Check Out Brook Richie’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brook Richie.

Hi Brook, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My business, my dream manifested, Bee’s Wellness Café, is very personal. By grace, God showed me my true path via an essential tremor that I developed while cleaning a patient’s teeth several years ago. I had been a dental hygienist for 15 years when I was diagnosed with an “essential tremor.” My doctor sent me for multiple tests only to determine that they did not know the cause but were quick to prescribe a pill. I had never considered another career, but I was realistic. I knew that I could not continue as a dental hygienist with a tremor. This diagnosis was very emotional and scary. However, it was the catalyst that started me on my holistic journey.

After some preliminary research, I decided that my first stop would be a local CBD shop. I informed the proprietor of my tremor, and he gave me a sample of some CBD. He then provided some information, but not much about education or dosage for my particular condition. This scenario played out repeatedly as I visited one CBD shop after another. I purchased several CBD tinctures along the way with little to no results for my tremor. I did not give up. My husband and I started doing some significant research, a deep dive. We quickly discovered that not all CBD is created equal. Many extraction methods determine the outcome and quality of CBD, not to mention the crops of the actual hemp flower.

We even spoke to hemp farmers directly, and they were more than happy to oblige us. Terms like; broad-spectrum, full-spectrum, isolate, endocannabinoid system, CB1 & CB2 receptors, terpenes and flavonoids became part of our everyday vocabulary. We were “shocked” to find out that the United States is waaaayy behind on cannabis research compared to countries like Israel, the Netherlands, and even the Czech Republic. There was not much ” hands-on ” research with patients except for people like Leonard Leinow and Juliana Birnbaum out of California; there was not much “hands-on” research with actual patients. We are now catching up to the rest of the world on cannabis. About a year into our study, I discovered a particular CBD extract. By this time, I had found a good quality CBD oil working “ok .”

Nothing, however, was working quite as well or as fast as smoking CBD hemp flower, which was not something I necessarily wanted to be doing all the time. The specific oil I discovered was in water-soluble form. CBD in water-soluble form by far gave me the best results as my hand stopped shaking almost immediately after consumption! Switching from oil with an absorption rate of 30% at best to a water-soluble with nearly 100% absorption was a game-changer! My tremor was non-existent even after several weeks of using the CBD water-soluble. I decided right there and then that I would share our research with anyone that would listen. I made it my mission to inform anyone with ears to hear to try CBD before a pill…but not just any CBD.

I formed my company and started setting up at any farmer’s markets and health fairs that would have me. With the knowledge equivalent to a master’s in cannabis, the right products to back me up, and now with a year of experience selling directly to the public, I set my sights on a brick-and-mortar store! For the last two years, I have managed to stay off my blood pressure and cholesterol meds and gabapentin for my back. My tremor is still entirely under control! I, of course, checked with my doctor. I did not just stop taking my meds; however, based on my new test results, my doctor gave me the go-ahead to stop taking my blood pressure and cholesterol meds! Doctors told me that I would never be able to stop taking my meds and that I would need back surgery! I could quickly have fallen into the pharmaceutical trap! Instead, I decided to take my health into my own hands. In addition to adding CBD to my daily regimen, I also changed my diet and began stretching. Before CBD, I was in a catch-22 as I could not even think of getting on a yoga mat because of my back. In hindsight, I got more relief from CBD than I ever did with gabapentin, which allowed me to start stretching…and that has made all the difference! My back pain has also been non-existent to this day. We continue to sample various CBD/hemp products from all over the US to ensure we have the best quality. What I carry inside Bee’s Wellness Café goes through my rigorous testing. Before any products end up on my shelves, they have to work for my family and me, and most of all, they have to be safe!

Bee’s Wellness Café received its certificate of occupancy on March 13, the day of the official pandemic declaration. We hunkered down for a couple of months before deciding to open on June 1. A customer just told us today when he found out that we opened our new business in the middle of a “pandemic” that we have “***** of steel”! He then added a Bee’s Wellness Cafe Logo Cap to his purchase to support us! We are truly grateful for this kind of support we have been getting from our local community. I never went back to my career as a dental hygienist. If you know Jesus, you understand why this happened. Do your research, question your doctors! My current doctor is not the one that encouraged me to get off my meds. I had to switch doctors due to insurance issues. Believe it or not, even though my doctor sees my excellent results and knows I own a CBD store, she still says there is not enough research!! The good news is that more and more customers are coming to us after their doctors recommend CBD.

We understand that CBD is not for everybody. But if there is no reason you shouldn’t try it, what have you got to lose. Make CBD YOUR first stop! I did, and it changed my life!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The main obstacle has been the pandemic. We received our certificate of occupancy on the day they declared the shutdown. We could not open Bee’s Wellness Cafe, and when we did, there was very little traffic on the road, and we were under constant threat of another “shut down.” Since we were not open prior, people did not know we were here and it was tough getting the word out. We had paid for advertisement on the back of HEB receipts prior to the shutdown and because of the pandemic, everyone was getting curbside not really getting paper receipts. It was a very challenging time indeed.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Bee’s Wellness Cafe is not just another CBD shop. I intend to “uncomplicate” what it means to be healthy. I am a big believer in helping our bodies heal themselves. In my holistic journey, I discovered the irrefutable evidence for our subtle body energies and how they affect our well-being. I feel I have innately known this my whole life. So much so that when I was deep in research to become a Reiki master, I thought I was relearning something I lost long ago, perhaps in another life. Mainstream medicine misses the mind, body, and spirit/energy connection. Yes, I have everything I need at my disposal to help you with the symptoms of your stress, anxiety, arthritis, auto-immune disorders, etc… However, I want to help with more than the symptoms. What are the causes? It is not unusual for an impromptu breath-work session to materialize because someone has come into Bees with tears in their eyes from stress and anxiety. We also have a great network of wellness professionals that we partner with to provide healing modalities beyond our scopes, such as acupuncture, acupressure massage, IV drip therapy, and structural integration bodywork. What I am most proud of is our dedication! My husband and I can go weeks without a day off. This is not a complaint as we feel called and blessed to do what we do for a living! We put everything we have into our business—mind, body, and spirit. We have no choice but to make our business successful. Our backup plan is Jesus. He is first in our lives. Along with my husband, I would like to share everything we learn with whoever is willing to listen.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters to me is that I am known as a reliable resource for holistic wellness in my community and that I strive to learn more and more every day! I do not believe in a “one pill fits all” paradigm. There is a place for pharmaceutical and natural medicine. Why not start with a more holistic natural approach?

Contact Info:

• Email: info@beeswellnesscafe.com
• Website: www.beeswellnesscafe.com
• Instagram: @bees_wellness_cafe
• Facebook: beeswellnesscafe

Image Credits
David Richie