To Be Blunt
206 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 months ago -An honest conversation about taking cannabis packaged goods to market with Shayda Torabi, business owner (@restartcbd), advocate (@texashempcoalition), and thought leader (@theshaydatorabi).
tobebluntpod.substack.com
Homepage Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
118 What Does Regulation in Cannabis Look Like and How To Prepare with Kim Stuck of Allay Consulting
September 26, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 51.2 MB“If you create those relationships and you just show that like, Hey, I really am trying. Sometimes that's all it takes ‘cause so many people are not trying at all.” - Kim Stuck Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Kim Stuck of Allay Consulting. As the first cannabis specialist for the Denver Department of Environmental Health and now a leading compliance expert, she gives an insider perspective on cannabis regulation and certification standards. S...
117 The Global Cannabis Market and Why Germany is Poised to Lead with Michael Sassano of SOMAI Pharmaceuticals
September 19, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 51.3 MB“If Germany goes recreational, everybody's going to follow them to some extent. If the leader says, look, this is how I'm addressing the product, the issue that I see at hand, you can pretty much be sure all the bigger countries will come in line like France, Portugal… And a few others are going to really move quickly because there's no reason for them to be disadvantaged if the rules are already set.” - Michael Sassano Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torab...
116 Redefining Microdosing Edibles with Lauren Gockley of Coda Signature
September 12, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 50.2 MB“You’ve probably been consuming alcohol since you were a young person and you know a lot more about how your body reacts to it than how your body's going to react to cannabis. So having that platform for new consumers to be able to be introduced to our products and then move their way up the scale so that we're kind of holding their hand a little bit and saying, ‘It's totally cool. You want to try one milligram and see where you're going?’ We encourage that in a lot of ways.” - Lauren Gockle...
115 User Generated Content and Maximizing Your Brand Intellectual Property with Maggie Wilson of FRUIT SLABS
September 05, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 49.5 MB“People relate more to user-generated content than they do an influencer telling them they should buy a product because there's no authenticity from the brand to the influencer. When you've got a UGC creator, they make the content, give it directly to the brand, and then the brand directly puts it out.” - Maggie Wilson Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Maggie Wilson of FRUIT SLABS, California’s first kosher-certified and vegan edible. We get to...
114 Colorado's Original Craft Cannabis Company with Jon Spadafora of Veritas Fine Cannabis
August 29, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 53.1 MB“Find what makes you tick. Find what's authentic to you. Focus in that world and be impactful in that world because it’s a big enough world as it is that you don't need to do everything.” - Jon Spadafora Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Jon Spadafora of Veritas Fine Cannabis, the first recreational wholesaler in Colorado. He shares how they have differentiated themselves from the competition by offering variety and curating unique experiences ...
113 Groundbreaking Human Clinical Research for Cannabis Consumption with Missy Bradley of Ripple
August 22, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 48.1 MB“We didn't see anybody else in the industry who was studying the effects of the product in humans. We wanted to come from a place of truth. That's always been very important to us, that we were the truth-tellers in the industry.” - Missy Bradley Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Missy Bradley, VP of Marketing and co-founder of Ripple. She takes us through their pioneering research to formulate a water-soluble form of THC, proven to hit 2x faste...
113 Groundbreaking Human Clinical Research for Cannabis Consumption with Missy Bradley of Ripple
August 22, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 48.1 MB“We didn't see anybody else in the industry who was studying the effects of the product in humans. We wanted to come from a place of truth. That's always been very important to us, that we were the truth-tellers in the industry.” - Missy Bradley Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Missy Bradley, VP of Marketing and co-founder of Ripple. She takes us through their pioneering research to formulate a water-soluble form of THC, proven to hit 2x faste...
112 Marketing a Passion-Driven Brand Growing Small-Batch, Flavor First Flower with Katherine Wolf of Malek’s
August 15, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 44.5 MB“Everyone is really dedicated to the cannabis industry as a whole and wants to advance legalization, education, and access to cannabis, and really believes in what we're doing as a brand to bring something that's really high quality, that's more premium, that's flavor first.” - Katherine Wolf Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Katherine Wolf of Malek's Premium Cannabis to discuss how to build a strong brand that stands out from the competition, ...
