I have to confess, while I have many friends who are, I am not super familiar with the world of cannabis. But that is going to stop us from learning about the best of Austin. We first heard about Restart CBD when they were voted the best place to get CBD in Austin. And if there was any doubt that we should talk with them, it was definitely gone after we learned about their co-founder and CEO, Shayda Torabi. Not only is she a business owner, she’s also a podcaster, educator, and all around woman about town.
We’ve clearly got a lot to cover. Settle in and get ready to learn about Shayda, where you can learn even more about Shayda, and if you stay to the very end….we’ll tell you how you can experience everything Restart CBD has to offer for free.
EAA: How did you get into the CBD industry?
Shayda: I’ve always been pro-cannabis, but I got into the industry after experiencing the benefits of CBD for pain and inflammation firsthand after an auto-pedestrian accident I was in where I was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road. I fractured my pelvis and my journey with chronic pain has been an evolving one, but CBD was and remains a plant-based way for me to manage my pain and that experience is what inspired and empowered my sisters and I to get into the industry and launch our own brand rooted in education and quality.
EAA: What makes Restart different from other CBD sources?
Shayda: Our difference is our why, we really believe in the power of cannabis and enjoy educating ourselves as an organization and empowering our consumers and community with resources to guide them along their canna-curious journeys. The unfortunate reality is the CBD market is unregulated and especially in the early days when we first launched there were a lot of “snake oil” sentiments so we really had to fight hard against that stigma that CBD was just a placebo and really educate on how to read labels, what is CBD vs THC, what are the different consumption methods, etc. The reality is everyone’s bodies are different, and cannabis works at a biological level so your diet, and your reason for taking it, are all variables that would be impacted by how you consume it (smokable vs edible) and especially how much. For example, a dose of 20mg of CBD in me might react differently than 20mg of CBD in your body, so our difference is really in addressing those FAQs and making people feel comfortable exploring cannabis.
EAA: Who are your ideal customers?
Shayda: We of course welcome everyone to explore cannabis with us, however, our ideal customer is someone who is looking for natural relief and being empowered to take control of their own health and wellness journeys. We know that “Feeling good” isn’t linear, and some days you may need more help than others. Cannabis in general can be very situational, you want to sleep through the night, or you want to ease flight anxiety, but it also has a lot of benefits that become unlocked the more you trial and error, different doses, different applications, etc and build consistency. We see people exploring cannabis for anxiety, sleep, pain, inflammation, relaxation, and recreation to name a few. And no one reason is right or wrong, but again it’s empowering to know how to use the plant and the products to help you achieve the feeling you are seeking so we really get excited when customers come in looking to be informed because that’s where we shine.
EAA: When did you get to Austin?
Shayda: Born and raised! Our dad immigrated from Iran in the ’70s to Temple, Texas, and our mom is originally from Houston, Texas, but eventually, our parents met in Austin and we’ve had the pleasure of calling the 512 home ever since. It’s been a dream to grow up here, Austin is of course casually cool, so to watch the city become so big, yet still feel so intimate in so many ways is a special feeling we’ll always cherish.
EAA: What would you recommend to people moving here?
Shayda: Now that Austin is exploding in growth, I would just say to explore! There is so much to do and to see in Central Texas, it’s been fun rediscovering old watering holes, and seeing new restaurants and activities pop up. There is literally something going on at all times, but probably the best thing to enjoy is our outdoors. Go walk Town Lake, float on the San Marcos river, or day trip and hike Enchanted Rock, I think outside time in Austin is some of my favorite time.
EAA: What is your favorite Austin thing that most people don’t know about?
Shayda: FoodHeads, is one of my favorite OG Austin restaurants that have been serving delicious deli sandwiches for over 20 years. It’s nostalgia for me, and I order the same thing every time, the fish torta served with their housemade pickles. Pro tip, sit on the patio with a bag of Zapp’s chips and you’ve got yourself one of the tastiest lunches in town.
EAA: Any charities or non-profits you are interested in/work with/otherwise want to give a shout-out to?
Shayda: Because of the nature of our industry, we’re really involved in organizations that can help advocate and champion better cannabis policy in our state and country. Specifically, we love working with and supporting, the Texas Hemp Coalition, the leading hemp advocacy nonprofit where I sit on the executive board. We’re gearing up for the 2023 Texas Legislative session which will be the next opportunity to see cannabis policy reform in Texas. In addition to that, we have partnered with a nonprofit called Leaf411, a cannabis nurse-staffed hotline, that provides medical support to consumers looking to explore cannabis medicinally. There is a fine line between what we can and can’t say that cannabis helps with per the FDA, so it’s been awesome to see the work Leaf411 is doing, educating medical professionals as well as consumers, and to be able to offer their services to our RESTART customers is an added bonus to help bridge that gap of information!
I told you she was impressive. If you want to stay in touch with Shayda, you have a couple of options. There is her podcast, Twitter, Instagram, or her LinkedIn. You won’t regret it.
And finally, if you want to check out Restart CBD for yourself, we are giving away a gift card to one of our subscribers. All you have to do is make sure you have signed up to our mailing list by Aug 22 and you’re entered to win. It’s really a no-brainer for if you’re interested in cannabis or just having a good time in Austin.