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5 Questions with Olivia Mannix of Cannabrand

Olivia Mannix of Cannabrand

1. Please tell me about yourself. What do you do? What brought you to cannabis? Do you enjoy the plant? 

I am an award winning entrepreneur,  marketing plant medicine advocate, and spiritual guide and coach/mentor. 

I founded the first ever cannabis marketing/PR/branding agency and consultancy Cannabrand in 2013 on the onset burgeoning cannabis industry. It disrupted both the cannabis and advertising industries. 

Cannabrand specializes in creating cannabis brands and defining their identities and purpose in an ever-evolving, increasingly competitive marketplace. I have dedicated my life to removing negative stereotypes and stigmas from cannabis and “rebranding” the entire industry. This has been done by creating, educating, internationally speaking, employing, inspiring others to do the same and live their purpose. 

I started working as a kid, doing any odd job I could talk my way into. Helping out in the neighbor’s garden, selling handmade jewelry or art, lemonade stands, nannying,  you name it! 

I got more serious when I was 13 years old, I would work ‘under the table’  at a retail children’s clothing shop in Connecticut where I grew up.

As a kid, I really loved working with people and being a helper. I loved to create my own abundance in all areas of life. I was always fascinated in learning everything I could and still am.

I felt compelled to help everywhere I felt there was an opportunity. 

At the University of Colorado at Boulder, I earned some important internships working for Fortune 500 companies where I was able to learn first hand, the ins and outs of corporate business. I was adamant about getting tons of experience before I entered the “workforce.”

Little did I know, I was going to be creating my own companies. 

I am blessed to have come from a very hard working and successful family.  Many members of whom continue to inspire me to spread my entrepreneurial wings and push the business envelope in new and exciting ways.   My great-great grandfather was Elmer Ambrose Sperry who invented the first electric car in Europe and uses it for the Gyroscope, including Auto-Pilot. He was known as the “Father of Modern Navigation Technology.”

From an early age, I knew that I must absolutely be able to  work for myself so no one could limit my drive or desire to grow.  I did not want anything to stand in my way from manifesting my own reality. 

At only 23, I created my first start-up called MARCA Strategic (Marca translates to “brand” in Spanish, Italian and Portuguese), which is a marketing and branding agency and a holding company.

I was drawn to cannabis because I believe that there are so many medicinal values and uses for cannabis. I am so happy to see how much progress we have made in 7 years (since the Adult Use Legalization in Denver in 2013). 

I was also in the right place at the right time –It was fate,  and was able to take the risk of creating the legal industry in its infancy. I remember a ‘limiting belief’ I would tell myself that I would probably never be able to get a “real job” after I took the big leap into the cannabis industry — due to the stigma other industries placed on the cannabis space.  (I’m so proud that we’ve come such a long way to legitimize this industry, but there is still a lot of work to be done!)  I’m proud of the part that I have been able to play in moving the industry forward and grateful for the opportunity to help so many people with my acumen of marketing and of cannabis. It is incredibly rewarding to me and drives me to want to do more. 

I have recently launched Psilocybrand, which is dedicated to the research and data surrounding the use of psychedelics as a medicine. It is also working with a handful of  publicly traded Psychedelic Science and Data companies  for their marketing and strategy needs.  There is a TON of work that needs to be done in these spaces to further our understanding of how the plants can and are used medicinally.

I feel that plant medicine is a conduit to feeling and awakening into elevated frequencies and dimensions. I am certainly not a proponent of using plant medicine as a vice, but rather as an opportunity to give people with illness and depression hope and to learn that there is so much more to this life than what meets the eye. I also want to make it clear that you can ascend not using any substances, through thoughts and feelings,  breathwork, meditation and just your vibrations of emotions (energy in motion)  you are radiating and attracting at all times.

My greatest expertise is not only marketing, business strategy and creation, but also the ability to help business professionals and their companies to understand how to step into their highest empowerment by aligning their passion and vibration with their greatest purpose.

“Do you enjoy the plant” 

Absolutely! I am growing a gorgeous Sour Tangie plant I named “Buddy” in my garden this year and am thrilled. I have been a cannabis enthusiast for a very long time, but have never had enough space to grow my own. I use cannabis almost everyday.  I use it in my baths, on my body when I have aches and pains, and sometimes in cooking.

Olivia and her Sour Tangie Plant Buddy!

2. What does your company do better than its competition? What kind of obstacles do you face every day? 

I really enjoy combusting a beautiful flower everyday when my work has been done, or sometimes during the day as a motivation and creative inspiration.  I am also very athletic, practice yoga and go hiking almost everyday. So i’m excited I have been able to break the “lazy stoner” stigma. 

Our competition uses “Cannabrand” (the word I made up)  as their Google Adwords, if that tells you a little something. 

Our marketing strategy in the cannabis game is second to none. 

My company and team have dedicated themselves to being of service to others. 

We love our clients and partners and blast them with positive energy and results!

Usually the CEO of a company does not work with all of their clients personally, but I do, because I love to use my strategic genius to help companies and be involved as much as I can. 

We have an incredible team that is all on the same level about our mission and values so we are always on the top of our game!

We are different from our competition because we were the first to launch and I disrupted this industry back in 2013. We were on the cover of the New York Times Styles Sunday with an article titled: “The Rebranding of Pot Inc.”   We build extremely valuable brands and then get to promote them. We are proud that our clients have gone on to thrive and range from 10M-500M valuation in size.

3. What are your six-and twelve-month goals? 

One obstacle that we face is that Cannabis is still very stigmatized and has a long way to go. It is highly censored when trying to communicate facts and has a long way to go with legislation, research and data to name a few.  It is difficult to advertise cannabis companies because of Facebook and Google’s community guidelines. 

My 6-12 month goals are to watch our world receive healing and to be a catalyst of healing.

I will continue to expand my team and our areas of reach. I would like to be able to create even more abundance for people during “these times.” I am also working on a few special projects including a retreat series, where expansion, abundance, and business meet. 

Cannabrand/Psilocybrand and Superconscious leaders have also launched a series of  Spiritual Expansion Retreats for people who are purpose driven and willing to live their best lives while manifesting their passions. I have used my vast experience in business, energy healing and creation for this.

Olivia Mannix of Cannabrand

4. What kind of food do you like? Favorite food memory from childhood? Who taught you to cook (if you do cook)? 

I absolutely love to cook!  My mother is French, so I grew up always eating incredibly healthy French style meals. I was able to be in the family kitchen and stood by my mother and her mother (Mamette’s) side my entire life watching them cook and helping them. I was always so impressed – they could make miracles out of scratch.

My favorite food is ACTUALLY SUSHI- and Uni to be exact. I love the brininess, the weirdness and the whole experience of it. I also love to cook, and get to cook dinner pretty much every night from scratch for my husband and I. My favorite thing to cook is smoked salmon eggs benedict! 

Olivia Mannix of Cannabrand

5. What is your passion? 

What is my passion? Everything I have discussed above and my Husband and new puppy Stella.

I am living my life on purpose with no fear. Everything that I am doing and what I have dedicated my life to.