Latest news with #LaurenMiller
Forbes
24-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Pocket-Sized Innovation: How Wims! Is Redesigning THC For The Mindful Era
Wims! comes in whimsical packaging and small tins that fit neatly in a purse or bag. Wims! As I've mentioned in previous columns, innovations in cannabis products continue spreading across the country, largely thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill. As someone who travels frequently and experiences time zone shifts and jet lag, I'm constantly on the hunt for low-dose, portable, discreet products. The recent launch of Wims! caught my attention because it is a small pouch (or tin with several inside) that I can easily slip into my backpack or purse, particularly for domestic flights when I want to relax — but only a little. I reached out to the brand founder, Lauren Miller, for an interview on the product, packaging, and inspiration behind the low-dose portable tonic. By the time Lauren Miller co-founded Wims!, she had already spent years studying what makes people tick. Her background in environmental studies, sociology, and user experience design wasn't a direct path to the THC world, but it gave her a rare toolkit: one that bridges consumer behavior, sustainability, and smart product development. 'If you had told me I was going to be in the broader cannabis industry even seven or eight years ago, I wouldn't have believed you,' she says in a recent call from her home in Greensboro. Her résumé counts working on sustainable investment at the UN to behavioral energy efficiency at tech firm OPower, where she helped design tools that nudged people to reduce electricity consumption. 'I really learned the power of design and that you can design things for societal benefit,' she says. Miller's curiosity about how people make better choices — especially when it comes to their health — would eventually lead her to co-found Wims! with her father. 'There's a consistent thread throughout my career, which is always being curious about what motivates behavior change and how to get people to do things that are better for the planet or their bodies,' she says. That ethos is baked into Wims!, the first brand to offer pocket-sized, single-serve THC beverages delivered in slim, snap-to-open pouches. They're marketed as flexible, portable alternatives to both canned drinks and edibles and are small enough to fit into a wallet. 'We felt strongly that we wanted to create something that was hyper-portable that you could bring with you whatever your context was,' Miller says. All in the family: Lauren Miller co-founded Wims! with her dad. Lauren Miller A Family Experiment Becomes a Brand The idea began, as many modern cannabis ventures do, with CBD. Her dad, a longtime entrepreneur and health trend enthusiast, began experimenting with CBD to treat shoulder pain. Then he started giving it to the family dog. 'He turned evangelical about CBD,' Miller laughs. 'And he lives in a rural area in North Carolina. A portion of his property is a farm, which hadn't been actively farmed in a long time.' That farm became the testing ground for a vertically integrated CBD brand, launched before the 2018 Farm Bill passed. The duo partnered with a nearby manufacturing facility and launched a line of topical and ingestible CBD products, mostly to learn the ropes of hemp-derived consumer packaged goods. 'That brand was a little bit of a test to see if we could figure out how to market products and learn the industry,' she says. But Miller's lightbulb moment came during the pandemic in California, when she discovered THC beverages like Cann Seltzers. 'It was kind of a revelation,' she says. 'I could get a great relaxing feeling at the end of the day. I'm not stoned to where I can't speak, and I don't have a hangover the next day, which I'm extremely prone to.' Her dad, once staunchly THC-averse, came around, too. 'He started trying it and he was like, 'This is incredible,'' she says. 'He was wearing a WHOOP band and started recognizing the impact alcohol has on physiological markers like heart rate and sleep. When he drank a cannabis seltzer, he had a better recovery the next morning.' The revelation mirrored the shift in the cultural consumption landscape — a shift the wine and spirits industries are currently grappling with. 'We think this is the future of drinking,' Miller says. 'People still want to socialize. But alcohol has consequences. And there wasn't anything you could take with you to a restaurant, a sports game, or on a plane.' So they took an existing package — a single-use snap packet — and gave it new life. 'It had been used for things like hand sanitizer and dressings. But we were the first to put a beverage in it.' The slim packaging was intentional: discreet, spill-proof, and sessionable. 'I put it next to my credit cards,' she says. 'You can carry multiples in a tin in your bag. And that discretion matters, especially in social settings where people are drinking less or more mindfully. Maybe you want to talk about it, maybe you don't.' Wims! pouches are about the size of two fingers. Wims! Designed for the Mindful Drinker Wims! products contain a 1:1 blend of 4mg THC and 4mg CBD, a low-dose formulation by design. 'We could go much higher even in the current size that it is,' Miller says. 'But we intentionally want to be on the low-dose side of things.' That approach has made Wims! popular with first-time or returning cannabis consumers, many of whom have a complicated relationship with high-potency products. 'With THC, you can feel kind of floaty,' she added. 