Post Shift Podcast #129 - Kelly Ann Woods of State B Beverages

This was a great conversation with award winning hospitality entrepreneur, Kelly Ann Woods of State B Beverages, we chat about the spark that put her on this journey along with creating and launching a niche cannabis brand during the pandemic. This is an inspiring episode for anyone looking at breaking out on their own.

Who is Kelly Woods?

It could be said that everything in Kelly’s life led her to creating a line of botanically-infused cannabis beverages. Growing up in a counter-culture community in rural Quebec, she was surrounded by people who grew their own food and herbs – including cannabis- so she gained a profound appreciation and understanding of the healing power of plants from an early age.

She developed her early entrepreneurial spirit as a child, making and selling hair accessories at local markets. As a teen, she began working in the restaurant industry, which led to gaining accreditation as a sommelier from Algonquin College in her early 20’s.

Around the same time, she also developed a passion for acting, and studied theatre at college – a passion that carries on to this day, with recent appearances in television series such as the Twilight Zone, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow.

As many in the acting profession do, she continued to work in the hospitality industry, advancing to roles in management, and becoming an award-winning mixologist along the way.

A move from Vancouver, BC to Squamish inspired her to create a craft distillery, making premium gin and vodka, along with an in-house cocktail lounge that received rave reviews from locals and travelers alike. Success in this venture led her to winning several business awards, including the RBC Women of Influence award, BC Businesswoman of the Year, and the Western Canada CANIE Woman Entrepreneur Award.

During this period, she came up with the idea of creating a line of herbal-infused syrups that could be used in mixing both cocktails and mocktails, recognizing that there was an ever-growing community of people who were ‘sober-curious’ yet still wanted to be able to enjoy delicious beverages in a social setting. This led to forming Brujera Elixirs Inc., and the Boozewitch line of shrubs and tonics. Each flavour included carefully chosen health-promoting herbs, including several that Kelly wildcrafted herself!

As if that didn’t keep her busy enough, she founded two community organizations and became a mom to a son, now 4.

Life threw her a curveball, however, when she developed a serious allergy to molds, and realized that she could no longer carry on working in a distillery. A moment of serendipity arrived when she discovered an article in Forbes magazine about a woman-led accelerator for entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry called The Initiative, which she joined shortly thereafter.

Kelly’s insight into the world of parenting, health-consciousness, and the growing movement of people choosing sobriety, along with her ingrained knowledge of flavours and herbal medicine led to the founding of State B Beverage Co. She personally engaged in the creation of each and every product in the Brujera Elixirs family of drinks.

With State B, Kelly is offering consumers a way to not only ‘elevate their state’, but to also boost performance of their bodies and minds, while providing a delicious alternative to alcohol that could be enjoyed in either social setting, or on one’s own.

A line of non-medicated beverages called Elevé (with the same formulations as State B, but without cannabis) and a line of ready-to-drink medicinal mushroom drinks, called Shroom Boom, are set for release in 2022.

TEXT ME on COMMUNITY - +1 250 999-4182

Share a dram with the hospitality industry’s top global talents: bartenders, venue owners, distillers and industry aficionados. Shawn Soole has lived, breathed, and imbibed hospitality for decades. Now, he delves into the advice, opinions, and provocative stories that are helping to define the creative, culturally-necessary space of ‘modern hospitality’—covering topics from front-of-house service, to back-end business operations, and every inch between.

“Tales of the Cocktail” - Top 10 Best Broadcast or Podcast (2020).

New episodes posted every Tuesday and Friday.

Soole Hospitality Concepts https://www.instagram.com/soolehospitalityconcepts/

POST SHIFT PODCAST, HospitalityShawn SooleJuly 9, 2021Comment