New Bridge Sponsor Spotlight

New Bridge Sponsor Spotlight: LEILANI ROSE PACHECO

Founder, Gold Wowie® CBD and Gold Wowie® Equine

By Katie Roth | Photos by Shelly Marshall Schmidt

New Bridge Polo Club sponsor, property owner, and entrepreneur, Leilani Rose Pacheco is a force of nature in the popular arena of CBD companies. She has built her business from the ground up, and offers the best products on the market. She created her brand of CBD products to help people and animals suffering from different afflictions, offering a holistic way of relief. Today, her brand is celebrated and sold exclusively at some of the best wellness centers in the world.

Gold Wowie® CBD and Gold Wowie® Equine are full spectrum CBD oils that contain trace amounts of THC (no more than 0.3 percent per serving). They are non-psychoactive and will not get you, your pets, or animals “high.” Gold Wowie products are unique because they are proven to be effective, unlike most other CBD oils. They are third-party lab tested and come with the product Certificate of Analysis (COA), so you know the ingredients on the label are actually in your products.

Gold Wowie® CBD products come in a variety of forms including; tinctures (oil drops), fruit slice gummies, cooling roll-on, topical salve, liquid softgels, and watermelon and strawberry cubes. Gold Wowie® Equine tincture is the highest milligram full-spectrum CBD oil on the market today.

Recently relocating from Hawaii to Aiken, Leilani is a certified MagnaWave practitioner, a certified cannabis medicinal practitioner, and has extensive knowledge of Hawaiian La’au Lapa’au (Hawaiian holistic medicine). Gold Wowie® Equine therapy provides owners of high performance horses a holistic approach to wellness including MagnaWavePEMF, LZR lasers, percussion & Lomi Lomi massage.

Leilani brings a wave of knowledge, enthusiasm, warmth, and kindness to New Bridge Polo Club. Her fascinating history, drive to help humans and animals, motivation for success, and spirit for adventure are a story to share.

‘IMI OLA: (ee-me-oh-lah)

Hawaiian word to “seek our best life.” The importance of working to become the best version of ourselves every day.

WHY DID YOU START A CBD COMPANY?

WHAT IS THE STATUS OF YOUR BRANDS TODAY?

I come from a fourth-generation ranching family on the big island of Hawaii. As a child, we had one hospital, one doctor, and no urgent care. Unless we were really sick or injured, we went to a “Kahuna La’au Lapa’au” (Hawaiian medicinal healer) instead of a doctor. We were given holistic treatments such as Hawaiian medicinal herbs, or a Lomi Lomi massage, a traditional Hawaiian massage that uses a combination of massage techniques, and sometimes elements of prayer, breathing, and dance, to restore energy and soothe the body.

My mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the young age of 40 years old. After Western medical centers came to the island of Kona, the doctors gave her pills for everything under the sun, which led to a severe onslaught of Parkinson’s symptoms. My family and I were losing my mother at a rapid rate, so we put her on CBD as a last resort. From that point, I saw how cannabis improved my mother’s overall health. I thought it was a shame that cannabis, or “pakalolo” as we called it, had always been given such a negative stigma. When I saw how much my mother had improved, I knew I wanted to study and research cannabis. I had experienced what it could do firsthand for my mother. I received a certified degree from the Trichome Institute in Cannabis Medicinal Dosing, and I researched how cannabis helps anxiety, depression, seizures, mood, pain, and so many illnesses. Then I decided to start my brands Gold Wowie® CBD & Gold Wowie® Equine.

WHERE DID THE NAME GOLD WOWIE® COME FROM?

I wanted our brand to pay homage to Hawaii’s most famous cannabis strains. “Kona Gold” & “Maui Wowie.” I grew up growing and having “pakalolo” (cannabis) around as a kid — it was like growing orchids back in the 70’s. Everyone had it, everyone grew it. It was in itself, a medicinal plant to us.

Gold Wowie® CBD is the premier supplier to many of the top wellness centers, veterinarians, physicians, and chiropractors around the country. Gold Wowie® is also the premier supplier to MagnaWave PEMF, which has over 2,000 practitioners, and the Parker Muscle & Sports Clinic, a leading injury recovery chiropractic center. The Parker team works with top professional athletes and Olympians all over the world.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO GROW UP IN HAWAII?

DID YOU GROW UP WITH HORSES?