'The CBD helps ground it. It creates what we think is a very balanced buzz.' Snap the pouch and release it into a seltzer or drink, then stir. Wims! Flavors like lemon basil and ginger lime were chosen after extensive R&D, much of which Miller oversaw while pregnant. 'I couldn't do any of the effect testing, so my wife joked she was the chief flavor officer,' Miller says. An unflavored version, suggested by a friend, now outsells the others. 'It's the most flexible option. You can mix it into anything.' Wims!' branding is as intentional as its dosage. Developed with longtime friend and creative director Marc Hill, the look leans on vintage mid-century cues, with a playful but informed tone. 'We wanted the brand to have a bit of whimsy. The name, the exclamation point, the colors — it's about making even mundane moments feel more magical,' she said. The target market includes millennials and Gen Z consumers, but they're also seeing interest from older demographics. 'As you age, the effects of your choices become more apparent,' she said. 'We're hearing from people across the spectrum.' After releasing the tonic into your drink, mix and enjoy. Wims! Packaging, Sustainability, and the Path Ahead Wims! packets are technically recyclable, but Miller acknowledges the tension. 'That's something I don't personally love,' she says. 'With all of our external packaging, we optimize for either home-compostable or post-consumer recycled content.' They're also testing a paper-based version of the inner packet, which has proven tricky. 'If we could have launched with that, we would have. But we need it to be stable. Obviously, it can't leak in people's pockets.' As the federal regulatory landscape continues to shift, Wims! is planning ahead while hedging against future regulation. 'We think a federal THC cap, if it happens, will probably be around five milligrams,' she says. 'We designed our product to fall within what we think could become the limit.' They're also developing a lower-dose version and are exploring a functional product line without hemp or THC altogether, using adaptogens. 'It's a risk mitigation strategy. If the worst happens, we'll still have products in the market, and it helps us enter retail channels that don't allow cannabis yet.' But for Wims!, this isn't just about regulatory foresight or CPG innovation. It's about giving people another way to connect without the hangover. 'There's a craving for in-person interaction again,' Miller says. 'We just want to help make those moments easier, more comfortable, and maybe a little more magical.'
The Irish Sun
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Korean skincare cured my acne, made my skin softer & banished redness – now I'm opening Scotland's first K-beauty shop
IF you've been keeping up with the goings on in the world of skincare in the last couple years, then Korean trends will certainly be on your radar. It has been popular in the West for decades, but TikTok has taken the craze to a whole new level. 2 Lauren Miller is opening Scotland's first Korean skincare shop Credit: Instagram @weeghostbeauty 2 Lauren has shared her love for K-beauty at pop up shops but is taking it a step further this month Credit: Instagram @weeghostbeauty The trending 'glass skin' look is perhaps why K-beauty is on every beauty fan's radar, but it's the quality of the products that keeps them buying. And nobody knows this better than Korean skincare expert Lauren first discovered K-beauty while working in the operating theatres at a busy hospital during Covid. The Scots mum's skin "really suffered" from wearing PPE all day so when she stumbled across an advert for Korean products she decided to give them a go - and they have completely transformed her skin. She told "It's almost addictive, with so many brands and products to choose from – but with ingredients to treat so many skin problems, there really is a product for everyone." And Lauren is now opening Scotland's first Korean skincare store, Wee Ghost Beauty, in Glasgow later this month. She said: "In Scotland, we can have all four seasons in one day and our skin can really suffer. I believe Korean skincare is the answer we've all been looking for. Most read in Fabulous I want my customers – no matter what their budget is – to be able to buy from Wee Ghost Beauty. Quality skincare should be accessible to all, and I believe that is where Korean skincare stands out from the crowd. "Even in the less expensive brands you will still find the best ingredients and a huge range of products, so it appeals to beginners and enthusiasts of all ages and budgets." I let my kid start wearing make-up aged 3 - I've spent £1.5K on her 200 products & her skincare regime has 9 steps Korean skincare places particular emphasis on hydration, skin barrier repair, brightening, and anti-ageing. The use of microbiome and probiotic ingredients is also popular. Korean skincare routines can be up to 10 steps and double cleansing is always a must. And sought-after K-beauty products often contain innovative ingredients you might not have come across before, such as snail mucin - the mucus secreted by snails. You might be put off by the idea, but lovers of this slimy skincare craze claim products containing snail mucin leave their face glowing and hydrated. Other ingredients you might not have seen incorporated into skincare before include ginseng and bean essence. Wee Ghost Beauty opens at 79 West Regent Street, Glasgow, on June 28
The Sun
19-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Korean skincare cured my acne, made my skin softer & banished redness – now I'm opening Scotland's first K-beauty shop