111 How To Get To 1 Million Subscribers with Bryan Gerber of Hemper
August 08, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 41.5 MB“People and consumers are getting smarter in identifying the companies that are just trying to take advantage of the situation. And I think why we've serviced millions of customers in the last seven years is because we really truly provide value. We always make it a hundred percent satisfaction guarantee.” - Bryan Gerber Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes the “King of Cones” Bryan Gerber of Hemper and Hara Supply. He and his team have produced o...
110 Cannabis Potency Testing at Home with Peichen Chang of tCheck
August 01, 2022 21:00 - 54 minutes - 37.2 MB“We spoke with hundreds of people and the response was overwhelming. It was like, how has this not been in my life already? How come somebody hasn't invented it? And so from that, we decided to build the product. The need is out there. We have the ability to fulfill it. Let's go for it.” - Peichen Chang Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Peichen Chang, co-founder & CEO at tCheck. tCheck is a device that helps home edible makers and DIY cannabis ...
109 High Quality Cannabinoid Ingredients with Nicole Brown of Open Book Extracts
July 25, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 46.3 MB“Nature is our muse. Those ratios that are found naturally in the plant, well, let's recreate that so that you can consistently have that same experience every time you have a product. so that you're not buying a product one month and then three months later, and you're like, was that the same product? And that's happening because of that lack of consistency which now we're able to solve and I think what's going to help lay the foundation for this industry to reach its potential.” - Nicole ...
108 Professionalizing Cannabis through Journalism Objectivity with Chris Walsh of MJ Biz
July 11, 2022 10:00 - 55 minutes - 38.3 MB“What we felt would help legalization and move the needle with cannabis was sticking to some key tenets her and it's objectivity. It's professionalism. It's journalism ethics.” - Chris Walsh Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Chris Walsh of MJ Biz to talk about the impact of media in the fight for legalization and how it shapes not only the opinions of the consumers but also of the policymakers. He also gives his take on the resistance against m...
107 The Fight to Legalize Cannabis in Texas with Attorney Lisa Pittman
July 04, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 54.5 MB“The strategy is different for different clients because it depends on how much you're willing to push that envelope. Some are more willing. It depends on what the product is. It depends on how it's marketed because there's that tight rope between you want to get your brand out there, and you want to get market share, and you want the consumer to understand what the product is. But on the other hand, you don't want to paint a target on your back. It's a risk-tolerance business decision.” - L...
106 The Power of Influence and Innovation with Olivia Alexander of Kush Queen
June 27, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 51.4 MB“I hope that young people and newcomers to the industry know that innovation is the way to slide in. Innovation is the way to really make a name for yourself, and these big companies are too big to do it. They can't do it, and they're never going to do it. - Olivia Alexander Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Olivia Alexander, CEO of Kush Queen. She paints an honest picture of how she built a brand from scratch, the challenges she faced, and the...
106 Mastering Influence and the Need for Innovation With Olivia Alexander of Kush Queen
June 27, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 51.3 MB“I hope that young people and newcomers to the industry know that innovation is the way to slide in. Innovation is the way to really make a name for yourself, and these big companies are too big to do it. They can't do it, and they're never going to do it. - Olivia Alexander Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Olivia Alexander, CEO of Kush Queen. She paints an honest picture of how she built a brand from scratch, the challenges she faced, and the...
105 HHC and The Future of Chemically Derived Cannabinoids with Tyler Roach of Colorado Chromatography
June 20, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 56.2 MB“I'm glad that we have the innovation that we do, and I think that the process of synthesis is going to lead us to even greater discoveries.” - Tyler Roach Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Tyler Roach, “The HHC Guy” and VP of Sales of Colorado Chromatography, to share a dialogue about synthesizing cannabinoids. Tyler goes in-depth about understanding HHC and the cannabinoids alphabet soup, tailoring medicine through synthesis, and bringing inn...
