We're Just Trying to Grow

Smoke Cartel founders, Darby Cox and Sean Gen, talk entrepreneurship, growth, sustainability and becoming the first online head shop to be traded publicly. 1: 50 - How Smoke Cartel got started. 6:00 - How Smoke Cartel grew so rapidly as an online retailer. 8:00 - The secret weapon that will keep Smoke Cartel ahead on the competition. 10:00 - The primary goal for the company when Sean and Darby first started. The goal(s) for the company now. 12:45 - On being the first online head shop to be publicly traded, the meaning and benefits of being public, and how they did it! 15:45 - The answer to the question of why more ancillary businesses in the industry haven't gone public. 17:05 - A realistic timeframe for the process of going public. 18:00 - What it takes to build a team that will take the company to the next level and beyond. 21:45 - Practical advice for entrepreneurs who are interested in entering the cannabis landscape as an ancillary business. ----- Support EstroHaze via Patreon. With your support we can create even more cannabis business content and release it to you sooner. Learn more >> www.patreon.com/EstroHaze

Dr. Ronald Aung-Din, MD is a neurology specialist in Sarasota, FL. With over 60 pharmaceutical clinical trials under his belt! In this episode he talks about how his cannabis stigmatism evolved after connecting with a patient that suffered from seizures due to a tragic farming accident, and how he now fully incorporates cannabis into his practice. Dr. Aung-Din also discusses the downside of cannabinoid therapy, his patented drug delivery methodology, his current filed cannabinoid patents, and much more more. Enjoy and Share! https://www.patreon.com/EstroHaze

Ready for a mind-shift? We're talking productivity and discipline as we go into year two of our startup, amongst other topics including: - Peeing in public -- we know, we know - don't you dare judge! - Our $300 gift-bags we had at the Women Grow summit! Shout out to 1906 (Inaugural sponsors of our first ever dab bus)https://www.instagram.com/p/BeuS-P2HZdJ/?taken-by=estrohaze - 15:00 The cannabis industry and it's shift to a lifestyle focus -17:00 Having a mystic around your cannabis brand -20:50 Cannabis + fitness [Introducing : EstroHaze Escapades Season 1! In this episode join us for a ganja yoga session where we learn about the benefits of fusing cannabis + yoga!] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5nwdpc80GU&t=22s -Integrating CBD into your life -27:00 Update on Colorado resident and medical marijuana patient Alexis Bortell and her case against the DOJ -35:00 Ratchet TV recap

Entrepreneurs! Jewels have been dropped. Check out this exclusive, invaluable insight from investor, entrepreneur, and managing director of Canopy Boulder, Micah Tapman, detailing exactly what investors are looking for in your cannabusiness! Grab your pen and paper and get hip to: What are investors looking for from you as a viable cannabusiness and what you should look for in investors (1:15) Does your team have what it takes (3:00) Successful cannabis business trends. What’s the common thread? (5:00) What you should be creating RIGHT NOW if you want to thrive in this industry (8:50) Investor red flags to lookout for! (10:15) When to hold and when to fold on your cannabusiness (14:45) STEP 1 - What you need to be doing before talking to investors in the first place! (16:45) Flourish. ----- Please consider supporting EstroHaze via Patreon. With your support we can create even more cannabis business content and release it to you sooner. Learn more >> www.patreon.com/EstroHaze

Mason has raised hundreds of thousands for WeGrow and millions for other companies. "It's not the end game, it's the beginning." Mason Levy On this episode we talk pitching. Or how to position your brand for fundraising with Mason Levy, Founder and CEO of https://wegrowapp.com/ and the Program Director for Canopy Boulder. *The accelerator we went through! Here he covers: * The purpose of pitching @ 4:17 * Common misconceptions about pitching @ 6:48 * Where should pitching fall in your business roadmap This episode is perfect for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and founders looking to build a VC backed business. ----- Please consider supporting EstroHaze via Patreon. With your support we can create even more cannabis business content and release it to you sooner. Learn more >> https://www.patreon.com/EstroHaze