I literally was born with horses in my backyard, and I have ridden horses my entire life. We owned a ranch, so Western was the go-to discipline. My dad and brother were on the rodeo circuit. I was a barrel racer, and also won numerous awards showing in Western disciplines in horse shows most of my life, until I went to college. It was all about culture and tradition. I learned hula at a young age, studied Hawaiiana, and my great-grandfather was the Sheriff for King Kamehameha in the 1800’s (Hawaii was a monarchy until 1917). My grandfather was a pioneer farmer in the Kona coffee industry, which today is renowned as one of the best coffees in the world. One of my fondest memories was picking coffee alongside my grandfather, and having the Nightingale donkeys not only as pets, but as working partners with us side by side. It was a labor-intensive process. It would have been impossible to have worked our coffee farm without them. That is why I love animals so much. I also love deep sea fishing, and I competed in the largest “Wahine” (ladies) tournament in the World. All “Kama’aina” (locals) got along, and the “Ohana” (family) culture is what I loved the most. There is beauty on a scale in Hawaii that most cannot imagine.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO AIKEN FROM HAWAII?

I get this question every time I meet someone! It’s a bittersweet story, but unfortunately, I lost my brother and my mother in a back-to-back scenario. I decided at that time that I wanted to re-evaluate my life, and I was looking for a place that was “all about horses.” I randomly saw a video on YouTube of New Bridge and couldn’t believe a community existed like this! I bought my property sight unseen, and flew to Aiken to check out this wonderful place. I loved the charm of a small town, friendly people, and of course everything horses! When you lose family members, sometimes it can be a double-edged sword. As beautiful as Hawaii is, there were constant reminders of those I had lost all around me. So, it was a big decision to make at that time, but I have never looked back, and have made Aiken my permanent residence.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT AIKEN SO FAR?

WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BE A SPONSOR AT NEW BRIDGE?

I have to say that I have lived and traveled to some of the most beautiful places in my life, and the weather in Aiken is really comparable to Hawaii! With the exception of a couple hot summer months, Hawaii can also get pretty hot and humid. We also have snow on Mauna Kea (the second largest peak next to Mt. Everest) on the Big Island, so it gets chilly during the winter months just like Aiken. However, I love horses, and all the disciplines to me are so fascinating and exciting! I have also met the nicest people that I know will be my new Aiken “Ohana” (family) for years to come. I have never once regretted leaving my hometown of Hawaii to move here, as everyone has welcomed me with open arms, and New Bridge Polo & Country Club is such a huge part of my life, and it brings me such joy.

WHAT DREW YOU TO NEW BRIDGE?

What is there not to like about New Bridge (LOL)! It is simply a gorgeous area, surrounded by nature, horses, the nicest polo fields, and my neighbors that are kind and come from all walks of life and different areas. Every time I drive through the gates, I feel so fortunate to be living the life that I have.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE NEW BRIDGE AS A PLACE TO PURCHASE LAND?

It is a one-of-a-kind community period. The people, location, and beauty are so astounding. Also, coming from one of the most expensive places in the world to live, I couldn’t believe how affordable it was to buy property! The country club is also such a relaxed environment, and I was tired of the “high society” lifestyle, it bored me to tears. I prefer surrounding myself with real down-to-earth people. I enjoy knowing everyone (including the staff) when I go into the club, and it feels like going to someone’s beautiful Argentinian-style home.

Growing up in Hawaii in the 70’s, women were not allowed to play polo! Having the opportunity now years later, to be able to take lessons from one of the top female polo players, was one of the highlights of my life! Also, as a female, I wanted to be a role model for other young women, and sponsor a sport that I was not allowed to play as a teen. Life is full circle, and I am excited to be a part of the New Bridge Polo community, and to be able to also support and sponsor other Aiken local charities.■

To shop Gold Wowie® CBD and Gold Wowie® Equine, visit goldwowie.com.