104 Culinary Cannabis Expertise, Exploration, and Education with Rachel Burkons of Smoke Sip Savor
June 13, 2022 10:00 - 59 minutes - 41 MB“Until we have either the tools to purchase these cannabinoids in different ratios in the marketplace or have the ability to have really fine-tuned science on the culinary side, it's gonna just always come down to matters of individuated preference, and personal understanding, and intolerance.” - Rachel Burkons Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Rachel Burkons, a culinary cannabis expert and educator who is passionate about developing the concep...
103 The Global Feminist Community for Active Cannabis Culture with Lisa and Samantha of Tokeativity
June 06, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 41.8 MB“We feel really excited about the idea of people personally, empowering themselves to balance their own feminine and masculine, and for that to be reflected outside as well through social justice, creative campaigns, all the things that we love to do.” - Samantha Montanaro Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Lisa Snyder and Samantha Montanaro, Co-Founders of Tokeativity, to talk about the work they do to bring cannabis feminists together and push...
102 Prolific Cannabis Brand Marketing with Sam Arellano of ABC Brand / Design
May 30, 2022 10:00 - 55 minutes - 38 MB“Without question, consumers are incredibly savvy and I caution any and all brand marketers to underestimate them at their own peril. They're tuned in. They're educated. They're paying attention. They're asking questions and you never want to take consumers lightly. You want to, evoke excitement. You want to compel them to action. And that's not easy to do in this sort of digitally equipped world that we live in so authenticity plays through.“ - Sam Arellano Welcome back to the To Be Blunt...
101 From Legacy to Legends with Christine De La Rosa of The People's Ecosystem
May 23, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 49 MB“There are huge tropes around people of color to not look for holistic medicine. And you have to first work through the tropes, the propaganda tropes around people of color and the use of cannabis.” - Christine De La Rosa Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Christine De La Rosa, CEO and Co-Founder of The People’s Ecosystem. Christine is a well-respected business leader, advocate, and activist. Everything changed after she was diagnosed with lupus...
101 From Legacy to Legends with Christine De La Rosa of The People's Ecosystem
May 23, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 48.9 MB“There are huge tropes around people of color to not look for holistic medicine. And you have to first work through the tropes, the propaganda tropes around people of color and the use of cannabis.” - Christine De La Rosa Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Christine De La Rosa, CEO and Co-Founder of The People’s Ecosystem. Christine is a well-respected business leader, advocate, and activist. Everything changed after she was diagnosed with lupus...
100 A Decade of MMJ & Recreational Marijuana Experience with Eric Leslie of Cheeba Chews
May 16, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 41.7 MB“Your ability to respond, your resiliency to find new avenues that aren't existent is what allows you to sustain in an industry and to create a legacy that will last forever.” - Eric Leslie Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Eric Leslie, CMO of Cheeba Chews, to reflect on the brand's journey over the past decade and how it evolved in response to the changing legal parameters for cannabis and the dosage and tolerance of their products. As the edi...
100 A Decade of MMJ & Recreational Marijuana Experience with Eric Leslie of Cheeba Chews
May 16, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 41.7 MB“Your ability to respond, your resiliency to find new avenues that aren't existent is what allows you to sustain in an industry and to create a legacy that will last forever.” - Eric Leslie Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Eric Leslie, CMO of Cheeba Chews, to reflect on the brand's journey over the past decade and how it evolved in response to the changing legal parameters for cannabis and the dosage and tolerance of their products. As the edi...
099 The Journey, Responsibility, and Opportunity of Becoming Jane West with Jane West
May 09, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 45.4 MB“I think one of the things that I've learned over time is that, you know, people associate legalization with freedom with like, ‘Oh my god, we get to do this and we get to do that.’ And in reality, what's happened is legalization is a lot more regulation, and taxation, and rules, and limiting opportunity, limiting access.” - Jane West Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Jane West, one of the most prolific icons in the cannabis industry. From star...
098 Contemporary Cannabis Branding and Ecommerce Designed by Women Who Smoke Weed with Hayley and Lana of Sackville & Co.
May 02, 2022 10:00 - 58 minutes - 40.5 MB“We immediately got pigeonholed into this wellness thing which I think cannabis places women in so if you're a woman or you're a female-run brand or something, you can only really have this aesthetic of wellness… We just happen to be women who are running this brand and, designing and producing these pieces, but it's meant for anyone.” - Lana Van Brunt Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Hayley Dineen and Lana Van Brunt of Sackville and Co., a l...
