Meet Ariel Morgan, co-founder of Maxine Morgan - a CBD company focused on women's menstrual cycle relief.
Tell us about your career path leading up to starting your own business.
My career path wasn't mapped out for me and I really struggled to find my passion. In my early 20s I had jobs in sales and marketing with Guardian Insurance, Varonis, and Universal McCann. My career goals were to find a job that I could be financially independent/secure, be my own boss, be flexible to when I was ready to have a family, and not having any limits to growth. So when my dad approached me in 2017 to start my own business I had to take the opportunity because it checked all of my boxes for "career goals". Granted I didn't make a business plan prior, I didn't give any thought to what my business would be, and thinking back I am not sure why my dad even gave me the opportunity, but I'm thankful. So I pretty much got started that same day and learned about consumer behavior, purchasing habits and market research through Amazon. My dad and I figured Amazon would be a great platform to start our business on so the last thing we had to do was find a category that we felt passionate about. We learned about CBD within the following weeks and saw the huge potential in the space after trying it and feeling relief. From that moment moving forward I spent a great deal of time learning about branding and honing in on a niche that I felt passionate about. So a year later I started to develop Maxine Morgan with my dad which is a menstrual relief focused brand that uses CBD and other natural ingredients. It was important for the both of us to have a custom + proprietary formula that blended natural ingredients that helped with an array of menstrual cycle symptoms. Maxine Morgan is important to me because it is a problem that I struggle with and many other women struggle with and not enough options are readily available. My dad is an expert in women's health being an OB/GYN and Reproductive Endocrinologist so we make a great duo. Without the roadblocks that Amazon gave me, Maxine Morgan probably wouldn't have been created. So I am grateful and excited about the future of my company since it's been receiving overly positive feedback.
What made you want to start your own business?
I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit, but I don't think I truly knew what it meant to start my own business when I started. I think a more appropriate question would be: What does it mean to have my own business, and my response to that is proving to myself that I can do anything I set my mind to, being able to give back to others when I'm in a position to do so, and connecting with people on a more personal level.
How did you go from idea to execution?
My best advice is to get started; your ideas will evolve and you will continue to grow and get smarter. It's a lot of hard work, dedication, faith, persistence, and a little bit of luck. Opportunity comes to those who are ready to receive it and who can recognize it - so I think that's the luck part, but anyways you have to work on your project every single day and shoot for the stars - literally. Even if the roof flies off, it's okay there's still four walls around you and you can build a new roof.
What were some unexpected hurdles you faced when starting your business?
Omg, countless - i deal with problems everyday. Budgets, holding consultants or employees accountable, holding myself accountable, timelines; ya know things take much longer to get done than expected. And also making decisions is the hardest part- you're faced with choices every day and it's scary because the wrong decision can cost you a lot.
Best advice you’ve received?
Every decision that you make, you must be able to defend it.
What does Support Your Local Girl Gang mean to you?
Well first of all, I am really touched to see that you recognized my company and look at me as a female founder, that's really special but also knowing that I can be apart of a community that reinforces positivity and motivates women to challenge themselves is what I stand behind.