Wear Your Advocacy: Launching the 'Rep Your State of Mind' Movement

What if you could wear your advocacy? 

Welcome to the first episode of the Rep your State of Mind podcast! 

I'm Michelle Crawford, and today I'm sharing my personal journey from teaching cannabis health to launching an advocacy apparel brand.

Learn how a spark of inspiration led to the creation of our signature "I Leaf My State or Province" design and the tireless efforts my husband and I put into creating over 70 designs for every U.S. state and Canadian province. 

Hear firsthand how our apparel is not just clothing—it's a conversation starter that helps dismantle the stigma surrounding cannabis.

Join me as I give heartfelt shout-outs to the amazing communities and individuals who've supported Rep your State of Mind, including the Cannabis Coaching Institute (CCI) and the Women Empowered Cannabis Advocates Network (WECAN.coach). 

I'll also highlight our commitment to supporting significant charities like NORML and Patients for Safe Access. 

Get a sneak peek into what's coming up this season: 12 episodes packed with inspiring stories and valuable insights. 

This is more than just a podcast—it's a movement. 

Subscribe and Rep Your State of Mind!

Transcript

Michelle: 0:00

Hello Conversation Starters and welcome to the Rep your State of Mind podcast. I'm Michelle Crawford, your host and the founder of Rep your State of Mind Advocacy Apparel and Accessories, and I want to welcome you to the Rep your State of Mind podcast, where we are going to start the conversation finally about advocating in your state finally, about advocating in your state. In this episode, we're going to talk about the launch of this new podcast, why I started the business, what Rep your State of Mind advocacy apparel and accessories can do for you, and why you should subscribe and stay tuned for more of the Rep your State of Mind podcast. Now that we're back, I want to let you know that I'm so excited that you're here. This podcast has been a long time coming.

Michelle: 0:55

As a cannabis health coach and educator, for the last three years I have been working hard teaching people how to DIY their own plant medicine and tending to my community. However, I saw a big gap in clothing. There were always incidents where people were like if only I could tell people without having to say a word, and I really got excited about that concept when I finally got the inspiration for the design that helps you advocate in your state, which is this one, the I Leaf, my State or Province design. That design is the one that launched it all for me. Over a year ago, I got wind of something that happened to some friends of mine in Michigan, where, you know, they were getting stigmatized and getting discriminated against for no good reason other than these are cannabis lifestyle people. Well, in the face of that, what can you do? You can start an advocacy apparel brand and work really hard all weekend with your husband to produce over 70 designs representing every single state in the Union of the United States, as well as every province in Canada and territory. After doing all of that, my husband and I were pretty tired, but our journey had just begun, because now I need to get the word out about these designs and help people wear them and, when they wear them, understand that they are making a difference, starting the conversation and changing the world for the better. Luckily, the design started selling to my cannabis educator friends.

Michelle: 2:35

Shout out to Cannabis Coaching Institute, where I worked for over two years as a mentor to hundreds of students coming through learning about cannabis science, how to be a coach and educator and how to spread the good word about the healthiness of living this lifestyle with the cannabis plant. Some of my customers also came from my beautiful Women Empowered Cannabis Advocates Network family that is founded by my friend Kirstie Chadsey of WeCan. I had so many people who came and bought designs from their state to represent from that community as well, because we are a tribe of cannabis health coaches and educators out there trying to make the world a better place. And what better thing to wear than rep your state of mind, you know. Another source of shout out for me is the people that have had me over to do some speaking at their events, for example, the Gathering of the Glindas in Michigan. I'm very close to Michiganers and I met so many beautiful women and men there that are close to my heart and repustiative mind, as well as CannaBliss in the Cat Skills, I gotta say, run by my friend Cannacoach JB and her beautiful wife Danielle, who also runs Superfine Social. Look them up if you need a website or marketing help as a small business. Oh my God. There could be so many more shout outs, but the two most important Rep Your State of Mind that cares about is NORML, the National Organization for Marijuana Law Reform, as well as the Patients for Safe Access, which are two charities that I, as the founder and owner Rep Your State of Mind, like to use my brand to support. So every purchase you make at Rep Your State of Mind does help me donate to those causes, and if those causes are close to your heart, like they are to mine, I know where you need to shop repyourstateofmindcom.

Michelle: 4:31

All right, what else am I supposed to share with you at this juncture? I'm supposed to also share what is coming up with the rep your state of mind season. So we are in the midst right now, so busy recording 12 episodes of this podcast for your pleasure. I think pleasure is very important and you are worthy. So what is going to happen in these 12 episodes? Some of them are definitely going to be some interviews of exciting people in our community that I want you to meet, who are using representative mind to help spread the word that canna moms should be accepted as well as celebrate pride. We're going to hear from customers who are using rep your state of mind to start their conversation in their communities. And, as a special present to you, I'm going to introduce you to three generations in my family of cannabis kitchen witches, diyers, who are making a difference in their families my own Well, so subscribe now, hit that like button on this and let me know that you're excited to spend this season of Rep your State of Mind with me and all of our friends in our growing community.

Michelle: 5:43

We're also today going to talk a little bit about when are they going to be released, these episodes. So we're going to actually release six episodes, the first batch, and then we're going to release six episodes in the next batch. That way, you get all 12 to binge all season long. For those of you that are commuters or for those of you who are working out, feel free to spread them out, but they're going to be there for you. And if you want to learn more about Rep your State of Mind, please visit us online at repyourstateofmindcom. And we do have a pretty active following at Instagram. Check us out on IG at Rep your State of Mind. That's our handle. I can't wait to see you there. I can't wait to have everybody on this channel talking and invite more of us as we grow our repping community.

Michelle: 6:31

And the last thing that I want to mention is club rep. Club rep is the greatest thing that I think can happen to a brand in any business, which is when your customers want to get together and to meet each other and to make community, and so, as a good owner of a business, I said heck, yes. And started club rep this year. What is club rep? It's our membership, where you can be with other people who are like-minded with you. I'm going to have virtual meetings and in-person meetings.

Michelle: 7:03

The first one is this July in Las Vegas, where we are going to explore normalization and destigmatization of the legal consumption lounge scene there in person. So if you want to be one of the first people in America to check out some of these new consumption lounges, some of which are only like a month old, please visit repyourstateofmindcom. We have a blog there and tickets for sale for you to join us in Las Vegas this July. I'm also planning a sexy Santa Cruz session in the fall with the canna-sexual Ashley Manta, my dear friend and a juggernaut in the pleasure and cannabis space. So if you're interested in things like that, you're in the right space here at the Rep your State of Mind podcast. So, with all that said, please like and subscribe and stay with us as we advocate for our state of mind at repyourstateofmindcom. See you on the next episode. Bye.