Conversations with 1st Lady Of The West Coast

Today we’d like to introduce you to 1st Lady Of The West Coast.

Hi 1st Lady Of, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
1. Your Story

I’m an Oakland-born, Northern California-raised entrepreneur, author, herbalist, artist, and creative visionary. My journey has never been a straight line, but every chapter has shaped who I am today.

I started studying cannabis around 2003–2004, long before the industry looked anything like it does today. I began growing in 2009, and cannabis became a major part of my life, my education, my creativity, and eventually my entrepreneurship.

One of the most significant chapters of my journey was Black Girl Magic OG™. The genetic originated from Duke of Erb, also known as Duke Of Doja, and Black Girl Magic became deeply connected to my story and brand.

As the demand grew, I realized I couldn’t personally keep up with everything that was happening around the genetic. I needed cultivation infrastructure and, more importantly, people I could trust. When you’re dealing with something valuable and unique, you have to be extremely careful about who has access to it and how it’s handled.

At the same time, the cannabis industry was changing rapidly. What started as a passion and a culture I had been studying for years was becoming a much larger commercial industry. I had to navigate that transition while trying to protect what I had built.

Eventually, I had to step back and reevaluate what the next chapter of my life was supposed to look like.

And that’s really where I am today: in transition.

I’ve learned that being in transition doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Sometimes you have to rebuild certain parts of your life because you’re being redirected toward something different.

I’m still an entrepreneur. I’m still an artist. I’m still a creator. I’m still the First Lady of the West Coast. And yes, I still do music.

There are things I’m rebuilding, things I’m reimagining, and ideas I’ve been given that I believe I’m still supposed to execute.

My story isn’t over. I’m simply in a chapter that hasn’t been fully written yet.

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2. What Inspired You?

I’ve always been inspired by the ability to create something that didn’t exist before.

I’ve never been someone who wanted to simply follow what everybody else was doing. Whether it was music, cannabis, business, writing, or branding, I’ve always wanted to understand things deeply and then figure out how I could create something unique from what I learned.

I’m also inspired by legacy. I think a lot about what I’m leaving behind and what my work can mean to the people who come after me.

That’s probably why I’ve never been satisfied with just having a job or doing something temporarily. I want to build things that have meaning.

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3. Tell Us About Black Girl Magic

Black Girl Magic OG™ is one of the most important chapters of my story.

The genetic originated from Duke of Erb, also known as Duke Of Doja. My journey with Black Girl Magic became much bigger than simply being associated with a cannabis genetic. It became a brand, a community, and part of my identity as a Black woman in an industry where representation mattered.

The demand eventually became more than I could personally keep up with. That was both a blessing and a challenge.

I had to think seriously about cultivation, scalability, trust, protecting the genetics, and finding people who understood that this wasn’t just another product.

I wasn’t willing to sacrifice the integrity of what I was building just to move faster.

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4. What Happened With Black Girl Magic?

I think people sometimes assume that if they don’t see something publicly, it means it disappeared.

That’s not what happened.

There were real challenges around scaling production, finding cultivation I could trust, protecting the genetics, and navigating an industry that was changing quickly.

I wasn’t comfortable handing something that important to just anybody. When you’re dealing with genetics and intellectual property, trust matters.

So I made the decision to step back rather than move recklessly.

That doesn’t mean Black Girl Magic doesn’t matter to me anymore. Quite the opposite. It means I’m much more intentional about what happens with it next.

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5. What Have You Learned From That Experience?

I’ve learned that access isn’t the same thing as opportunity.

Sometimes you can have an incredible opportunity in front of you, but if you don’t have the right infrastructure, people, systems, contracts, protection, and strategy behind it, scaling can actually create more problems.

I’ve also learned that protecting your intellectual property and your ideas is just as important as creating them.

And I’ve learned patience.

I don’t have to force something simply because people want it immediately.

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6. Are You Still Doing Music?

Absolutely.

Music has been part of me for a long time. I may not always be releasing music at the pace people expect or showing that side of myself publicly, but the artist in me never went anywhere.

I’ve always had multiple creative sides to me. Music, writing, cannabis, business, branding, and storytelling are all connected.

Right now I’m in a transitional period creatively. I’m figuring out what I want the next version of my artistry to sound and look like.

I don’t believe that because you step away from something for a period of time, you’ve stopped being that thing.

I’m still an artist.

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7. Where Are You Now?

I’m in a rebuilding and repositioning season.

And I’m actually learning to be comfortable saying that.

There are times in life when you have to take inventory. You have to look at what you’ve built, what still fits, what doesn’t, what needs to be rebuilt, and what you were carrying simply because you were afraid to let it go.

I’m doing that right now.

I’m taking everything I’ve learned over the last twenty-plus years and figuring out how to bring it into my next chapter with more intention.

I’m not starting from zero.

I’m starting from experience.

That last sentence is important.

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8. What Does “First Lady of the West Coast” Mean to You?

It represents much more than a title to me.