Happy New Year! This month our focus is helping you use cannabis to build a business. Be it a retail shop, or an online entity you'll need some help! In this episode, Patrick Rea, CEO of Canopy shares why he decided to enter the cannabis space; how Canopy Boulder was formed; tips on applying and what they seek in potential startups; and he closes with his top 5 tips on entering the industry as a early, ancillary startup. 3:55 We didn't set out to starting an accelerator. Which is a good lesson to all entrepreneurs. Show up, engage, be present, and identify a real problem that you can solve, a problem that exists for many people. (Patrick and partners started out wanting to do an investment fund, but weren't seeing volume of investment ready businesses in industry) 5:00 We pivoted to accelerator because the problem was there was lack of investment worthy businesses in the industry. The industry was growing rapidly and needed service businesses such as payroll processing, data, ad networks. 10:35 Having a co-founder proves that you can convince someone else that you've got a really good idea. The business of being a startup is kind of like making friends. You have to build an ecosystem of people who are excited about what you are doing. 15:30 Patrick shares his top 5 tips about getting into the cannabis startup space. For example: "Be humble and realistic about what you can do and "you have two ears and one mouth. Use them appropriately." Please consider supporting EstroHaze via Patreon. With your support we can create even more cannabis business content and release it to you sooner. Learn more >> www.patreon.com/EstroHaze

Bruhhh, we started this episode munching on Rap Snacks…lol This episode kicks off with entrepreneurship and startup talk, y’all know we’re the cofounders of a cannabis media company right >> www.EstroHaze.com/about. This past week we attended a couple of industry events, one being at the Mass Appeal New York office. Since leaving the accelerator us cofounders have also been focusing on upping our freelancing game while we build our startup - shout out to Gary V for all the adivce! Our blunt passing rotation still needs some work, but all in all, the EstroHaze brand is thriving and the hustle is real. We're also discussing in this episode manifestation and its consequences, new edibles and products we tried including ‘The Dipper’ by Dipstick Vapes, edibles still in BETA +++ Kali, EstroHaze cofounder and CEO was preparing to move back to Colorado. While cofounder Safon is working on being present, managing anxiety and teaching English meanwhile cofounder Sirita, a true compartmentalizing queen is on to the next project! This weeks episode we also have a SPECIAL preview clip with Patrick Rea - CEO of Canopy Boulder a "seed-stage business accelerator program and venture fund for the cannabis industry." This is the SAME accelerator we went through to start EstroHaze - he offers a ton of advice for entrepreneurs in this upcoming episode including encouraging them to "show-up, engage and identify a real problem. Identify a problem that people will say “solve that for me." Check out these podcast we're listening to to ease our startup founder anxiety: Foundr Magazine Podcast | Learn From Successful Founders & Proven Entrepreneurs, The Ultimate StartUp Podcast For Business -http://apple.co/2xabENw Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman | http://apple.co/2wtGgdl Shoutout to: LSA, Angela Yee, Stacey Tisdale, @jayn-green - and her insightful conversation with former NFL player Marvin Washington http://bit.ly/2f7Tl8v

Cannabis startup like...or how the fuck do we pay our bills + NEW artist spotlight Dai Burger, How Sanaa Lathan found IT with that bald head and how about a virtual toking session... Are U Down? All this and more on this episode of 'We're Just Trying to Grow.'

The squad is back together and cofounder Safon is on welfare! lol Nevertheless, the ladies behind EstroHaze are doing better than ever! We're talking our NEW video and upcoming podcast season, Netflix's Disjointed and then some. Roll-up, sit back and relax or put some work in and vibe with us on this epidode of We're Just Trying to Grow!

