Live Purely with Angie & Mike Lee

Elizabeth Stein 0:00
Hi, everyone. I'm Elizabeth Stein, founder, and CEO of Purely Elizabeth. And this is Live Purely with Elizabeth, featuring candid conversations about how to thrive on your wellness journey.
This week's guests are brother-sister duo Mike and Auntie Lee founders of Soul CBD and Out of Office. Mike is a world-ranked professional boxer who has fought in some of the world's most iconic arenas like Madison Square Garden, Cowboy Stadium, and the MGM Grand in front of millions of fans. In 2014, Mike was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that almost ended his career and led him to discover CBD. Angie is a vivacious marketing Maven who's found her soul's calling and helping women kick ass. She's a highly sought-after marketing mentor, keynote speaker, podcaster, and serial entrepreneur. In this episode, we talk about Mike and Angie's wellness journeys that led to starting the brand. Mike and Angie share all about having grit and taking risks, the impact on stress, and unhealth, the importance of calming the nervous system, the benefits of CBD for sleep, anxiety, and stress, and the role of a positive mindset and finding balance in their lives. This was such a fun episode. Keep listening to learn more, and to try their products, use code ELIZABETH30 for 30% off at getsoul.com. Enjoy.
I have some super exciting news purely fans, I am so thrilled to announce that our newest product line of cookie granola is finally here. We've created a one-of-a-kind recipe where a delicious cookie meets our wholesome granola. It's made with organic gluten-free oats and coconut flour. 100% whole grains baked with coconut oil and almond butter and only six grams of sugar. These snackable granola clusters have all of the flavor and crispness of your favorite cookie recipe, but an indulgence you can feel good about. It comes in three flavors to obsess over. Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, and my personal favorite, oatmeal raisin. Find our cookie granolas at Walmart, Whole Foods, Publix, and on our website at purelyelizabeth.com. To find the store near you, use the link below in the show notes. I hope you're as obsessed with this new product as I am. Enjoy.
Mike and Angie, welcome to the podcast. So excited to have my first brother-sister duo on. We've had some brothers but never brothers or sisters. So welcome.
Mike Lee 2:42
Thank you hopefully we won't start fighting on the podcast.
Elizabeth Stein 2:49
Never disappoints. So I know that you both have personal wellness journeys that led you to start Soul and the Love, to begin with that foundation for both of you. And Mike, if you want to start first on your wellness journey and what inspired eventually get into the business.
Mike Lee 3:07
Yeah, so I guess I'll try to make a long story somewhat... Yeah, I guess we have time. So I started boxing at a very young age about eight years old and playing a million different sports and always wanted to be an athlete. I just didn't know what direction it would take and I ended up getting better and better in boxing.
Elizabeth Stein 3:27
What made you even get into boxing when you were eight?
Mike Lee 3:32
Some people call it child abuse now, but my dad threw me in the ring. He wasn't a boxer. He played minor league baseball and then professional racquetball. He was always an athlete, but he was like the inner city, kind of like Italian and Irish, inner-city Chicago type of guy. So we grew up a little bit different than a lot of them.
Angie Lee 3:56
He just beat up people but it wasn't professional what Mike is trying to tell you is he beat up people.
Elizabeth Stein 4:04
Okay, so it's in your blood.
Mike Lee 4:06
I've tried to be.
Angie Lee 4:07
He didn't have gloves on. But he was a boxer if you know what I'm saying.
Mike Lee 4:11
… and I got paid his volume. He brought me to the gym at a young age. I mean, I was sparring pros before I even had my driver's license like it was when I was just like started taking off and it was half I loved it and half I was scared to death and also didn't want to disappoint my dad. So it ended up blossoming into this pretty wild career. I got signed at 21 years old by top rank and turned pro. And next thing you know, I was fighting in Madison Square Garden and Cowboys Stadium and I finished my career 22 Pro fights and my last fight I bought at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for a huge world title and I finished my career 21 in one. So needless to say, I knew there'd be ups and downs and my goal was always to become a champion but Little did I know what it would kind of take through me physically, mentally, and emotionally. So during that process, I dealt with so much pain I was at one point, kind of addicted to painkillers and on a bunch of different medications. My body started shutting down. I started having a lot of autoimmune issues, and a lot of concussion issues, and probably should have retired earlier than I did but ended up gutting it out and staying in it maybe for the wrong reasons. But I finished my career and retired in 2019. And just been working on healing ever since. But my journey through going to so many different doctors and at one point being in a hospital for like 12 days straight, Angie there by my side and my autoimmune conditions, just like my immune system is shutting down the concussion, so many issues.
Elizabeth Stein 5:46
What is your autoimmune?
Mike Lee 5:49
I got diagnosed with Lyme disease, and then with ankylosing spondylitis. And I had Epstein Barr, as well. And so with a lot of people that have autoimmunity, it tends to trickle into mold and heavy metals and whatnot. It's a vicious cycle. But it took me a long time to start to get healthy. And still, to this day, I battle with things. It's two steps forward, one step back. But the main thing for me was stress and anxiety, and all these different things started exacerbating and making symptoms worse. So I discovered CBD in 2016 and started telling Angie about it. And about a year before I retired, we started Soul, and it started as a little side project. It started in one of Angie’s spare bedrooms. And we were like, we love this stuff. We think it's incredible. There's no toxicity, it helps across so many different levels of health. So let's spread the word. And we both had our kind of careers at the time. Little did we know we started to kind of take off the way it did and give me at least something to jump into that I was passionate about after retiring.
Elizabeth Stein 7:01
Ah, all right. Well, we're gonna come back to more of that beginning stuff for Angie. So to start, what was it like watching your brother box?
Angie Lee 7:12
I love how everybody likes asking this. It's so funny.
Elizabeth Stein 7:15
Because I'd be so nervous.
Angie Lee 7:19
It's a really good question. It's so funny because I assumed that wouldn't be interesting. But it is really interesting to see. They wonder how you know, somebody who's in the family, watching that person do that thing. That's such a weird job. Like, nobody else is like, go and watch their brother do that. Their brother’s like an accountant. They're not like, watching their brother be punched in the face or punching people.