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

3 Monkeys.................................................................113 ADT Security ............................................................BC AgSouth Farm Credit................................................. 7 Aiken Audiology ......................................................114 Aiken County Farm Supply.....................................27 Aiken Regional Medical Center ........................20 Aiken Saddlery...........................................................51 Aiken Vet Clinic........................................................120 Banks Mill Feeds .....................................................113 Black Burro Events ..................................................56 Broken Taco Polo ......................................................58 Brooke USA .............................................................114 Carolina Real Estate Company ..............................62 Center For Dentistry...............................................35 Coastal Carolina National Bank ................... 21, 107 Cooper Home & Stable...........................................34 Cooper Motor Company........................................40 Cork And Cap............................................................57 Cote Designs ...........................................................106 Debbie Roland, Coldwell Banker...........................51 E3 Life Coach.............................................................57 Enviroscape.................................................................34 Equine Divine.............................................................66 Floyd & Green Fine Jewelers.................................... 4 Foxdale Equine DMV................................................59 Gold Wowie CBD....................................................... 9 Hairknowlogy.............................................................79 Jack Roth, Carolina Real Estate Co.....................118 Katie Roth.................................................................120 La Parisienne ............................................................113 Lionel Smith, LTD.....................................................117 Menagerie ...................................................................92 Merrill Lynch, Jamin King.........................................58 Mike Hosang, Carolina Real Estate Co.................92 Nandina .......................................................................50 New Bridge Mounted Patrol ..................................27 Palmetto Dog Cllub..................................................67 Pedego Electric Bikes ...............................................61 Rock Creek Irrigation & Landscape....................107 Ronnie’s Hitches and Trailers..................................61 Sharer Dale, Keller Williams Realty.................... IBC Shelly Marshall Schmidt ..................................... 56,60 Shoemaker Equipment Supply......................... 28, 62 Southern Dental Assoc., Dr. Matthew Wall .......120 Southern Equine Service .........................................83 State Farm, Scott Saul.............................................107 The Pro Shop at New Bridge Polo Club .............67 The Saddle Doctor .................................................120 The Tackeria .............................................................115 The Willcox .................................................................. 2 The Wills Agency, Nationwide................................33 Tumbleweeds..............................................................36 United Real Estate, Brenda Daly............................60 United States Polo Association............................IFC USPA Global Licensing............................................... 8 Whisper Farm............................................................93 White Rose Eclectics ...............................................92 Wolf Construction .................................................... 6

Photography: Shelly Marshall Schmidt, Oh Schmidt Productions Supplemental photos by Katie Roth Layout: Jaime Johnson Designs Proofreading: Janet DePrince

“New Bridge, Room to Play, Ride, Live” Story: Katie Roth Photography: Shelly Marshall Schmidt Featuring: Ruben Coscia, Stephen Burr, Hope Arellano, Marcos Onetto. Will Green, Andrew Scott, Pelon Escapite, Mary Guynn, Summer Cogan, Justin Pimsner, Judy Storey, Amanda Wilson, Trevor Niznik, Malia Bryan, Alison Patricelli, Alan Martinez

“Member Spotlight: A Homecoming Story” Story: Katie Roth Photography: Shelly Marshall Schmidt Featuring: Mary Guynn & Justin Pimsner

“Ponies and Pearls” Story: Katie Roth Photography: Shelly Marshall Schmidt

“Game Time” Photography: Shelly Marshall Schmidt Supplemental photos by Katie Roth

“The Centerpiece of New Bridge Life” Story: Katie Roth Photography: Shelly Marshall Schmidt

“Polo for Bear” Story: Katie Roth Photography: Shelly Marshall Schmidt

“Respect is the First Ingredient” Story: Katie Roth Photography: Shelly Marshall Schmidt

“Celebrating 10 Years” Story: Katie Roth Photography: Shelly Marshall Schmidt

“Picture Perfect? Not Always…” Story: Katie Roth Photography: Shelly Marshall Schmidt

“Clothes Horse” Story: Katie Roth Photography: Shelly Marshall Schmidt Featuring: 4 Loving People Pure Cashmere Styling: Sol Di Ciurcio & Katie Roth Models: Sol Di Ciurcio & Matt Coppola

“Las Modelos” Photography: Shelly Marshall Schmidt Styling: Anna Coscia & Katie Roth Featuring: Ruben Coscia’s String Horses: Baby India, Negra, Milica, Sport, Marley, Sorpresa, Negrita

“New Bridge Sponsor Spotlight: Leilani Rose Pacheco” Story & Styling: Katie Roth Photography: Shelly Marshall Schmidt

“Ride Off” Photography: Shelly Marshall Featuring: Frank Stitt, Freddy Villar, Moonshine, and Leah

available in downtown Aiken