IF you've been keeping up with the goings on in the world of skincare in the last couple years, then Korean trends will certainly be on your radar. It has been popular in the West for decades, but TikTok has taken the craze to a whole new level. 2 2 The trending 'glass skin' look is perhaps why K-beauty is on every beauty fan's radar, but it's the quality of the products that keeps them buying. And nobody knows this better than Korean skincare expert Lauren Miller who has been using the innovative buys for five years. Lauren first discovered K-beauty while working in the operating theatres at a busy hospital during Covid. The Scots mum's skin "really suffered" from wearing PPE all day so when she stumbled across an advert for Korean products she decided to give them a go - and they have completely transformed her skin. She told Scottish Woman Magazine: "My acne improved, my skin was softer, and my redness and irritation were gone. It changed my life, and I wouldn't use anything else on my skin now. "It's almost addictive, with so many brands and products to choose from – but with ingredients to treat so many skin problems, there really is a product for everyone." And Lauren is now opening Scotland's first Korean skincare store, Wee Ghost Beauty, in Glasgow later this month. She said: "In Scotland, we can have all four seasons in one day and our skin can really suffer. I believe Korean skincare is the answer we've all been looking for. I want my customers – no matter what their budget is – to be able to buy from Wee Ghost Beauty. Quality skincare should be accessible to all, and I believe that is where Korean skincare stands out from the crowd. "Even in the less expensive brands you will still find the best ingredients and a huge range of products, so it appeals to beginners and enthusiasts of all ages and budgets." I let my kid start wearing make-up aged 3 - I've spent £1.5K on her 200 products & her skincare regime has 9 steps Korean skincare places particular emphasis on hydration, skin barrier repair, brightening, and anti-ageing. The use of microbiome and probiotic ingredients is also popular. Korean skincare routines can be up to 10 steps and double cleansing is always a must. And sought-after K-beauty products often contain innovative ingredients you might not have come across before, such as snail mucin - the mucus secreted by snails. You might be put off by the idea, but lovers of this slimy skincare craze claim products containing snail mucin leave their face glowing and hydrated. Other ingredients you might not have seen incorporated into skincare before include ginseng and bean essence.
Scottish Sun
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Korean skincare cured my acne, made my skin softer & banished redness – now I'm opening Scotland's first K-beauty shop
IF you've been keeping up with the goings on in the world of skincare in the last couple years, then Korean trends will certainly be on your radar. It has been popular in the West for decades, but TikTok has taken the craze to a whole new level. 2 Lauren Miller is opening Scotland's first Korean skincare shop Credit: Instagram @weeghostbeauty 2 Lauren has shared her love for K-beauty at pop up shops but is taking it a step further this month Credit: Instagram @weeghostbeauty The trending 'glass skin' look is perhaps why K-beauty is on every beauty fan's radar, but it's the quality of the products that keeps them buying. And nobody knows this better than Korean skincare expert Lauren Miller who has been using the innovative buys for five years. Lauren first discovered K-beauty while working in the operating theatres at a busy hospital during Covid. The Scots mum's skin "really suffered" from wearing PPE all day so when she stumbled across an advert for Korean products she decided to give them a go - and they have completely transformed her skin. She told Scottish Woman Magazine: "My acne improved, my skin was softer, and my redness and irritation were gone. It changed my life, and I wouldn't use anything else on my skin now. "It's almost addictive, with so many brands and products to choose from – but with ingredients to treat so many skin problems, there really is a product for everyone." And Lauren is now opening Scotland's first Korean skincare store, Wee Ghost Beauty, in Glasgow later this month. She said: "In Scotland, we can have all four seasons in one day and our skin can really suffer. I believe Korean skincare is the answer we've all been looking for. I want my customers – no matter what their budget is – to be able to buy from Wee Ghost Beauty. Quality skincare should be accessible to all, and I believe that is where Korean skincare stands out from the crowd. "Even in the less expensive brands you will still find the best ingredients and a huge range of products, so it appeals to beginners and enthusiasts of all ages and budgets." I let my kid start wearing make-up aged 3 - I've spent £1.5K on her 200 products & her skincare regime has 9 steps Korean skincare places particular emphasis on hydration, skin barrier repair, brightening, and anti-ageing. The use of microbiome and probiotic ingredients is also popular. Korean skincare routines can be up to 10 steps and double cleansing is always a must. And sought-after K-beauty products often contain innovative ingredients you might not have come across before, such as snail mucin - the mucus secreted by snails. You might be put off by the idea, but lovers of this slimy skincare craze claim products containing snail mucin leave their face glowing and hydrated. Other ingredients you might not have seen incorporated into skincare before include ginseng and bean essence.