Elizabeth Stein 7:45
That experience must have been so wild for both of you.
Angie Lee 7:51
I think I'm somebody who doesn't do well with violence. So I think for me, even though I know that these two men decided to voluntarily do this, and this is their job, I think it's still really weird for the mind to be watching that, especially when it is someone that you love. So I couldn't watch but I would watch it on the screen. That was right there. I've seen my fight in person in glimpses, but I've never fully like stared at the whole thing. Because it felt like I was watching the part of the movie where you just feel like, I can't look, just tell me what happens. I wish I could say different, but emotionally, I didn't know how to stare at something that I'm like, oh, my gosh, what if this? Because I'm not in control at all. He's obviously fine. Probably better in there than I believe he is. But I'm not in control. So it's like this scary feeling of how do you watch that? So very, very difficult.
Elizabeth Stein 8:45
I can't even imagine. So at this time, Mike had discovered CBD versus something that you had experienced. And what were you doing in your career as this is starting to unfold?
Angie Lee 8:57
When we started soul. Well, when we first started talking about CBD, I was still in Chicago. Then I just moved to LA. We had come up with this idea because we were both using it. I loved CBD for anxiety. I was using it for painful periods. I found that that was better than taking Midol. So I was using it topically and then ingesting it for period pain. And that's when we came together. And we were like, should we make this a business? That's when I dropped out of college. I started a blog and I started building my online wellness brand. So I was already talking about wellness with my audience, but I had yet to bring in products or CBD. That's where it all began.
Elizabeth Stein 9:34
Love it. All right. So I'm curious to hear as you were going through this part of your life, which sounds like there's probably so many ups and downs to it, how you were navigating in those super challenging times and thinking about as you parlay that to now having a business today, what are those big learnings that you had of how do you deal with the challenge?
Mike Lee 10:02
I was just talking to a friend about this the other day that like now that I've retired and kind of sat back and thought about it, things are moving so fast while you're in those times that you don't have true time to reflect on it. But I think what it boils down to is the one thing that boxing taught me is grit. That word is so important to me. Because so often in our lives, we fall, and it's up to us to get back up. For me, sometimes that was getting knocked down to the point where I couldn’t feel my legs in front of 20,000 people or millions on TV, and how do I have the resolve and grit to get back up? So I did that so many times throughout my career. Many fights, I got knocked down, I got back up, I won. And now through my health battle, days and moments when I get knocked down, I feel like I don't want to get back up. And I do. And days with the business where running a business, it's like you're putting out fires and one day you're on top of the world. The next day, you have to let somebody go.
Elizabeth Stein 11:00
It’s probably the same day that it's you're on top of the mountain and then you’re at the bottom.
Mike Lee 11:05
it right. And so I think that the main thing that boxing taught me that I can now teach my son one day and just continue to remind myself is that grit and the resolve to kind of get back up when you get punched in it sounds corny and cliche, but it's only when you go through those moments and you test yourself in any element. Doesn't have to be in a ring in front of a bunch of people, it can be in anything that scares you. But it's in those moments when you get knocked down, that you find out what you're made of. And so I think that that's one of the main things that boxing taught me is that I am strong enough that I think honestly, it saved my life and moments when I was depressed or anxious. Had some dark, dark times, especially with concussions. And always leaning back on that, that grit and like you got up before you can get up again, is something I keep telling myself.
Elizabeth Stein 11:55
Yeah, it's an amazing lesson. I think it's once you've proven to yourself that you can do hard things you can keep doing those hard things and pushing yourself kind of out of your comfort zone. Do you think that that is how you were born? Or is that something that you learned along the way?
Mike Lee 12:15
Yeah, that's another great question. I think there's an element to it that you're born with. There's an innate ability there without a doubt. But I think a lot of that is learned. And a lot of that is learned through experiences and failures. Angie has spoken on stage in front of 1000s of people and I've been backstage and seen her very nervous, but then when she gets on stage, she kills it. So I've seen her like overcome these ‘I'm so nervous’, ‘I'm gonna puke’ or ‘poop my pants’. I think that like as much internal innate, maybe ability you have, or even genetics when it comes to sports, a lot of that is learned and practiced through failure, getting back up failure, adjustment, failure adjustment. So I think most of it is learned in a long answer to your question.
Elizabeth Stein 13:10
And Angie for you, what tips do you think that you could share? Because while it is learned, it's like really hard for people to get to that space to begin with. There's the fear that whatever you feel like you're going to puke or poop or whatever it is. So any tips, for Steve and get yourself to that starting block and get over that initial hump to even try the thing that might be on your list to get out of that comfort zone?
Angie Lee 13:39
Do you mean us speaking specifically?
Elizabeth Stein 13:41
Yeah. Or whatever. Or you speaking but whatever it is in someone's life.
Angie Lee 13:47
Yeah, I mean, definitely don't eat your cereal before you go on stage because your cereal is high in fiber. So don't do that. Eat your cereal after you go on stage. It's interesting. I feel like I'm constantly still working on this. I think that that is the reality of it is I think for me it's knowing that every time you do it, you build that muscle you build that courage muscle and I think courage is a muscle just like any other muscle like Mike said when you when you're physically using it. So when it comes to you, I'm thinking of like when I speak on stage, I feel like it's the same cycle over and over. Like who am I to do this, imposter syndrome hits in, fear hits in. What if I fall? What if I fail? What if they hate it? All the what ifs and then you get up there and then I love it because it feels like so at home for me. It's like a flow state. And it's almost like I have to remind myself that I'm not going to die. What's the worst thing that's going to happen? What's truly the worst thing it's gonna happen? My face plan on stage, everyone's gonna boo me off? That's probably not gonna happen. So sometimes what honestly helps me is think what is the absolute worst-case scenario, and just go there and just play it out. Alright, here we go, you're gonna get up there, your pants are gonna fall, you're gonna face plan, everyone's gonna say you suck. All right, do you still want to go try? Like you still want to go see what happens. So I think it's a little bit of a dopamine thing for me too, having ADHD I kind of like to do some things that scare me a little bit, because I find that’s what life's about. And it's enjoyable. I think you have to remind yourself that the thing that you think is going to happen is probably not going to happen. And you're probably already in your worst-case scenario a lot of times if you don't take the risk so you're already living out the worst-case scenario. So you might as well take the risk. I hear this a lot with a lot of my audiences, women who want to try entrepreneurship. And they'll say, I'm at this job that I hate. I've been at it for years. And I'll say, could you go back? Like if you left, could you go back? They say, “Yeah, of course, I could just go back.” And I'm like, well, you're already in it, you're in the worst-case scenario you could be in. So what are you afraid of? You might as well go try it. And then you could always go back if they would take you back. So I think a lot of times in life, we don't realize we're already living the worst. So we might as well try it out. And I assume with your business, too, you felt that where it's like, I might as well try this out. And then you always go back to what you were doing.