Meet Lael Alexander----the engineer you don’t know, but should. Why? Because he impacts your lives, everyday, and deserves a thank you. Innovator, entrepreneur, and founder of Noitavonne, a consumer electronic manufacturer, Alexander is not only who some may call the “father of the IoT industry”, but he’s also to be thanked for your iPhone, your Blunt Wraps, and possibly, your business. How can one man be, do and deserve all of this? Listen to find out: On his initial plan: 3:00 – My plan was never to become a manufacturer or even a top designer. My plan was to solve problems. There are tons of black engineers, what makes him different?: 5:20 – These guys are operating from their desks--they’re not really stirring the ship. When I was making innovative moves, I owned my own engineer firm and I wasn’t trying to do things that were typical…I always saw fit to expand into the void---things that people weren’t really looking at. A little about his impact: 7:30 - Every smartphone ever built since 2010 has a version of our core technology embedded in it. On life in Shenzhen, China: 7:50 – I literally had to leave America to get noticed. On why he does what he does: 12:20 - Because no one else has yet. When I look at some of the works of other great men, from Martin Luther [King, Jr.] to Obama, there’s never really been a keen focus on us promoting the fact that we invent things and we have made this place better. No one puts a magnifying glass on the designer, but everyone knows the brand. 13:33 – In order to not be a stereotypical inventors in a closet, I had to establish the entire brand. On his definitive work: 15:20 - If I successfully create a pathway or entry point for people of color, specifically, to know that this is a path that they can charter for themselves, as well, and know that they have a helping hand at every stage of growth in that. Next phase of growth: 18:00 - Owning our own VC firm. I started Minority Venture Network (minorityventures.com). In the next 2 months, [people] will be able to go to a website called “go public”, put their ideas up there and allow people, like me, to be able to assist them in making their dreams a reality. Why Cannabis?: 19:18 - I’m excited about cannabis I’m not a user and have never been a user but in 1999… On creating Blunt Wraps USA: 19:58 - I ran across a guy named Danny Sinclair who had the idea to build a luxury cigar brand where people could roll up their own cigars…we put our heads together and 2 weeks later Blunt Wrap USA was born. On saving the cannabis industry: 28:04 - I built a tester….we call it a Green Leaf Test… On what he CAN’T do: 30:40 – Quit. Where to Find him If you’re a minority startup who needs help: 33:00 - www.laelalexander.com

It’s National Arbor Day! On this day we celebrate the importance of planting and preserving trees. What better tree to plant and preserve than one that not only heals, but uplifts, relaxes, eases and unifies. That tree? Cannabis. EstroHaze caught up with Mason Levy, founder of WeGrow, a community and application for novice and experienced cannabis home cultivators where he shared the importance of personally growing your own bud and how he can help you do so. Check out a few seeds he planted: Growing your own cannabis: 1:40 - This plant is the perfect wellness tool….there is this realization that holy-crap this plant is super powerful. There are certain problems going on from opioids to mental health, etc., why isn’t everybody growing this plant in their house? If this is the ultimate tool to live happy and well lives, it should be easy for people to grow it. 2:25 - It should be easy for someone who wants to grow this plant for personal or family use to be able to do it. 3:12 - I have a big belief that if you change people’s lives and create something valuable to them, down the road wellness and riches will be there. I’m not here to own the world. I’m here to change it. How you begin growing on your own: 4:45 “There’s an app for that and it’s called We Grow” 7:50 We provide the information that walks you through this process along with a community so you don’t feel lost or alone. Why cannabis? 9:45 - First of all, I like breaking rules. Second, I think cannabis has the catalyst to change so many things we see going on. 10:45 - In this industry you have the ability to come in and become a thought leader, work your tail off, learn, and stay on top of the wave. Entrepreneur mistakes: 11:40 - The biggest mistake I’ve been involved in has been a lack of transparency. In order to build something powerful you have to be upfront, honest and have everyone understand the common ground so we all work toward a common vision. Biggest lesson: 14:15 Surrounding yourself with people that can make you better is the most important thing you can do in entrepreneurship. Going off on the deep end. 18:00 - I have a really big belief that the next human evolution is a psychedelic one and cannabis is the beginning of that. Grow with WeGrow 19:35 We make it easy, it’s cheaper, it’s better tasting, and it’s higher quality.

