Silvia Orizaba

Customers are ALWAYS looking for good, solid products. Figure out how you can deliver them better than someone else, and you will win.

 

Silvia Orizaba is the founder of Sacred Enterprises and the catalyst behind the Sacred line of pain relief products using hemp seed oil. She has been in the cannabis industry since 2012, and she has created products using cannabis and its by-products throughout her career. In her current role, she is responsible for shaping the strategic direction of Sacred’s line of hemp oil products for its retail plan, its marketing and its product development.

Previously, she served as Founder and CEO of CAI, an organization that invested in product development, education and regulation for companies interested in the cannabis industry. CAI operated four companies—Cannabis Training Institute, Get Sacred, Hemp Sacred and one that brokered and sold dispensary licenses in Illinois and Nevada—and served as an advisor to several cannabis companies across the United States.

Where did the idea for Sacred Enterprises come from?

I have been in the cannabis industry since 2012, having had my own chain of fitness studios. A client of mine used cannabis for aches and pains and I was intrigued from there.

The name comes from Sacred being the Seed of Life. The idea for the current line of Sacred products come from having created a line of pain relief products using hemp seed oil. When combined with other natural ingredients, pain goes away. Thankfully, I have had a number of customers share their experiences with my product online, and I am looking forward to building that same experience for our newest line of CBD products as well.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

I wish I could say that I have a typical day. These days, our business is separated into two parts–our online business and our physical/store business. On May 1, we opened our first physical store in Northbrook Court, in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago. On July 15 and August 1, we are opening our second and third stores in other Chicago area malls–including one in Water Tower Place in downtown Chicago. As a small business owner, I have my hands in many pots–I am intent on building our online and physical stores, and I am also intent on getting our products in other retail channels. All the while, I have to remain focused and productive. There is no down time.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Ideas come to life by working together with the team of people around me, and keeping the team focused. I know what I know, but I also know what I don’t know. Listening to people around me–a PR team, a brand team, a community events person, my retail staff, my manufacturers–they make the ideas come to life for me.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Being in the business of cannabis, it’s easy for me to be excited about lies ahead for this industry. What REALLY gets me excited is working with others on the future of cannabis/CBD compliance. I want to be in the position to work with the FDA and other policymakers on how to regulate products in this industry and create a level of product consistency so that consumers can know and appreciate what they are buying.

I have seen how cannabis’ growth has evolved from being an “ingestible” product to being a “topical” product. Topicals and pain relief is where the science and innovation for our industry is headed. We should be focused on pushing this forward so more consumers can appreciate what it can do.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Quite simply, I do the best I can every day, keeping my self-balance physically and mentally.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Keep focused and stay organized.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

Sacred’s pain products will be the number one product demanded by consumers within the next 10 years.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Keep moving forward. Never give up.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

The one thing that I do is focusing on improving my products’ formulas and brands. I thrive on listening to consumer feedback trying to keep an open mind. I want to keep a solid team together and always creating a win-win for our consumers and business partners.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

I believed that the process of growing the business would be easy if I kept moving forward and innovating as part of my growth. I get around that by going back to what I know–focus. Figure out the best way to get to the end of the tunnel if there is a roadblock in my way.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Customers are ALWAYS looking for good, solid products. Figure out how you can deliver them better than someone else, and you will win.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

Purchasing the first ingredients for Sacred because I proved to myself and customers that these products really help people with their pain.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I believe in people over technology–they are the ultimate form of technology.

What is your favorite quote?

“Never give up.” Jim Valvano, ESPY AWARDS
“Keep moving forward.”
“Always do right by others.”

Key Learnings:

• Sacred will be successful–and entrepreneurs will be successful–if they stay focused on the prize that matters most to them.
• Customers are always looking for products that work better than what they currently have. Sacred delivers on that promise.
• Being in business for yourself means doing right by others. It makes a difference in how you create and shape your brand.

Connect:

www.cbdsacred.com