Elizabeth Stein 16:08
I love that tip. I think that's such a great way to frame it up like, what is the worst thing that can happen? You're probably living it already. And kind of just saying yes, and then figuring out how you're gonna do it. Like you say yes to the talk, and then you figure out how it's all gonna happen.
Angie Lee 16:24
Yeah, absolutely. And I think also, something I've been thinking a lot lately, too, is focusing on your strengths. I think a lot of times, we're trying to do things that aren't really for us. And so they we feel that resistance. But I do think that the things that you are here to do, not saying they won't come with challenges, but it will make sense. I think that they will make sense to you. So I don't know if you've ever felt that in your business. But those moments of flow state, they should kind of make sense to you. So I think a lot of times we're nervous to try out things. But the only way to find those things that we're here to do, or those gifts that we're here to share is to try.
Elizabeth Stein 16:59
And it's usually that place of being out of your comfort zone that you do find that flow state. That's certainly how I found out about the business is like, okay, everything is now aligned. This may have been uncomfortable at first, but now it's all making sense, and where I'm meant to be. So for you guys, you have this idea about Soul. And then what happens after this idea? Tell me a little bit about how you were both using CBD because I do want to talk about how there are so many different uses of it. And I think there's still confusion around CBD versus THC and all that stuff. So we'd love to hear a little bit about first, how you guys are using it. And then what happens after the idea?
Mike Lee 17:38
Yeah, for sure. And I'm happy to dive in kind of more specifics because it can be confusing. I was using it in tinctures. So the oil drop forms. We found that that is one of the most efficacious ways people enjoy gummies or capsules because it's just much more familiar. But putting the tincture dropper underneath your tongue for about 30 to 60 seconds, it accesses the blood-brain barrier faster. So, it's just more bioavailable. So, I started using it like that. And the main reason I started using it was to help me get off the anti-anxiety medication. And just all the stress that I was under, I finally got to a point where it's fighting for these huge title fights, and I had all these obligations, and I was just freaking out. And maybe my immune system as well and I just couldn't handle the stress. And so I was constantly looking for solutions that were not another pill. I think that medications serve their time and purpose. And I've been on them and on and off of certain ones for certain needs. But I truly believe that you need to get to the root cause of things. So for me, I was using it as a tincture a lot. And then we started diving into okay, what dosage works for me because that's very dependent on people as well. And us as a company. Now it's tough when, unlike prescription where you say take one and wait this many hours, CBD is one of those things like many things in the supplement industry that ends on body fat composition, what you ate that day, the stress level, so many things. So we always say kind of start low, which is usually around 25 milligrams, and kind of work your way up. I'm taking over 100 milligrams a day. But I'm a guy, I'm over 200 pounds, maybe about 2010 pounds or something. So there's a lot of different factors that go into that. But long story short, I started noticing it just kind of helped me calm down. It helped me breathe a little bit. What I noticed the most was the days I didn't take it, I noticed more than the days I took. And what I mean by that is like, all of a sudden, I would go for five days and I would be on it. And I feel good. And then I would forget to take it for a day or two and all this anxiety and stress would pop up in me and I was like what's going on? Today is so different. And I will realize I didn't take it. That's kind of initially how I first discovered it and fell in love with it.
Elizabeth Stein 19:54
And after how much time did you notice that it started to work for you?
Mike Lee 19:58
I would say within three to five days. It's interesting. Some people notice effects, especially with THC and other cannabinoids, outside of just CBD, but they'll notice the effects within 45 minutes to an hour where it gets in your system. Other people, it takes time to build up in your system. I was one of those. Within three to five days, I was like, I don't know if this is placebo or not, but I feel great. I feel better. So let's run with it. Like, let's keep doing it. And that was kind of the beginning. And then we got into the science and the formulations and everything.
Elizabeth Stein 20:33
Amazing. Did you ever get to the root of some of the autoimmune stuff, getting to the root cause?
Mike Lee 20:39
100%. I found out that I was misdiagnosed, I don't have ankylosing spondylitis. And I was stabbing myself with TNF blocker and methotrexate, this thing called Humira for years and years that I shouldn't have been doing. So I ended up getting off that, we ended up finding out that it wasn't as much of Ankylosing Spondylitis or Epstein Barr, but a lot of mold issues, a lot of concussion issues. And then a lot of stress and inflammation that came from my gut. The brain-gut is connected. So I had a lot of leaky gut. So really dialing in on gut protocol was massive for me. Then really dialing in on concussion protocol was huge, and then anything like anti inflammatory. I just wasn't able to do that with the humira because it was suppressing my immune system, which is what it’s built to do. But then I was just getting sick all the time. So once again, it's just a cycle. It could be great for other people, but I was misdiagnosed by one of the best rheumatologist in the country. And unfortunately, had to suffer years and years. So anyway, still working out, though. I'm not 100%. And I think it's constantly just that battle a couple steps forward, and then one back, etc.
Elizabeth Stein 21:51
What were some of the things you did for your gut protocol? And are you still working on that?
