About The Brand: Nekktar designs modern storage accessories. Their breakthrough product, BuzzBoxx, is a sleek two-compartment device that provides airtight, waterproof and odor proof storage on-the-go.

Nekktar Founder Juila took a moment to chat with Etain about the brand and their BuzzBoxx storage containers available at Etain legal medical cannabis dispensaries near you in New York.

What’s the meaning behind the Nekktar brand name?

It really started with us looking at different companies in the market and identifying what inspired us. For us, it was Apple. We wanted a clean, memorable name and logo emblem that was unique, tasteful, and could stand by itself.

I started by naming our first product - BUZZBOXX. I thought to myself, ‘what are we making?’ and my response was a box that gets you buzzed. From there, BUZZBOXX came to be. I wanted the name to have symmetry, which led to the double X to match the double Z in the word buzz.

Next came the bee logo. I did research on existing bee logos and most are illustrated from top-down view, so they are super detailed. I didn’t want that. Thinking back to Apple, I wanted something simple and recognizable - you had to know it was a bee but not because it looked like the typical bee logos. I found a few examples for inspiration and my dad was able to create something similar with our own flare. It was simple with an incredible flow to it, it just worked.

Our company name came last. I knew it was going to be something other than BUZZBOXX because we have a whole pipeline of products coming. Throughout this process, I drew inspiration from Sara Blakely’s How I Built This episode, in which she talks about her journey naming Spanx. She mentioned names with strong K sounds do well and that made up words do better for products than real ones because they are easier to trademark. Following this advice, I wanted our company name to be misspelled so people remembered it. Nectar is an extremely popular word so I chose to change the C to a K for kush and doubled it like I doubled the X. In those moments, our brand came together so well and it all worked.

Naming and branding our company was one of the most fun things we got to do. You get to do whatever you want when coming up with your brand and that creativity and flexibility is just so freeing.

What made you decide to create Nekktar and the BuzzBoxx?

From my personal experience, I was struggling to carry my medicine and cannabis with me. It was nearly impossible to just leave the house with a joint, or a few edibles without taking it in the oversized, single-use plastic packaging that it came in that was often slapped with large THC labels on it. I wanted to feel comfortable in my cannabis use and I wanted storage that made it easier and more enjoyable to carry.

When I decided to jump off with this idea, my parents were so open and supportive and said let’s follow this, if it doesn’t work it will be a great experience and if it does, well that’s another story. And that’s where we are today! In 4.5 years, we have found that almost all consumers, whether consuming for adult-use or medicinal use, are struggling to carry their cannabis safely and discreetly. We’ve also noticed, on a larger scale, that there is a need for this same storage for vitamins, medicine, and health products.

I always say, storage is one of the least sexy but most useful things in our lives. Think about everything that requires storage or where you use other forms of storage: tupperware, suitcases, water bottles, airpod cases and the list goes on and on. For so long, we’ve seen zero innovation when it comes to medicine storage, hence why we are all still using Monday-Sunday pill things even though they are hideous and not that useful or effective. Well, that won’t be the case any longer as we are driven at NEKKTAR to create storage solutions that consumers actually want to use, carry, and show to friends.

What’s in your BuzzBoxx?

Great question, usually some 1906 drops in the bottom and a half joint in the middle. It’s great because I can save a joint for later or another time, I usually forget it’s in there because it never smells, and then I am so happy when I find it and can relight it.

As the founder, I always have one on me because it’s almost hard to explain to people what we’ve built. Once it is in someone’s hands, it is undeniable how useful and needed it is, and that it looks and feels good too.

Since starting the brand, what’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a women-owned business?

To be honest, I really enjoy surrounding myself with other women in business. Women bring such a unique and holistic perspective that I appreciate being around. Most of our team are women and the folks we do business with tend to be women so it's a fantastic ecosystem of women helping and working together.

I think my biggest takeaway or lesson learned over the years as a women-owned business, as a black and queer-owned business is, surround yourself with the right people and you will get so much farther and enjoy the ride as well.

How do you Take A Moment?

That’s a great question. There are a few ways I Take A Moment.

I absolutely love taking baths - they are a time when I can’t be on my phone. I feel weightless in the warm water and I can just close my eyes and breathe deeply.

This second Take A Moment is pretty cool, I kinda just came up with it. I try and reduce as much stimulation that I can by putting on very low lights, I will burn a candle that doesn’t have too strong or noticeable of a smell, I will play lyricless music like jazz, I will take out my contacts and not wear my glasses, and I will kinda just sit with myself in my room. I can incorporate a little stretching or yoga but the point is to just be very present with myself without being distracted by any sensory elements.

I do these things because one thing that can be hard for me as an entrepreneur and founder is staying present. So much time is spent thinking about how you grow the business, what we will look like in the future, what steps do we need to take now for our later goals, so it’s a lot of time spent in the future and envisioning ourselves then. I don’t want life to pass by just because I am dreaming up our company in the future so I Take A Moment to stay present.

Shop BuzzBoxx Storage at Etain legal medical cannabis dispensaries near you in New York.