097 Together We Cann, Making an American Glass Company with Chris Piazza of CannaDevices
April 25, 2022 10:00 - 56 minutes - 38.5 MB“If you're going to have good cannabis, why don't you have good glass, right? I mean, it just kind of goes hand in hand.” - Chris Piazza Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes CannaDevices CEO Chris Piazza to discuss the art of glass blowing and how it serves the cannabis industry. Chris believes in the need to educate consumers about ingesting cannabis in a different way and enhancing the experience with a high-quality product. As a glass blower hi...
096 From Grey to Green, Growing the Largest Cannabis Competition in The World with Tim and Taylor Blake of The Emerald Cup
April 19, 2022 00:00 - 1 hour - 42.7 MB"If you win the competition, you get tremendous props and financial rewards coming through there. So it is friendly, but it's also become a very serious thing now, because now its business, its branding. And so it's become something that everybody really works to put their best foot forward and win." - Tim Blake In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Tim Blake, the founder of the Emerald Cup, a competition showcasing the best of the cannabis industry for years. He is joined by his daughter...
095 Cannabis Should Be Boring with Samuel Richard of Arizona Dispensary Association
April 11, 2022 10:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MB“We have a lot of work to do to start to reintroduce society as a whole to the idea that cannabis can be a part of our daily life without it being completely monumentally destructive because it never has been, and it never will be.” - Samuel Richard In this episode, Shayda Torabi is joined by Samuel Richard of Arizona Dispensary Association as they discuss an interesting perspective of cannabis – that it should be boring. Samuel argues that this theme encompasses the effective ways to addre...
094 The "P" in Consumer Packaged Goods with Elizabeth Corbett of AE Global Packaging
April 04, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 42.1 MB“What's the most sustainable thing I can do [about packaging]? And I always like to say there is no one thing. There are many, many little things that you can do along the way.” - Elizabeth Corbett In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Elizabeth Corbett of AE Global Packaging as she shares her observations about packaging and the framework for sustainability. She uncovers the truth about both the opportunities and barriers to CPG and how the players in the cannabis industry can navigate ...
093 California Cannabis Highs and Lows with Skip Motsenbocker of Pacific Stone
March 28, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 44.3 MB“Here's the thing, though. If you're the kind of person who really masters things quick, and you like that challenge, then this [cannabis] space is perfect. If you really like repetitiveness, and you don't like change, then you really don't want to enter the cannabis space at all, period. Because it will change. It perpetually changes.” - Skip Motsenbocker In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Skip Motsenbocker of Pacific Stone to paint a clearer picture of the Californian market, taxati...
092 Authentically Crafting Your Cannabis Marketing Playbook with Lisa Buffo of Cannabis Marketing Association
March 21, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 51.8 MB“We've seen brands who, you know, maybe they have great products, but they have really inauthentic marketing, and that hurts them. And I think that authenticity, the understanding of your core values, your mission statement, your North Star, the why you do what you do, people want to support that.” - Lisa Buffo In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Lisa Buffo of Cannabis Marketing Association. She discusses what it takes to determine the best practices industry marketers should implement....
091 New Mexico State Speculations and Getting Into The Industry with Nate Lipton of GrowersHouse
March 14, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 42.2 MB“I don't want people to think getting in [the cannabis industry] now is a bad idea whatsoever. I think the industry right now is still really looking for a lot of smart people, people that are interested in the kind of like cannabis movement and its progression to maybe full legalization.” - Nate Lipton In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Nate Lipton of GrowersHouse as he pushes the cannacurious to jump right into the industry and consider scaling to seize the opportunity. Also, listen ...
090 A little Bit of Luck and a Long Play building a Celebrity Cannabis Brand with Elizabeth Hogan of Willies Reserve
March 07, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 42.1 MB“When we build brands that are secure and positioned securely and have meaning, they have a lot of opportunities to go into new places… We've got to show up in certain ways and participate in certain ways.” - Elizabeth Hogan Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Elizabeth Hogan of Willies Reserve as she shares her experience of working with the legendary cannabis advocate, Willie Nelson. Her insights reflect the value of collaboration and artistry...