Mike Lee 21:56
Absolutely. Still working on that. For a while, I was doing a lot of anti histamine stuff. So whether there was a histamine DAO blocker, that was important for me, because all these different things came up. I did a handful of diets. First of all, gluten-free, and dairy-free was important for me. I'm not celiac. But I do think that people are gluten intolerant. So one of the main reasons why we've loved your brand, and wanted to turn towards something healthy, because you've known better than me, but it's like most stuff out there just tastes awful. And you get to this point where you're like, oh, my God, well, I'm just gonna eat cardboard for us to my life. It's sad. So gluten-free, and dairy-free was important for me. And then clean ingredients was massively important. Staying away from canola oil, and all these oils that most restaurants cook in. And sticking with just whole plant-based foods. The AIP elimination diet was a big one for me. It's constantly kind of like playing with it. But I've educated myself so much on this now to where I'm being honest, I would walk into a gastro appointment and talk to a doctor and tell them all my symptoms and everything that was going on. And they tell me have you tried Gas-X? This happened not very long ago. I just almost walked out. I was like, I don't know what to say to you anymore. Like, you don't even ask me what I'm eating. We're speaking different languages. Which is unfortunate, because they're trying to do their best but also, it's like the saying says. If you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. So dealing with functional medicine has kind of been more of my sweet spot now.
Elizabeth Stein 23:43
that’s great. And I think a good lesson for anyone of like, you need to be your health advocate because there's a lot that is misinformed still today, just as you're saying. So doing that research.
Angie Lee 23:55
Honestly, I always tell him, document everything. This just may be the content creator and me because I'm like, just for yourself, journal because I feel like Mike could literally write a book one day about how much he's learned being his own advocate. People don't know what that that's such a a scary road. You have to almost take things in your own hands, do your own research, ask a lot of questions. The amount of time and money that Mike has spent on his health is astronomical. It's incredible.
Mike Lee 24:23
Yeah, there are many things that boxing brought me incredible, incredible moments that I could never take back. But also I sit back now as 36 years old, and I wonder like, was it worth it? And I sometimes blame my dad or parents for pushing me into a sport like that. I know my son to be playing tennis or golf or some chess.
Elizabeth Stein 24:43
Not leaving the house.
Mike Lee 24:49
It becomes taxing so I feel for people and I tell people listening that are dealing with it, just don't give up. Keep pushing forward. I mean, I literally just got done last Week with an ambulatory EEG exam, which is like they put this thing on your head and they map your brainwaves for three days straight. I broke down crying. Because it was just one of those things where I was like, I'm so worried about this concussion stuff. I'm so worried I'm still getting headaches and eye issues and like, and it was just like one of those moments where I broke down the next day. I was like, alright, like, you got this. So I tell that and I try to be more vulnerable now because I never was before so that people at least who are going through rough shit can be like, alright, I can do this. I need to be my own health advocate. I can get through these tough days.
Elizabeth Stein 25:39
Yeah, that's a really important message.
Angie Lee 25:42
It takes a lot of courage. It's easy to feel good. Of course, it's easy to be healthy when you feel good. Like that's when it's easy. Like, oh, it's great. Feeling good. But when you don't feel well, that's when it's like, are you willing to keep going?
Elizabeth Stein 25:56
And it's really hard to make those lifestyle changes. It's even though you might not be feeling well, the idea of that change sounds awful. Like a lot of people think about having gluten free, dairy free all of these things that in their life that they have to change. But then when you realize how much better you can potentially feel for making those changes physically, mentally. It's huge.
Mike Lee 26:20
Yeah, and I think that I'm not just saying this because I'm on the show. But I think that diet is the cornerstone first place, people should look. That's what I found. I was searching so many different places before I finally got to diet and how the wrong diet can exacerbate all these other symptoms.
Elizabeth Stein 26:39
What was your diet like when you were fighting?
Mike Lee 26:43
Well, when I was young, I was eating whatever. You had to make weight for sure. So it's one of those sports where you have to cut weight very fast, a lot of it water weight. And I would say I was eating like healthy but a ton of gluten, and a lot of dairy. After training sessions, I would eat huge sandwiches with a bunch of gluten, and a bunch of pasta, it was always that like you heard before marathons and big events you'd want to eat a bunch of pasta, and little did I know for me, it was just like tearing me apart, I would be so sluggish. I didn't know why. But also was young enough, you know in my 20s or especially early 20s where I could still eat that, perform, and be fine right? It caught up to me later once I turned 30, in my early 30s.
Elizabeth Stein 27:32
I'm so excited to announce that we have launched two new superfood cereal flavors, chocolate almond, and cinnamon raisin almond. Our cereal is intentionally crafted with whole food ingredients you can see and taste like sorghum, oats, chia, and quinoa. Each spoonful of our superfood cereal combines crunchy ancient grain flakes with delicious granola clusters for irresistible taste and texture. Plus they are an excellent source of vitamin D, a good source of fiber, and have over 30 grams of whole grains per serving. You can find these new flavors along with our existing flavors honey peanut butter and vanilla blueberry almond at your local Whole Foods and as always on purelyelizabeth.com.
So Angie for you, let's talk about your early CBD experience in kind of what you were going through mentally and what that looked like.
Angie Lee 28:25
I feel like it's interesting. I feel like physically I didn't have a lot of the things that Mike was going through but I feel like mentally, I've always kind of struggled with anxiety and a racing brain and trying to figure out how to manage that and work with that and leverage that. So for me when I was introduced to it, to me it was like, hey, is this an option instead of being on anxiety meds? Is this an option that can be healthy with no side effects? So I liked it for that. And then as a woman I think especially for the women listening, I think there's not this discussion around options other than Midol or these heavy prescriptions to alleviate I should say, or bring down the pain of period cramps. So that's when I started to, I wouldn't say overdose on CBD, because you can't overdose on it. There's zero toxicity but that's when I would start to kind of match it with my cycle and say, okay, before my period, am I taking a lot more of this to see if it helps with the period pain? So I would say those are the two pain points that I've utilized CBD for anxiety. Last night, I took it when I was feeling anxious within, I would say, 10-20 minutes I'm feeling a difference. And then I'm using it topically and the tinctures for period cramps. That's how I started to use it and loved it. But I think for me I'm so big right now in this season of life I'm and I feel like I'm really big on the central nervous system. That's something I need to work on. Adulting is so fun. It's the best. So CBD is really in alignment with that because I think it's like yes, you are what you eat. But then level two is you are what you assimilate. Which sucks to hear, because you're like, really come on. But like if you're eating healthy food in a stress state, and your cortisol is super high, it's like, okay, how was that food being digested because we all know the story of like, we went to Europe, food in Europe is cleaner, obviously, but you're on vacation, you're eating a little bit more but you're in an environment that's grounded with people you love. And the food is digesting better, you don't feel as bad as you are in a rush state, work, life, craziness. So that's something I've been really trying to work on now, too, is like, how do we pair CBD with this focus on the central nervous system regulation with eating well, and how can those three all dance together so you have the supplementation, the management of stress and, and a proper diet? And I think that is the secret to helping a lot of people.
