Exclusive: Beam co-founder Matt Lombardi talks CBD, life after pro-hockey & more

Beam -- also stylized lowercase as "beam" -- is a Massachusetts-based wellness company founded by Matt Lombardi and Kevin Moran. Lombardi and Moran are both former professional athletes, while Beam offers pure, full-spectrum (100 percent THC-free) pharmaceutical-grade CBD products, as made from organically grown hemp in Colorado.

Noticing a lack of transparency in the CBD wellness market, Beam offers consumers a line of rigorously-tested CBD products with high-quality organic ingredients that communicate with the human body’s natural central and peripheral nervous systems and help relieve physical pain, anxiety, sleep deprivation and other common ailments.

I had the pleasure of doing Q&A with both Matt Lombardi and Kevin Moran. After winning two NCAA National Championships in hockey while studying at Boston College, Lombardi went on to play for the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins' minor league affiliates. Lombardi -- like Moran -- continues to be highly-active, regularly participating in IronMan and CrossFit competitions. More on Beam can be found online at www.beamtlc.com.

When did you first become aware of CBD?

Matt Lombardi: While training for the Boston Marathon, my friend Kevin -- and eventual partner with Beam -- sent me a blog post about how CBD can be used to aid recovery… I was definitely hesitant to try it, as I had never used cannabis before and had no idea what to expect. But after reading into it, we both thought it was worth exploring.

How long was it from the concept of beam coming up to your launch?

Matt Lombardi: After deciding to create beam, I spent six to eight months researching and specifically focusing on hemp-sourcing. One big challenge was finding someone to fully extract all of the THC from the hemp plant in the production process, as we do with all of beam’s CBD.

To you, what separates beam from other companies with CBD products on the market?

Matt Lombardi: It starts with using only the highest quality CBD. From there, we set ourselves apart by offering a product line that seamlessly integrates into an active, daily lifestyle. People usually operate with a disciplined routine, so we wanted to make beam functional and easy to incorporate.

How did you and your business partner first meet?

Matt Lombardi: After meeting in college, Kevin and I connected again after coincidentally ending up in the same apartment building in Seaport. Kevin was training for an IronMan competition at the time, so I jumped in on some of the workouts. Our friendship and eventual business partnership grew from there.

Do you have a favorite of the beam products available?

Matt Lombardi: Beam’s signature CBD Oil -- a.k.a. The One -- is my favorite because I can easily incorporate throughout the day in different ways. For example, I can start the day by adding it to my coffee, then use it in a salad dressing at lunch, and finally, drop some under my tongue right before bed.

What does the rest of 2019 look like for beam?

Matt Lombardi: In 2019, we will be introducing some exciting new products, built with our target consumer's lifestyle in mind. Without giving too much away, I can tell you they will complement every aspect of this person’s well-being, and also help aid recovery and improve overall athletic effectiveness.

Beam aside, what else are you working on?

Matt Lombardi: If I’m not working on Beam, you can usually find me in a CrossFit Gym!

Do you have an accomplishment from your athletic career that you are most proud of?

Matt Lombardi: My proudest athletic accomplishment was winning the NCAA hockey National Championship my senior year. We also won my sophomore year, but senior year was a bit sweeter.

Are there any particular sports teams you regularly root for or attend games from?

Matt Lombardi: Living in Boston, we are extremely lucky and spoiled with professional teams. I’m a huge Tom Brady fan, so always root for him and the [New England] Patriots. I also always love to follow the Boston College hockey team.

Do you see yourself as a "former professional athlete turned businessman?" If not, how do you like to be thought of career-wise?

Matt Lombardi: I just see it all as part of the journey. I have a very specific vision for my life, and each segment, hockey and now entrepreneurship, are just different paths I’m taking to create that.

Finally, Matt, any last words for the kids?

Matt Lombardi: My advice is that you can achieve anything you want if you’re really committed and match that with genuine passion. It just becomes a question how committed you are and how passionate you are, because if you’re not, it's easy to quit when things get hard.