Meet Mike Sill & Beau Schmitt | Co-Founders

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mike Sill & Beau Schmitt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike Sill & Beau Schmitt, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
There are two polarizing philosophies happening in the work environment today. The first is the orthodox and outdated way that companies view work. This is the mundane, 9-5 corporate structure where employees are instructed to show up at a certain time, leave at a certain time, and act accordingly with stale conformities. Think cubicles, fluorescent ceiling lights and dress codes. There is a complete lack of spirit and flexibility. The second is the flashy, millennial-esque way that companies view work. This is the over the top, accountability-lacking structure where focus and grit are seemingly absent. Think loud music, foosball tables and Merlot on tap. Employees are lured in with perks but there is a lack of hustle and realization that it takes blood, sweat and tears to make a company successful. At Sunday Scaries we created a balance of the two philosophies, the Scarefree Life vs the Startup Life. Psychological health is our main priority and we are understanding of personal needs and the importance of detaching. At the same time we’re always grinding and we understand that it’s going to take sacrifice, early mornings and late nights to win. “There is no such thing as work-life balance, it is all life. The balance has to be within you.” – Sadhguru.

What should our readers know about your business?
We produce (non-psychoactive) CBD products that help calm the mind so you can stay relaxed and focused on the important things in life. Our core line consists of our flagship CBD gummies, Vegan AF (vegan gummies), CBD Tincture (oil dropper), Unicorn Jerky Tub Cubs and Bra Bearies! We designed Unicorn Jerky to spread awareness and support the LGBTQ+ community in an impactful way. Each bag of Unicorn Jerky contains 10 rainbow ‘flags’ with 10mg of CBD each and we donate $1 from each pouch to The Trevor Project. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we introduced Bra Bearies in October. We created Bra Bearies to show support for those who have had or are currently battling breast cancer and pledged a year-round donation of $2 for every bottle sold to The Pink Agenda. Our cheeky and relatable approach to raising awareness for a serious topic is helping make life not so scary and further influencing a greater societal shift that goes beyond the products themselves. We’re proud of how we stand out from the pack. In a sea of brands that engage in ingredient-based marketing, we’ve developed an engaging, consumer-facing brand that people can relate with. Through clever product offerings, along with relatable, comedic, creative content and our artsy take on a serious topic, we are influencing a greater societal shift that goes beyond the product themselves. We encourage others to live life to the fullest and this is truly something we are proud of. We don’t just sell CBD, we sell laughter, inclusivity, and relaxation with a goal to transform a worrisome nation into a chill one. Challenges began in the early stages of developing the company with trying to find a legitimate manufacturer for our flagship product, our CBD Gummies. On one end of the spectrum, you had marijuana enthusiasts turned businessmen who were making gummies out of their garage and on the other, you had big companies who didn’t want to jeopardize their core business by taking on CBD. It was very tough searching for a credible manufacturer who met all the requirements and had the proper certifications we were looking for. We’ve also endured challenges with advertising on platforms like Facebook and Google; we haven’t been able to clearly advertise our products because CBD ad campaigns will get flagged. Additionally, due to a lack of regulations in the industry, there are a large number of illegitimate players who are compromising the CBD market as a whole by taking advantage of a trending commodity and trying to make a quick buck by selling low-quality products. Over the years we’ve worked tirelessly to validate our brand in an extremely saturated market, showcase the quality of our products and introduce CBD to consumers in an approachable, fun way. If all companies strive to put the customer first, the industry will revolutionize for the better. A rising tide lifts all boats!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A week long trip in San Diego simply isn’t enough time. That being said, we’d make the most of it. The goal is to hit all the different parts of town to give my friend a feel for the whole vibe. Day 1: La Jolla. Rent surf equipment from Everyday California and shred the gnar. Stop at The Taco Stand after for a California Burrito and hit the Comedy Store at night to laugh our asses off. Day 2: Grab a red collared shirt in recognition of El Tigre Woods and crush balls at God’s golf course, AKA, Torrey Pines. Will hit the gliderport after if there’s time. Oh, and chorizo breakfast burrito before teeing off. Day 3: Pacific/Mission Beach. I know, I know… Bro-y, military-y, College-y. Whatevs. It’s still the ocean, it’s still the sand, and it’s still a fun time. Spend the day there and get out of dodge after sunset. Day 4: North Park. Thorn Street Brewing Co. to get some deep exposure into the San Diego craft beer scene. Be a hipster for the day then hit Balboa park after to explore the scenery and check the box. Day 5: Gaslamp/Little Italy: For the Gaslamp… this can just be a driveby to say you saw it. After that fun little Disney ride, head to Little Italy where the best restaurants in town live. Nolita Hall for pizza fa sho and Farmer’s Market. Day 6: Tijuana. Hit up Tortas la Wash (Washmobile) and delicious restaurants like Mision 19. It’s safe, it’s amazing, it’s always worth it. The trip is way easier with Global Entry. If you know, you know. Day 7: Coronado. Go to the hotel Del to catch some breeze, rent a golf cart, scan the cool houses and decompress after a long week. The island offers the best views of downtown and is the perfect end to a Scarefree vacation.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We run a book club with our Sunday Scaries employees. It was originally just us two, but we took after Tony Hsieh and Zappos and started creating a library for the employees to seek knowledge from as well. At this point, Good to Great by Jim Collins is probably one of the most impactful books we’ve read. It’s extremely heavy and it’s one of those books where you need to re-read chapters and take notes, but when we applied the practices we witnessed amazing results. One of Jim’s theories is the flywheel versus the doom loop. The flywheel is how businesses are supposed to execute and embrace change. It represents gradual growth by implementing decisions based on a company’s core competencies and applying them to accumulate tangible success over time. The doom loop represents reactive decisions made on impulse rather than based on what the company stands for. This does not allow for momentum and will shoot the company vision in all sorts of directions. We apply this to our operations and management style.

Website: www.sundayscaries.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sundayscaries/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScariesCBD

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SundayScariesCBD/

Image Credits
Sunday Scaries