Elizabeth Stein 30:45
So what are you finding are some of those ways in which you're trying to calm down your nervous system?
Angie Lee 30:52
I just punch a wall. No, I was joking.
Angie Lee 31:01
That is on the top 10 list to feel better.
Angie Lee 31:03
Every woman knows like those few days before your period. I always joke like, I want to go to one of those rage houses so I'm in a safe, safe space. I just take a hammer and just hit things. But yeah I got introduced to breath work. I feel like I'm not good at it. But I'm trying. I have a friend, who comes over to his private sessions. And it's awesome. It's been really helpful. I don't know what kind we're doing. We're not doing like Wim Hof. It's not the energizing one. I would say it's the calming one. So I like breathwork. I think focusing on sleep exercise is fantastic for stress. I think a lot of stress management isn't like sexy, fun things. I think it's just being honest with yourself about how you're talking to yourself, what you need to do, what you need to not do, what you need to take off your plate, what you need to organize. I think it's a lot of those things. I think breathing is great, and grounding outside, I've been trying to meditate more, but I would say only make it 5-10 minutes. That's better than nothing. Acupuncture. Oh, I forgot that. I've been going weekly to acupuncture and I love acupuncture for the parasympathetic. It's so fantastic. Works well, because you're in this room, then for 30 minutes, they leave you alone, they put the needles in and you just blast off to the 8 D or something.
Elizabeth Stein 32:22
That reminds me I need to go back to acupuncture. Thank you for that reminder.
Angie Lee 32:25
Yeah, think it's fantastic. It used to be like is this real? Does this work? Then I decided to do it consistently. And it's not only great for obviously hormones, but it's fantastic for your parasympathetic because Mike knows about this. I mean, he was a fighter. This conversation around the fight or flight is so fascinating to me because I know people who are not obsessed with biohacking, they don't eat as well. They're kind of just living life. But they have, I would say regulated nervous systems, and they're able to get away with more things. Where if I'm stressed, but I'm doing all these bio hacks and eating all the friggin grass-fed beef, I'm overhearing grass-fed beef and I'm stressed. So it's like, I'm having these interesting conversations now with people that it's like, does it come down to stress? When it comes down to who has a more regulated nervous system, who's in fight or flight? Because when you're in fight or flight, Mike knows this, you can't heal. And so much of Mike's career was in literally the opposite of healing. So now he's in healing. So I don't think have to be a fighter to relate to this, or an athlete. I think all of us whether it's career, parenthood, or whatever it is you're experiencing right now, I think a lot of us are running around in that sympathetic state. So we're wondering why we can't heal. It's because we're not in the right space to even heal. So that's something I've been kind of geeking out about, reading about, and thinking about a lot lately.
Elizabeth Stein 33:42
I think you're 100% right. And it's the combination of how getting into that parasympathetic system is also connected with your gut health. Because that's the cycle, that's what's feeding your foundation.
Angie Lee 34:00
Yeah, the cortisol connection to the gut is so huge.
Mike Lee 34:03
I feel like you become addicted to it. Like you become addicted to fight or flight. It's like a familiar even though it's hurting you.
Angie Lee 34:14
Yeah, adrenaline feels good. I mean, it feels good to speak on stage. It feels good to be in a ring. It's adrenaline. Adrenaline is amazing. Thank God, we have adrenaline. We were given adrenaline because if we needed to run away from a bear and save our child, a bear, and our baby bear, it's biological. But I don't think we were meant to be doing it when we're driving down the street and flicking someone off in traffic because we're mad or yelling at someone. We're using the adrenaline in the wrong ways now, and your body doesn't want to be on adrenaline for too long. It feels good. Because it's like that tingling high. It's like that intermittent fasting high, where you're like, oh, I can focus. But then when you come down from it, you're like, whoa, that's not sustainable. That's only meant for little bursts in life. It's not meant for every single day chronically. I think it’s meant for an acute thing. That's where CBD to me is. I feel so grateful that we share this because the number one message that I get in my DMs is how do I work on my stress, anxiety, and central nervous system? Will this help inflammation and the nervous system? That's what people are using it for.
Elizabeth Stein 35:16
That's what I was gonna ask is like, to me this seems like the chronic reason that most people a) have this issue in our world today. So is that the number one reason that you hear consumers coming to you is looking to de-stress and bring down their anxiety?
Angie Lee 35:32
Yeah, anxiety and sleep are biggest, biggest pain points.
Elizabeth Stein 35:35
But they’re connected also, right?
Mike Lee 35:37
Exactly. Anxiety and sleep are by far our biggest pain points. A third one that we're starting to see now that we've introduced microdose THC is alcohol replacement. Huge movement. People that want to replace that glass of wine or two. And we're just learning there's no health benefits to alcohol. The amount of all that you get, that you need to get from drinking wine, it's too small. So yeah, that has become quickly our third one.
Elizabeth Stein 36:08
So let's talk through a little bit about the differences just to clear up any confusion that exists between CBD and THC and start a little bit with that foundation. What happens in the body? The difference between CBD and THC?
