Two days before starting a new job, and after dropping her son off at school for the day, Shelby Isaacson turned onto Webber Street, her daughter buckled in the back of the car. She felt a pain in her head, but didn’t think much of it. “The next thing I knew,” Isaacson says, “I was driving over the curb before crossing Tuttle Avenue.” She had passed out. Then the migraines began.

Physically debilitating and unrelenting, it took six months for a diagnosis of chronic migraine syndrome, and then came a year of ever-increasing doses of anti-epileptic medications and muscle relaxants. “I started thinking about what my life would look like five, ten, 20 years on these medications,” says Isaacson. She turned to CBD oil—extracts made from the hemp plant, and growing in popularity across the nation as a remedy for everything from anxiety and depression to chronic pain and inflammation. “Within one month,” she says, “I was able to get off my other medications and feel ‘normal’ again.”

A staunch advocate of therapeutic CBD, Isaacson today celebrates the opening of her new CBD boutique, Second and Seed. Named for its location off Second Street in Downtown Sarasota, and co-owned by Chip Jackson, Second and Seed is the latest entry in the CBD trend hitting Sarasota—but perhaps the only with such singular focus.

Within the charming house-turned-apothecary—which has more the air (if not aroma) of a neighborhood bakery than pharmacist or potionmaster—Isaacson and her crew lead visitors through a selection of varied CBD offerings, each tailored to a particular need, all the while answering all the questions that come with a product that many mistakenly conflate with getting high. “It’s the decaffeinated version,” Isaacson jokes. There’s no high from hemp, she says, “but you get all the medicinal benefits.”

And those benefits vary, says Isaacson, depending on the person and the CBD oil. Second and Seed offers the Curve line of CBD oils—the original line and still a favorite—for sore muscles, while the Brahma line remains the purest, made of CBD and a “carrier” oil, typically avocado or coconut, and is particularly good for anxiety. Another line infuses citrus flavors for a smoother experience (or mixing into cocktails) and another is designed for pets, helping with thunder anxiety or problems traveling. Sold primarily in dropper bottles, Second and Seed recommends beginning with a minimal dose, placed underneath the tongue. From there, it’s up to the individual to decide what dose works best for them. Another line, Rx 1776, pays homage to the founding and the fight for freedom. "And the Constitution was written on hemp paper," quips Isaacson.

But no matter the dose, Isaacson says she can assure every customer of the quality and authenticity of the product, even in the absence of FDA regulation. A “farm to extract” operation, Isaacson keeps close contact with the farm in Eaton, Colorado where she gets her hemp, and every batch of CBD is tested three times before hitting shelves. “Sometimes you have no idea what you’re buying,” she says, “but here we’re all about transparency.” 

Pictured: Holly James, general manager, and Shelby Isaacson, co-owner, inside Second and Seed. Photo courtesy of Second and Seed.

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training proudly announces that it is the recipient of a $25,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The CFSC gift comes from the Muriel O’Neil Fund—a devoted and supportive building block for the local performing arts community. The endowment will be used to replace the lighting system in the Jane B. Cook Theatre with brand new state-of-the-art, LED lights and renovations for mainstage productions. A truly versatile performance space in-use nearly 365 days a year, the Cook Theatre is a 160-seat black box theatre, designed to create an intimate experience for both the audience and the actors—located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. The symbolic playhouse has hosted many local troupes’ such as Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Odyssey Theatre Company, Sarasota Festival of Vocal Arts, and the Michigan Opera Theatre. While the Actor Training initiative is a prestigious three-year graduate program for talent all over the country. Students get to work and perform on stage alongside Asolo Rep’s professional actors in exciting and significant roles—that culminates in a Master of Fine Arts degree. 

With the installation of new equipment implementing before the opening of this year’s Conservatory production season—theatrical performances and animated actors will inevitably glow brighter, enhancing your next ticketed experience from the audience perspective. Andrei Malaev-Babel, interim director of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training divulges, “Our designers cannot wait to explore all the 21st Century ‘bells and whistles’ of this high-tech, energy-efficient LED system."

"The new LED lighting upgrade will allow us to combine modern technology into our current lighting system," notes Technical Director, Christopher McVicker. "We will be able to create a wider spectrum of colors in less time, using less heat and energy.  It enables greater control at our fingertips and eases the burden of hard labor while vastly reducing waste.”  

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is proud to partner with SRQ Media Group to highlight stories about community impact powered by philanthropy in our region, thanks to the support of donors and our local nonprofit partners. The Community Foundation is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. 

Photo of the "Book Of Days" cast in the FSU Asolo Conservatory. Provided by Asolo Rep.

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training has announced that it is the recipient of a $25,000 grant from the Muriel O'Neil Fund for the Performing Arts of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The grant will be used to replace the lighting system in the Cook Theatre with brand new, state-of-the-art, LED lights. The Jane B. Cook Theatre is a 161-seat black box theatre located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. It is a versatile performance space that is in use nearly 365 days a year. It is primarily occupied by the second-year Conservatory company, which presents three out of four productions in this space during the academic year. The space is also home to Dog Days Theatre during the summer. The Cook is available for rental at non-profit rates to such troupes as Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Odyssey Theatre Company and the Michigan Opera Theatre. Installation of the new equipment will take place before the opening of this year’s Conservatory production season, and Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia will unfold under the glow of the new LED lighting. Arcadia runs October 31–November 18. 

FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training

The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art and Florida State University have announced a new leadership gift to The Ringling from the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation, which combined with existing support from the foundation, will establish the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art, including an endowment for the acquisition, exhibition and programs of Asian art in perpetuity. The gift represents progress toward The Ringling Inspires: Honoring the Legacy and Building for the Future, the current $100 million comprehensive campaign, and FSU’s $1 billion Raise the Torch campaign. The Texas-based foundation’s previous gifts to The Ringling include funds for the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Lecture Hall, a 125-seat preeminent programming space in The Ringling’s Center for Asian Art; the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation Gallery, as well as support for the care, storage and exhibition of the institution’s growing Asian art collections. 

Ringling Museum of Art

The Blue Heirloom, an eclectic multi-vendor store featuring oddities, artwork music and more has opened off Swift Road, in a 2000+ square foot space with more than 15 artists and vendors offering goods. A collective of like-minded artists, musicians and collectors who believe in perseverance and sustainability, Blue Heirloom helps visitors revisit the past through collectible items, art, literature and music while making a space for creating and innovating. A space where people “from all walks of life can express themselves, including community senior adults who now have the time to express their true lives passions and share their experiences and knowledge.” Products include vintage, antique, shabby chic furniture. collectibles, mid century, music memorablia, instruments, records, handmade art work and more. 

The Blue Heirloom

Shawna Brown has joined Halfacre Construction Company as an assistant project manager in the commercial construction company’s Lakewood Ranch-based office. A procurement management professional with a demonstrated ability to significantly reduce procurement costs by standardizing processes, negotiating favorable terms and streamlining supplier channels, Brown brings more than nine years of experience to Halfacre Construction Company. In 2018, she helped establish the National Association of Home Building’s Professional Women in Building Council of Sarasota, and she is currently pursuing a Florida Building Contractor (CBC) license. 

Halfacre Construction Company