So yeah, opened up at all these stores. The you were just saying,
has that giving you so much experience now to feel confident running Emerald,
like being headman, head lead. It sounds like i'man operating operations that's pretty
high up there within the company. I wo'd assume. Yeah, when we
met you, you guys were like relatively new. Yeah that's two years ago
now, yeah, that's almost on. My fiance Kate, she's actually who
runs Emerald with me. Um. It's crazy because I never actually finished you
know, getting I thought someone i'd need a bachelor's masters be doing all these
kind of things, And it's just the experience, I mean, working with
people doing what I've done in the food industry. You know you can ask
that customer service right right right, having that work ethic, it's really the
biggest thing I was not making very much. Shoot, still not, you
know, when trying to build those things. But uh, there's people that
were driving these Mercedes Bends past me. You know, there only for an
hour and then all of a sudden, here I am. You know,
three weeks, no one's visited me anything trying to open the store. Uh
used YouTube to self teach metric. You know, trying to write acronyms on
your palm while you're trying to do things. So yeah baby, oh yeah
yeah. And then even before you know, doing med to wreck transfers and
trying to know what you can and can't do, and um, the biggest
thing in the industry is nobody knows what the heck they're doing. I was
gonna say, I think we heard that you can transfer after like a month
or something, but yeah, it usually after like thirty to sixty days.
So some people will do the hold and stuff, but um, before you
know, when you're just getting into it, there's some people that they do
the get away with it the day of you know, you just get your
product in and you have almost five hundred stores doing these sending these emails.
So it is an emails say hey can I do this? You know,
so you're just waiting for somebody who maybe just got the job yesterday that's going
to reply to you from serious and yeah geez. So yeah, and that's
that's stuff me. I mean when I was first over there, and like
I said, it's a big corporate based so you'd have to shoot up almost
a big shed warehouse full of just junk that you got a year ago that
they're still you know, hey, why where hasn't this gone? Like,
what do you mean why hasn't gone? I don't want to put that on
the floor. So just having that kind of quality check too, it is
the biggest issue. So good. There's just so much that I've seen between
the inventory delivery and so it's definitely nice to have those backing and then be
able to teach those people. But the biggest thing is you're still learning every
day in this industry. I mean I gotta check, you know, every
time I wake up in the morning and see if there's a new Bolton posted
for a lot. And that's true. The industry is always evolving, stuff
changing all the time. Specially the series got drafted up some new propolsions and
stuff. Yeah, they can evenigure out their name, you know, just
changing the names right, true, So trying to get those bases and stuff,
but making everybody happy to so. Um, the biggest thing I've learned
is communication, and um, that's that's the one thing, you know,
whether it's with the staff or someone that you're trying to purchase from, or
even the CIRA in general. I have no problem with shooting the questions saying,
hey, is this is this good to do? Um? So I'm
pretty good with my agent. You know before I used to be that person.
Shoot, I've been through different raids at the house and stuff like that,
and you know, so you have that kind of mentality You're like,
shoot, I don't want to talk to anybody with the law, but that's
what they're there force. You got to build that relationship. So I knew
knew trying to develop that like trusts that side. Yeah, especially when you
talk to me he's like, I'm an ex state trooper. I'm like,
okay, okay, But then I go to think back, I'm like,
shoot, I had to stay troopers. Trooper White, if you're listening,
you're awesome. But uh, he would show up to our our high school
and he was the coolest dude to walk through. So you have those kind
of people. You gotta remember there's the good and the bad. So just
ask your questions, communicate to him. That's the biggest thing, so he'll
come through. You know, Hey, here's my paperwork. What do you
need for me? Um? The inspection shouldn't be something that you're you're nervous
for every time, so uh, that. That's the one thing that even
my staff, you know, I got them. I think it's just the
fear of like getting shut down. It's like an ocean violation for a construction
site or for a restaurant. It's just that fear of like, oh god,
I'm messing up everyone's money. But the rules are there for for a
reason, so exactly exactly, everything's got that leeway. So as long as
you're communicating, hey, you know, why is this the thing? Can
we try this out? I've had a few different places, especially when we
first of allving that cis say let's try here. So we'll do it at
this place, you know, and see how it goes, and then we'll
go U from there and shoot, sometimes you get a call two weeks later,
don't do that, Let's not do that. So just being talking to
him and how he yeah so um, but yeah, no, that's that's
yeah. Um what's your guys? As a mission statement for Emerald Fire,
like, what's you guys? Though, honestly, it's just just talking to
the customer, being there for him. That the biggest thing is customer service.
Um. I don't see it enough in the industry especially, you know,
I'm doing around. I do our sales too, so helping run our
dispo. You know, I see our people talk and then I go to
other dispensaries and it's you know, it's like you're going to a gas station.
It's what do you want? A lot of times it's like that.
