We had the good fortune of connecting with Adam Matricardi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adam, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The business started because I started buying kratom for someone in my family. After discovering the pricing and quality was very inconsistent, I began importing for myself and friends. Soon, as interest grew, we started a website. At the beginning of quarantine, I focused solely on developing the Soulful Herbals brand by giving away products to people in need. We gained traction when a video I created gained over 500k views on Tiktok.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
So the business puttered along for years. It was always a side gig that I did just to buy herbs at discount and to help friends. Our mission to provide people the herbs they need at fair prices evolved as our social media presence grew. During the quarantine, people couldn’t get to doctors and hospitals. Many were out of work and struggling. The chronic pain community was in trouble. I began to give away samples of kratom and products to people in need. The campaign took life on TikTok and the community around Soulful Herbals grew. We had to change accounts several times to navigate the hurdles of the stigma of the main product we sell, kratom. Kratom has helped many people to reduce their dependency on opioids and alcohol. It has also been an important herb for the chronic pain community. Our outreach program had amazing impact and results with people supporting us with stories of how our products changed their lives. The community around SoulfulHerbals.com and @plantmedicinemafias is a positive community focused on natural well being.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Ok, so you have to come with me to the spiritual speakeasy in Dania Beach, The Banyan House. Here we will sip herbal cocktails while being entertained by performers and experiencing a sound healing. Next we can go grab a Kava at Twisted Roots, a Harry Potter-esque tea bar in Hollywood.

We of course should take a trip to Wynwood to see all the art and grab a cocktail at Wynwood Yard. South Beach is always tons of fun while Hollywood Beach is definitely the place to relax. You can sit outside Margaritaville and sip a margarita while watching the tourists walk by.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So my father always inspired us as kids to be entrepreneurs and my mom was my constant source of inspiration. In business and for tiktok, Gary Vee inspired me to keep going as a forty-something creator with a business that I needed to grow organically. The advise he gave to not care about views and consider that having a small amount of people see your ideas can have a big impact.

Website: soulfulherbals.com

Instagram: @soulfulherbals

Other: TIKTOK @plantmedicinemafias

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