‘Tis the Season to be Hapsy
According to this Southern entrepreneur, just a dropper full of CBD oil helps the holiday stress go down
Words by Nicole Letts
Photos by Tiffany Mizzell & Alice Park
Andrea Wightwick’s CBD journey began as a secret. As a marketing professional, Andrea spent her days advising multi-billion-dollar businesses about consumer targeting and growth opportunities. “I'd fly to like St. Louis or New Jersey to give a presentation and tell executives how to restructure an entire brand. I’d be in the conference room hearing my heartbeat in my ears and nothing else. I definitely had the tenure and the experience, but I couldn’t shake the imposter syndrome,” she recalls. On a trip to Colorado, Andrea made her way to a dispensary and decided to try CBD, an acronym for cannabidiol, one of the active compounds derived from a hemp plant that doesn’t contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
But even five years ago, CBD was largely unheard of, especially in the professional space. “CBD is still a very negatively connotated word in the United States, and especially in the South where we kind of have this recreational state desert,” Andrea explains. “So, I did what any normal woman would do: I’d shimmy the CBD bottle into my sleeve, so no one could see it. I would also have a travel mouthwash bottle because I didn't want to be caught by the association of scent. Because that's the last thing I need at a place where I'm regularly drug tested.” These repeated shimmy sessions became Andrea’s aha moments. “I shouldn't have felt bad about being seen with this. It's not illegal, but as a professional person, it wasn’t something I wanted to be caught dead with.” And the irony of her stress reliever only causing more stress-inducing situations was not lost on Andrea. There had to be a better way. And there was.
Andrea turned to a geneticist at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The key was in refining and isolating the CBD. “When you get CBD by itself, it is non-flavored, and it has no scent. It’s actually the rest of the plant's composition where you get that grassy, chemical smell and taste.” That’s when Andrea’s fire was lit. A self-described risk-averse person, Andrea approached the industry head-on. “I was hell-bent on making a great product because the consumer deserves it.”
What makes Hapsy unlike other CBDs on the market is its weight and flavor. According to Andrea, many CBD oils are hosted, or blended, with MCT oil, a fatty oil made from medium chain triglycerides. Unlike a majority of its competitors, Hapsy is hosted in safflower oil, which is a flavorless, gentle oil for both tastebuds and the digestive system. Hapsy CBD is available in two flavors, Pure Plant, which is flavorless, and Hint of Mint.
To help determine when to take Hapsy, Andrea says to determine your trouble time, and try to take one dropper dose about an hour before that time. For some, that might be the 3 p.m. brain fog and fatigue. For others, it might be before bed to keep your racing thoughts at bay. You might have multiple trouble times throughout the day, and Hapsy is safe to take as often as needed. The key is to have self-awareness of your body, so you can calibrate and adjust as needed.
“Forty-five percent of people go to try CBD because of anxiety, and then 40 percent right after that because of stress,” says Andrea, and with the holidays upon us, you may find yourself within one of those statistical groups. As the social creatures we are, this time of year can be particularly challenging, with maintaining the exciting hamster wheel of holiday events, classroom parties, and social happenings, all while maintaining the spirit of the season. Andrea says Hapsy could be the best holiday gift to yourself.
“A lot of our consumers like the idea of having a mocktail to celebrate in that ritual [of social drinking], that tradition of making something and feeling a little more festive, especially around the holidays, but it doesn't always have to be alcohol,” explains Andrea. “We've developed swapping out that cocktail hour. I call it hapsy hour instead of happy hour.”
Andrea’s preferred festive mocktail is made with cranberry and orange juice, agave, club soda, and a dropper of Hapsy’s Pure Plant CBD. “We wanted something that was bodied because a lot of times around the holidays, people want bourbon drinks, and this one hits that richer note,” she explains.
Of course, if you find yourself unable to conjure visions of sugarplums, or if you need a boost to finish a day of shopping, turn to a dose of Hapsy. Even St. Nick would approve. “At the end of the day, CBD is not supposed to be intimidating. As a business owner in this industry, I think that’s what I want to hone in on as much as possible.”
Hapsy's Cranberry Fizz
1 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice
2 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice (not cranberry cocktail)
½ oz. agave nectar
40 mg. (one full dropper) Hapsy's Pure Plant Daily Drop
Unflavored sparkling water
Orange slice for garnish
Frozen cranberries for garnish
Instructions: Pour first four ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to combine. Strain into a serving glass with fresh ice. Top off with sparkling water. Frozen cranberries will float as a garnish, or you can use a cocktail pick to decorate your cocktail with the cranberries and orange slice.