How Madison Ortiz (aka HappyTokes) Built a Supportive Tribe on Instagram

Madison Ortiz, known on social media as @HappyTokes, has almost 75,000 followers on Instagram (where her bio proudly states “Under the Influence; Over the Stereotype”) and is community manager for CannaSmack.

Describe the community you’ve built on Instagram.

@HappyTokesTribe is technically anyone who supports me and one another but also is a curated community in which all loving souls are welcome. Though differing viewpoints are encouraged if they’re expressed respectfully for the sake of discussion and insight, I quickly decline troll-like or hateful interactions by blocking those accounts. I’m proud to have created a safe place on social media where people are comfortable sharing personal details.

What will people find in your community?

Acceptance, support, authentic comments, physical snail-mail (“HappyMail”) sent to spark joy in another’s life, livestreams that remind us in-person interactions are possible, road trips across the country to see each other in person, and a community that rallies to support those who are brave enough to publicly share their struggles.

With what types of brands do you prefer to work?

I admire brands that are conscious about sourcing, production, practices, and making the world a better place.Through my travels, I have met the people behind the majority of brands I promote. I support them because I’ve learned their stories, believe in their products, and feel a bond to their spirits. It is incredibly exciting for me to watch everyone around me grow and succeed.

NETWORK STATS

537: Songs on the @HappyTokes playlist on Spotify

20k #HappyTokesTribe posts on Instagram

4,855: Number of LIKES on her most-liked Instagram post so far in 2019.

View this post on Instagram

Pssst… 👁 Marly @tweedledoob just shared a new YouTube video with a 13 min un-cut sesh we had at @werkoutfestival. 😙💨 . . 😎 The video is super chill, “fly on the wall” style. 🎶 Listen to @coryjwong playing live while @tweedledoob rolls up some @dogmantroop 🌻 & I share some sips off my @puffco peak with a new friend (off camera). 😆 Skip to 8 min to hear me nerd out about about the endocannabinoid system. . . 😄✏️ Do you have a “cannabis elevator speech”, like the one captured in @tweedledoob’s YouTube video? 👂🏻 If you talk about cannabis with strangers often, it surely shifts & evolves, but I’m curious to learn about ways YOU present cannabis information to new friends. 🌈 Sharing can also help others feel more confident in navigating this type of dialogue with strangers! . . 🤔 What’s an “elevator speech”? In college, I was taught about practicing a 30 second explanation of who you are & how you could benefit a company; brief enough to be told in an elevator. 🧠 I applied this general strategy to cannabis dialogue, allowing me to feel prepared to navigate a short but detailed educational explanation. 💕 I genuinely, naturally bust out a variation of one of these ‘cannabis elevator speeches’ all the time; in any opportunity that feels *authentic* and *SAFE*. ✅ Sesh ✅ Uber driver ✅ Someone else’s parent ✅ Kindly swerve a flirty advance with a knowledge bomb. 🤪 Etc. . . 🤯 Even with just moments of someone’s time, you have the power to blow their mind 💡 AND charge them with your passion, which will hopefully encourage them to do research & pursue better understanding of whatever you spoke with them about. 💓 . . 💜 So grateful to have had such a wonderful companion for this @werkoutfestival adventure. ⚡️ @tweedledoob ! ⭐️ Big thanks to the lovely ladies with @ideaison who took such wonderful care of us. 💐

A post shared by HappyTokes (Madison) (@happytokes) on Aug 21, 2019 at 7:23am PDT