For a large part of his early life, today's guest lived in the shadow of his very popular, but very different, older brother. It wasn't until he found his passion for technology in high school, something he found an immediate aptitude for, did he start to come into his own identity, and gain the confidence to pursue his own path in life. Entering technology just post the dot com bubble was humbling. From working on innovative projects to, having to say yes to anything, even gig-economy moving jo...
Dec 22, 2022•1 hr 27 min
Being an entrepreneur is tough! Start that same business in Cannabis and it’s at least 10x more difficult. What about starting a business with your spouse as a co-founder and business partner? Maybe try to start an in-person events company a month before a global pandemic? Yeah… George & Kim Jage have done all that. Still love each other! And after two events in Las Vegas and New York, they are onto something disruptive, and are returning to Las Vegas this September! Kim is the energetically...
Aug 11, 2022•1 hr 34 min
For those of you looking to start, and scale, a cannabis brand, this episode is for you. This one is also for all of you that follow your passion and run! The details… well, they’ll just figure themselves out later. I love this guy, and this episode! Serendipity is a funny thing. The Universe has a way of presenting in front of you exactly what you need. You liking it, or not, at the time is irrelevant. It’s October, 2021, a colleague and I are at a happy hour (reception) in Las Vegas hosted by ...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 2 min
You're about to hear the story of two co-founders; one a social equity applicant from the legacy market, the other, a trader from New York who found the plant through the end of life care for his mother. From their love of early morning walks, complementary skillsets, and not freaking out on the same day, they have become the first vertically integrated social equity participant in Massachusetts. There is A LOT to be said about Cannabis social equity programs across the Country. Many affected by...
May 18, 2022•1 hr 26 min
Today's guest started building a strong work ethic at the age of 12, and never stopped. Understanding she learned through work, it was fundamental that her choice in University had an emphasis on learning through action. She followed her interest in event production to a premier events company in Boston, producing high-end events like a Super Bowl Ring Ceremony at the team owner's house. It was in her time managing Boston's most select night clubs that she noticed a gap; The Ultra Premium club l...
Sep 01, 2021•1 hr 15 min
One of the hardest things for driven people to do, is to learn when to adapt and persevere and when to move on. Today’s guest shares a few stories about how he learned those lessons. As a young kid, he found an early passion for Soccer. It wasn’t tallent alone though, he put in the work; hours on the field in practice. Through the sport, he learned a lot about himself; he liked to see and understand the big picture. The perfect spot to get that view was Goalie! That dedication and commitment eve...
Jul 08, 2021•1 hr 12 min
Taking full advantage of every opportunity; both the apparent and the hidden, is the best way I can sum up our guest’s founder's Journey. Growing up in rural Tennessee, he enjoyed all the nature, and freedom, country life had to offer. At the age of 14, he was identified by a teacher for a life changing opportunity, nominating him for a scholarship to boarding school, vastly opening up his world. In a biodiesel project, our guest discovered a passion for engineering early. It was a first step in...
Jun 23, 2021•1 hr 12 min
During Kevin’s Eagle Scout project, he learned a great deal about communicating effectively. As an able bodied person at the age of 14, he led and mentored deaf and blind scouts for a year. It was then, and continues to be, a very impactful experience in his life. It was in a programming class in college that Kevin found a passion and love for technology. From never being in the library prior, to practically living there! After completing only one class, he interviewed his way into his first tec...
Jun 09, 2021•1 hr 4 min
As a kid who grew up with the D.A.R.E program, to becoming co-founder of a first mover in the cannabis investment space, Emily Paxhia has had quite a life and Founders Journey. Growing up, she found an early passion in the rough sport of sailing. Predominantly a “boys sport”, her father reassured her that gender was a false barrier in pursuing her passions. She went on to skipper many, many crews, and so much more. A series of tragedies struck her family when she was in High School and College, ...
