helped me to stay in check and keep balance as much as possible.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
Exercising, cooking, reading, and watching the sunset over our farm are the things I do to decompress. I have time in my calendar most days for exercising and reading. I like to keep things interesting so I usually choose between yoga, running/walking, or playing tennis for exercise, and I always have a business book and a fun novel on the table for reading.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
I am being interviewed during COVID-19 so the answer to this question looks much different than it would have looked two months ago. With that being said, I am planning on attending as many of our business to customer events as possible, stepping back into live networking, and enjoying living on the farm as it moves into full working mode. My husband and I are also planning on taking a long weekend trip to somewhere warm and tropical.
How can our readers connect with you?
We love to get social! So be sure and check out our website, www.huntsborohempco.com and when you join our email list you will receive a one time 10% savings code. And of course you can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I look forward to meeting you there!