#WCW: Beauty & Treats: Cat Gustave (Interview)

Cat Gustave, Shoot by: TheBonLavie/ImUnReeel

It’s Wednesday which means it’s Women’s Crush Wednesday! Here at CitrusRap, we are always showing love to the amazing hard-working ladies in South Florida. Since there are so many influential women who are constantly grinding, we decided to highlight their extraordinary contribution to their community weekly.

Last year, I was attending an event and what caught my eye was these giant infused brownies filled with M&Ms. I quickly walked over to the booth to purchased one. Not only were the brownies possessed a hypnotic smell, they were also delicious. The Brownies took me to a different state of mind where I felt a sense of euphoria. The owner then pops out and was very welcoming and her sense of style was truly distinctive. Fast forward to the present day, MaryBytes: Special Treats owner, Cat Gustave has created different flavors of treats and curated empowering events to showcase feminine energy and light.

In our latest conversation, we talk about her booming business, MaryBytes, events she’s curated and much more.

Who is Cat Gustave?

Cat would be described as a very rare gem. She’s a 5’2 sweetheart that loves to create. She’s a workaholic and loves to help her community. She displays her true self on and off social media. Some would say she’s an extrovert, some would say she’s an introvert. She has an androgynous style to her physique. Ambitious, motivated, passionate, committed… Nothing can break her, and nobody can make her either. She’s truly one of one.

Tell us how did you get the idea of building a business involving edibles?

The idea of Marybyte’s Special Treat was birthed in late July 2015. Back in high school, I started my first business which was Cathy’s House of Sweets. In addition, I was only carrying regular homemade treats for less than two dollars which became one of my biggest accomplishments being 17 years old. Over time, the traffic of the business wasn’t heavy due to the fact that I graduate, so instead of letting it die out, I rebranded it. One night I experimented with my friend/model, Caleb Elijah, by making small brownie bites. We made a fresh batch for a local event hosted by mutual friends, and we sold out all of our brownies within an hour. After that day, Marybyte’s Special Treats became a household name.

What is the background behind MaryByte’s Special Treats ?

Marybyte’s Special Treats is an organic medicinal brand that specializes in providing medical care to all appropriate ages and conditions. The concept behind our brand is to satisfy our customers/patients’ wants and needs every chance we can. We used the idea of supplying our customers/patients with treats mainly to create a cool and tasty experience for each purchase. As our business grows, we are finding new and exciting ways on how to consume our medication!

What sets your brand apart from others ?

What separates my brand from other brands is the quality of my products and our great customer service. From the taste to the freshness, to the potency of treats. Majority of customers that return to purchase more always give us extraordinary feedback about how good our products are and how on-point our customer service is. We know how to stay in our lane when it comes to the cannabis game to make sure I’m always giving 100% of myself, no one else.

As an Event Curator, what do you find most difficult/easiest while planning an event?

Very good question. The easiest part of the planning event would be producing the event from finish to start. I love planning and organizing events, so that’s the best part for me. As far as difficulty, I feel like booking and finalizing acts, production, vendors, etc. would be the hardest part of building an event. Making sure everyone is on board and on the same page as you can get a little out of hand sometimes

My success will look like a diamond. Bright, shiny, and expensive.
Cat Gustave

Earlier this year, I attended WMNS March & it was truly a powerful experience. Can you tell us a little more about the concept behind WMNS March?

WMNS March is a movement curated by Marybyte’s + Friends for women to chase their dreams and showcase their genius. Our movement is presented during our annual event set on National Women’s Month in March to celebrate women working in the community. We aspire to motivate women to build foundations, expose their craft, and connect with other women of the same interests. #WMNSMarch promotes collectivism amongst women to further grow; especially since women are the divinity of the Earth. Marybyte’s + Friend’s mission is to enlighten women of what can be done when joining forces together. We firmly believe that we women must embrace our value and highlight our worth to progress as ONE. Combining each of our individual, powerful forces for the biggest outcome we have ever seen as a collective! Each year, we like to shed light on the topics and situations most women are not vocal about.

When did you know you wanted to become a creative director ?

I knew I wanted to become a creative director the moment I began film class in my sophomore year of high school. I signed up for the film as my elective every year after that until I graduated. With that in mind, I fell in love with creating art through a lens and I never stopped since.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years ?

In business, I want to own my first medicinal storefront for Marybyte’s within the next 5 years. Also, I want to be a key director for celebrity clients when it comes to music videos and short films. That’s my current interest when it comes to my career but knowing me things can definitely change at any moment. In my personal life, I want to secure multiple properties (business and family) and develop a family of my own in the next 5 years as well. I always wanted acres of land for my own farm to secure necessities for the future. I want to ensure my kids and family have nice healthy lives as we grow day by day, even if we are living in a suburban area. Not looking into marriage, but a few little minions running around would be ideal.

What do you love most about yourself?

The main thing I love about myself is how fast I can bounce back from my losses. I learn the best through my personal experiences and I never let the bad ones get the best of me. I can definitely say I am pretty tough and hard on myself sometimes to each my own perception of “perfection,” however I can guarantee it makes me stronger.