Check Out Delaney Lawrence’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Delaney Lawrence.

Hi Delaney, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hi! I’m Delaney Lawrence and I’m a WA state native relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona. As a little girl, I was very imaginative, I knew no limits and have always been open-minded. I’ve always had an eye for creation and extremely good taste (clothes, food, you name it.) I’m an Aries, a yogi, an artist, dreamer, optimist, hopeless romantic, and creator. Many people know me from my social media endeavors that showcase a conscious and adventurous lifestyle on Instagram and TikTok. And this is my story:

When I got out of college with a double major in Finance and Accounting, I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur and owner, but I didn’t know what I wanted it to look like just yet so I set out on my first job opportunity. My first job title out of college was “Compliance Analyst”, one I still find quite fancy to this day. I relocated to Las Vegas to work for an ERP software company operating solely to serve the elusive and fast-growing industry of Cannabis and Hemp. My job was particularly vital because it was my responsibility to research laws and rules in new client jurisdictions and translate pertinent information to the product team (legal limits, strange facility requirements, etc.) Not only did I love the type of work I did (I am an organizational nut), but I found the things I was learning beyond fascinating. It was remarkable how detailed the rules were and I felt compelled to share what I was learning. I started IGTV (at the time) and began sharing my regular “Weed Wednesday’s With Del ” where I would answer questions about the industry and go over interesting new facts I had come across. Weirdly enough, people really liked it! I began to use my creative side (I’m an artist at heart and photography is one of my passions) to continue to pursue a social media name for myself. I worked with local cannabis brands, became an ambassador, shared about products, created open-minded photo concepts with bright colors and optical illusions. It became a passion and I just kept going.

In 2020 I had gained a small following (a few thousand) interested in what I was sharing, but (as many experienced) COVID caused a shift in my career. I ended up retreating back to Washington to start a new remote job in a new industry, but it didn’t suit my pursuits. I fell flat with my ability to be constantly researching or sharing so I started doing more photography in my spare time, creating new ideas, and attempted to keep Weed Wednesdays going in new capacities. I worked with countless CBD brands promoting their products and shared my ideas about trending topics in the industry. Early 2021 I decided to make another shift by moving myself to Arizona to look for new opportunities and chase a dream career doing content creation full time.

In 2021 I moved to Tempe and worked my way slowly into where I’m at now. I worked at a bar for a bit, found a social media marketing job at a local cannabis brand, continued to create, and tried new things. In 2022, I booked a trip to Europe with my friends to do a review on cannabis in Amsterdam. I had my first extremely viral video hit 14.5 million views when I posted my experience on a smoke boat in the canal. This is when I knew that the work I had been doing was finally saying something. I had fully committed to the industry at the time and knew I had a place being able to promote and share about products in the industry as well as my opinions on the topic. However, about 6 months after my video went viral, I realized I still wasn’t anywhere close to where I intended to be.

The problem was that I got into the industry to share how unique it was and to truly expose the medicinal properties of cannabinoids. I had never been a big user (EVER) but over time I had found that the product really did play a role in some of my most pivotal self growth moments. I experienced my anxiety from new perspectives, had breakthrough moments, and saw my creativity the highest (no pun intended) at times when I consciously used a high-quality product. But, what I was doing wasn’t enough to fully express that. I wasn’t fully telling people my story, I felt like I was only contributing to an industry in the way it had always been viewed: stoner culture. Despite knowing that I was nothing like the stigma that surrounded the industry, I couldn’t shake the feeling of people judging me like so. I was getting offers left and right to promote brands and products, but I felt wrong taking them. It was like I got the dream I wished for but in all the wrong ways. I looked in the mirror and saw who I desired to be (and who I know I will be) but knew the actions I was taking and the content I was sharing wasn’t going to get me there. I had to start from scratch.

For the next 2 years I tore my accounts apart. No one really noticed, but I shifted overtime. I started taking notes on what people responded to, I spent more time on things I really cared about, I tested new methods, and I shared what was in my heart. I looked at accounts I idolized and tried to imagine what it would look like to be friends with the type of people I wanted to digitally surround myself with, but in-person. I wanted to portray who I truly was, but who I wanted to become required me to really work on myself. I wasn’t going to fake it like other people did, I wanted to truly fully embody my authentic best self. I tell people all the time that this social media journey has been one of the biggest self-growth challenges of my life. It was horrifying on the days I didn’t get the same engagement anymore because of my shift. But, it was fulfilling when people told me in person they liked my “new content” and supported me. I started to confirm my suspicion that social media has a lot less to do with what you show online and a lot more to do with what you do in person. I worked day in and day out to become a higher version of myself. I manifested better people in my life, raised my standards, and learned to say no to brands or products that didn’t align with my more clearly set ideals and values.

