My Journey into Small Business Ownership as a Lesbian Woman
In 2009, I was diagnosed as disabled due to a congenital defect in my feet. After multiple surgeries failed to correct the issue, I found myself navigating a difficult period in my life. Simultaneously, I was extricating myself and my children from a 15-year abusive marriage while undergoing these surgeries.
In 2011, I met my wife and became an active member of the LGBTQ community. I dedicated myself to raising political awareness and supporting marginalized LGBTQ individuals through various volunteer efforts. Among my contributions, I officiated more marriages for the LGBTQ community in our area than all other officiants combined, often providing this service free of charge. It was a profound privilege to be a part of these hard-won celebrations. I also served on the board of directors for Rainbow Rutherford of Tennessee, eventually becoming president for a couple of years before stepping down to focus on my hemp company. Additionally, I worked in various capacities to support battered spouses, honoring those who stood by me during my own 15-year ordeal.
In 2014, my wife and I opened our first of three Kaleidoscope Vapor Shops, joining the significant effort to preserve vaping. I served as president on the board of directors in Alabama, acted as a consultant to the Tennessee association, and continue to serve as a board member for the VTA, a national trade association representing 14,000 small businesses. Through our work, we have helped thousands of smokers quit in a responsible and healthy manner.
In 2018, we faced a significant challenge when Operation Candy Crush led to our arrest on felony charges for selling Zero THC Charlotte’s Web CBD in our stores. Our stores were padlocked, our inventory and money were seized without proper documentation, and we were paraded around in a paddy wagon for over an hour and a half while a press conference was held. In total, 23 small business owners, mostly minorities, were arrested in what was a political stunt. I possess 1,300 pages of documents showing how the operation was planned as a political move, targeting small businesses—specifically minority-owned ones—because “they won’t fight back,” as stated in their own words. Ultimately, all charges were dropped and expunged for all 23 small business owners, and we organized a lawsuit to recover damages, which we eventually settled out of court. We decided to move our hemp company to Alabama, partly to avoid further battles with the state of Tennessee, though unfortunately, we encountered challenges in Alabama as well.
In 2017, my wife and I founded TSTL Holdings LLC, based on the principles of holistic healing. Hemp and cannabis align with the growing trend of natural healing in the United States, as more people seek to reduce their reliance on pharmaceuticals in favor of natural remedies. Our company also aims to empower women and the LGBTQ community. Many of our employees come from underserved communities, including those emerging from abusive relationships or single parents striving to learn a skill or trade. We’ve transformed our conference room into a daycare to assist with childcare expenses, provide food so no employee goes hungry, and encourage further education by providing the time and space needed to pursue it. Although, as a small business with mounting legal bills, we cannot afford to provide health insurance, we find creative ways to barter and secure the care our employees need, even if it means dipping into our own pockets.
On January 6th, 2022, the Alabama Department of Public Health entered our facility in Gadsden, Alabama, under the pretense of “observe and report.” They were clear that they were not there to perform an inspection. We welcomed them and walked them through our processes. The “inspector” even stated on camera that we more than met their requirements for a commercial food manufacturing facility but declined to issue the necessary permit.
On January 17th, we were ordered by the Department of Health to cease and desist manufacturing edible hemp products and to destroy our inventory. Despite filing an appeal and attempting to navigate the process, it became clear that we would receive no relief. We decided to file a lawsuit against the Department of Health, and after multiple hearings, significant financial strain, and damage to our reputation, we won. However, the Department has since appealed the judge’s decision.
We barely managed to keep our doors open during this process. Our workforce dwindled from 15 employees to just four. We lost customers and struggled to attract new ones as our ability to remain in business was questioned. To stay afloat, I took out a second mortgage on my home and borrowed as much as I could. We have a plan to recover with new contract manufacturing agreements and a fresh business approach, but the state’s appeal threatens to undermine our efforts once again. Our local counsel had to withdraw from the case after we could no longer afford to pay her. However, Tony Abboud, an attorney from Chicago and a dear friend, completed the case with us despite our current debt of over $40,000 to him. We also owe another $25,000 to the local attorney and must find a new one to file our briefings—if we can find the means to pay Mr. Abboud what we owe and continue with the appeal.
As a proud and empowered lesbian woman who has worked hard to make the world a better place, asking for help is difficult. But I believe strongly in our mission. Our company and the industry at large stand at a critical juncture. If we lose this appeal or cannot secure the funds to continue, the entire industry in Alabama will suffer. The Department of Health will prevail by default, making all edible hemp products illegal to manufacture or sell in the state. This would result in the loss of our business, the jobs of our employees in one of the most economically depressed areas in the state, and negatively impact ancillary services, other manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and, most importantly, the consumers who rely on these products in their daily lives.
If you have the means to help, we would deeply appreciate it.
