Amy Maddocks

Amy Maddocks launched Mad Ritual right as the CBD business hit its watershed moment with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill.

Maddocks started the Mad Ritual brand with just one product, Relief Rub, which, at the time, was often found just past the finish line of Washington’s many marathons and 5k races.

“Going to local athletic competitions and races was a really good market for us because you could have the conversation and you could give samples to people who are already sore,” Maddocks says.

While the world of online CBD sales was growing increasingly cutthroat and less sustainable, Maddocks’ in-person marketing and the word-of-mouth buzz about her products helped expand the Relief Rub product line to four different blends, which are all certified USDA Organic. In addition to being Organic, having her products certified as cruelty-free and vegan by Leaping Bunny, an organization that verifies animal-friendly cosmetic products, helped Maddocks land the company’s biggest account, Seattle-based Bartell Drugs.

“We’ve been in there since March 2020,” she says. “Right when they shut down for the pandemic, we got on the shelf and we’ve maintained that account since then.”

Being on the shelves of 68 Bartell Drugs locations, in addition to numerous yoga studios, physical therapy centers and chiropractor offices, was a massive breakthrough for Mad Ritual. However, Maddocks says her biggest milestone was building the brand from the ground up by making countless personal connections with consumers and retailers.

“I’ve gotten this entrepreneur education that’s been very hands-on and rewarding for me,” she says.