To Be Blunt

Zach Lipson is the Co-Founder & CPO at Dutchie. In today’s show, we dive into Zach’s story about how Dutchie is paving the way to online deliveries of cannabis products and how COVID is pushing cannabis forward through technology. [00:01 – 09:01] What is Dutchie? [09:02 – 20:11] Cannabis Delivered [20:12 – 35:08] Technology Pushing the Industry Forward [35:09 – 42:45] Dutchie 2.0 [42:46 – 50:5...

Tiffany Watkins a.k.a. LadyCanna is the founder of Vanguard Media, built to give women power and a voice in the cannabis industry. In this episode, Tiffany walks us through the journey of building something that is more than just a platform, but also a movement for all the outliers and advocates of cannabis. [00:01 – 09:36] What is Vanguard Media? Giving women power and a voice in the cannabis ind...

Jeff Starling is a managing partner at The Source, and in today’s episode, Jeff walks us through how they keep a vibrant image for their brand and maintain a good image for medicinal marijuana. [00:01 – 13:41] Opening Segment [13:42 – 25:02] Medicinal Marijuana [25:03 – 40:35] Thinking Creatively to Make Your Dispensary Stand Out [40:35 – 52:37] Innovations in the Industry Originally from the Chic...

Jocelyn Sheltraw is the Director of Strategy at Headset, the leading, unparalleled cannabis data, and analytics company. On today’s show, we dive into the love story between cannabis, marketing, and data; how these three key components working together will help push the industry to a brighter future. [00:01 – 10:44] What is Headset? Jocelyn talks about how she got into the industry, her role, and...

Franny Tacy is the owner of Franny’s Farmacy and the first female hemp farmer in North Carolina. On today’s show, Franny walks us through how crowdfunding for businesses works and what it’s like being a woman in an industry dominated by men. [00:01 – 10:03] Betting the Farmacy and Crowd Funding on Your Woman-Owned Cannabis Brand Franny talks about her journey from working in pharmaceuticals to fou...

Cary Black is one of the chair members of the D37 cannabis committee of ASTM International and a principal consultant and CEO of CK Black Group, Inc. On today’s episode, Cary guides us on how we can get involved in establishing the cannabis industry standards. Things you will learn in this episode: [00:01 – 09:07] ASTM D37 Cannabis Committee Cary talks about what ASTM is and its D37 Cannabis Commi...

Allie Marconi is the Director of Marketing for Copperstate Farms, and in today’s episode, we will be discussing the Copperstate Farms operations and how they became the largest cannabis greenhouse in the US. [00:01 – 12:42] What is Copperstate Farms? Allie talks about her story before Copperstate Farms and what Copperstate Farms is all about. [12:43 – 22:01] Marketing the Largest Cannabis Greenhou...

Amos Lozano is the founder of Emjayze Hemp and Famous Juice Company. He is also the co-founder of The ReUp Station. On today’s show, we dive into Amos’ story about how they are pushing an eco-friendly and sustainable way to produce their products. We also discuss destigmatizing the culture around cannabis and hemp’s different uses and applications. [00:01 – 07:09] Famous Amos, The JuicedUpNinja [0...

Ricardo Baca is the CEO & Founder of Grasslands , a journalism-minded PR agency. He is also a veteran journalist with 20-years of experience. For today's show, we talk about the cannabis industry's current state straight from a man working on the front lines of journalism.    Ricardo Baca is a 20-year veteran journalist, keynote speaker, TEDx veteran and thought leader in modern medi...

Maria Hansen is the Head of Marketing at GRAV Labs , and on today’s show, we dive into her story about how GRAV is marketing their products to the consumers by using lifestyle content, how they are helping destigmatizing cannabis, and serve as advocates for the people in the industry. [00:01 – 10:26] What is GRAV Labs? Maria talks about the history of GRAV Labs [10:27 – 21:34] Successfully Marketi...