May 26, 2021•1 hr 5 min
The ability to step away and see the big picture is essential as a leader. It’s what allows you to work on the business so you can then then work in the business. As a leader, you have to be able to see the broad view, to formulate a theory, develop strategies, and finally assemble and inspire your team to get there; time & time again. Today’s guest exemplifies just that. Through a fundamental belief that business is a series of problems to be solved, through many iterations, he grew his com...
Dec 07, 2020•1 hr 6 min
Our guest today is a 3rd generation female entrepreneur. Gregarious by nature, nurtured by her her entrepreneurial parents, she confirmed her calling when High School C's turned into University A's in Public Relations courses. Rosie Mattio took the initiative. To step up when her boss moved on, to step out on her own to support family moves, to step into being a mother of four. She stepped up when her Husbands startup needed her expertise, step into the unknown of the nascent legal Cannabis Indu...
Nov 24, 2020•1 hr 5 min
My guest today is a recent founder of not one, but two companies focusing on Intellectual Property related Cannabis. ... Dr Hunt shares a tremendous amount of insight and knowledge on plant IP and Cannabis in this episode. What I loved most about Dr Hunt's Founder's Journey is that there are many times where he identified what he found interesting, and chose to follow that curiosity. Please enjoy the Founder's Journey of Dr Dale Hunt, Founder & CEO of Breeders Best. Dr. Dale Hunt, Profession...
Oct 28, 2020•1 hr 23 min
Builders are masters at process. They see the big picture, they deconstruct, they learn, they rebuild it better. From his childhood playing with Legos, to building service businesses as a young adult, and huge pivot to Wall Street building deals; Christopher Galvin loves to learn and build. A very successful early career earned him retirement in Scottsdale at only 42! It wasn’t long before Christopher got the urge to build again. He wanted to solve a big problem. Professional Summary: Christophe...
Oct 13, 2020•59 min
One of the most important rules in business is to know your numbers. Numbers are part of nearly every business school case study as they help tell the story: Where is money coming from? Where is it going? Those are the basics. Today’s story is about how one entrepreneur, searching for clues to steer a stalled business, was able to read the numbers to uncover their best customers. What resulted not only saved the business, but changed an industry. Jeffrey Harris was already a successful business ...
Sep 23, 2020•1 hr 1 min
It’s so refreshing when you meet someone who understands what fulfills them and is actually doing it! It’s their calling. They’re mission driven. That is especially true for today’s guest: Mara Gordon, Co-Founder of Aunt Zelda’s. The drive to care for a loved one is a very powerful force. Mara, confronted with the challenge of helping her husband, when traditional methods had failed, turned to Cannabis. The impact was immediate, but unfocused. The obstacle in turning to Cannabis was that there w...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr 12 min
Before Eric Schnell was actually Eric, he attended Woodstock… in utero. Raised by his hippie parents in the Boston area; his early years were in an Ashram. The respect for our bodies, animals, and the Earth, were values embedded early, and consistently, in his life. Seeds for becoming an entrepreneur were planted early on too: Once, as a punishment, his Mom withheld allowance; his 8 year old self was so upset by this, he vowed to never be dependent on anyone else for money again. During his time...
Jun 14, 2020•1 hr 6 min
Growing up in suburban Georgia, Kat Merryfield took early influence from her entrepreneurial father and nurturing mother. Personality traits of studiousness, curiosity, and drive came to accompany her introverted tendencies. As a young Mother with a sick child, the accepted western therapy for her daughter left her at a disadvantage. Seeking out alternatives, a natural option presented a cure. Enlightened by that experience, Kat focused on Natural Medicine for her formal education. She later tur...
Jun 03, 2020•1 hr 24 min
For many business owners, Payroll & Benefits management are a common core part of starting a business. Employees & Taxes need to be paid, laws need to be followed; those are the basics. There are any number of vendors offering those services who will come knocking at your door the moment you register a new business. That's just not the case in the Cannabis Industry. A chance encounter on a Southwest Flight led today's guest to ring up a friend running a successful dispensary, only to fin...