090 A little Bit of Luck and a Long Play building a Celebrity Cannabis Brand with Elizabeth Hogan of Willies Reserve
March 07, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 42.1 MB“When we build brands that are secure and positioned securely and have meaning, they have a lot of opportunities to go into new places… We've got to show up in certain ways and participate in certain ways.” - Elizabeth Hogan Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Elizabeth Hogan of Willies Reserve as she shares her experience of working with the legendary cannabis advocate, Willie Nelson. Her insights reflect the value of collaboration and artistry...
089 A Marketing Approach With Driving Sales in Mind with Walter Boyd of RedBird Bioscience
February 28, 2022 11:00 - 58 minutes - 40.4 MB“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 succe...
089 Developing Your Product or Establishing Your Brand, Which Comes First with Walter Boyd of RedBird Bioscience
February 28, 2022 11:00 - 58 minutes - 40.5 MB“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 succe...
088 New England Cannabis Brand That Sells Good Buds To Great Neighbors with Alex Mazin of Bud's Goods
February 21, 2022 11:00 - 54 minutes - 37.1 MB“As you think through product development, it needs to be well thought through with the intent of how does this help the retailer, and how do we get bud tenders to support it, and not necessarily focus on the consumer, because I'll say this, further, you don't need to focus on the consumer. Because if you're passionate about this industry, you yourself are a consumer. And thus you should create something for yourself.” - Alex Mazin In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Alex Mazin of Bud's...
087 Connecting Brand Values and Vision to the Consumer Journey with Allison Disney of Receptor Brands
February 14, 2022 11:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MB“A brand has always been so much more than a logo… It's really about, how are you connecting your values and your vision as a brand and a company with your consumer’s values? How do you mirror them? Or how are you finding the right core audience? And then how are you making them feel about your brand, ultimately? And that comes through all the different touchpoints in a brand experience.” - Allison Disney Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Allis...
087 Making Sense of the Cannabis Consumer Journey with Allison Disney of Receptor Brands
February 14, 2022 11:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MB“A brand has always been so much more than a logo… It's really about, how are you connecting your values and your vision as a brand and a company with your consumer’s values? How do you mirror them? Or how are you finding the right core audience? And then how are you making them feel about your brand, ultimately? And that comes through all the different touchpoints in a brand experience.” - Allison Disney Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Allis...
086 The Cannabis Farm of The Future: Powering Brands From The Ground Up with Jesus Burrola of POSIBL
February 07, 2022 11:00 - 56 minutes - 38.7 MB“I think the biggest equity opportunity for a brand is for somebody to come in and build a national brand, a powerful brand in cannabis. And I think folks that have learned how to operate in this way through partnerships and asset-lite model and understand the opportunity of licensing in other states… I think they've done a phenomenal job.” - Jesus Burrola Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Jesus Burrola, Chief Executive Officer of POSIBL, a...
085 What a Legacy Tobacco and Accessories Company is Doing to Innovate in Cannabis with Scott Grossman of Turning Point Brands
January 31, 2022 11:00 - 52 minutes - 36.4 MB“Using cannabis from a health and wellness perspective, that can cure and help ailments that are otherwise being treated with other drugs that may or may not be good for you. And so from much perspective, I think that's the way I approach it, right or wrong, it's being branded as the health and wellness drug of our generation.” - Scott Grossman Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Scott Grossman of Turning Point Brands, as he shares the paralleli...
084 Baking Up The Future of Cannabis Tech and Adoption with Shanel Lindsay of Ardent
January 24, 2022 11:00 - 55 minutes - 37.8 MB“At the end of the day, cannabis businesses are just like any other businesses, right? They need all of the services and support that anyone needs. And obviously, our lane is in helping with consumption.” - Shanel Lindsay Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Shanel Lindsay, founder and president of Ardent Life, Inc., to discuss the bright future of cannabis made possible by technology, how her profession as a lawyer got her involved in legalizatio...
