Discovering the sea to success
Inspiration is sometimes born out of tragedy. Colorado native Joey Coleman, founder of KAI CBD, based in Grand Junction, CO, can personally attest to that.
An outdoor enthusiast, Coleman was living in Columbia operating a charter sailing business with his wife Kelsey. In 2017, he experienced a terrible crash while paragliding and broke his spine. Coleman underwent an emergency spinal fusion and regained the ability to walk, however, the road to rebuilding strength was long. “Any activity I did, left me in agonizing pain,” Coleman explains. “Every activity except swimming.” He continues, “When I was in the ocean, I was weightless and the pain went away.” The sea, he says, inspired him, pushed him, and ultimately helped heal him.
Going home to new beginnings
Coleman was able to take up all the activities he loved again — hiking, mountain biking, climbing, running – but they left him with back pain, nerve issues, and sleepless nights. “I started looking for an all-natural solution to ease the aches and pains,” says Coleman, “and that led me to CBD.” Within weeks of regular use, he says it reduced his inflammation, improved muscle recovery, his joints no longer ached and he could sleep again.
With his brother’s expertise in agriculture and a 40-acre hemp farm in Grand Junction, Coleman returned to Colorado and began formulating what he calls “Nature’s Recipe” of essential oils, organic beeswax, and other natural ingredients paired cohesively with CBD to deliver maximum relief. With a successful formulation in hand, Coleman says “I knew I had to share it with the world.” And, in 2020, KAI CBD was born.
Doing artwork justice; KAI CBD labels
Coleman’s homage to the healing properties of the sea is reflected not only in the company name itself (kai is Hawaiian for “the sea”) but also in the packaging artwork. “My long-time friend Quinn Saine takes photos of ocean sunrises and sunsets with unique long exposures. The result is really stunning photography,” explains Coleman. “I used one of his images in an early label mockup and it just captured our brand perfectly.”
To give his friend’s one-of-a-kind artwork the justice it deserves on his line of KAI CBD labels, balms, and oils, Coleman sought the best label print provider in Colorado he could find. “I googled ‘Colorado label company’ and Columbine Label came up in the search results. Their web presence really stood out, so I contacted them.”
A sea of satisfaction
Columbine Label did not disappoint. ‘Quinn’s photographs look amazing on the labels. He loves them,” says Coleman. “The text came out really sharp and crisp, too.” Coleman is also pleased that Columbine Label met another of his criteria: “I was looking for a print partner that I could develop an ongoing relationship with; one that was easy to work with and responsive.” He found that through Columbine Label sales representative Jeff Klocke who Coleman describes as “super responsive and the nicest guy ever.”
“If you’re looking for the best label printer, Columbine Label checks all the boxes – quality labels, excellent customer service, competitive pricing. I couldn’t be happier.”