Phoebe DePree, the founder and CEO of Goddess Growers, isn’t your average cannabis entrepreneur. A self-described “mom on a mission,” Phoebe brings a unique perspective to the industry, prioritizing a sense of calm and inner peace through her precisely-dosed cannabis edibles. In this interview, Phoebe shares her journey from lifelong enthusiast to industry leader, the challenges she’s faced as a woman in a male-dominated space, and her vision for a more inclusive future.
How would you describe yourself and what you do?
Big pair of rose colored glasses – I love meeting new people and have a hard time taking no for an answer. I am extremely driven, and I have used my passion to develop my mission to provide a cannabis brand that is your partner on the journey to calm.
What is Goddess Growers about? What do you do?
Goddess Growers is a woman-owned, cannabis edibles company that is all about the journey to calm. Drawing from my lifelong experience as a cannabis enthusiast, I wanted to create a brand to help guide individuals towards inner peace. Our product line features precisely-dosed formulations incorporating THC, CBD, THCV, and our exclusive Mother Elixir™ – a proprietary blend of terpenes and flavonoids. The outcome is a meticulously crafted, full-spectrum, rapidly-acting edible designed explicitly for stress relief, ensuring a smooth and consistent high. We are launching in Ohio this month, and will plan to launch in Illinois soon after.
What makes your role and position unique?
We have a laser focus on the feeling of calm. Everything we do, every decision we make, is driven by this need. How we best provide a route back to it is from a formulation, messaging and lifestyle perspective. I firmly believe that calm exists in all of us, but we have racing minds and bodies, and life can throw so much at us. Relaxing your mind and calming your body helps to feel that sense of inner calm, the spirit side that is always there, always on even ground.
What’s your favorite part about your job? Least favorite?
I love meeting new people and I get to meet a lot of neat ones in the cannabis industry – such a quilt of experiences and life paths. It is fascinating and I love every inch of the industry. If there was a drawback, it would be around the slow pace things take to come to fruition. Everything takes six times as long as I want it to.
What inspired you and how did you get started?
I am a lifelong cannabis consumer, and the plant has been there for me as a constant throughout many life stages – whether that be relaxing with friends, unwinding and managing an intense job and most recently, relaxing as an overworked mom who just wants to take the edge off after a long day. I was inspired by a friend in the industry who told me my home state, Illinois, was going recreational. Originally, I applied for a cultivation license, but there was a long delay and we ultimately didn’t get one. The brand was born out of that period of waiting, and ended up being a fabulous pivot for me. When I had the chance to really study the industry, I saw there is an outsize opportunity for branded edibles that help unwind and uplift. A feeling of calm in every bite ☺
What were you doing before your role now? How did that influence what you do?
I started out working in finance – equity research – for a bank in New York. After that I had a small business for a while as an antique furniture dealer, then I had three babies in a row and took a pause on my career. About four and a half years ago, I started my journey in the cannabis industry. Everything I’ve done to this point has helped to guide me. Working in research taught me how to study markets, which is a passion of mine. Selling antique furniture and running my own business taught me how to manage on my own and showed me what a sheer and utter delight it is meeting new people and doing something you love.
How did you learn the skills to start and run a successful business?
Probably my stint as an antique furniture dealer – it really taught me how to be scrappy, and think about every move I make. My parents were also really strict growing up and made us work really hard. I hated it at the time, but looking back it got me where I am today.
What factors have contributed towards your path of success?
You are getting me at a really pivotal point in the brand’s journey – we are about to launch in Ohio. So, I can’t claim success quite yet, but I am seeing four years of hard work going into motion – it is terrifying and thrilling all at once.
Did you ever expect a career in the cannabis space?
No! If you told me twenty years ago they would finally legalize and destigmatize this magnificent plant, not to mention that I would get to participate in the industry, I may have laughed you out of the room. I feel incredibly blessed to be where I am today and excited to be part of this incredibly special community that is poised for a much deserved day in the spotlight.
Were your family and friends supportive of your venture?
It has been sort of a mixed bag – some are all for it, truly good friends and supportive family are my rocks propelling me forward. There are certainly family and friends who are less supportive, upset even, but I don’t let that get in the way. Remember the rose colored glasses? This is where I put them on. I think the plant was so poorly treated and mis-marketed for so many decades that it will take some time for many to see its benefits. But I firmly believe as people receive more education on the myriad of benefits cannabis has to offer, they will come around.
What has your personal experience with cannabis been?
I am a mom of three little girls and work really, really hard, all the time. Cannabis helps me to calm my mind, relax my body and feel a much needed sense of calm – it’s my anchor in the storm. I usually consume ½ of our 5mg full spectrum gummies during the day when I don’t necessarily want to be high but just want to take the edge off. It makes me feel uplifted and is a wonderful complement to exercise, folding laundry and being at my computer. When we go out to dinner with friends on the weekends or to a concert, I’ll consume a little more and really tune out – in place of alcohol. This way, I’m ready to bounce out of bed when my baby girls wake me up the next morning at 5am to make pancakes. It all comes down to carving out time for myself while making sure I have time to spend with family and be my best self at work. I also help to care for my aging parents, so I am definitely spread thin – but I wouldn’t change a thing – I love each of my many roles, and cannabis certainly plays a part in helping me feel that.
