Get Connected, Inspire Wellness, and #Share Hemp!
Author – Kelly Lea Christensen, Founder of Canvas Boutique and Dispensary
Halfway through my career, I can FINALLY say that I figured out what I am supposed to do everyday! Why did it take so long? Well, let’s just say, that my team at Canvas, who often wonder, “Where is Kelly taking us next?” is happy to know that we finally have a roadmap for our journey!
1. Get connected!
2. Inspire Wellness!
3. And #ShareHemp!
To my old friends in the Canvas Community who have wondered “Where is Kelly? She used to be in the store…She used to be on social media…” I will explain. And to the new Canvas Community members, “Hello! I can’t wait to get to know you!”
I started Canvas in 2017 and was in the store full-time and loving it. That was my forte, connecting with people and making the store a welcoming environment to all people (and going overboard on beautiful window displays)! In 2019, I locked myself in my office to write applications for medical marijuana licenses that seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity for my team. I imagine I should have started writing then to keep our loyal community informed on “Canvas News” but I will sum it up for you now! It wasn’t easy. We didn’t win any licenses and it was a hardship many other deserving minority owned small businesses went through as well. Well, we went on to open two other small stores right before the pandemic hit our country and within a few months, I made the hard decision to close them and focus on what we have in Maplewood! Well, I think that sums it up and I don’t want to bore you about the past when I have exciting announcements to share with you!
1. Get Connected!
One year ago, I relocated to Wichita, KS to be with my family and live the life I was meant to in the country with my horses and garden. However, working from home has taught me the hard way that no matter how creative you are, life is boring without community! One day I got inspired and decided I had to do something about it! I am a creative multi-tasker, so starting something new takes a lot of patience, perseverance and once you have been isolated for a while, I found that connection also requires confidence and a bit of warming up too! As an artist at heart, it became important for me to be really authentic so that I could create genuine connections but that also meant I had to stop hiding behind my desk and share the other side of me. I created a simple website to share my artwork and my current journal about failure, faith, forgiveness and celebrating survival. So if you feel inclined, you can get to know a lot about me by just a quick glimpse of my paintings .
To make connection easier and to serve you with exceptional customer service, you can now book a zoom with me right from our website! It is free and not a sales gimmick! So don’t be shy! If you are shopping online and you really want my opinion or if you just have questions – please feel free to connect with me. I am also available for live chat if you just want to send a message or question! It goes straight to my phone so it is just like texting! I would love to get to know new clients, connect with old friends or answer any questions about cannabinoids or the products I love so much!!
2 . Inspiring Wellness
Stepping into the Canvas retail store, it is easy to experience our unique vibe and be inspired by our team members who are great examples of what we have coined as true hemp lifestylists! To make that energy accessible to our clients all the time, we are showcasing our new motto, Inspiring Wellness, on social media! We are going to be sharing our personal DIY inspiration, wellness, and sustainability techniques on social media along with highlights from others we consider to be Luminaries! Picking up on a theme I started in 2018, “Look Up!”, Canvas is now your go to on social media for feel good encouraging vibes. So, if you need a pick me up, follow us on social media! You can expect some puppy, sunshine and rainbow fluff but we will also be sharing our research from experts in the field on how to revive inspiration when the well has gone dry!
At Canvas, since the beginning, we have had a program to help people with the costs of CBD if they were in financial need and had Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, ALS or Autism. Yet, over the past year I realized that just giving discounts wasn’t enough. I wanted to do more. Most of you have probably seen the Canvas phrase, #ShareHemp, on posters in the store and on our social media posts. Well, let me say the phrase started spinning around in my head and has never left me alone. Finally, I slowed down to listen, and then I knew that #ShareHemp was destined to be more than a rewards program and our social media hashtag. When you really think about it, (and let me tell you I did!) the ways and reasons to #ShareHemp are vast and due to the pandemic and climate change, I believe they are critical at this point in time.
So as a multi-tasking doer, I did something about it! And I am thrilled to finally announce the official launch of The Share Hemp Foundation! Our founding team is committed to getting hemp into the hands of people who cannot access it and truly need it! Our core belief is that we must #ShareHemp because Hemp Equals Hope and that is what the world needs right now!
Did you notice, our original motto – Hemp Equals Hope, has also found its true purpose as well!
Deepak Chopra wrote:
The universe operates through dynamic exchange… giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow in energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.
For me, abundance means inspiration, a cup overflowing, and confidence to keep going on an uphill journey in hard times. So here we go – all of us on the same journey towards wellness and sustainability. And as we have heard so many times before, we truly are all in this together. It is your loyalty to Canvas that created The Share Hemp Foundation, so please know that you can proudly say with me that we …
“I #ShareHemp because Hemp Equals Hope!”
And as I sign off, I have to say thank you again for loving hemp and being in the Canvas Community. You mean the world to us!