It’s an identity I’ve built over time. It’s connected to where I come from, my creativity, my entrepreneurial spirit, my femininity, my confidence, and my ability to move through different industries while remaining myself.

Life can change your circumstances without changing who you are.

So if I’m going through a transition, that doesn’t erase everything I’ve accomplished or the person I’ve become.

I’m still her.

I’m just becoming an even more evolved version of her.

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9. Has This Season Been Difficult?

Absolutely.

I think one of the things people don’t always understand about entrepreneurship is that people see the finished product. They don’t see the seasons where you’re questioning everything.

There have been moments where I’ve had to accept that certain things didn’t work the way I envisioned them.

But I’ve also learned that a closed door isn’t necessarily a dead end.

Sometimes you’re being redirected.

My faith plays a major role in how I look at those moments. I believe God can transition you into circumstances you never imagined you’d experience—not because you’ve failed, but because He’s moving you somewhere you couldn’t have planned for yourself.

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10. What’s Next?

I’m building again.

I’m focused on entrepreneurship, intellectual property, writing, music, branding, investing, and creating businesses that can operate at a much higher level than some of the things I’ve done in the past.

I’m also much more interested in building systems now.

I’ve learned that having a great idea isn’t enough. You need infrastructure around the idea.

So this next chapter is going to be more strategic, more intentional, and more protective of my time, creativity, intellectual property, and energy.

I have ideas that I’ve been carrying for years, and I believe I’m finally entering a season where I’m supposed to execute them.

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11. What Do You Want People to Understand About You?

I want people to understand that you can go through a transition without losing yourself.

You can have to rebuild something and still be successful.

You can step away from an industry and still be an authority in what you’ve learned.

You can stop releasing music for a while and still be an artist.

You can change direction without abandoning your purpose.

And you can have a season that looks completely different from what you imagined without it meaning that your story is over.

I’ve had to learn that for myself.

I’m not ashamed of being in transition.

I’m actually proud of the woman who is emerging from it.

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12. What Legacy Do You Want to Leave?

I want to leave more than a name behind.

I want to leave knowledge, intellectual property, businesses, creativity, opportunities, and something tangible that can benefit the people who come after me.

I want other Black women to see that we don’t have to stay inside one box.

We can be artists and entrepreneurs. We can be creators and investors. We can be spiritual and strategic. We can build businesses and still remain connected to who we are.

And I want my story to remind people that the middle of the story isn’t the end of the story.

I’m still building.

I’m still creating.

I’m still becoming.

And I believe the best parts of my story haven’t happened yet.

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?
No, it definitely has not been a smooth road. I’ve experienced some major highs, but I’ve also experienced seasons that forced me to reevaluate my life, my businesses, my creativity, and myself.

One of the biggest challenges has been building in an industry that changes faster than the infrastructure around you. I started studying cannabis around 2003–2004 and began growing in 2009, long before the industry looked anything like it does today. When Black Girl Magic OG™ began generating significant demand, I wasn’t able to keep up with that demand on my own. Finding the right cultivation partner became a challenge because I needed someone I could genuinely trust with something that valuable.

There were also concerns around protecting the integrity of the genetics and making sure people weren’t sharing, reproducing, or attempting to recreate something without my knowledge or authorization. At the same time, the cannabis industry was rapidly changing, and I had to figure out how to navigate that while protecting what I had built.

But honestly, one of my biggest challenges has been dealing with people’s expectations of my timeline.

When you’ve been publicly known as an artist, an entrepreneur, and the First Lady of the West Coast, people can look at you and decide what they think you should be doing by now. If I don’t have music out, they may ask what happened to the music. If they don’t see Black Girl Magic moving the way they remember it, they may wonder what happened. If I’m not doing exactly what they think I should be doing, they may assume I’ve stopped, failed, or lost my way.

I’ve learned that people will try to put a timeframe on your success based on their clock.

But I’m not on man’s timetable.

I’m on God’s timetable.

And that’s something I’ve had to become comfortable with.

Sometimes God will transition you into a season you never imagined you’d be in. Sometimes you have to pause, rebuild, redirect, or start over in certain areas. That doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It doesn’t mean you’ve lost your identity. And it certainly doesn’t mean I’ve stopped being the First Lady of the West Coast or stopped being an artist.

I’m still here. I’m still creating. I’m still dreaming. I’m still building.

I’m simply not allowing other people’s expectations to determine the timing of my life.

I’ve learned that a transition doesn’t erase your legacy, and starting over in one area doesn’t mean you’re starting over as a person.

I believe God has given me ideas, gifts, talents, and visions that He still expects me to execute. So instead of rushing to prove something to people, I’m learning to trust the process and prepare for what’s next.

The road hasn’t been smooth, but every obstacle has given me another layer of wisdom. And I’m realizing that sometimes the chapter that looks like a setback to everyone else is actually the chapter where God is preparing you for something you couldn’t see coming.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a multidisciplinary artist, entrepreneur, author, herbalist, and creative visionary. My work has always existed at the intersection of music, culture, cannabis, storytelling, branding, and entrepreneurship.

