WORDS: Amy Bell
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
Even in these precarious times, business is booming for Your CBD Store. However, founders Rachael and Marcus Quinn are not content to enjoy the spoils of their success alone. This husband-and-wife team prefers to pay it forward.
The Quinns’ CBD journey started in March 2018, when Rachael opened her first store in Bradenton. After using CBD oil herself with incredible results, she wanted to share the benefits of natural, hemp-derived products with others in the community.
“I have an autoimmune disorder that had gone uncontrolled for about four years,” she explains. “After trying different things and a few medications, a girlfriend of mine recommended CBD oil, so I tried it. It was life-changing for me. I figured other people were suffering the same way I was. My thought was if it really helped me, we could get it out in the community.”
As Rachael considered opening a CBD store, she says her husband Marcus was extremely encouraging.
“We had formerly owned a business together, which I had stopped working at because I’d been so sick,” Rachael explains. “When I started to feel better, I had a lot of extra time on my hands. I opened the store in March of 2018, and it just took off.”
In the wake of Your CBD Store’s massive success, the Quinns launched their CBD wholesale company, SunFlora, in May 2018. “We started getting the word out that we were going to be franchising,” explains Marcus.
In just three years, the business has skyrocketed to a level Rachael never imagined. “Initially, I thought I’ll open this store as a hobby and pay it forward. It started as a way to help people in the community who have the same thing I have going on,” she says. “Now we have over 500 stores nationwide. So, not only are we reaching customers I’d never be able to reach—but we also have business owners making a life for themselves and their families based around this store that started out as a little local thing.”
Catching the Entrepreneurial Spirit
It’s no wonder why Marcus was so supportive of his wife when she decided to open a CBD store. As a lifelong entrepreneur, he knows business potential when he sees it.
“I probably became an entrepreneur in grade school,” Marcus explains. “I grew up on the lower-income end; we were somewhat poor.” As a kid, Marcus searched for creative ways to make money, whether he was mowing lawns or buying and selling products. He started his first company at the young age of 19. “It was a direct sales company, and we were selling home maintenance equipment,” he says. “I did that for a long time.” He also ran a small finance company, which financed the home maintenance equipment they were selling.
“My whole life, I’ve always been looking for business opportunities,” he explains. “I haven’t really had a job per se since I was a waiter at 19. I’ve always owned my own business or done my own thing since then.”
And he has certainly done a lot of his own thing. While running the direct sales company, Marcus also bought a CrossFit franchise. The Quinns own a number of rental properties, including the building in Palmetto, where the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC) offices are located. Additionally, they have holding companies in Alabama and Florida, which manage their rental units.
“In the past, we’ve done some fix and flip projects, but we’ve been too busy the past few years to do anything but keep up with the growth of Your CBD Store,” Marcus says. “That niche has been doing really well for us. Since it started, it has been a tidal wave of craziness. I sold my direct sales company in the beginning of 2019, so we’re all in on this. Your CBD Store and SunFlora is our main focus now.”
Giving Back
Even while running a bustling business, the Quinns find time to give back to their community. Rachael serves on the board of Feeding Empty Little Tummies (FELT), and she and Marcus do charity work with ELC, including buying Christmas gifts on the Giving Tree forthe Play and Learning Strategies (PALS) program, feeding families for the Operation W.I.T. (Whatever It Takes) program, and sponsoring many other events. They also are Kingdom Builders with Bayside Community Church and big supporters of St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Wounded Warrior, and the OneChild sponsorship. “We give as much as we can with what we were given,” emphasizes Rachael.
The Quinns are also extremely involved with an orphanage in Acapulco, Mexico. “We have a business partner whose wife is from Acapulco, so that’s how we got involved with the orphanage there,” explains Marcus. For the last two years, the Quinns have sponsored 11 orphans for all their food, education, and other needs. This year, they donated funds to purchase air conditioners for the orphanage.
Last January, the Quinns visited the orphanage in Acapulco, and they took their three sons (ages 9, 7, and 1) along for the trip. Rachael says it was an eye-opening experience for their boys. “It’s important to us to raise our kids to be involved in charities,” she says. “We want to raise the next generation of people who care about other people. There’s much more to life than what’s in your little bubble or your network of people. I think we all have to look out for each other. Our boys are growing up very different from my husband, so it’s important for them to know that everyone is different, and we need to look out for each other.”
Manatee Roots
The Quinns have strong roots in Manatee County. Marcus’s family moved to Bradenton when he was just five months old, so he grew up in the area. “I’ve been here my whole life, for the most part,” he says. “I left from 2003 to 2015, but I’m glad to be back. I lived in four other states, and I’ve traveled around the country quite a bit. But I don’t think I’ll ever leave here again. I love Florida; I love the beaches; I love the people.”
“It’s a great place to raise a family,” adds Rachael, who grew up in Buffalo, New York. She says their sons attend Manatee County public schools and are involved in community sports through G.T. Bray. “There are so many amazing things for kids here, and the schools are great,” she says.
When they’re not working or volunteering, the Quinns enjoy visiting the Florida Keys, fishing, boating, and hanging out by the pool.
While they cherish this downtime with family, the Quinns always make it a priority to give back. “God blesses us with certain talents and opportunities, and I think it’s important to take those and use them to bless others,” Rachael stresses. “We have been very fortunate, but I don’t think it’s just for one person to keep.”