May 15, 2020•51 min
What does reselling used golf balls, organizing weekend trips for college students, and fundraising for alumni relations have in common? They are just some of the things Entrepreneur Karson Humiston did before founding the go-to recruiting platform in Cannabis; Vangst. Joining us from Denver in March of 2020, Karson shares her founder's journey of hustle and perseverance turning a stack of business cards made in her college dorm room into the name in Cannabis recruiting. Show Notes: What You Nee...
Apr 23, 2020•1 hr
Catching the entrepreneurial drive early, Cy Scott's first venture was selling Jolly Ranchers on the school bus back in 5th grade. This funded his love of playing video games at his family's store, seeding an early interest in Entrepreneurship and Technology. In the nascent days of the Modern Cannabis Industry, Cy Co-Founded Cannabis Education Site Leafly back in 2010. Starting as a side hustle, Cy and his co-founders grew the company to market success and a successful exit in 2015. Cy, and fell...
Apr 12, 2020•46 min
Socrates Rosenfeld, Co-Founder & CEO of Jane Technologies, shares with us how Grape Jolly Ranchers, The Allman Brothers Band, and Love, all inspired him. This West Point Graduate, Apache Pilot, and MIT Graduate made a big pivot in creating Cannabis Tech startup Jane Technologies. Today they are the Largest Retail eCommerce Platform in Cannabis, creating a the new retail for dispensaries, their patients and customers. Here is his Journey. This episode was recorded on March 18th, 2020. In the ...
Mar 22, 2020•1 hr 7 min
Today we welcome Beryl Solomon, who shares her candid journey of the challenges she faced in researching natural remedies to improve her health and wellness. This journey inspired her to create the experience she wanted, but didn't exist. Applying her skills from a 15 year career in fashion, leaving her position as CEO of a fashion startup, to create Poplar, self described as the “Net-a-Porter” of legal cannabis. Currently selling online a curated assortment of premium hemp derived CBD and acces...
Feb 24, 2020•1 hr 14 min
When you’re assembling the team for your next Cannabis project, often you’ll need to bring in qualified people with industry experience, on a project or freelance basis. But who to trust? Where to find them? Enter Mary’s List. Since 2018, Mary’s List, at maryslist.co, has run an active Newsletter connecting those in need, with those that can, for the Cannabis Industry. I’m your host, Brian Weber. In this episode we’re welcoming Denise Biderman & Taylor Aldredge to discuss their personal and ...
Jan 19, 2020•42 min
"It's challenging for Cannabis Brands to efficiently connect with Dispensaries. This is especially true for smaller and startup brands with limited resources to spend on the traditional sales and fulfillment process. Getting the brand message and product benefits to store associates can make or break a Products, and potentially a Brands success. In turn, Brands getting product feedback, is traditionally rare and anecdotal at best. Since launching in 2016, LeafLink has helped Thousands of cannabi...
Jan 02, 2020•37 min
Likely, the first technology choice of a dispensary is the POS system. It’s the hub of your inventory, processes all revenue, and source for all reporting. Many of these systems have integration partners that further extend their capabilities. The Cannabis industry now has many POS providers, but, how to choose the right one for your Dispensary? We'll dive deep with Matt in how he and his team chose a POS for their Dispensary; we discuss how they understood their needs, their research process, a...
May 01, 2019•45 min
Technology plays a big roll in running a dispensary. Inventory Management, Compliance Reporting, and the Actual Selling, amongst others, all rely on the technology the owners choose. Making the right decision can have a big impact on the success of the dispensary. Those decisions can be very daunting, especially for those who are not techies. In this episode Matthew discusses his background, growing up in a family business, starting his first business, to his eventual decision to start a Cannabi...
Apr 19, 2019•43 min
"Because it’s too hard for two highly regulated industries — legal cannabis-related businesses and financial institutions — to connect. A volatile mix of local, state, federal and banking laws and regulations make relationships difficult. Compliance and reporting can be overwhelming for both parties. Many financial institutions have steered clear of this new business opportunity, intimidated by the potential risk of tainted funds. Many legally operating businesses are forced to manage large amou...
Apr 16, 2019•52 min