I started as a creative, and I’ve never really stopped being one. Music is a major part of who I am, and I’ve worked across different areas of music and audio while developing my own artistic identity. I also write, develop concepts, create brands, and turn ideas into experiences.

Cannabis became another major part of my creative and entrepreneurial journey. I began studying cannabis around 2003–2004 and growing in 2009, at a time when there was still tremendous stigma surrounding the plant. That eventually led me into the world of cannabis genetics, cultivation, branding, education, and entrepreneurship. Black Girl Magic OG™ became one of the most recognizable chapters of that journey. The genetic originated from Duke of Erb, also known as Duke Of Doja, and my work around Black Girl Magic became an important part of my identity and presence in the cannabis space.

What I’m most proud of is that I’ve never allowed myself to be placed into one box. I’ve been able to move between music, cannabis, writing, business, branding, and creative direction while still maintaining my own identity.

I think what sets me apart is vision. I tend to see the bigger picture before other people can see what I’m trying to create. I don’t just think about a product I think about the story, the culture, the experience, the brand, and what it could become.

I’ve also learned that being creative isn’t always about constantly producing something for people to consume. Sometimes creativity is happening behind the scenes—researching, developing, rebuilding, observing, and figuring out what comes next.

That’s where I am in this season of my life. I’m still an artist. I’m still creating music. I’m still writing. I’m still developing ideas and businesses. Some things are visible, and some things are still being developed privately.

I’m especially proud that I’ve continued creating despite the changes and challenges I’ve experienced. A lot of people measure an artist’s success by what they can immediately see a song, a project, a business, a product. I measure mine by the body of ideas I’ve created and my ability to continue reinventing myself.

I’m not interested in creating just to stay visible. I want what I create to have meaning, originality, and staying power.

I’m not here to follow a timeline someone else created for me. I’m here to create what I’m called to create and I’m trusting God with the timing.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I’m a lifelong learner, so I’m always listening to something or researching something that can help me grow. My faith is a major part of how I navigate life, so the Bible is one of my most important resources.

I also listen to Sarah Jakes Roberts, Dr. Anita Phillips, Wall Street Trapper, Gary Vaynerchuk, and John Hope Bryant. I appreciate that they each speak to different parts of my life—faith, mindset, emotional and personal growth, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, investing, and wealth creation.

I like learning from people who challenge me to think differently. I’m especially interested in understanding money, ownership, business, investing, and how we create generational wealth—not just how to make money.

I also use technology and AI as learning and creative tools. I’m constantly researching, developing ideas, writing, creating, and figuring out ways to turn what’s in my head into something tangible.

I don’t believe in blindly following anybody’s blueprint. I’ll listen, learn, take what applies to me, research it further, and then develop my own perspective.

That’s probably the biggest thing that helps me do my best: I’m always willing to learn, but I never stop thinking for myself.

My biggest resources are really faith, knowledge, creativity, curiosity, and people who challenge me to grow.

I’m a lifelong learner, and what I read and listen to usually reflects whatever I’m working on or trying to understand in that season of my life.

My faith and spirituality are very important to me, so books like The Purpose Driven Life, The Greatest Secret, and Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth have been meaningful to me because they make me think about purpose, consciousness, and the bigger picture of life. I also enjoy All About Love by bell hooks because I believe how we understand love, relationships, and ourselves affects how we move through the world.

Then there’s the entrepreneur and wealth-building side of me. I read books like The White-ness of Wealth, The Millionaire Booklet, Zero to One, The Millionaire Fastlane, $100M Offers, and The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding. I’m interested in understanding ownership, wealth creation, business, branding, and how ideas become valuable businesses.

I’m also very interested in financial markets and trading, so I read and study material around day trading, buying and selling stocks, and developing my understanding of the markets. I’m constantly learning because I don’t believe you ever reach a point where you know everything.

I’m also drawn to books about personal growth and reinvention. The Let Them Theory and Rewrite Your Rules really speak to the idea that you have to be willing to challenge the rules, expectations, and limitations that other people put on your life.

When it comes to podcasts, I listen to Sarah Jakes Roberts, Dr. Anita Phillips, Wall Street Trapper, Gary Vaynerchuk, and John Hope Bryant. I appreciate having different voices that challenge me spiritually, psychologically, creatively, and financially.

I also use technology and AI as creative and learning tools. I’m constantly researching, writing, developing ideas, building brands, and figuring out how to turn the things I see in my mind into something tangible.

I don’t believe in blindly following somebody else’s blueprint. I’ll learn from a person, study the information, question it, apply what makes sense, and then develop my own perspective.

I’m always willing to learn, but I never stop thinking for myself.

That’s probably the common thread through everything I read and listen to: purpose, personal growth, wealth, creativity, and the freedom to create my own life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1stladyofthewestcoast?utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1C5sBEXJTm/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@1stladyofthewestcoast?si=Ca4HMNaIwSaBdZNC