It's our birthday month! To commemorate the start of her CBD skincare and wellness brand, our CEO & Founder Joan Sutton has been reminiscing what led her to take the leap and launch her own company 3 years ago...

In the beginning of 2017, my partner Wesley took me to the High Times Cannabis Cup. Though I had been using cannabis since a teen, I never really felt comfortable being open about it. But since my partner is a legacy grower, he was the ultimate guide.

As we walked the show, he introduced me to many of the award-winning extractors and growers, who blew me away with their science-based knowledge of cannabinoids, terpenes, extraction processes, and so much more.

It was so inspiring: they were teaching me and I was teaching them. Since I’ve been working with terpenes in the beauty industry for decades with perfumes and other products (not from cannabis), I had a lot of info they didn't know, and they were teaching me about all the different cannabinoids!

I knew that day CBD was going to fundamentally change the beauty industry — and I just had to be a part of it. Two weeks later, I put my house of 17 years in Los Angeles on the market in order to fund 707 Flora. It sold in four days. Then, the rollercoaster ride began!

We bought a cannabis farm in Humboldt County — called the Emerald Triangle, filled with people who are considered the foundation of the modern-day cannabis industry — and we went to work. With that, I was all-in.

Starting my own business has been a gamble. Since I’ve been the “woman behind the brand” for my entire 20-plus year career in product development, I knew when I finally decided to take the plunge that I needed to have full control, from formulations to packaging to logos. Going 'all in' also meant I made all the calls, not investors.

Selling my home I bought on my own as a single woman was a huge risk, too. It was my foundation through thick and thin for over the last two decades. I loved my home. And now, I love it even more because it provided me the opportunity to create 707 Flora.

With 707 Flora, I didn't want to cut corners in order to save costs, which I've seen too many times in this industry. Since the start, I’ve been dedicated to creating CLEAN proprietary formulas that are VEGAN, not tested on animals, dermatologist-approved, and allergy-tested.

Though it started with cannabis, there is so much more to my skincare than CBD! I consider 707 Flora the masterpiece of my career with gorgeous textures, natural and effective raw materials, and unconventional actives that deliver real results. I bet my life on this skincare brand before it even went to market — and I would do it all again!

Thank you for being part of the 707 Flora journey.

With gratitude,

Joan Sutton
CEO & Founder, 707 Flora