089 Developing Your Product or Establishing Your Brand, Which Comes First with Walter Boyd of RedBird Bioscience

“There's no secret sauce. I looked at the cannabis market, I saw the work ethic of the people involved… The hardest worker in every company is the person who owns the company. Once you get to a certain size, especially in the Oklahoma market, the ability to scale is really as fast and easy.” -  Walter Boyd

Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Walter Boyd of RedBird Bioscience. He reminds us of the fundamentals of running a business built for success - understanding your market and staying consistent. He shares the cannabis landscape in Oklahoma and how the value of deeply understanding the customer can significantly shape your presence in the industry.

[00:01 – 05:19] The Value of Observing Surrounding Markets in the Industry

[05:20 – 14:22] Understanding the Customer Base in the Oklahoma Landscape

[14:23 – 26:52] Introducing Cannabis Professionally in the Saturated Market

[26:53 – 36:35] Understanding the Customer for Improved Marketing and Sales Strategies

[36:36 – 56:55] Marketing the Brand - Thinking of Cannabis as a Commodity

[56:56 – 58:55] Food for Thought: Do you think it's easier to establish a brand in a state that is more or less densely populated?

Walter Boyd is the Director of Sales at RedBird Bioscience and oversees sales and distribution, customer service, new product design, and raw material partnerships. Boyd helped launch and direct the development of RedBird’s vape and concentrate line, White Label, and the launch of RedBird’s partnership with Belushi’s Farm Blues Brother’s products. Additionally, Boyd directs RedBird’s sales team, where he built The RedBird Sales Process and the RedBird Standard Customer Service Program as his team expanded shelf presence in Oklahoma’s dispensaries with a growth rate of 312%.

Connect with Walter

Visit http://redbirdmmj.com/ and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @redbirdrise

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 thing about the Oklahoma market that people don't realize is you've got patients who are low income to no income to fixed income, that only have a certain amount of dollars that they're willing to spend… And so you've got to figure out how to price your product.” -  Walter Boyd

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