Ziggy’s Naturals co-founder Jordyn Pollack
Trans businessman Jordyn Pollack says his CBD products may help ease the stress of being LGBTQ in a sometimes-hostile world.
MAT SHAW | Contributing Writer
Mathews.yb@gmail.com
Jordyn Pollack, a chef by trade, founded Ziggy’s Naturals, a CBD company based in Austin, several years ago with help of his father, Marc Pollack. The company is named after Jordyn’s wife, Ziggy. Jordyn’s brother, Jake Pollack, joined Ziggy’s as well and is director of sales and marketing, making the company one of the country’s leading family-owned sellers and distributors of purely organic CBD products.
Jordyn is very tied to the LGBTQIA community and has individually been partnering with Target, Chapstick and MasterCard throughout Pride Month. Pollack spoke recently with Dallas Voice about his company and his philosophy of life and business.
Dallas Voice: What is Ziggy’s Naturals, and what are CBD products? How do they benefit the LGBTQIA community? Jordyn Pollack: Ziggy’s Naturals is a family-owned CBD company. We carry a variety of CBD products, from tinctures to topicals and even edibles.
CBD is a cannabinoid extracted from the hemp plant or marijuana plant. All of our products are derived from the hemp plant. These products directly benefit the LGBTQIA community in many ways, especially with anxiety. Sadly, in this society, being LGBTQIA isn’t as always welcomed as we would want it to be. Consequently, a lot of people in the community experience a great deal of anxiety, and CBD can really come to the rescue here.
How were you able to get people on board with your product? I am a transgender male and part of the LGBTQIA community. I have been very public with my story and transition, which has led me to have a decent following on social media. I feel that I put out a very strong and honest message as to my life and experiences as a transgender man. In my everyday life, I use CBD products regularly, and people see that in a very authentic, trustworthy way.
Why is it important for companies to support the LGBTQIA community? It is important for companies to support the LGBTQIA community because, without inclusivity and treating all equally, we will never move forward. The rights of LGBTQIA individuals are being challenged regularly. With the support of companies like Ziggy’s Naturals, we can all help fight for those rights together.
Tell me about your experience as a transgender man owning a company. What steps did you take to becoming a C-Suite member (C-suite is a term meaning the highest-ranking senior executives in an organization, so called, because of the “C” representing the word “chief”)? As a transgender man, I have found it very rewarding, and I really just feel that I am a “man” owning a company. I have conducted myself as a professional in a very competitive industry. I am extremely confident in all of my dealings. I am always educated and prepared to face the challenges that come with owning a business.
To become a C-Suite Member, I learned everything I possibly could about starting and running a business from my father, who is also an attorney, a high-level entrepreneur that has represented professional athletes for almost 30 years, and fortunately, he is my partner in Ziggy’s Naturals.
What do you do to feel safe and included in our society? I don’t really look at life this way. I live everyday as my authentic self and focus more on my happiness rather than hiding in society to always feel safe. I understand in certain places and in certain situations people need to stay safe, but I luckily haven’t felt the need to hide who I am thus far in my transition. I think this is a very sensitive subject for the community, and it hurts me to know some people do not feel safe in our society.