084 Baking Up The Future of Cannabis Tech and Adoption with Shanel Lindsey of Ardent
January 24, 2022 11:00 - 55 minutes - 37.8 MB“At the end of the day, cannabis businesses are just like any other businesses, right? They need all of the services and support that anyone needs. And obviously, our lane is in helping with consumption.” - Shanel Lindsay Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Shanel Lindsay, founder and president of Ardent Life, Inc., to discuss the bright future of cannabis made possible by technology, how her profession as a lawyer got her involved in legalizatio...
083 Lessons in Branding from The Largest Single Site Dispensary in California with Chris Lane of Airfield Supply Company
January 17, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 43.9 MB“The best brands are the ones who constantly look at how can they provide value to an individual, whether that's value to a partner, and sometimes that's impossible, right? But your value to a customer is always viable…Value doesn't have to be some gigantic experience.” - Chris Lane Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Chris Lane, Chief Marketing Officer of Airfield Supply Company, as he shares the systems and processes they employ in bringing val...
082 The Evolution and Arrival of Cannabis Events and Hospitality with Jenn T of Cannect Hospitality
January 10, 2022 11:00 - 58 minutes - 40.4 MB“I don't think that these [cannabis events] types of events and venues should be considered a free for all just because it's cannabis. It should be taken seriously… Guest interactions with the staff should be looked at as the same level as the bartenders’ responsibility.” - Jenn Tramaglino Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Jenn Tramaglino, founder and CEO of Cannect Hospitality, to discuss the evolving cannabis hospitality. She shares how it is...
081 The Future of Cannabis with The Father of the Legal Cannabis Industry Steve DeAngelo
January 03, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 43.1 MB“You have people in our scene now who are motivated not primarily by love of cannabis, but primarily by love of money. And that creates a real conflict, right? Because I think that one of the lessons that cannabis teaches us is to value love over money.” - Steve DeAngelo Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Steve DeAngelo, to discuss cannabis through the years and the coming future, expound his thoughts on societal changes, and remind us of the es...
080 Staying On Top Of Cannabis Trends and Making Industry Speculations with Bryan Fields and Kellan Finney of 8th Revolution
December 27, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 44 MB“So in my experience, the best way to do that (staying up-to-date) is to just dive headfirst in, read everything you can and figure out what information is relevant through just trial and error.” - Bryan Fields Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Bryan Fields and Kellan Finney of 8th Revolution, as they share the inner workings in consolidating the monthly Playbook consisting of up-to-date industry information, using both scientific and business...
The T(HC) Break: HELP! My Instagram Account Was Deactivated, What Do I Do?
December 20, 2021 11:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MBIn the beginning of December 2021 my personal instagram account @theshaydatorabi was deactivated from instagram. This was my first time going through a deactivation on a social media platform and to be honest, came abruptly without prior immediate flagging or warning. As a cannabis marketing professional I’ve heard and been warned about the potential inevitability of being censored, shadow banned, and ultimately deactivated…but nevertheless, didn’t let it deter me from continuing to post con...
079 The Land of Opportunity and Building a Vertically Integrated Cannabis Business in Oklahoma with Arshad Lasi of The Nirvana Group
December 13, 2021 11:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MB“And it's very difficult for brands to be successful here if they're not able to adapt very quickly to how things change here… But this has also allowed for a very quick, innovative period here...because you can't always compete on price, you have to also be a better product and be a cooler product, and fit more with the culture.” - Arshad Lasi Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi and guest Arshad Lasi of The Nirvana GroupLC discuss the cannabiz landscape ...
078 Marijuana Hospitality Licenses Pave Way for Cannabis Friendly Hotels and Experiences with Chris Chiari of The 420 Hotels
December 06, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 43.6 MB“Decriminalizing, legalizing, creating a space for patients, creating a space then for recreational consumers...The stepping stones were part of a strategy to try not to bite off more than the state and voter populace could chew.” - Chris Chiari Welcome back to the To Be Blunt podcast! In this episode, Shayda Torabi welcomes Chris Chiari, Founder/CEO at The 420 Hotels Inc, to share his insights on cannabis tourism, the undefined freedom to consume, and how lawmakers are treading with cauti...