To Be Blunt: The Professional Cannabis Business Podcast
Business & Economics Podcasts
Hosted by RESTART CBD CEO and cannabis brand marketer Shayda Torabi, To Be Blunt features discussions among Marketers, Brand Builders, Founders, Senior Level Executives, and CEO’s of leading cannabis businesses that are navigating the journey from unregulated to regulated. The difference: Everyone speaking is working professionally to establish their brand(s) or business in the growing legal cannabis market. Every Monday Shayda will discuss a trending topic with other leaders within the cannabis industry and discuss it unscripted, with no pre-prepared questions. It will be as if you are sitting with the guests over dinner — discussing the truth and reality behind each topic of discussion. And the truth is — it isn’t what you are hearing in most interviews. The mysterious black box has officially been cracked open. We are discussing the good, bad, and ugly that we all must deal with, and how we are all moving forward to normalize and professionalize this industry despite regulatory changes, federal and state law roadblocks, and the many headwinds experienced within the industry. This is the study of operating a successful business in cannabis. This is To Be Blunt.
Hosted by RESTART CBD CEO and cannabis brand marketer Shayda Torabi, To Be Blunt features discussions among Marketers, Brand Builders, Founders, Senior Level Executives, and CEO’s of leading cannabis businesses that are navigating the journey from unregulated to regulated. The difference: Everyone speaking is working professionally to establish their brand(s) or business in the growing legal cannabis market. Every Monday Shayda will discuss a trending topic with other leaders within the cannabis industry and discuss it unscripted, with no pre-prepared questions. It will be as if you are sitting with the guests over dinner — discussing the truth and reality behind each topic of discussion. And the truth is — it isn’t what you are hearing in most interviews. The mysterious black box has officially been cracked open. We are discussing the good, bad, and ugly that we all must deal with, and how we are all moving forward to normalize and professionalize this industry despite regulatory changes, federal and state law roadblocks, and the many headwinds experienced within the industry. This is the study of operating a successful business in cannabis. This is To Be Blunt.
Location:
United States
Description:
Hosted by RESTART CBD CEO and cannabis brand marketer Shayda Torabi, To Be Blunt features discussions among Marketers, Brand Builders, Founders, Senior Level Executives, and CEO’s of leading cannabis businesses that are navigating the journey from unregulated to regulated. The difference: Everyone speaking is working professionally to establish their brand(s) or business in the growing legal cannabis market. Every Monday Shayda will discuss a trending topic with other leaders within the cannabis industry and discuss it unscripted, with no pre-prepared questions. It will be as if you are sitting with the guests over dinner — discussing the truth and reality behind each topic of discussion. And the truth is — it isn’t what you are hearing in most interviews. The mysterious black box has officially been cracked open. We are discussing the good, bad, and ugly that we all must deal with, and how we are all moving forward to normalize and professionalize this industry despite regulatory changes, federal and state law roadblocks, and the many headwinds experienced within the industry. This is the study of operating a successful business in cannabis. This is To Be Blunt.
Language:
English
Contact:
5128258940
Episodes
108 Professionalizing Cannabis through Journalism Objectivity with Chris Walsh of MJ Biz
7/11/2022
“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...
Duration:00:55:46
107 The Fight to Legalize Cannabis in Texas with Attorney Lisa Pittman
7/4/2022
“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.” -...
Duration:01:19:22
106 Mastering Influence and the Need for Innovation With Olivia Alexander of Kush Queen
6/27/2022
“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...
Duration:01:14:43
105 HHC and The Future of Chemically Derived Cannabinoids with Tyler Roach of Colorado Chromatography
6/20/2022
“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...
Duration:01:21:50
104 Culinary Cannabis Expertise, Exploration, and Education with Rachel Burkons of Smoke Sip Savor
6/13/2022
“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...
Duration:00:59:41
103 The Global Feminist Community for Active Cannabis Culture with Lisa and Samantha of Tokeativity
6/6/2022
“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...
Duration:01:00:53
102 Prolific Cannabis Brand Marketing with Sam Arellano of ABC Brand / Design
5/30/2022
“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...
Duration:00:55:22
101 From Legacy to Legends with Christine De La Rosa of The People's Ecosystem
5/23/2022
“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...
Duration:01:11:14
100 A Decade of MMJ & Recreational Marijuana Experience with Eric Leslie of Cheeba Chews
5/16/2022
“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...
Duration:01:00:40
099 The Journey, Responsibility, and Opportunity of Becoming Jane West with Jane West
5/9/2022
“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...
Duration:01:06:08
098 Contemporary Cannabis Branding and Ecommerce Designed by Women Who Smoke Weed with Hayley and Lana of Sackville & Co.
5/2/2022
“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...
Duration:00:58:56
097 Together We Cann, Making an American Glass Company with Chris Piazza of CannaDevices
4/25/2022
“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...
Duration:00:56:02
096 From Grey to Green, Growing the Largest Cannabis Competition in The World with Tim and Taylor Blake of The Emerald Cup
4/18/2022
"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...
Duration:01:01:58
095 Cannabis Should Be Boring with Samuel Richard of Arizona Dispensary Association
4/11/2022
“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...
Duration:00:57:43
094 The "P" in Consumer Packaged Goods with Elizabeth Corbett of AE Global Packaging
4/4/2022
“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...
Duration:01:01:22
093 California Cannabis Highs and Lows with Skip Motsenbocker of Pacific Stone
3/28/2022
“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,...
Duration:01:04:28
092 Authentically Crafting Your Cannabis Marketing Playbook with Lisa Buffo of Cannabis Marketing Association
3/21/2022
“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....
Duration:01:15:26
091 New Mexico State Speculations and Getting Into The Industry with Nate Lipton of GrowersHouse
3/14/2022
“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...
Duration:01:01:30
090 A little Bit of Luck and a Long Play building a Celebrity Cannabis Brand with Elizabeth Hogan of Willies Reserve
3/7/2022
“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...
Duration:01:01:14
089 A Marketing Approach With Driving Sales in Mind with Walter Boyd of RedBird Bioscience
2/28/2022
“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...
Duration:00:58:54