Troy Meadows is the Co-Founder and CMO of Legion of Bloom , and on today’s show, we dive into Troy’s story about how a group of farmers came together to make a significant brand impact with a small budget. Things you will learn in this episode: [00:01 – 10:16] What is Legion of Bloom? Troy talks about how the Legion of Bloom started [10:17 – 31:15] Terpenes and Why They Are Important Troy talks ab...

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with the Founder and CEO of Enlighten , Jeremy Jacobs. Let’s dive into Jeremy’s story about how Enlighten is leading the way to destigmatizing and educating people about cannabis. Things you will learn in this episode: [00:01 – 05:46] What is Enlighten? Jeremy talks about what Enlighten is all about Jeremy speaks about incorporating technology into the cannabis...

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with the Chief Marketing Officer of Wana Brands , Joe Hodas. Let’s dive into Joe’s story of how Wana Brands stays ahead in the market by producing quality products while ensuring consumer safety. Things you will learn in this episode: [00:01 – 06:57] What is Wana Brands? Joe talks about what Wana Brands is all about [06:58 – 17:22] Wana Brands’ Campaign Let’s h...

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with the Marketing Manager of Santé Laboratories , Steph Clark. Let's dive into Steph's story about how they, at Santé Labs, ensure consumer safety with the help of science. Things you will learn in this episode: [00:01 – 10:18] What is Santé Laboratories? Steph talks about what Santé Labs is all about Steph shares what their ISO accreditation means,...

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with the general manager of Delta 9 Systems , Chris Guthrie. Let’s dive into Chris’s story of how to take your cannabis business to a higher level. Let’s grow with confidence!  Things you will learn in this episode: [00:01 - 16:32] How to Stop Thinking Like Growers and Start Thinking Like A Manufacturer  I talk about a little bit of Chris’s background  Chris an...

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with the Co-Founder of PrograMetrix , Chris Shreeve. Let’s dive into Chris’s story of how to improve your programmatic strategy and execution through the new age of digital marketing. Things you will learn in this episode: [00:01 - 10:35] What is PrograMetrix? Chris talks about what PrograMetrix is all about Chris speaks about cannabis brands ' misconcepti...

I had the privilege of talking to one of the cannabis industry OG’s Peggy Moore. Peggy is the CEO of Loves Oven, a Denver based edibles brand that's been around since 2009. And Now I won’t spoil the interview but for those of you who dont know, Colorado was one of the first states to offer medical marijuana and was the first state opening up a recreational market in 2014. Love’s Oven is a dec...

Episode 3 features Skyler Lysaker the CEO of Greenz hemp apparel brand. Skylar has been running Greenz for almost two years out of Phoenix, Arizona but what caught my attention about Skylar's marketing tactics was how he was successfully building his personal brand through LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a big opportunity for the cannabis industry, and in this episode Skylar talks about how he got star...

Episode 2 of the To Be Blunt podcast features Leah Lakstins of Higher Ed Hemp Tours based in Austin, Texas. Lakstins is a certified cannabis professional with with more than 15 years experience helping entrepreneurs and startup brands grow into multi-million dollar corporations. As a native Kentuckian, she is passionate about cannabis education, specifically the impact of hemp on local communities...

Shayda Torabi is the host of To Be Blunt. She is an entrepreneur, brand marketing expert, and cannabis advocate. She co-founded RESTART CBD , an education first CBD wellness brand based in Austin, Texas, and is an advocate for federal cannabis reformation. Prior to that Shayda held senior level technology marketing positions at WP Engine and WebDevStudios. @theshaydatorabi @tobebluntpod @restartcb...

To Be Blunt is hosted by cannabis advocate, entrepreneur, and industry brand marketer Shayda Torabi. Join her weekly Monday's for a new episode featuring some serious cannabis industry heavy hitters laying down what's worked and what hasn’t when it comes to their marketing strategy. For anyone who is looking for some creative inspiration in a budding industry! Shayda will share her own j...