Women Who Thryv: Kristi Kelley

We don't think there is anyone in the world that loves their dogs as much as Thryv Organics' co-founder, Kristi Kelley. This month for Women Who Thryv, and on National Pet Parent's Day, Kristi shares with us a bit more about her life-story and CBD journey. She hasn't taken the CBD journey alone - she's taken her dogs, Wesley and Chief along too!

We hope you enjoy learning more about Kristi and how she and Wesley and Chief are benefiting from CBD.  

Thryv Organics is a premium CBD & wellness company. Our passion is being a reliable source for our customers and the pets they love on their wellness journey. We do this by offering the purest, safest, and most effective products available.

I grew up in New Mexico and moved to Dallas right out of high school. I am married to Aaron Kelley and am a mother to two sweet rescue doggies, Wesley and Chief.

For 20 years, I was in corporate finance. I went through the financial collapse in 2008 while working at Lehman Brothers, who filed for bankruptcy at the height of the financial crisis. Luckily, we (Lehman Brothers) were bought by Barclays Bank, which saved our jobs here in Dallas. I stayed in finance for another five years, all the while becoming increasingly burnt out and wanting something more. After lots of self-reflection and research, I left the corporate world to start my own business. Five years after launching my first business, I was approached by my good friend of 20+ years, Stacie, who asked me if I was interested in starting a new venture with her. I, of course, said yes, and we set off to create Thryv Organics.

I would say my biggest challenge would be learning to trust that things will work out as they were intended to. Patience is something that's never been natural to me, and learning to sit a minute with a problem that arises instead of killing myself to try and fix it, is not always easy.

I personally use the Everyday Formula CBD Oil Softgels as well as the oil drops and the lavender/eucalyptus CBD salve. I take 1 Everyday Formula Softgel along with the 1350mg Full Spectrum Oil Drops every night before bed. The drops help calm my mind, which lets me fall asleep, and the softgel, because it's longer-lasting, helps me stay asleep. I use the topical salve for any aches and pains as well as under my eyes on days I have puffiness. The anti-inflammatory benefits of CBD are beneficial to our bodies in so many ways, internally & externally.

I also give my two dogs the CBD Pet Oil Drops and the CBD Dog Chews. I give them the drops on their kibble twice a day, and the dog chews whenever they need a little treat. It's a healthy alternative to a lot of other treats on the market. The difference it's made with Wesley's skin allergies and Chief's anxiety has been tremendous.

CBD has given me an opportunity to help many people and their pets, including myself, find a healthy alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals. When I can help others that I know and love thryv, then I feel like I can also thryv.

CBD has helped me tremendously with the quality of my sleep and overall well-being. For years, I took a prescription sleep aid every night. Knowing that taking a sleep aid for a prolonged period of time can be very harmful, it was such a relief to finally be able to take something good for my body and still effectively helps me sleep.

CBD has also helped our dogs with skin allergies and anxiety. Wesley, our rescue Goldendoodle, had chronic skin allergies for years. He would get sores on his underside, which would cause him to lick and chew obsessively, which in turn caused the sores to become infected and need antibiotics to clear up. This cycle went on for years until we started giving him CBD regularly. At first, it helped with the obsessive licking and chewing, which meant he was no longer getting infections. Then, after about four months, he stopped getting sores completely. So it did take some time and consistency, but now he no longer suffers at all from skin issues. Chief, our rescue German Shepherd mix, affectionately called "Big Beef," suffers from storm anxiety, and by giving him CBD, he can weather the storms much more calmly.

Ultimately, we all want our business to be successful and provide enough income to afford us a nice life, but if you are not 100% passionate about what you are doing, it will be much more of a struggle. If you love what you do, it will shine through!

Keep pushing. When things seem the scariest or the most uncomfortable, it's usually when the most growth happens. Don't be afraid to make mistakes because mistakes are only learning opportunities.