This weeks Rebel with a Cause is Chrissy Hadar, the Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Oregrown Industries. A Portland, Oregon native she designed Oregrown’s award-winning flagship Bend location and Portland's brand new flagship location.
As Oregon's premier farm-to-table cannabis company, the Oregrown team cultivates using organic methods and processes world-class products in the pursuit of unparalleled craftsmanship in every facet of their supply chain. Organic cultivation and fire weed is definitely our vibe and something the Lady Jays team supports big time!
What makes you authentically you?
The most authentic people, in my view, don’t realize their authenticity, nor call themselves authentic. So with that said, I am just myself. What you see is pretty much what you get. There is no other way to put it. I am opinionated, outspoken, fiercely loyal, brutally honest, often overshare, confident, and forgiving due to my understanding of human nature and that I acknowledge that I too, am not perfect. I am proud of myself and take ownership of my good, bad and ugly. Being aware of your shortcomings, not making excuses for them, or trying to hide them, gives a person the freedom to love themselves despite all their “flaws.” And loving yourself, before anyone else, I believe is the true path to personal authenticity and something I strive for everyday.
As authenticity pertains to the Oregrown brand, I can tell you that our motto from day one was to offer our customers only products that we would use ourselves, while also improving the world we live in by inspiring our community to be true to themselves and live out loud. This also extends to the Oregrown Lifestyle clothing line, in that we are producing leisure and technical wear that we sport in our everyday lives. We aren’t trying to be something that we aren’t and I think our customers feel that. We don’t head into any branding endeavor with the goal of putting out what we think people want to see. Nothing is forced. We put out what we want to see when it comes to the products and packaging we develop in hopes that it resonates with people of all ages and walks of life.
What does authenticity mean to you?
I view authenticity, on a human level, as a journey and less of a final and permanent destination, somewhat akin to happiness. In my experience, I find moments in everyday where I am living my authentic, true self where I say what I mean and mean what I say. Where, I am present in the moment and not worried about the past or what lies in the days and weeks to follow. Where, I don’t care about how others perceive me and I am filled with my innate confidence and sense of self. It’s cherished moments in time that as I mature and grow, I hope to see and feel more of.
But again, it's not this permanent state of being. As a career driven woman, mother and wife, on occasion, I have to conform to something outside my truest authentic self for the betterment of the given situation at hand. As long as it doesn’t compromise my personal beliefs, morals and ethos, I feel no shame in that, and I don’t feel any less authentic. Implying this isn’t authentic would be saying that me coming home after a long and stressful day at work to a cranky toddler and plastering on a smile and summing up the energy to get through to bedtime would be being somehow inauthentic— because what I really wanted to do was crawl in bed and binge watch some crappy reality show.
If there are people out there that claim they are 100% living their truest, most authentic selves, all day, every day, I would like to meet them. Give them my number.
What are you proud to support?
I am proud to support the continued legalization of cannabis in states throughout the country, and look forward to the federal government joining us in the our fight to decriminalize the possession, production, use of and sale of cannabis for medical and recreational use on a state and nationwide scale. I support the growth of the cannabis industry and it being viewed and treated as any other legitimate business that should be afforded the same funding opportunities, banking and tax benefits that traditional farming, industrial and retail businesses are accustomed to. I am proud to support the timely release of those incarcerated on cannabis related crimes in states where cannabis had since been legalized.
I am also proud to support equality in all forms of living being and the fair and just treatment of animals through our partnership with the Humane Society of Central Oregon. In 2017, we launched The Nya Fund, in honor of our 15 year old cattle dog who passed away. Donations to the Nya Fund are matched by Oregrown and set aside to aid in the elderly animal’s initial treatment upon intake, subsidized adoption fees, as well as providing education and long term support for senior pets adopted through HSCO.
What are you proud to rebel against?
