The Pomp Podcast
#590 Amanda Goetz on Censorship in Payment Systems
- Amanda Goetz founded House of Wise, a CBD gummy brand targeting women with formulations for sleep, stress, and sexual wellness; CBD acts as a carrier compound that enhances the efficacy of active ingredients like melatonin through the entourage effect.
- Payment processors and tech platforms systematically restrict cannabis-related businesses despite CBD's federal legality; Stripe denies service, Facebook bans paid advertising for ingestibles, forcing reliance on clunky e-merchant brokers and third-party payment intermediaries.
- House of Wise uses an affiliate-based distribution model with "Wise Women" ambassadors earning 20–25% commission—higher than typical digital marketing spend—who host parties and build community without recruiting requirements or monthly minimums, distinguishing it from predatory multi-level marketing schemes.
- The company has raised $2.5 million to date; approximately 65% of sales flow through the Wise Women program, which includes a private Slack community and financial education on Bitcoin and blockchain aimed at empowering women beyond product sales.
- Trusted community spaces—hairstylists, yoga instructors, massage therapists—serve as organic distribution channels because women already confide in and receive recommendations from these figures; the model positions affiliates as de facto mobile retail locations.
- Future plans include expanding to subscription models, developing proprietary software to track affiliate conversions across multiple payment platforms, and eventually enabling Bitcoin payments as women gain financial literacy.