063 Optimizing the Human Creative Performance with Cannabis from Art, Business, and Life with Shawn Gold of Pilgrim Soul

“People buy products from companies that believe what they believe. If you don't start off with a strong belief system, then it's really difficult to create an authentic brand. In this internet world where people see through everything and have access to everything, authenticity is really essential.” - Shawn Gold

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Shawn Gold, founder of Pilgrim Soul, to share his strategies in establishing an authentic brand with a strong belief system, challenging default thinking, and embracing creative thinking in marketing.

[00:01 – 05:23] How Shawn Gold Started in Cannabis

[05:24 – 18:19] Pilgrim Soul and The Creative Perspective and Ideation in Market Positioning

[18:20– 28:24] Utilizing Product Features for Branding Perspective

[20:00 – 34:21] Influencing Loyalty in the Brand

[34:22 – 43:08] Fostering an Emotive Experience with Customers

[43:09 – 56:04] Leveraging Media and Tools to Effectively Market

[56:05 – 57:43] Food for Thought: What Prompts You to Connect to Yourself Deeply?

Shawn Gold is Founder and CEO of Pilgrim Soul, a mission-driven cannabis brand focused on optimizing human creative performance to gain a competitive edge in business and life. Until recently, Shawn was CMO of Lowell Herb Co., one of the fastest-growing cannabis companies in North America. He has been an advisor to other leading cannabis brands including MedMen and Charlottes Web. Previous to Lowell, he was CMO at TechStyle Fashion Group in its growth to over $1Billion in sales.  Before TechStyle he was head of entertainment brand partnerships at Wattpad.com. Before Wattpad, he oversaw sales, marketing, and content development as CMO of Inside Studios. In the early days of social media, Shawn was CMO, head of marketing & content for MySpace, spearheaded the development and implementation of marketing initiatives and campaigns during its growth from 25 to 110 million users worldwide. Prior to MySpace, he was a partner and the founding publisher of Weblogs, Inc., a network of popular blogs that included Engadget, Joystiq, and Autoblog, now part of Verizon. As head of communications planning for Rare Medium, Shawn helped launch digital communications strategies for brands at P&G, General Mills, Nestle, Mattel, and other international brand marketing companies.

Connect with Shawn

Visit https://www.pilgrimsoul.com/ and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @pilgrim_soul_creative & @CreativityOnCannabis

Shayda Torabi has been called one of the most influential Women in WordPress and now she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD, a female-run education first CBD wellness brand. And has formerly held marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt, where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi

Key Quote:

“The general concept of finding your big ideal as a brand or even as a human being all goes back to who you are, what you stand for, and what your role in society is as a brand.” - Shawn Gold

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