Most people don't know that marijuana businesses have to be at least 1000 feet away from places like schools and parks. We certainly didn't! On this episode, we talk to Ben Livingston, long-time activist, CEO and founder of Canna Zoning. Canna Zoning assist cannabis entrepreneurs with locating property for their retail business. His services are perfect for those looking for locations because of strict zoning requirements. Highlights: 4:20 - Offensive cannabis laws “Cannabis is a plant, it’s a flower, it’s a healing herb. You should have the ability have a personal relationship with it.” 5:00 - Shifting from activism to business “If I work 15 years or more of my life to legalize marijuana and when it actually happens I can’t buy marijuana in my city, I’m going to be fucking pissed.” 8:18 Developing Canna Zoning’s 1st Pricing Model 10:01 Cannabis business success is about: location, location, location! “Very few of the best locations are on the market.” 16:06 Why he applied to a cannabis business accelerator 20:30 Finding a profitable revenue model 21:11 Tips for aspiring cannaprenuers cannazoning.com ben@hemp.net

We're back with We're Just Trying to Grow, ep. 3. In this episode, we talk to connector and entrepreneur Dawn Dickson. This business woman is all about her community and empowerment. Dawn is Co-Founder and CEO of Solutions Vending International., a software solution that makes vending machines smart. Her innovative first venture, Flat Out Heels, even helped women stay comfortable post club by selling flat shoes in vending machines! Here for it. Take a listen as the problem-solving Dawn shares why she is taking on cannabis, and offers some great lessons for newbies on riding the entrepreneurship wave. Dawn's startup life advice: 1. Trust yourself. It's so important to go with your gut. If you believe that something is greater than you, trust it. We don't listen all the time. Listen. 2. It's definitely a marathon not a sprint. You know, they say it takes 10 years to be overnight success. That's true. I'm living it now. 3. Understand that you need to pace yourself and celebrate every little every small victory. 4. Absorb every bit of information--every criticism, every rejection, every bit o praise, every perspective, and read as much possible.

We're talking with Firesale Co-Founder and former dispensary owner, Damien Payne. As the Groupon of Weed, Damien is out to offer customers the best deal for legal cannabis. Get into this episode to learn more.

EstroHaze talks weed nails trend, death by moldy weed, and legal drug trafficking. BONUS! We're growing the EstroHaze platform and sharing our entrepreneurial journey. Stay tuned for more. #growup Show Notes: We're Just Trying To Grow Episode 1. 1. Moldy weed can be deadly, and is generally just not good news. If you have a sensitive immune system: Use topical and salves--reduce the flower you smoke. Properly store your flower--packaging matters 2. #WeedNails is a trend that's taking off. Another way to express yourself with flower, it has taken social media by storm over the past year. Debate among the group--waste or nah? Safon's take-- "Save that, smoke that." *Side note--There are conflicting opinions among the team on Mary J. Blige's rendition of "Crispy, Chicken." It's fine. 3. Legal trafficking is a real thing. An Alaska cannabis retail owner traveled across the state with inventory from her store. The catch? She covered her bases. She followed state laws, communicated to officials, worked out details before traveling. The reason? There are no roads to the various towns in her state to deliver her products to the people who voted for legalization. Updates: Last month, Canopy Boulder invited EstroHaze to participate in their cannabis business accelerator with 9 additional cannabis entrepreneurs. What does that mean? As the first investors in EstroHaze, Canopy Boulder in essence ‘accelerates’ our progress as a business; it helps us identify goals and potential cracks in our existing foundation to ultimately ready the business for fundraising. The program runs for 16 weeks with 9 other cannabis companies, leading up to a demo day where we pitch onstage for potential investors. Catch us every week here and on Medium, Facebook and Instagram @EstroHaze for a peek into our startup journey. Join us! Song: Gotta Have it by Jay Z and Kanye West