Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Galeski.
Hi Mary, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I got a call from my sister Margaret (Margaret Latham, DPT) in the fall of 2018. She told me she was planning on starting a business selling CBD and seemed, frankly, to expect some sort of negative reaction on my part. Possibly concern for her wellbeing or concern for her sanity – I wasn’t really sure. Mainly I wasn’t sure how to respond because, at that time, I had no idea what CBD was.
It seems astonishing now with all we have learned and where we are now that only a little over three years ago I had only the vaguest notion of what cannabis therapeutics were. Of course, out of concern for my sister, I immediately started doing a lot of research. She was miles ahead of me by that time – having already taken classes at Learn Sativa University and completed “Healer” training with Dr. Dustin Sulak. What I learned was promising from a point of view of the potential to help people and from the doors that were opening legally.
There was, of course, a great deal of hype around the billions of dollars early entrants were going to make in the still fledgling industry. This hype was and still is that – hype. But it did lead many unscrupulous players to enter the scene to capitalize on it. Poor quality and fraudulent products still permeate the market. Loose (or non-existent) regulations lead to legitimate consumer skepticism. And – as in any business venture – being a smaller player means being subject to limitations that big money investors can easily overcome.
Given the obstacles, why did Margaret decide to get into CBD? It wasn’t the hype. In her case, it was the simple truth. She has been a physical therapist specializing mostly in geriatric care for over 20 years. Somewhere along the way, she started hearing from some of her clients that their pain, sleeplessness, and anxiety were being helped by CBD. A great deal of study and some formal education later, she found herself astonished that, as a healthcare practitioner, she had never known that cannabis could be used to improve people’s quality of life on many fronts – all without getting anyone high. She found herself asking the same question many others had been. That is, “why isn’t everyone in healthcare using these products?”
She invested in some quality products, launched a website, started attending community events, and began the search for a physical space where she could combine her passion for physical therapy and CBD. My role at that point was being a supportive sister and customer, but then there was a dramatic change in my circumstances, and I found myself looking for new opportunities. My longtime friend and mentor basically said – “what are you waiting for? Join your sister.” It is really an excellent blend of skills – she has a healthcare background and I had spent 20 years in retail management and consulting.
Our mother was in favor of the idea and decided to support us in the endeavor. She literally sold the family farm to fund our business – allowing both of us to concentrate on Blue Lotus Wellness full time. Many struggles later, we were able to open in April of 2020. There have been and continue to be struggles along the way, but we are developing a growing list of clients who enjoy our products and services. It is hard to put into words the joy we feel whenever a client tells us what a difference our products and services make. That is the one thing that continues to make all the struggles worthwhile.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth? No. Worth it? Yes. Margaret and I naively thought we would find a space and set up shop and away we would go. This was Spring of 2019 and we both thought we would be operational by fall. The world had slightly different ideas. Our first struggle – most retail spaces would not rent to us – despite the “Dr.” in front of Margaret’s name. Those that said “maybe” had some strange beliefs. Some landlords still thought CBD was illegal. Others were concerned about optics. One thought our lotus logo was a cannabis leaf. Two negotiated with us for weeks and then decided to go with established chains instead of us. One strung us out for months because he was still being paid by the previous tenant. Another wanted the lease terms to include their right to kick us out with only 30 days’ notice. Finally, we found a landlord willing to talk to us and understand our business concept. So, away we went.
Our second struggle was by far the worst, and it was one many small businesses endured – or couldn’t endure. We took possession of our new space on February 5, 2020. The whole world knows what happened in March of 2020. No amount of business planning can anticipate a worldwide pandemic. We got done with our build-out and Orlando was in the middle of lock down. We opened to a resounding thud. No one wanted wellness treatments. Margaret’s specialty is post-operative care, and no one was getting surgery. We were a new business, and no one was venturing anywhere outside of their comfort zone. To add insult to injury – because we were not open before March 9th, we did not qualify for any federal relief funds. We realize that countless businesses struggled and failed during this time. Including many who had been established for years. And, unfortunately for us and for them – it still isn’t over.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Margaret has what we call “alphabet soup” after her name – Margaret Latham, MA, PT, DPT, CLT-LANA, ALM, GTS. She spent years in rehabilitative care and is exceptionally skilled in both pain relief and relaxation. She is currently focusing on post-operative manual lymph drainage following surgery, cupping massage and Graston Technique for soft tissue mobilization and pain relief, and fitness assessment and planning (especially for seniors).
As for me – Mary Galeski, MBA and CPA (Certified Professional Aromatherapist). I have a varied business and consulting background and in-depth knowledge of the therapeutic value of Essential Oils. I primarily enjoy educating and consulting with our customers.
Both of us hold multiple certifications in cannabis therapeutics and pride ourselves in being able to guide patients to understand if, when, and what, cannabis products may be most useful for them. We have read literally thousands of lab reports, vetted 100s of brands, and carefully curated a selection of high-quality and effective products. Cannabis is not the right solution for everyone, but if it is going to help you, we can help you find the product, method of consumption, and dosing that’s right for you.
How do you think about luck?
Well, oddly, it turned out to be lucky that I lost my job. If I hadn’t, I never would have ventured out of my comfort zone and thus, would not have been able to help so many people. And it was exceptionally lucky that our mother stepped up with additional funding. We never would have survived the initial delays and circumstances without it.
There is also one way in which the pandemic may have helped us – everyone is suffering from unprecedented rates of anxiety. Our products help most with anxiety, so we have been able to grow despite the overall situation. In this regard, we feel lucky – as we have been able to survive when so many others couldn’t. We are hoping 2022 will bring the ability to thrive rather than just survive!
Contact Info:
- Email: info@bluelotuswellnessandcbd.com
- Website: www.bluelotuswellnessandcbd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluelotuswellnessandcbd/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueLotusWellnessBoutique
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/blue-lotus-wellness-and-cbd-boutique-ocoee-2?osq=blue+lotus+wellness
