Meet Amanda Nash-Jimenez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Nash-Jimenez.

Amanda, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in California and raised in upstate New York, in a small town I knew I was destined to leave since the beginning. So, I created an exit plan, and upon high school graduation, I moved to Boston, Massachusetts to attend college. Realizing late the uneducated, educational decisions I was making were putting both my mother and me into serious debt, I had to make some grown-up decisions I was not yet prepared for, including quitting school and moving out of Boston. Refusing to go back to where I came from, I pressed forward and found myself living in Tempe, Arizona at 20 years old. Although feeling kind of stuck, I was surrounded by sunshine, oranges, pools, and palm trees, surely I could figure life out here.

Looking back, I used to think of those early years as meaningless because I worked, a lot, at just about any job I could. Now I know, every one of those jobs and moments I thought was so insignificant, got me right here. The bartending and waitressing gigs led me to event coordinating, which led me back to college with a purpose. In 2011, I completed a Bachelor’s degree from ASU majoring in Nonprofit Leadership & Management and minoring in Special Events. From there I worked various jobs in the nonprofit and educational sectors, which brought me great fulfillment compared to what I was used to.  Even so, something was missing…

When Cannabis became medically legal in AZ, I got my card right away. (Using cannabis since I was 14 not knowing it helped with my overactive brain and anxiety, medical legalization was huge.) At the time, my husband and I were talking about fostering. It is something I had always wanted to do, and he knew all too well what the streets looked like for a kid with no place to go. Being transparent, I told the companies we were trying to foster through that I had a medical marijuana card, at first they were unsure how this would impact me, but quickly it became an issue. One that would prevent us from opening our doors and hearts to a child in need. Anyone who knows me knows I am not quick to give up but this seemed pretty cut and dry.

A few months later, I learned about hosting foreign exchange students. I thought, they wouldn’t allow us to host a child from another country, we couldn’t t even help a child here. But sure enough, after a few basic questions and a quick noninvasive home inspection, we were approved to host.  Since then we have hosted five girls. One is our daughter Kanyata who has been with us for six years now and will soon be graduating from ASU with a degree in Fashion. The other 4 are all in different parts of the world focusing on their education. In addition to our girls, I have a stepdaughter and stepson and the most fantastic grandbaby ever! My family gives me purpose and opportunities to see and experience the world in new ways.

Even with having an amazing family and a good career something was still missing, so I went on a journey of self-discovery.  During this, I realized my fear of failure was holding me back and that I needed to believe in myself and go after what I truly wanted. Being a boss. An entrepreneur in spirit my whole life, I took the biggest leap of faith possible, quit my job and started The Bud Card, an online discount program for the cannabis industry.  Shortly after came The Bud Show, a small educational podcast.  As someone who has used cannabis for 20+ years, like many patients I have met, I felt (and still feel) I have a lot to learn, especially with all of the new products and information out there and The Bud Show is a platform to do just that while The Bud Card is a way to save when making everyday purchases.

Fast forward to today, almost 2 years later, The Bud Card is doing better than I could have imagined, including expansion into different states. We are currently in the process of building our partnership development team and can’t wait to see what the future looks like.  Not just for my business, but for the cannabis industry and those that are in it. The Bud Show is also growing, being added to additional platforms to reach more people with its cannabis education.

With plenty of room for more growth personally and professionally, surrounded by one of a kind individuals, I can’t help but think about how blessed I am to be in this space. As 2019 comes to an end, I look forward to 2020 and the years ahead.

I have to take a moment and say that I wouldn’t have gotten this far without the phenomenal people who believe in me, who remind me constantly not to give up, without them, here would not be the same place, there would be no Amanda Munchies, no The Bud Card or The Bud Show, and for that, I am forever grateful. You know who you are, thank you!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
What would life be without some bumps in the road to make the ride worth it? I think like many entrepreneurs, having money (or lack thereof) was and still often is a struggle I have to manage. Besides that, I think my self-doubt has been a huge challenge to overcome and often if it weren’t for the help of others I might still be wallowing in the muck of self-doubt. Starting a business is not easy and you must be prepared to wear every hat, every glove, every sock, every, everything! I don’t know I realized this until I was wearing it all and felt like I was suffocating. I am learning that success does not always come at the pace we want, so plan for a long journey.

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