A lot of times it's like what do you want? Or like? Or
my my worst favorite is what do you like? I'll tell you what you
want, like no, I just want to smell it, like no,
no, no, you don't need you like no I do. Yeah,
that'st thing. You'll go to someplace and it's just a quick fulfillment, Like
I want to see what I got. So that's one thing that we make
sure at our stores. You're always going to see what you got if you
want to check it out, I'm gonna penny out a display. I'm gonna
make sure that you're seeing it. But UM appreciate that. Yeah, and
we do the same every customer. Yeah, we do the same thing for
a grow I mean, I do a case of thirty two eights, but
I'm gonna send them thirty three because that that thirty third, that's the one
you're gonna open up. You're gonna show your customer. Um, you know,
I make sure that you have that availability too, So yeah, exactly,
that's good. You gotta know what you that's a joint for the team
and a couple of grams to look like on the shelf. Yeah yeah,
yep. So uh and that's one thing, you know, even when I
was back, because that's nice though, because really like you because they need
to know, you know, they need to know. Yeah, it's it's
that's the best thing. So the pre pact, you know, I try
to stay away from that, but that's why I make sure I send that
that out. But if we do, usually it's bulk that we like to
push, so bulk pre rolls. Uh. I was talking to Day a
little bit. We've got carts coming with Legit laps. He so appreciate.
Those guys are unique, man, Like the flon taste is just unique.
Well, I enjoyed because I like solving less, so you're not really getting
any of that that harsh additives you get with some of those guys. So,
um, well that's what confused me too, because it keeps saying live
resident but then it's solving less. So yeah, I'm still trying to learn
the whole science of it. I I've always been whatever. Yeah, yeah,
my my buddy's always been the growers and the guy's making it. And
then I was the plaid backpack kid you know over there in college everyone'd be
like, where's Brandon. He's over there, you see him. So I
was never shy about it. So that's the one thing. So it definitely
carried over into my profession of actually jumping onto cannabis. So it was it
was great. It was my talent at that point, sou. But yeah,
we have a few different brands coming out with them. Like I was
telling you guys, we just started working on some of the Yeah we thought
those yeah, which when Solvent list gonna hit, do you know when you're
getta So we have we actually have some concentrate with them already. We sent
I want to say, about three to four hundred pounds, so we have
a few different things being made with that. We had missed mister sticker spot
oh yeah, well that's uh so those ones I was too for the trade
sample. So we uh, like I said, we do our dispo and
there so some people like the sticker themselves. Some people like that that barcode
so the whole compliance of it. I you know, usually when I'm doing
sales, I said, what do you prefer? You want to sticker at
yourself? Great, but I'm still gonna have my spot there, so then
I leave it open. So um yeah, because when I go to stickering
things, the worst thing is that usually it's always concentrates you get. They
don't have their compliance, they don't have the full place. I gotta be
able to booking my sticker somewhere, and usually it's always this little flappy wing
hanging on the edge of the concentrate when you're going, So it's always ugly.
So make sure you have that availability. I like the pat I really
like that. Whoever designed it, it's an artistic Braxton, so shout out,
Yeah, looks nice. He's actually a local seam you graduate, so
it's nice thing too, so um, you know, being right from that
area from out pleasant and he's actually right in Riverdale too from where he's from.
So yeah, pretty excited. Scraph you design you you designed the Trailblazer
pack too that we have that's our five packs. So the Trailblazer is fire
here. Actually you can pull up in a candy can. I don't even
think about that. Oh yeah, here I was out with that us.
Yeah, yeah, I was gonna showcase that. That's right, showcase right
where you're the tray is, That's where it is. That's my showcase.
Some of your button the out even spin it. Oh god, I'm messing
this all up. Yeah, I'm trying. I should have probably set this
up prior up here you go bring it down. Uh, well, down
is over to me? There it is, I don't know. Fire.
Yeah, so that's gonna be a froster cherry cookies that we have right there.
Uh, that's one of our mainstreams. Between that our skittlements. Uh.
Then I want to say our carbon fiber as well have been some of
our biggest sellers. Right now, we just hit I want to say,
over thirty different locations in the state total in the last year. But right
now we're really working with just a couple of our main people, the you
know, the ones that I feel like I deserved to just constantly being that
that treatment. You know, I want to make sure they have that brand
and that availability. But we're just the one class C So we're not like
some of these guys that you know have thirty licenses for an outdoor triple stacking.
And then you know if they don't know what's going on with every other
strand so everything's hand touched by us. That's the one thing I really enjoy.
And then it's just triple checked. There's always a quality to it.
There's always a check. You know, if it goes from one room to
another, there's two people looking at something. So that that's what I really
enjoy. I mean, we got about eleven people back in our row.
So between the mom room and I know, you guys actually said you had
the tour. I'm gonna have to get you guys on the tour because we're
about to expand that mom room. So the amount of genetics that we just
started pulling through, we we told boys, let's go crazy, let's start
working with some different things. So I like it, yep. So they're
trying to pop some and things from seeds. You know. We we were
going with different clones from stuff and the clones. You know, it's it's
a hit or miss. You know, you're gonna pay so much money for
this, And is ID even gonna call you back when you said nothing happened?
