Hi there! My name is Amanda and I’ve been an employee at CBD American Shaman in Wausau for a year now. This job is one that makes me want to get up and go to work everyday. I’ve always enjoyed helping others and that’s been in many different ways. Before starting my journey into the world of hemp, I was all sorts of things. Growing up around seafood restaurants my whole life, (Florida native) I started my work life as a server and really enjoyed the chaos of it all. Serving is such a fast paced job, it’s hard to really get bored with it, which also means that it’s not the easiest job to take on. I served for 13 years and was a bartender for 4 out of those 13 years before moving to Wisconsin, I even was a health and fitness coach with Beachbody. I still tended bar on occasion, because I love it, what an oddball, I know! 🙂 I started to get a little stir crazy picking up odd hours and not a regular schedule so I went looking for a job that would offer more regularity. Low and behold, I found this little CBD shop and honestly, I couldn’t believe it. I’ve been wanting to get into this industry for YEARS now and this was my opportunity. I knew a little about hemp and how it could be beneficial to the body thanks to a previous job I had, so I just couldn’t wait to learn more.
Beachbody had already awakened a passion in me for helping others live their best lives and that was only the beginning. Taking care of your physical body is just as important as taking care of your mental health as well so JUST being a fitness coach wasn’t as fulfilling for me as it could be but I couldn’t figure out what was missing. Fast forward to 5 years ago, I made the decision to move from Florida to Wisconsin and I’ve never looked back. Odd serving jobs, odd bartending hours, frustration, even becoming a yoga teacher…. That all led me here to CBD American Shaman. Not only am I still helping others care for their physical bodies, but their mental health as well, so I feel complete in this job, like nothing’s missing.
I have the best bosses in the world. The customer base is beyond amazing and the products definitely speak for themselves. While working as a health and fitness coach, more and more people were turning to CBD topical creams and serums for post workout pain management and I knew something was up with CBD. I got more and more interested in the actual hemp plant and the medicinal side of things. Anything to use less big pharma was alright with me.
After high school I was diagnosed with high-functioning anxiety and depression which of course, comes along with meds and more meds, 3-5 times a day. There was a point in time before my move to Wisco, that I couldn’t get through the day without xanax, and much to my horror, I was way too dependent on them. Each couple of doctor visits, they would up the dose and the dose just kept going up… it scared me to be honest. I was addicted to everything about them. They way they made me feel, what they made me forget about and just the “high” that came along when I took them. The day that my cousin died, it was like a wake up call… it snapped me back to reality and how little control I truly had over my life. I quit taking all my meds pretty much cold turkey and was struggling still, obviously, so I bought a cat to act as a therapy animal, which she did. Allie is the best little therapy cat I’ve ever had. <3 I soon took a vacation to Colorado because I just needed to get away. Marijuana is legal there so I went to a shop, talked to a clerk and found out that marijuana can help reduce some of the stresses that would trigger panic attacks. That was the best news I’d heard since stopping my meds. The legality of it all drove me absolutely bonkers, so I became an advocate for Marijuana and industrial hemp. The year I moved, Florida became a medical state. Finally, a step in the right direction, although it did not benefit me because I moved across the country.
Once here I turned to CBD products and I was amazed at the effectiveness of them. I didn’t want to work in a “pot” shop but I wanted to work somewhere that was more about overall health and wellness. Browsing jobs one day, I saw an ad for CBD American Shaman. I was nervous about putting in my app because this would be a huge career change but I am so glad that I did. I believe in the power of hemp and its cousin. I believe in this company. I believe in our products. I started using American Shaman CBD like literally, the week after I started working here and I’ve been using it everyday since, for a year and my son now uses CBD and CBG daily! I take CBD for my anxiety and depression but I also use the topicals for headaches, burns, muscle aches and CBG for focus and mental clarity. I don’t feel like such a basket case these days because it does help. I haven’t had a panic attack in 8 months! 8 MONTHS! I can’t believe it half the time, but at the end of the day, I am a believer. Because I’m a believer, it makes it that much easier to help our customers.
Not everyone knows about CBD and how it could benefit them, so getting to provide a little education is top notch. Everyone’s body is different, no two people are made the same when we get to body chemistry and being able to “customize” a wellness routine using our products is unbelievable. I really enjoy getting to know our customers and why they want to start using CBD because my goal at the end of the day is to help others live their best lives. I am so passionate about the benefits of hemp and I want to share it with the world so here’s to hoping for many more years with this amazing company and my amazing bosses. Thanks so much for getting to know me a little!
– Amanda
Your local certified CBD consultant.