Maria Shriver

How I Did It: Tara Miko, Founder of Happy Hemp

By Tara Miko

Follow @Happy_Hemp

When one door closes another one opens.

After working for the same company for 10 years, I suddenly found myself jobless.

Losing what I thought was a secure job in a career, I loved I was faced with the fear of the unknown and a financial stress that was reeking havoc on my health both emotionally and physically.

No job. No insurance. Sick. Hmmm what to do. Start every aspect of my life over.

Starting with my health, I took issues into my own hands. Desperate for relief, I began with nutrition and what I was choosing to put in my body.

I started juicing, food journaling , drinking bizarre root teas, I hopped on one foot while drinking water. I was literally open to anything that anyone told me would help me. Enter Hemp.

Intrigued, I started eating hemp seeds on a regular basis. After about 2 weeks, there was a noticeable improvement in my digestion, in my energy...and I was sleeping better.

That is when the seed was planted in my head. The more I learned about this amazing super food the more impressed I became.

Hemp seeds are the most nutritious balanced food sources on the planet.

They are also the most misunderstood food source on the planet. This vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, super food has more protein than meat, fish or tofu. Full of omegas, essential fatty acids and minerals and vitamins it is the perfect food source.

Added to your daily diet it aids in digestion, weight management, energy, insomnia, immune deficiency disorders, PMS, menopause and more.

Hemp had no known allergens, so literally everyone can enjoy this amazing food source!

However, supporting my new happy habit was not as easy as you would think. I kept running into problems...

1. I could hardly find it at a store.

2. If and when I could find it, it tasted horrible. It was old, hard and flavorless.

3. Virtually no one I told about it knew what the heck, I was talking about!!

These problems became my fuel and Happy Hemp was born.

I took what little savings I had and started Happy Hemp up in my living room. I wanted Happy Hemp to be more than a food company, I wanted it to be a lifestyle.

I started by asking myself: what would I want to know?

Recipes: I knew that I have time and time again bought a product with good intentions and then it becomes decor in my pantry. It was important to me to create simple dishes to infuse Happy Hemp into your daily lifestyle.

Message: Posting a positive message everyday on our social media sites not only reminded me but my Happy Hempers to enter the world being a kinder and happier person. Happiness is infectious!

Streets: Hemp is a very misunderstood food, so I knew I had to take Happy Hemp to the streets! Having a one on one conversation with a person is priceless. I wanted to connect to others going through similar situations. I wanted to educate and empower others to make life changes.

Passion: You must be able to believe in your company when no one else does. I had so many people tell me this was not a good idea and I was out of my mind. Yes, I was just enough out of my mind to do it!

Fear: If you aren’t afraid then it probably is not worth it. My fear of “what have I just done” was the excitement to keep me going. Fear of the future and where this journey going to take me is half the fun. I hope I never get comfortable.

Heart: You need to have a core goal in your company. The heart beat. The message you want others to learn. Happy Hemp is about inspiring others to make life changes.

Failure: Failing will happen so you better learn to embrace it and learn from it. Making mistakes is what will make you great, the mistakes are how you learn what to do and more importantly what not to do.

No: Last but not least be ready to hear the word NO. For every 100 no’s I heard I got 1 yes. Getting your product on the shelves is hard. Be relentless and do not give up!!

Happy: Be kind and nice to everyone you meet. You never know what door they may open for you

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Tara Miko Grayless is the owner of Austin-based Happy Hemp. Prior to her following her super food passion, she lived and worked in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico where she began her career in the fashion industry. Fashion lead her to the City of Angels where she worked with top designers and celebrities. She is a proud dog mom of two rescues, loves yoga and is always in search of the perfect taco!