Kreatures Of Habit Podcast: Life’s A Game with Angie Lee
Host: Michael Chernow
Release Date: February 19, 2025

1. Introduction

In this episode of the Kreatures Of Habit Podcast, host Michael Chernow engages in an insightful conversation with Angie Lee, the founder of a CBD and THC company. The discussion delves into Angie’s entrepreneurial journey, her personal health practices, and her philosophy on life and success.

2. Personal Health Journeys: Gut Health and Biohacking

The conversation kicks off with Angie and Michael discussing their experiences with gut health and biohacking.

• Angie Lee shares her recent struggles with gut health, mentioning a stool test revealing Candida, H. Pylori, and parasites:

  “I got my stool test back and I have Candida H. Pylori, two parasites and, you know, two worms.” [00:28]

• Michael Chernow echoes similar experiences and recommends working with a coach:

  “It's three months in. Really? Is it helping your gut?” [01:56]
  “It's a game changer.” [02:00]

The duo highlights the challenges of extreme biohacking, emphasizing the importance of maintaining manageable and sustainable health routines to avoid unnecessary stress.

3. Entrepreneurial Journey: Founding a CBD/THC Company

Michael shifts the focus to Angie’s role as a founder of a Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brand in the CBD space.

• Michael inquires about the toughest moments Angie has faced as a founder:

  “What is the hardest thing you've been through, honestly, as a founder?” [02:17]

• Angie recounts a pivotal moment struggling with the business’s financials and the emotional toll it took:

  “We were in the red. And I can remember the moment where he looked at me. He's like, this has been fun, but I don't know if we can keep doing this.” [03:01]

4. Overcoming Challenges as a Founder

Angie discusses the critical decisions and strategies that helped her navigate through the toughest phases of her business.

• Trusting the Process and Hiring Experts:

  “We had to hire more people. We had to hire somebody who's smarter than us.” [05:31]

• Focusing on Core Products:

  “Our focus is anxiety, sleep, and pain. Whenever we diverted from that, we tried to launch a fat loss product and lost a lot of money.” [07:28]

Angie emphasizes the necessity of staying true to the brand’s mission and the importance of expert guidance in scaling the business.

5. Balancing Creativity and Business Logic

The dynamic between Angie and her business partner, her brother, showcases the balance between creative vision and financial prudence.

• Creative vs. Risk-Averse Approaches:

  “My brother is a little bit more risk averse and I am like, let's spend money to make money.” [05:31]

• Gender and Cognitive Balance:

  “It's also fun to have that male, female dynamic in business. Women, men, left brain and right brain.” [15:31]

This balance ensures that the business remains both innovative and financially stable.

6. Customer Engagement and Feedback

Angie highlights her hands-on approach to understanding customer needs, which has been pivotal in the brand’s success.

• Direct Communication:

  “If anybody tags me in the product, I'm answering every single DM. If somebody likes the product, I'm messaging them back.” [08:14]

• Implementing Customer Feedback:

  “I take their language and put it on our sales page. People feel like she's in their head.” [09:44]

Michael shares his method of personally calling customers to foster genuine relationships and gather direct feedback, despite the time-consuming nature of the process.

• Michael’s Call Strategy:

  “Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 3 to 6pm I open up my Shopify and call customer after customer.” [10:02]

7. Morning and Evening Routines

Both Angie and Michael discuss their structured routines, which play a crucial role in their productivity and well-being.

• Angie’s Morning Routine:

  “I'm obsessed with two things: sunlight and movement. I get out into the sun as soon as possible and do a lot of movement like weighted vest walks.” [19:34]
  “I have ice on my face to wake me up and get some dopamine.” [19:50]

• Angie’s Evening Wind-Down:

  “I do a two-hour sleep routine, including red light bulbs, blue light blocking glasses, melatonin, magnesium, and a strict nighttime fasting until 6 PM.” [28:42]

• Michael’s Morning Engagement:

  “I make about 30 phone calls in three hours to scale the unscalable.” [10:22]

These routines underscore the importance of consistency in maintaining both physical and mental health.

8. The Role of Family and Work-Life Balance

The discussion delves into the complexities of balancing entrepreneurial responsibilities with family life.

• Angie on Working with Family:

  “Working with family can be beautiful but also difficult because it's your family. We never turn it off.” [14:41]

• Michael on Family Priorities:

  “My number one priority is me, not selfishly, but to be the best dad and husband.” [40:18]

Both speakers highlight the necessity of setting boundaries and recognizing the importance of personal relationships in achieving a balanced life.

9. Philosophical Insights: Life as a Game

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around viewing life through the lens of a game, promoting a balanced and enjoyable approach to challenges.

• Angie’s Philosophy:

  “Life is a game. It’s just a silly little game. We’re on a blue ball in space. Don’t take it too seriously.” [44:29]
  “Bring levity and humor. Don’t take the experience too seriously.” [46:38]

• Michael’s Reflection:

  “Fulfillment is in the journey, not the destination. Make it fun.” [39:45]

This perspective encourages embracing the process, learning from failures, and maintaining joy in all endeavors.

10. Closing Thoughts and Advice

As the episode wraps up, Angie and Michael offer motivational advice to listeners embarking on entrepreneurial or personal development journeys.

• Angie’s Advice:

  “Find the thing that lights you up. Don’t take life too seriously. Play the game.” [43:46]
  “Reality checks are always really good. Don’t complain when others are struggling.” [45:39]

• Michael’s Takeaway:

  “Life is a game. If it’s not fun, make it fun.” [47:56]

Both emphasize the importance of balance, seeking help, and enjoying the journey despite challenges.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Angie Lee on Overcoming Business Challenges:

  “We had to hire more people. We had to hire somebody who's smarter than us.” [05:31]

• Michael Chernow on Customer Engagement:

  “Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 3 to 6pm I open up my Shopify and call customer after customer.” [10:02]

• Angie Lee on Life Philosophy:

  “Life is a game. It’s just a silly little game. We’re on a blue ball in space. Don’t take it too seriously.” [44:29]

• Michael Chernow on Fulfillment:

  “Fulfillment is in the journey, not the destination. Make it fun.” [39:45]

Conclusion

This episode of the Kreatures Of Habit Podcast offers a rich exploration of Angie Lee’s entrepreneurial spirit, her dedication to personal health, and her balanced approach to life’s challenges. Through engaging dialogue and shared experiences, Angie and Michael provide valuable insights into building successful habits, maintaining work-life balance, and finding joy in the journey.

For more inspiring conversations and habit-forming strategies, tune into future episodes of the Kreatures Of Habit Podcast.