A Mejer Journey

Today’s guest is Stuart Foster, Director  of Marketing at REVOLUTION Cannabis. REVOLUTION operates retail locations in 4 states, aiming to provide a welcoming, educated approach to helping consumers find the right product for the right reasons. In addition, REVOLUTION has proprietary strains that have won 14 total Cannabis Cup awards, including 9 first place wins. Tune in to hear about Stuart's journey into the cannabis space, and REVOLUTION's impact on the cannabis community. 

Today’s guest, Diane Downey, Co-Founder & CEO of Rebel Spirit, head led the company to become Oregon’s #1 Pre-Roll Brand. The brand’s Pacific Northwest roots are unmistakable, and so is its story of “Uncle Mark”, the original rebel spirit, who was incarcerated for cultivating cannabis in the early 1990s. 

Today’s guest is Elliot Lane, Senior Vice President of Event Partnerships at Benzinga. He’s a host of the Cannabis Insider Podcast, and has played a massive role in bringing together some of the cannabis industry’s most key power-players in one place to do business and get deals done by way of the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference. Tune in to learn more about Elliot's journey into the space.

To reserve your tickets for the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, click here.

Today’s guest is Annu Khot, an award-winning Founder, CEO, and innovator who is transforming the cannabis industry to foster greater inclusivity and benefits for all. Driven by a commitment to acknowledge, value, and empower every individual, she is on a mission to bridge societal divides, create economic opportunities for underrepresented communities, and enhance well-being.

In 2019, she founded Socíale, an employee-owned business exclusively offering products from female and minority-owned operations. Socíale embodies her vision of providing ownership opportunities to those disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. Her leadership has earned her an invitation to the exclusive Forbes Business Council. Subsequently, she was recognized as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Illinois for 2023 and received the distinguished Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Award. Tune in to this episode to learn more about her journey in cannabis!

Today’s guest is Dee Sidhu, a dynamic leader and proud native of Los Angeles. His entrepreneurial spirit led him into the music

industry, where he helped build an indie record label now recognized worldwide as the acclaimed Funk Volume. Collaborating with industry label mates like Hopsin, Dizzy Wright, and more, leaving an unforgettable mark on independent hip-hop.

Driven by a passion for his hometown, he assisted in jump-starting a creative agency in Los Angeles, serving clients like Rolling Loud, EDC, Insomniac, and revitalizing the historic district of DT LA along the way. Embracing the burgeoning cannabis industry, he assumed diverse roles, reshaping legacy brands and launching new ones, including LIME, Olala THC Craft Soda, a Terp Tonic collaboration with Maven Genetics and the launch of URSA Live Rosin and WOX Extracts. His extensive industry network is a testament to his dedication to the plant.

Today, he is the CMO of Humboldt Family Farms. Tune in to hear about his journey into the cannabis industry! 

Today’s guest on the Mejer Journey Podcast is Jess Tyler, Chief Revenue and Experience Officer at MJBiz. Jess leads the team producing MJBizCon, the multiple-award winning trade show that tens of thousands of cannabis professionals attend each fall in Las Vegas. She is a proud member of the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) and the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) having earned her Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) designation. Tune in to get a sneak peak at what's to come at MJBizCon 2023, and what opportunities Jess sees on the horizon for the industry. If you haven't registered yet, grab your ticket today and use the code TPR10X12 for 10% off.

Today’s guest on the Mejer Journey Podcast has been a cannabis attorney for over eight years. Ryan Kocot's experience ranges from litigating criminal charges to advising a multinational public company as the head of legal and compliance. He currently provides general counsel services to cannabis businesses and ancillary service providers in California, Massachusetts, and New York. Tune in as we talk about Ryan's journey into the cannabis industry, his core areas of focus, what it takes to make it as a specialized service provider in the industry, and much more.

Today’s guest on the Mejer Journey Podcast is the Co-Founder of Simple Solvents, Brandon Bahr. Brandon's mission is to help botanical extraction companies produce the highest quality extracts possible by using the best solvents available on the market. He believes that the combination of exceptional products, outstanding customer service, and cutting-edge marketing strategies is the key to success in today's competitive market. Tune in to learn more about solvents, the market and industry behind them, and so much more! 

On this episode of the Mejer Journey Podcast, Jason Reposa, Founder & CEO of Good Feels, a cannabis-infused beverage company, joins the show! Jason lets us in on how he first entered the cannabis industry, his experience in building and growing Good Feels to one of the most popular cannabis beverage brands in Massachusetts, and more. Oh, and did you know Good Feels has a beverage enhancer that can even mix with sauces that complement your favorite dish? Tune in to learn more and hear it all from Jason's perspective. 

On this episode of the Mejer Journey, we sit down with Zack Toyota, Founder & CEO of SelfDisrpt. Zack is an accomplished growth strategist with a strong track record of success in multiple business sectors. He's a business operator, proven entrepreneur, and growth strategist with 10+ years of sales leadership experience. Prior to founding SelfDisrupt, he helped build a nationwide wellness brand and played a key role in its $40 million dollar acquisition in 2021. As the Co-Founder of Self Disrupt, today he focuses his time on helping brands scale and evolve — designing new experiences that capitalize on moments of truth in today’s dynamic, disruptive world.

