We had the good fortune of connecting with Jordan Person and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jordan, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Being a small business owner is not easy. Your job begins when you open your eyes, and ends when your head hits the pillow. There are days when I don’t want to get out of bed to avoid the constant roller coaster of emotions that being an entrepreneur provides. Every single day is a choice. Do I get up and give it my entire being, or do I put the covers over my head and call it a day? Then, I check my email and I will see orders for Primal Healing, or I see myself or someone on my staff was booked for a cannabis massage over night, or I receive an email from a potential student wanting to learn more about cannabis massage and my soul fills with abundance and gratitude and I choose to keep going. No matter how awful my day has been, I have never wanted to give up. There is no feeling like being your own boss. It’s the hardest job(s) I have ever had but the way they make me feel, nothing can compare to that feeling. I am the CEO, and every other position. I wear all of the hats for now, with the hope that the future will bring a team that can do all of the things with me. Until then the feeling of passion will keep me motivated to keep going. Each text I receive, telling me how much they love our topicals and skincare, or how incredible their massage was, or the look on my students faces at the end of class, those are the things I carry with me to keep me focused.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I have been a nurse for 20 years and a massage therapist for 15 years. I started my first business, Primal Therapeutics in February 2014 in Denver, Colorado. We offer cannabis massage as a mobile service. We go to our patients homes, event spaces, airbnb’s, hotels and we bring the spa experience to their comfort zone. In 2021, we will celebrate seven years in business and I could not be more proud just for the fact we have been in business that long. Everyone that is a member of team primal is a skilled healer and caregiver. We have worked on thousands of bodies over the years and are currently working on having our research published in regards to the use of topicals for the relief of various types of discomfort. In 2017, I began teaching Cannabis Massage 101. I have now taught students from around the world. I have had many speaking engagements over the last few years and have positioned myself as a topicals expert. I began working with the International Esthetics Cosmetics and Spa Conference in 2019 to bring my curriculum to as many people as possible. I had plans for 2020 to teach all over the country but the pandemic had other plans. It gave me the opportunity to finish my next course, Cannabis Massage 102. The new class is a total deep dive into all things cannabis massage and plant medicine. In 2019, I launched the hemp version of my topicals and skin care line, Primal Healing. I wanted to get my products into the hands of anyone that needs them. At the beginning of 2020 before COVID became a thing we won Best Hemp Topical of 2020 at the Indo Expo for our Primal Healing Salve. We can’t wait for trade shows to be a thing again so we can get back out there and meet our new clients. Each time I have diversified a whole new list of lessons and challenges comes along with it. One thing that has happened to me multiple times is people attempting to make products similar to mine. By the third time this happened I really started to question what I was doing it all for. To anyone reading this that has ever created something and then seen someone try to duplicate you, remember this – imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. They will never be you, no matter how hard they try. Recently, after discovering this had happened to me yet again a colleague said the best thing ever to me, “listen Jordan, they are nothing but a grain of sand, and you my dear are the entire beach.” Those words resonated at a level far deeper than I was expecting. Whenever you doubt yourself or your product, just think of the bread aisle, or the cereal aisle at the store. Once upon a time, there were only one or two kinds now both products have an entire aisle in stores. There is room for all entrepreneurs. People spend their lives seeking balance and to be unique. How amazing is it that we have a biological endogenous endocannabinoid system and that the primary function of that system is homeostasis, or balance. What do I want the world to know about my brand? That I want to heal as many people as possible. If that can’t be directly through my hands, then I want to educate as many people as possible so they can then heal the masses and help everyone find the balance they seek. Cannabis saved my life, so now I dedicate my life to the plant and helping people understand the plant medicine it provides.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Whenever my friends come to town, or when they used to – prior to the pandemic, I always recommend they should receive a cannabis massage, of course. I also also head to the high country. Colorado has so many beautiful outdoor spaces to go hiking and just get lost in nature for a while, and I gravitate to the outdoors. On the way to our destination I always stop by one of the countless dispensaries and make sure to pick up enough cannabis edibles and flower to make the adventure even more amazing. For food, right now I am in love with two amazing places – Afghan Kabob and Big Mac and Little Lu’s Seafood, both in Westminster. If the weather is not conducive to being in nature then I love to go to bookstores or to see art. Denver’s oldest bookstore is The Tattered Cover and its beautiful and has the best bookstore smell (something I truly love.) The Denver Art Museum always has great exhibits and is another must see. While downtown dessert at the D Bar is also a must, do the dessert flight – trust me.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I lost my mentor, Judd Golden, at the beginning of this year and not a day goes by that I don’t think of him or wish I had his advice. He helped shaped me into the professional I am today. I will forever be grateful for everything he did to make my life better. I also would like to take a moment to be grateful for NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) my time serving as the executive director of Denver NORML completely changed my life and made me the public speaker I am today. It also gave me the people I am closest to. The community that we built will live in my heart forever. I would not be where I am today without the amazing people that have lifted me up and taken me or my business to the next level. To everyone that has played a role in my evolution, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Website: www.primalhealing.com, www.jordanperson.com and www.primaltherapeutics.co
Instagram: @primaltherapeutics and @primalhealingtopicals and @cbdmassage101
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-person-1893165/
Twitter: @cannabismassage
Facebook: @primaltherapeutics1 @primalhealingtopicals @infusedmassage101
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/primal-therapeutics-denver-4
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwpxnpveqkOVzGGhQ-fhaig
Image Credits
Friends and Lovers Photography Ethan James Photography Kenesha Facello Photography