Mike Lee 36:25
Yeah, that's why we have dog treats as well with CBD that helps dogs calm down. All mammals have an endocannabinoid system. We've known that for years. In different cannabinoids in the plant, there are CBG and CBN. All of them have different purposes but they attach beautifully to these receptors that we have these CB1 CB2 receptors that are already in the body. And the endocannabinoid system manages so many things in the body. Mostly your central nervous system, your gut, there are so many different things that it impacts. But CBD, to get more clear on that, and CBN CBG a lot of the cannabinoids that start with C are non-psychoactive, which means it will not get you high. So everything in Soul CBD product lineup is zero THC. The sister brand that we created called Out of Office has THC in it.
Elizabeth Stein 37:26
Great name, by the way.
Mike Lee 37:28
Thank you so much. My girlfriend came up with it. Well, I was shocked that it wasn't trademarked in that category. So yeah, we love it we're having fun with it. So Out of Office has THC in it, which is psychoactive and both are found in the hemp plant. We derive all of our products from organic hemp. It's just that hemp is very high in CBD and lower in THC and Delta-9, Delta-8 some of the other cannabinoids that are psychoactive so it's just important when you're shopping these products that if you don't want THC, that you make sure you find a reputable brand, they show their third party lab verifications on the site. And you know that there's no THC in there if that's what you don't want. The THC side, I think is incredible too for adults, because while CBD definitely will help with inflammation and calming down your nervous system, THC has much more than psychoactive and immediate efficacy. You can feel it more, it's a little bit more of a punch. So for a lot of people with these microdose gummies, it's not so much that they're so high that they don't know where they are right and they're on another planet. But it's enough that they can kind of take the edge off for whatever that is, whatever it is they need. And that was the pain point that we felt like we wanted to solve in the marketplace. So often you're going to a shady gas station or a dispensary or your buddy Joe's got really good weed. And next thing you know, you're so high because you don't the dosage, you don’t know how much of the gummy you should eat. And we're like, no, forget that. Like, so many adults like to have stuff to do. Like I need to get out of my day, but I still want to feel that relaxed feeling or I still want to sleep I still want to watch my kids or whatever it is. And so the microdose is nice in that so that it has your desired dosage and you can work your way up and not once again it gets so high that you order $200 worth of Chipotle at Postmates.
Elizabeth Stein 39:24
THC, you are selling on your website. Right? And how do you do that?
Angie Lee 39:32
People go and pick it up at Mike's house every single customer. You gotta go to this dude named Joe's basement.
Mike Lee 39:43
We're like Joe's cool. Don't worry. That's the main question we get to. What's interesting is, that since it's hemp-derived, and it has a certain THC limit, we can ship our product to all 50 states 100% legally. So any state that you're in, it’ll come to your door like you're buying vitamins or dog food, or whatever it is. And it's 100% legal, simply because it's derived from hemp versus the marijuana plant, and also the amount of THC in it is low enough that it is not federally illegal.
Elizabeth Stein 40:22
So some of your other items on your site, some of your other products that you guys have I know have been some collaborations it looks like with some doctors. Talk a little bit about that, and how you thought about having these like functional benefits that you're offering as well.
Angie Lee 40:40
I was just talking about Gut Hero today. It's helped me so much and focusing on my gut health right now. But we partnered with Dr. Jess, she has a big, incredible following on Instagram, if you guys want to go, just geek out for a few hours and watch all of her tips. She's a phenomenal functional doctor that we partnered with, who we trusted, who knew her stuff. We felt like we wanted to bring somebody in to consult us on each of the ingredients in addition to the CBD that's inside of gut hero, hormone hero, and thyroid hero. We had a lot of people from our customer base. Hey, I'm already loving what you have, but I want to optimize my gut, my thyroid, or my hormones. And so that's our hero line. And it's been fantastic. I take Thyroid Hero and Gut Hero almost every single day. After every meal, I'm taking Gut Hero right now. I think they are three of the most potent products that we have. I mean, they're fantastic. So yeah, we partnered with Jess on that, and she's been fantastic.
Elizabeth Stein 41:36
What are you hearing from customers? What's next? You're gonna get into mushrooms?
Angie Lee 41:40
We're gonna get into just MDMA gummies. And we're gonna have a billion-dollar brand by Wednesday. Don't tell anyone. It’s just like a little bit. We're just gonna sprinkle a little bit. I mean, it is funny because I just got the DM again this morning, “Would you guys come out with mushrooms? Psilocybin?” And I was like, we're already dealing with legal stuff sometimes unfortunately, which is so silly in 2024 with CBD but I don't know if Mike and I would ever get into selling microdose psilocybin but that's another thing that's been very helpful for people and huge fan of. But Out of Office just launched and it was fantastic. I was surprised. I knew we would do well. But I think we were both surprised how well, how many people are like, give me the microdose. We have a few ideas up our sleeve. But Mike, what can we share? What’s coming next?
Mike Lee 42:34
Well, one thing we do a lot of and it's kind of nice about being a direct consumer company is that we ask our audience in post-purchase surveys and everything. So we collect a ton of data on what they want. And we've seen everything from healthy weight loss, which is something that Soul is coming out with that we partner with some doctors and some PhDs on and we're excited about that as well. But on the Out of Office side, increasing the THC is something that we've seen a ton of demand for. And to be honest, I was surprised as well. So we started with a 1.5 milligram of THC gummy. And we now launched a three milligram and people are wanting even a five milligram so we're finding that people are kind of wanting more and more of that THC and that's something, to be honest, since we started the brand, the first four years, zero THC that we didn't expect. But Out of Offices has kind of been a fun little sister project that started taking off.
Elizabeth Stein 43:33
That’s fun. At one point, 5 is just the perfect amount for me. I feel like that’s the sweet spot.
Mike Lee 43:38
Yeah, I'm a lightweight.
Angie Lee 43:43
And then you could always take two of those if you want to.
Elizabeth Stein 43:48
As you guys have been growing the business and now Mike with your new little one on board, I'm curious to hear how you show up as the best version of yourself and juggle everything that you've got going on. It's not about balance, but it's just about how you prioritize and kind of juggle at all.
