Mike Haynes, owner of The Kush Life knows the importance of promoting confidence, and self-care health to improve the Black Self-image to offset attitudes of neglect and uplift the image of people in the inner-city.
By LaMar Anderson | December 17, 2020 | 6:00am
Please tell us your name and the name of your business.
My name is Mike Haynes, aka The Kush Life, and my business is The Kush Life Wellness.
What does The Kush Life specialize in and offering to customers?
The Kush Life is a wellness brand. I am offering wellness for the physical, mental, and spiritual. So we have sage, palo santo, incense for meditation, and mental strength. We also have essential oils for hair, body, skin, and then we have fragrance oils made with essential oil blends for the skin [for] men and women. We have handmade soaps, lip balm, and other products. A lot of our products contain or are infused with CBD.
Are you from Los Angeles? How long have you been doing business in Leimert?
I grew up in Inglewood, California, and a little bit in Baldwin Hills and graduated from Crenshaw High School. So, I’ve been coming to Leimert Park all my life, visiting since the Project Blowed days freestylin’ and hanging out in Leimert Park.
Until recently, about six months ago, I started coming out to vend. I started my business, and Leimert seemed like a good place to expand it.
What inspired you to choose self-care, health, wellness as an area of business for The Kush Life?
What inspired me to choose it was my background and where I came from. Growing up and where I came from was an attitude of neglect, and people are not caring for themselves as they should. I wanted to make a self-care brand for the people who needed self-care the most: my people in the inner-city, you know, and be somebody that they can relate to and bring self-care to the inner-city community.
What are some challenges or successes for yourself and The Kush Life during this year of change in 2020?
Definitely, you know, things are changing in the world not only in 2020 but before, so things are rapidly changing, lots of challenges and success but being able to utilize the internet. Being able to make the website, market to people online, and get them to see the business was a big help and a big change—something we had to adjust to.
What can we look forward to seeing from The Kush Life regarding self-care, health in the new year?
I want to continue to promote a positive self-image in our community—the brand is not just about the products but also the message. I took inspiration from Dr. Bronner’s soap and spread the message with the self-care products, so I was inspired by him and others. I’m uplifting the Black self-image and uplifting the image of people in the inner-city, poor and in the ghetto, you know, bringing more confidence, definitely more health.
How can we connect with Mike Haynes and support The Kush Life?
You can find me in Leimert Park every weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday after 12 PM and online:
TheKush.Life
IG: @TKL2K1
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