Girls Talk Goals Interview
Luna Volta Founder Kayla Clements chats with NYC-based stylist/fashion editor Connie Berg on her platform, Girls Talk Goals. Girls Talk Goals is a place where women share their stories, and talk frankly about money, motherhood, career and goals.
From Girls Talk Goals:
“Kayla Clements is the founder and CEO of plant-based wellness company Luna Volta, and a leading voice in the cannabis industry.
She shares her story on how she went from the fashion industry in New York City to begin a soul-searching journey that lead to starting her own wellness brand in San Diego.
Kayla opens up about changing career paths, the importance of a good network, and how she turned her love and passion for the Earth into a sustainable and successful business.“
HOW DID YOUR WELLNESS COMPANY LUNA VOLTA COME TO LIFE?
I spent the first decade of my career working in fashion and hustling in New York City. After burning the candle at both ends, I hit burnout and embarked on a soul-searching journey beyond my career. I discovered a yoga practice, spent more time outside in parks embracing the sunlight, transitioned from takeout to cooking my own meals, and began using my lunch break to meditate on the Hudson River. I learned about herbs, adaptogens, and superfoods, and tapped into new communities of people on a similar mindfulness journey.
After a friend in CA introduced me to the compound, I began incorporating CBD-rich products into my routine, and at the time, there were no brands on the market that I felt I could trust and when the seed of Luna Volta was planted. When I eventually left my job in NY, I spent a whole summer camping, hiking, and exploring America’s National Parks. This experience reconnected me to the land, to the beauty found in solitude with nature, and to the healing properties of regenerative agriculture and hemp. It became my mission to learn how to contribute to a brighter future. I decided to go all-in on the idea. I moved to San Diego and spent a year and a half studying cannabis science, getting certified, formulating, and sourcing earth-friendly packaging before Luna Volta launched in early 2019.
YOU RUN A PRODUCT-BASED BUSINESS, WHERE ALL PRODUCTS ARE ECO-FRIENDLY, PLANT-BASED, AND ORGANIC. HOW DO YOU FIND THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS AND SUPPLIERS THAT FULLY ALIGN WITH YOUR VALUES?
This all comes down to establishing your brand’s core values from the beginning and staying committed to them. For us, these are quality, design, and planet. Next comes education and networking. You have to speak the language of your industry and ask the right questions. I spent a year and a half working on building the brand before we launched our first product, NOVA, a premium wellness hemp oil. The majority of that time was spent educating myself and earning certifications in Cannabis Science, Corporate Sustainability, and Regenerative Sourcing & Supply. These areas of study helped me navigate conversations throughout my entire supply chain. By getting people on the phone, I learned very quickly if their missions aligned with mine.
I recommend having conversations with people, learn their “why,” and don’t stray from your values. Once you find people with an aligned mission, nurture those relationships and build a support network of people you trust, and turn to them for recommendations.
WHAT ARE YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENTS WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR CAREER?
Probably the writing and publishing of my first book, Daytripper: 60 Days on the Road Exploring America’s National Parks, a coffee table book inspired by my summer camping trip across America. The trip changed the trajectory of my life, and I wanted to share my experience to inspire others to create their own adventures. The process of writing allowed me to relive my experiences, and the lessons learned became more profound from those reflections. I discovered through the process that the book also serves as a time capsule for the landscapes of planet Earth through my lens at that moment in time. These natural landscapes are constantly evolving, and I find huge comfort in having contributed a small glimpse into what they looked like during the summer of 2017.
YOUR BRAND HAS ALREADY GOTTEN A LOT OF TRACTION AND INCREDIBLE REVIEWS. WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES LUNA VOLTA STAND OUT AND BE SUCCESSFUL?
Thank you! I think it’s because the brand was made with so much intention. As mentioned, we are very deliberate in who we are, what we stand for, and what content we put out into the world. Our core values of quality, design, and planet are our infrastructure, not an afterthought, and every decision comes back to them. I think it would be challenging to establish a long-lasting brand without having a solid baseline and a larger mission you are working towards.
WHAT ARE YOUR DREAMS AND PLANS FOR LUNA VOLTA IN THE FUTURE?
We believe in a regenerative approach to personal and planetary wellness. I am excited to bring innovative products that can actually help people in their day-to-day lives while working in tandem with the Earth and creating biodegradable packaging solutions. I am most excited about the potential of regenerative agriculture. This method of farming organically and biodynamically can actually help combat climate change, sequester carbon, and create more clean water, higher drought resistance, chemical-free, and true farmer prosperity with higher yields and lower inputs. Net positive results! Good for us, good for the Earth.
Connie Berg is a fashion stylist based in New York City. She was born and raised in the west of Norway, and moved to New York in 2009. She started her career assisting fashion editors such as Clare Richardson, Tabitha Simmons and Andrew Richardson.
Connie is a regular contributor to publications such as ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar and L’Officiel. She lives in Chinatown with her husband and their cats Fanny and Omar.
Her passion for empowering women with honesty and imperfection led her to create Girls Talk Goals. Girls Talk Goals is for creative entrepreneurs, freelancers and side hustlers, helping them reach their goals, and build their dream career. "Every story is always relatable to someone out there. By sharing these stories with honesty and openness, we encourage female creatives to find your most powerful self, and to feel a little less alone in the process".
Follow Connie: @connie_berg // Follow Girls Talk Goals: @girlstalkgoals