I am proud to rebel against male dominated industries, including my own, and the outdated beliefs that still stems from the “good ol’ boys club.” I am proud to redefine corporate culture as it stands today, by fostering an environment at Oregrown that is inclusive, diverse, open minded, and does not reinforce “old school” ways of thinking and instead applauds new and creative ways of bringing us all together to feel safe and supported in our workplace and like family. In addition, we encourage every staff member’s voice to be heard, which has proven beneficial through our open door policy. We hold people accountable when necessary and nothing under my watch is swept underneath the rug.
I can humbly say that I have often been called a role model by many of our female staff for consistently sharing my opinion, regardless of whether it is liked or not. And, I regularly take a stand for what I believe in, again, with little to no regard on whether or not it is of popular opinion. I was born with a “not yet earned” sense of self confidence, so I find doing these things comes naturally to me. I also recognize that they may not come naturally to others, so I take pride in grooming future female generations to find the strength within them to stand up for themselves and their female colleagues when faced with issues in male dominated workplace — whether it be for equal pay, opportunity or simply how they are looked upon or treated. There is still a tremendous amount of work to be done when it comes to how women are viewed in the workplace, and I don’t think the fight will be won during my generation and that it will consistently be something that will have to be demanded by a coalition of working women, not just those that are underpaid and undervalued, but backed by female CEOs, presidents, VPs, directors and management of large private and publicly traded companies. Change will only come from the inside, as evident by what we have been able to accomplish here at Oregrown.
What is your favorite quirk about yourself?
I would say that due to my unique sense of personal style I have a propensity to wear sweatpants to work as if they were acceptable work-place attire. To be clear, these are not your regular “mom sweatpants,” and to be fair, I can totally pull them off. But sometimes, not often, my staff will give me a hard time as sweatpants are certainly not allowed per our dress code. I take this opportunity to remind them to do as I say, not as I do (when it comes to attire).
Why is it important for women to support other women?
It is important for women to support other women because no one else will when it comes to issues related to women in the workplace. The sexualization of women on Instagram and in the media is an attempt to a) make women feel not good or worthy enough, or b) turn us against each other. Don’t fall for either. Each and every woman on this planet is deserving— deserving of self love, love and support from others, opportunity, education, affordable health care, choice when it comes to their bodies, and a voice. If we do not stick together as a gender, then we don’t stand a chance at expanding on the fight women started decades ago when winning women the right to vote.
On a personal level, without the women in my life, I do not know how I would survive. Only women can understand the struggles other women face. Just as a mother to a newborn can only be fully understood by another woman who has gone through child rearing herself...or, an adult woman who has recently experienced the loss of her mother can only be consoled by a friend, or even a stranger at the grocery store, who has felt that same pain. I come from the mindset that women often need each other’s ear, shoulder, awkwardly long hug, or advice more often than we need that of male’s. This is not a knock on what men can provide. It's just a testament to the powerful bond women have created with each other since the beginning of time, and despite geographical differences, but with the help of social media, attempt to maintain even to this day.
What does the Lady Jays lifestyle mean to you?
After starting to follow Ladies of Paradise and later Lady Jays on social media, I have come to appreciate the message of “Lady Power/Girl Gang” (so much so that I want to apply) and what is capable of being created when you get the right group of like minded, educated and driven females in a room together and let their creative energy run amuck. But to answer your question, Lady Jays hasn’t just created another cannabis brand geared towards women (which BTW, I find that plenty of men buy their product as well), but they have in a sense created a cult like movement that not only empowers women, but encourages them to be their most funky, outspoken, sexy selves, which is totally unique and something I would sign up for. (Question: Where do I sign up?)
In addition, I am a branding junkie, and have to say I am in love with the entire experience a pack of Lady Jays has to offer. So much care and detail went into the packaging that I am mad I didn’t come up with it myself. And through they’re quality products, they are offering up a vast selection of potency and flavors for every occasion with their selection of THC, CBD and now CBG joints (I’ve personally not seen the CBG jays in the Oregon market yet until now). I still need to get my paws on a pack of those bad boys. Hook a sister up!
To learn more about Chrissy read our Green Queen article featuring this badass. You can also follow along with Oregrown's journey on Instagram.