Mike Lee 44:05
I think especially now having a kid, that becomes tough. I learn this from Angie a lot. Angie brings a lot of levity and joy and she's our chief fun officer. I come into meetings, like very serious and it's about the numbers and everything. So I'm trying to be a little more of that. I think that's kind of how I balanced things even when I was fighting, when I was having fun, I performed the best. Always. I never went in the ring like mean mugging and like Mike Tyson style, that wasn't my style. I was smiling, having fun. So I tried to bring that into work too or being a father, whatever it is, anytime that I can have fun and be loose. I'm in a flow state. I perform better.
Elizabeth Stein 44:47
Are you naturally in that state or do you need to like do something to get yourself there? I have a couple of gummies.
Mike Lee 44:55
I feel Angie is naturally in that state. I wish I was naturally in that state. I did a few things that helped me. I kind of like fake it till I make it but music is a massive thing for me and comedies are huge for me. So even during my rough autoimmune days, I would watch comedies stepbrothers, or stupid Will Ferrell comedies. I was at my lowest moment just to kind of get me in that mode. And so I'm having a rough day, I'll hop on YouTube real quick and watch something stupid just to get that going. Or I'll listen to music or run outside real quick, and just like get those endorphins going. So I have to force myself to do that. I'm naturally someone who wakes up in a kind of a down mood. And maybe that's concussions. Who knows, maybe that's just how I am I have to warm up to it. That makes sense.
Elizabeth Stein 45:52
Yeah. I love the comedy warmup. How about you, Angie?
Angie Lee 45:54
I guess what Mike said, I think a fallacy is people think I'm in it all the time. I'm not. I think silly, funny people are experiencing also the other side of the spectrum to understand humor, I think. But it is a superpower that I have. So when I'm not in it, I'm trying to remind myself that you have this ability to do this, like you know how to get there. As Mike said, I kind of fake it until my brain is like, yes, you could choose joy today. Like you get to choose joy, because I do think there are some moments I think that were kind of cheesy when people would say that. When it comes to clinical depression and things like that, that's very dismissing to say to someone who's experiencing that, but if it's someone who's experiencing high functioning of the blues, we can choose joy more than we think. I do believe that. I think that there are times when I've been in the worst mood ever. And I'm like, well, I'm already down. The only choice I have is to laugh at this. The only choice I have is to realize that this isn't that serious. Like this isn't that serious. Like I'm gonna die one day. What are we even doing? I mean, we're on this thing called Zoom. Like, what are we doing? I always joke with my audience like, quick question, what are we doing here? Like, just a small question for everyone out there. What are we doing? So I always say like, we're like these cucumbers roll around this ball. But we have all these problems and all these things. So I try, I'm trying my best to not take it too seriously, like take the shit seriously that I need to but then also not to put too much pressure on myself. Because like Mike said, I feel like Mike also reminding me of this. Whenever I do get tense with things, it makes things worse. And so, I'm noticing it backfires. So, I do think we're in like a play deficit as adults as well. And when we were children, we played a lot. We were painting, we were coloring, you were running, you were playing tag with your guy friends or girlfriends outside, you were playing football, you were playing sports, you were engaging in play. And play is so important for the brain, there are clinical studies on this with the power of play. And that's a fantastic book that I was just listening to on Audible. So if you can infuse that into your life as an adult, I think it's such a game changer in your productivity. They correlate it to being more successful in your work and your relationships and everything. Like even relationships, we forget to play, we forget to go have fun together. They get so serious and all we're doing now is responsibilities and fighting. And it's like when's the last time you guys just went and just did something crazy and fun? Like you just had fun? I've been thinking about that lately now in my 30s. How many of my friends or people in my audience will tell me I don't know how to have fun? I don't know how to play and use that part of my brain and I think that's also causing this deficit in creativity and stuff. I think if there's something you can do today to increase that, that's such a superpower.
Elizabeth Stein 48:41
I love that all right well on that note we are going to finish it up with some rapid-fire Q&A. Three things that you're currently loving. It could be a show, a product, anything.
Angie Lee 48:56
Luca has to be one of them. He's downstairs right now. He's over in my house with my mom. I can hear him cooing. He's like a baby owl. Three things I love, one, Luca because he's so cute. It's really fun to be an aunt. I'm really into hot baths right now. Like cold plunging, out. Hot baths, in. All the girls posting cold plunging, I'm in a steaming hot bath with our CBD bath bomb like keeping my body temperature. Why are you laughing? I'm being serious. He knows. There's nothing I rather do on a Friday night than take a hot bath alone, just like get away from the world. So hot baths. I'm really into lymphatic stuff right now. I geek out on that. So my little mini trampoline right there that I jump on to wake myself up before calls and whatnot. So moving the lymphatic system and facial lymphatic sculpting, gua sha, I'm geeking out on that right now. So that's something else I'm loving right now.
Elizabeth Stein 50:09
Mike, how about you?
Mike Lee 50:12
Three things I love right now. I love Luca. That's the number one. I love Pickleball. And the third thing I love is surfing. I live in Texas.
Angie Lee 50:27
He goes on the river.
Mike Lee 50:31
I tried to get as many surf trips as possible throughout the year. I was in El Salvador earlier this year. Loved it. So yeah, those three things are top of my list right now. Hot baths might be like number four.
Elizabeth Stein 50:45
Favorite words to live by?
Mike Lee 50:48
One of my favorite quotes, along with stoicism, and Ryan Holliday is the kind of author that I follow who talks about this all the time, but it's called Amore Fati. And it means the love of one's fate. And especially dealing with health and whatnot, I love Amor Fati because it's like, figuring out ways to love the situation that you're in, because you're in it. So yeah, Amor Fati.
Angie Lee 51:18
I was thinking of some ridiculous quote that was not as profound as Amor Fati. But no, one quote I liked it's like, in all seriousness, I like the quote, I have it in my bathroom. ‘What are you waiting for?’ I just think it's such a cool question to ask yourself. Weirdly, it's in my bathroom, in my toilet room.
Elizabeth Stein 51:44
How is it in your wrapper?
Angie Lee 51:46
You're like, what am I waiting for? Like, my digestive system? I was thinking about that the other day. I was like, why is it in my bathroom? This is such a weird place to put this. But I've always loved that quote, I think it's a reminder. I think a lot of times when we're scared to take the chance or do the thing or whatever that is the hobby, the career, the relationship, whatever, like what are you waiting for? So I've always loved that quote, I think it's really powerful.