Did you ever feel like you weren’t taken seriously because you are a woman?
For sure. I’ve had some really ridiculous conversations around my brand being ‘too niche’. One time, a prospective manufacturer we were talking to about a contract for our brand took the call without a shirt on. It made me feel embarrassed and angry all at once. Suffice it to say, we didn’t end up partnering with that group. Overall though, I try to flow right by experiences like that and focus on the many wonderful and supportive folks who have come onto my path and lifted me up. Pulling out my ratty old rose colored glasses, again.
How/do you think your involvement in this industry is going to positively impact your community?
When you lift up women, you lift up their community. As startup founders we have a history of doing more with less, a track record of generating more revenue and statistically we invest more of our income into the health, education and welfare of our communities than our male counterparts. This is a really important point that isn’t discussed enough – I want to scream it from the hilltops. Women do a great job of infusing the success of their company back into their community by employing locally and thoughtful philanthropic missions – and that’s just startup founders. When you think of the woman who is head of household, she’s even more of a powerhouse in her community and for her family. Women make a vast majority of health and wellness decisions for their families. They disproportionately care for their aging parents, partners and children. That’s in addition to working, and generally not being offered more than 8 weeks of maternity leave after having children. It is crucial for women to be involved in the cannabis industry so we can help guide the direction the industry takes and ensure it grows equitably and with community in mind.
What has been your greatest obstacle in this industry to date – and how have you overcome it?
Probably my route to market, as I did not receive a cultivation license after applying in Illinois. The brand was a pivot to get into market without a license – and it has been a great one.
What’s the biggest change you want to see in the cannabis industry?
Rescheduling cannabis.
Now that cannabis is legal, what excites you most and what worries you the most?
I am most excited about the resources being poured into the research of the plant – there is so much we don’t know yet. I worry about education and awareness of the public, for example knowing to not operate a motor vehicle while high.
As a woman, what challenges did you encounter (if any) building your business in a male-dominated industry and how do you plan to create change and inclusiveness for future WOC joining the industry?
Mainly I’ve been criticized for being too ‘niche’. I don’t think there’s anything niche about what I’m doing, we’ve developed edibles to provide a sense of calm for cannabis consumers. Just by being in the room with a blockbuster product and having a fabulous, diverse team around me, I think this helps to create change.
What would be your best piece of advice for fellow women looking to pursue the cannabis industry?
Pull up a chair and take a seat, this is a brand new industry and there is so much opportunity!
What would you consider to be the most effective way or initial steps of breaking down barriers and ceilings to pave this path for women in the industry?
Plow right through the barriers, then they’re not barriers anymore. In all honesty, that saying “she believed she could, so she did” comes to mind. Forget any pre-existing barriers or ceilings, just decide you want to do something and then don’t stop til you get there. You may have to take a thousand detours, get treated unfairly, but if you are determined to achieve your goal, you will achieve it. There isn’t a barrier or ceiling in the world that can stop you. Put on blinders and set a laser focus on your dreams, roll up your sleeves and you’ll be on your way.
There’s still a perception or stigma attached to the people involved in the cannabis industry or just consumers that partake in recreational or medical use, as being stoners- if you have encountered this kind of close minded perspective, what would your argument be to shift the conversation to one of the importance of the weed market and why it should be celebrated/normalized?
I try to lead by example to show the critics and naysayers what a wonderful addition cannabis has been to my life. I am not a stoner – I am a mom who exercises, works, eats a balanced diet, lives a full happy life, and I consume cannabis often. I talk about this to anyone who will listen, my children know I work in the cannabis industry and that the cannabis products I produce are only for adults. I show my friends what I consume and talk about the ways I’ve incorporated cannabis into my life.
Do you have any suggestions on how we can help normalize cannabis?
I think by just being your amazing self and owning your enjoyment of cannabis goes a long way to normalizing this wonderful, special plant!
Where can we reach you? (IG/ Twitter handle and or email) Instagram:
@goddessgrowers or Email: phoebe@goddessgrowers.com
Name 4 of your favorite women in weed that you’d like to give a shout out too. What do they do and where can we reach them?
Amor Montes de Oca – for leading IL Women in Cannabis and always taking my call, Vanessa Valdevinos – HUSH, the best cannabis events in IL, Mila Marshall – for reminding us the environment is most important, and my mom – for giving me wings to fly.
Phoebe DePree’s story is an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, seeking a foothold in the cannabis industry. Her journey highlights the importance of:
- Following Your Passion: Let your passion guide you and use it to create a product or service that fills a gap in the market.
- Embracing Challenges: The road to success is rarely smooth. Learn from setbacks and use them to fuel your determination.
- Building a Strong Community: Surround yourself with supportive individuals who share your vision and can help you navigate the industry.
- Advocating for Change: Be a voice for inclusivity and work to create a space where women and minorities can thrive.
With her dedication to creating a calmer world, Phoebe DePree and Goddess Growers are paving the way for a more mindful and inclusive cannabis experience.
Weed Queens 
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