What I struggled with was conceptualizing to everyone else what I was doing. How did I get from what I was doing (especially in the cannabis industry) to what I am now? I was confused and overwhelmed and it took me until about now (2024) to truly understand how to share this journey.

I used to be ashamed to tell people that the CBD and cannabis products helped me. When I consumed good products in a responsible and conscious way, I felt better. I had higher success and notably increased happiness, but the problem was, there weren’t a lot of products that I could honestly tell you are worth trying. As I’m writing this, I can confidently tell you, there is a new CBD product I’m using that has wildly re-inspired my love for the industry and my excitement to continue to share. I needed to re-evaluate who I was before coming back to the industry. I needed to have the confidence in who I was to be able to tell people: this isn’t cannabis like you’ve seen it before. This is the new and elevated version of what it means to use THC or CBD products and you can use them in a responsible and conscious way that supports your lifestyle.

When you find me on social media today, you’ll see a lot more life. I love to travel, dress up, and share my mindset. I set out daily to inspire others to live their best lives and I’m truly only getting started. I didn’t become a Cannabis and Hemp advocate to only be an influencer for it, this industry came to me to show me something remarkable about myself and self-growth. My dream is to continue to set out to inspire others to live their best lives and to know no boundaries. CBD may be what helps me (and I’ll surely be sharing about this new product I discovered), but what I want people to know is that the type of lifestyle they want to live and who they want to be is achievable. With open-mindedness and a willingness to lean into one’s authenticity, you can truly do anything. And I’ve seen this firsthand with my experiences I just shared with you.

I think the Cannabis and Hemp industry is very special and there’s still so much to learn about it, and maybe others will be inspired to try it because of me. Although, I hope that my courage to share what’s helped me, will at minimum, be the nudge someone out there needs to embrace a part of themself that will lead them to their higher self.

That’s the mission, an endless pursuit of the highest version of me (and in hopes: you.) Follow along on my main account @delaneylawrence on Instagram and @bydelaneylawrence on TikTok.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A smooth road is never worth traveling! I think that some of my hardest days were those where I was faced with the true reflection of the self. I wanted to fully elevate who I was and what I was accomplishing. Going into the social media space can be very challenging because you aspire to create a digital persona that you see in your head, but it’s not always simple to manifest into reality. Additionally, I think one of the biggest struggles is once you grow a following (I know, crazy to think that right?) Most people tend to believe that after you have the followers all your problems are solved, but it’s just not true. You have to be relentless in your pursuit of serving your audience and when you feel yourself evolving or growing, you have to be brave enough to take your followers with you.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As I grew into the social media industry, I became a content expert! I like to tell people I’m a professional content creator – and this is true. People and businesses have been seeking me out to assist them with capturing their client transformations, product launches, and event experiences. I simply love it. In combination with running my own social media accounts, it’s definitely my dream job.

I think what truly makes me a great contractor for this service is that I’m intuitive to what makes a person or brand authentic. I show up, embrace and translate the brand’s messaging through content, and then help share and market their product or service. I have a knack for understanding a brand at its basic levels and using its mission to drive their digital media. I’m also very knowledgeable and up-to-date with current trends, algorithms, growth strategies, and techniques as it’s what I do everyday for myself and others.

I’m really proud of my content specifically for my clients. Nothing makes me happier than (for example) attending a company’s event, capturing their clients and interactions, producing recaps and sharing them with their team. Seeing their reactions to the content I’ve produced specifically to highlight their clients and values does leave an impact on me. It’s so magical to see the authenticity of a business show up online and that’s what I’m great at curating. I recently attended a CBD conference to support a CBD company in content creation and got incredible feedback on the recaps I made, stories I shared, and the interactions I provided for their advocates. Social media is more than just chaotic posts and noise, it can truly be impactful for a community.

Additionally, I’ve recently launched my first online course aiming to empower others to start creating online. My first course is what I like to consider as the first step into crafting your dream personal brand online (aka photo editing.) I have found that there are definitely some technical and artistic skills that go into succeeding on social media and wanted to share those skills in a way that would empower others to learn and identify their own personal editing styles. You can check out more about my online resources at dlthebrand.com

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I teach yoga in town! Many of my friends know this, but it does tend to be a surprise conversation. Yoga and self-care are a huge part of my personal life. Teaching is the one place I can really tune out of the world and be present with my community. I love taking and teaching class and have found breath work and meditation in addition to yoga be pivotal for my own self care.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dlthebrand.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delaneylawrence/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bydelaneylawrence

Image Credits:
Creatively directed and edited by Delaney Lawrence