On this episode of the Mejer Journey, we sit down with David Ratner of Ratner PR, who has over 25 years of experience focused on book publicity, brand and thought leadership development, relationship building, and consulting related to the publishing industry. David is the former president of one of the country’s largest book PR agencies where he built strong relationships throughout the publishing industry and worked with hundreds of best-selling authors from all genres. He's a strong believer in “partnership” vs. “vendorship” and works with his clients to customize the most appropriate and efficient campaigns based on their goals, needs, and budgets. He’s also been a featured speaker at a number of publishing conferences and is well respected for his knowledge of the industry. Tune in to the full conversation to uncover insights into utilizing a book to help build brand equity for your name, brand, and business.  

On this episode of the Mejer Journey Podcast, Nikki Lawley, a medical cannabis patient advocate joins the show to talk about her journey with the healing powers of the plant, along with her latest endeavor as a contributing author to the second anthology of the Courage in Cannabis series. 

On this episode of the Mejer Journey Podcast, Lance C. Lambert, CMO of Grove Bags, joins the show. Lance has spent years cultivating brands and telling stories, formerly in the mainstream digital media and marketing space with companies like Scripps and AutoTrader prior to making the jump to the legal cannabis industry. Since a shift in late 2013, he has helped build big name industry brands like Weedmaps, The Cannabist, GreenBroz and Green Flower. He has had a strong focus on marketing and business development, taking these brands global. This is a conversation rich in cannabis history, culture, and business.

On this episode of the Mejer Journey Podcast, special guest Dustin Hoxworth, Founder and Editor at Large for Fat Nugs Magazine, joins the show. Dustin has been a lifelong Cannabis advocate, and growing up in a large military family that consumed cannabis to treat mental and physical health issues, made sure of that. He’s also been a daily cannabis consumer since 1995, and has operated in the Legacy/Traditional side of the plant for decades. Tune in to learn about his journey in the cannabis industry and community. 

On this episode of the Mejer Journey Podcast, we sit down with Aubrey Amatelli, a proud first time founder of a health & wellness payments company, PayRio. PayRio focuses on helping underserved markets in the cannabis and alternative medicine industries who primarily accept cash. Prior to founding PayRio, Aubrey held a position as the Chief Revenue Officer at QuickFee, a fast growing Fintech. She began her career in payments at J.P. Morgan over a decade ago working her way up from a merchant services Business Development Associate to an Executive Director Commercial Banker for the Technology and Disruptive Commerce group in Silicon Valley. Tune in for Aubrey's journey into the cannabis industry, and what she's working on in the payment sector! 

On this episode of the Mejer Journey Podcast, Liz Geisleman, CEO at Rocky Mountain Reagents & 710SCI, joins us! In addition to her career at Rocky Mountain Reagents, she has spent the last decade working with a variety of organizations. In 2020, she co-founded the Canna Consortium with a few strategic partners, focusing on established, ancillary cannabis equipment manufacturers. She’s also the Past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the West Metro Foundation, the West Metro Chamber and the Jefferson County Economic Corporation. It doesn’t stop there! She is also the Chairman of the Colorado Democratic Party's Congressional District 7, Treasurer of the National Cannabis Industry Association and Director to the Jefferson Symphony, and was a member of Governor Polis' CHAMP (Colorado Hemp Advancement Management Plan) program, the Manufacturing Committee with NCIA, and the NCLC (National Cannabis Laboratory Council).

On this episode of the Mejer Journey Podcast, Rodney Boast, Co Owner and COO at Ray's Lemonade. Rodney talks about how he entered the cannabis space, the rapid growth of the brand, the expertise of the team that supports its growth, what consumers can expect from their product lineup, and so much more.

In this episode of the Mejer Journey Podcast, we sit down with cannabis reporter, copywriter and author, Andrew Ward. Andrew takes us through his career path and how he ended up being one of the most well-known cannabis reporters and writers. 

Fun fact: Did you know one of his goals is to write a horror movie? 

As the author of two books, The Art of Marijuana Etiquette and Cannabis Jobs, Andrew sheds some light on what it was like during the process of putting those books together, and how it impacted his career in cannabis. Throughout our conversation, Andrew also lets us in on how brands can effectively communicate with media and press in an effort to get their name out and into the mainstream, how the cannabis media landscape has shifted over the years, and so much more! 

On this episode of the Mejer Journey Podcast, we sit down with DiAnA McElroy, CEO of Higher High, a consulting firm focused on the marketing needs of the cannabis industry and patient advocacy. Throughout our conversation, we talk about a full spectrum of needs that cannabis businesses are challenged with. All the way from cannabis patient advocacy, education, building community, and more, DiAnA sheds light on how her and her firm have been able to support cannabis businesses and help them overcome the negative stigma associated with opening the doors to a new dispensary in an area less accepting of the plant than others. 

Today we sit down with Natacha Andrews, Esq, the Executive Director of the National Association of Black Cannabis Lawyers, and Founder and CEO of Evergreen Solutions Group, providing consulting services to cannabis businesses seeking licensure and business development throughout the US. Natacha is also a contributing author to the widely known anthology, Courage in Cannabis. Throughout our conversation we dive into Natacha's journey into the cannabis community and industry, how she's witnessed the cannabis industry evolve over the last few years, and more!