Elizabeth Stein 52:11
Love that. Favorite book, or podcast for growth.
Angie Lee 52:18
I'm pulling on my Audible right now because I'm on an Audible kick right now.
Mike Lee 52:22
I am loving Joe Dispenza right now, I don't know if people are familiar with it. But I'm going to a week-long, meditation treat on Sunday, with Dispenza and a bunch of people. And I'm excited but also nervous. Because that’s for a week, like intense. It’s like hours and hours.
Elizabeth Stein 52:42
That's gonna be an amazing experience.
Mike Lee 52:46
I hope so. I hope so. I'm very optimistic.
Elizabeth Stein 52:49
I can't imagine anybody coming back from them and being like, “That was the worst experience.”
Mike Lee 52:56
I have friends who have gone and they’re like, life-changing, unbelievable. It's just a little intimidating when like, I can barely get through like 10-15 minutes right now. So his book, has one in particular called You Are the Placebo, which I think is just one of my favorites.
Angie Lee 53:14
I have so many. I'm looking at my audible right now. And I'm like, wow, there's a lot of different weird topics on here. This is so funny. I have some ADD books, this one called Dirty Laundry. It's for my partner actually to listen to but I'm listening to it first myself to live with someone who has ADD. So he's currently listening to that. A Dose of Hope by Dr. Dan Engle, about the therapeutic benefits of MDMA. Fascinating. Listening to that right now. I know the title of this is a little controversial, but I think that this doctor is on to something and it's great. It's by Dr. Laura Schlessinger, this is under the relationship umbrella and I'm trying to work on that right now. The proper care and feeding of husbands. I know it sounds funny, but it's about how men's brains work, Mike, don't listen to this right now, how men's brains work because they're different. How do they think, and so trying to be a better partner, I need to understand the male species. So I'm studying the male species. I have found you guys are pretty simple. I’m making this way more and it’s a four-hour-long book. It's fantastic though. I'm gonna be honest, it's great. She's got some old-school stuff. And then one by Annie Downs, it's called Chase the Fun. It's basically about the next choice, the next decision, whatever you do in life. Like what if you chase the fun? I've got so many different ones here, different topics of brain health, ADD, we've got therapeutic medicine, we've got relationships, marriage stuff. Then I have Kevin Hart Monsters and How to Tame The. I love Kevin Hart. And I think he's not only funny but he's got some good motivational stuff. So I listen to his book. Well, if you're on Audible, you can get through four books a month or two, you just put them on 2x.
Elizabeth Stein 55:11
All right. Lastly, what is your number one non-negotiable to thrive on your wellness journey?
Angie Lee 55:18
Something that Mike despises doing. But it is the greatest joy in my life and that's walking outside.
Elizabeth Stein 55:26
Why do you despise walking?
Angie Lee 55:30
He doesn’t want to go on a walk.
Mike Lee 55:30
I don't want to go on walks.
Elizabeth Stein 55:34
Would you like to go on a run instead?
Angie Lee 55:35
He's always like, where are you going?
Mike Lee 55:38
I feel like we grew up in Chicago and when I go on walks, I'm walking somewhere. I'm walking to something. But this idea of just going on a walk to go on a walk, I don't like.
Angie Lee 55:53
It’s so good for you, though. It's proven to be one of the healthiest things. You got to do it.
Mike Lee 56:00
Yeah, getting outside in the morning. I know like Hubermann talks about this all the time. But I don't go on walks. I just sit outside. I take in the sun and maybe I'll be on my phone a little bit. But immediately when I wake up, I’m trying to get outside. I've noticed definite changes in dopamine the rest of the day. But unless I'm in a cool city, I don't want to go for a walk.
Elizabeth Stein 56:25
First thing in the morning, no walk.
Angie Lee 56:27
Zero steps, like make sure your step count is zero.
Mike Lee 56:34
It's like six.
Angie Lee 56:38
Mine’s like 20,000. I tried to hit 15,000 steps today. Listen, I'm in it to win it. I got to be 98 years old, still looking and feeling good. I saw my neighbor the other day, she walked down the street. I swear this woman. She looked like she was 98 years old. I'm not even kidding you guys. And I felt like she just popped out of a bush. I feel like this was like an omen. She walks over to me. I don't know if she was losing her memory a little bit. It was kind of like sad, but beautiful. And she looked at me and she looked great, though. I found out she was in her 90s. And she looked like she still had this vitality to her. And I said, “How long have you walked today?” And she said, “I walked 20 miles today.” And I said, “How often do you do that?” She's like, “Well, a few times a week. I live in the neighborhood way, way over there.” And I remember thinking like, she was like, the secret is just keep moving. Like you just gotta keep moving. And I remember thinking like, you just gotta keep moving.
Elizabeth Stein 57:32
Sorry, Mike.
Angie Lee 57:35
I wish my brother would take this advice right now from this older sweet woman. But it's so true. She's about 100 and she's telling you that the secret is like, you gotta keep moving. I think that means both. I think it means your body and your mind. You gotta you gotta stay moving. When people retire, that's not good. I don't know if that's what she meant. But I think it's what she meant is to keep moving.
Elizabeth Stein 58:01
Love it. Thank you guys so much for being on the podcast. In closing where can everybody find you guys and Soul?
Angie Lee 58:07
Yeah, you guys can go to getsoul.com. On Instagram, @get.soul, @officialmikelee, @angieleeshow on Instagram. Send us any DMS any questions you have on products, what you should use what you should take, and we're happy to help. Awesome.
Elizabeth Stein 58:24
Thank you guys so much for being here.
Angie Lee 58:26
Thank you so much.
Mike Lee 58:28
Appreciate it.
Elizabeth Stein 58:29
Thanks so much for joining me on Live Purely with Elizabeth. I hope you feel inspired to thrive on your wellness journey. If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to rate, subscribe, and review. You can follow us on Instagram @purely_elizabeth to catch up on all the latest. See you next Wednesday on the podcast.