Cori Broadus on Lupus, Stroke, NICU Journey, and Building Choc Factory

Growing Up in the Spotlight

• 🌟 Cori Broadus, daughter of Snoop Dogg, discusses the pros and cons of growing up with a famous father, highlighting the financial stability and family love, but also the pressure of public expectations.
• 🛡️ Her parents aimed to protect her from the harshness of the spotlight, balancing public life with allowing her to be a kid, which instilled humility and gratitude.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 She describes her upbringing as being like "regular black kids, just the finer things," experiencing normal childhood discipline like having phones and cars taken away.

Health Challenges and Resilience

• 🦋 Diagnosed with lupus at age 6, Cori recounts her childhood as a "nightmare" filled with hospital visits and medications, feeling like her childhood was "ripped away."
• 💔 Lupus, an autoimmune disease where organs attack each other, significantly impacted her energy levels and caused joint pain, making it difficult to experience a typical childhood.
• 🧠 She experienced a stroke in January of the previous year, which she attributes to lupus-related blood clotting issues (antiphospholipid syndrome).
• 🙏 Despite these challenges, Cori emphasizes her faith in God and her spiritual journey as a source of strength and resilience.

Motherhood and NICU Journey

• 🤰 Doctors initially told Cori she could never have a baby due to lupus, but she defied expectations and experienced pregnancy, though it was high-risk.
• 👶 Her daughter was born at 25 weeks, weighing only 1 lb 2 oz, requiring extensive care in the NICU.
• 💔 The pregnancy was fraught with complications, including the development of HELLP syndrome, a life-threatening condition that necessitated an emergency C-section.
• 💪 Cori describes the NICU experience as incredibly difficult, marked by constant worry and emotional highs and lows, but remains hopeful and grateful for her daughter's progress.

Building the Choc Factory Brand

• 💄 Inspired by a desire for a hobby after a suicide attempt in 2021, Cori launched Choc Factory, focusing on lip gloss as an authentic product.
• 🏭 She and her partner, Wayne, built the brand from scratch, acting as their own chemists and marketers, with the name inspired by "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
• 💖 Choc Factory aims to be more than just a beauty brand; it's a movement to create a safe space for women to feel comfortable and accepted, working with authentic individuals rather than agency models.
• 🤝 The brand has expanded to include lip liners, a lip mask, and a lip scrub, with plans to potentially explore eyebrows.

Purpose and Philanthropy

• 🌟 Cori is driven by a desire to help others and sees her platform as a way to share her story and inspire resilience.
• 💖 The Choc Factory Foundation was created to support single mothers, inspired by their experience raising her auntie's children.
• 💡 She emphasizes the importance of authenticity and building character through hard work, rather than relying solely on her family's resources.
• 🙏 Cori believes her experiences, including her health struggles and motherhood, have strengthened her family bonds and given her a deeper appreciation for life.