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Real Housewives boss Lauren Miller's husband breaks silence on their newborn son after she died in childbirth
The husband of the Real Housewives executive who died moments after giving birth to their son has shared an update on their newborn's health. Lauren Miller tragically passed away during childbirth on June 9, shortly after her second child Jackson was born. She worked on the New York City and Salt Lake City franchises of the popular reality TV series. In an update on a GoFundMe page set up for Miller's husband Kevin and their daughter Emma, three, it was revealed Jackson had left intensive care and returned home. The message read: 'Kevin is delighted to share that baby Jackson is out of the NICU and at home with his dad and sister. He has been an angel and has eaten and slept like a champ. He is so alert and attentive already at just 4 days old.' A photo of Kevin cradling his son while posing with their daughter was also posted on the fundraising page - which has generated $157,000 The husband of Real Housewives executive Lauren Miller who died moments after giving birth to their son has shared an update on their newborn's health - Miller is pictured with husband Kevin and daughter Emma, three Tributes were paid to Lauren by her loved ones, with the page reading: 'Anyone that knew Lauren was affected by her warm smile, kind heart and thoughtful, intuitive nature. She was the kind of person who could comfort you with a just a few words, because she always spoke from the heart. 'She was sincere, intentional and compassionate, but among her greatest qualities was the love she had for her family. It was no secret how close she was to her entire family or how excited she was when she got to start her own. 'From getting engaged to Kevin and then getting married to becoming a mother with Emma and next with Jackson, Lauren beamed whenever she talked about all that she had with her beautiful family.' A statement from Shed Media announced Lauren's death on June 12. 'It is with devastated hearts that we share that our beloved colleague, Lauren, died unexpectedly just moments after giving birth to her baby boy.' 'Lauren leaves behind her husband, Kevin, three-year-old daughter Emma and newborn son Jackson.' Kevin commented on the post. 'Lauren is the love of my life and I was blessed by God that she chose to spend her life with me and give me two beautiful children to remember her every minute of everyday. 'Please pray for our family and thank you all for the prayers, kind words and thoughts. God bless. ❤️ ' Several Housewives stars commented on Shed Media's post about her death. RHOC star Tamra Judge wrote, 'Prayers for her family & friends. This is absolutely heartbreaking.' Salt Lake City star Heather Gay added a broken heart emoji and New York City star Sai de Silva shared several crying emojis. Her co-workers also shared a link to a GoFundMe that has raised over $129,000. 'This unimaginable loss is impossible to comprehend and the hole that Lauren has left in this world and in her own family, is an impossible one to ever fill,' the GoFundMe stated. 'It is with devastated hearts that we share that our beloved colleague, Lauren, died unexpectedly just moments after giving birth to her baby boy,' a statement on Shed Media's Instagram read on June 12 'We are devastated for her beloved husband, Kevin, who must now unexpectedly take on the sole role of parenting their two children … Emma (3) and newborn Jackson, who is still in the NICU.' 'That the day Lauren was so eagerly awaiting should end in tragedy is truly unfathomable,' the GoFundMe reads in part. Alongside the message, the caption invited people to consider donating to Kevin, as he 'takes on this unexpected role as sole provider of the family.' The update concluded, 'Of all the things Lauren loved most, being a mother was at the top and ensuring that her children are being taken care of would mean everything to her.' Lauren was the Executive Assistant to the Senior Vice Presidents of Programming & Development and co-heads of the company, according to her LinkedIn. She had been in that position for nearly nine years. She also worked for Bunim Murray Productions and A&E Networks for around a year each. Lauren graduated from San Diego State in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in Journalism with a concentration in Media Studies. While in college, she interned at MTV.