You know, coming through a right probably not yeah, and so that's
what we've just seen. But we actually came through and brought some of our
own genetics from some of our actual cultivators who keep his black sheep farms.
He actually popped up on High Times. You guys met Levi there, so
yeah, yep, so Levi's Levi's bringing a few of his own strains,
and then we actually just came through and started working on some different genetics as
well. So the one thing you wanted to make sure I brought up,
you guys are definitely gonna have to try his black black cherry cheesecake and ka
Ultra mka Ultra. Yep. That takes me back to like when the mad
market just hits. Remember one there was I was helping hands used to have
his own kay Ultra. That was fun. So about twenty seventeen, twenty
and eighteen is actually that strain get posted on the High Times Instagram. So
he you know, even when he was just a legacy cultivator based So but
like I got, like I was telling you guys, he was somebody that
worked with me out with my last place. And you can always tell when
my bud tenders are spending, and all of a sudden, you know,
I hire him on in a week. Two weeks later, I'm noticing or
the hell, no one's shopping anything. And it was like a month after,
you know, working with them and stuff, and we're sitting at the
bar and he goes, Hey, have you tried any of my stuff yet?
So what do you mean have I trying new stuff? I say,
you work at the dispo. You know what you're talking to? Stuff we
sell I grow myself. I'm like, you son of a bitch. Okay,
So I said, he's got ros and gummies for me. He's got
so many different strange wax so um. He literally looks like the zig zag
Man. So you guys that you shoot use yeah, the big big family.
So you guys see him on the Instagram and stuff. I love him.
He's just the most wholesome person. So um. But I'm excited to
bring his genetics time because, like I said, he's you know, he's
been in it for Shoot since med Market was a med market and so he's
always just been working on those things and bringing in the people that really want
to work with them. Cool like family ties. Oh yeah, we're very
family oriented. I mean, you shoot Blake and working. They're part of
our row. They're they're the heads over there. So they're married. It's
actually family from our owner. Two. And then uh have my fiance Kate.
She's, uh, congrats by the way, thank you, thank you
very That was that was nerve wrecking, that's for sure, I imagine.
So we didn't realize that, you know, you're I had my hands full
of Florida trip and like now he gets it. Yeah, and she's she's
somebody like, uh, if I'm going camping, she packs me my snacks,
you know. So I she knew every detail on the bag, so
I had to make sure I hit it in like the wheelwell area, got
it to her friend to put it in her luggage. Legit like call some
effort there. Yeah, so I complan, that's for sure. So that
was a good time. And like we were talking about the cannabis down there.
That was that was depressing. So was it in Florida? I bed
it's all corporate. I think it's just all MAD still, but even boys
still corporate there though. I don't know if you Yeah, so I'm one
of those losers that I was like, oh, it's it's I don't need
my MAD card. Anymore. So I didn't even have my mad card going
down. So but we had some connections. So it was pretty nice.
You know. I was talking to somebody, was like, oh, yeah,
I got my puff Co. He goes, what are you smoking?
As what I brought down? And he goes, I got buddies here,
He's got a whole place here, he does this and this. All right,
all right, I'm down here. These are my people. So it
was pretty cool cool. Um, no night it was too hot, so
I enjoyed my Michigan for a reason. So but then it was still just
hot. We haven't had any rain for a while, so it's depressing.
Yeah. Yeah, we see that proxy over there. That's really nice.
I can see in the corner the Yeah this was so have you tried the
puff co peeks? Yeah? Okay, so compared what's what do you think?
Uh? Last a lot longer for sure. The battery life, okay
sucks. But when you're talking portable wise, I mean not saying if I
were whatever smoke on the road, but this guy is definitely a lot more
feasible to bring with you and just honestly on the beach and stuff too.
So um, I enjoy that guy, though for just the whole basis.
I mean, if I'm at home, you know, I like the puff
go, I like to sitting on the table. You know, it's a
little bigger, but you're talking to so many that's just I like my torch
and courts. So okay, right and true. Okay, so I was
curious, but so okay on these Trailblazers real quick, what is this?
It's a five package joints. Yeah, so our trailblazers are gonna be our
their cardboards, so we try to make sure the biggest thing, like I
said, I was talking, Um, it was like a month after opening
at the one of the corporate places up by Honor Traverse City. I'm sitting
on the beach, go and take a lunch, and all I see it's
just literally three of our label joints packaging right there, just plastic on the
beach. And I was like, okay, we got to do a little
better. So this one is going to be recyclable cardboard, and we try
to make sure we actually don't do any of the glue. So we always
make sure even if customer pop the button, so it's you know, they're
there for sales and then after that you're good, but it's all gonna be
recyclable. We do our own in house pre roll own role and then we
do nice little messages in between. But the one thing I enjoyed when we
do these is the Bovida pack So you don't see enough of that with a
lot of the industry. Um, you say, don't litter on that box.
Yeah, I like it. I like in promoting good stuff, don't
litter. Yeah, we enjoyed it. But this is something Braxton designed as
well. So he's got a nice, le nice little image video where the
guys actually it's a moving stick man, you know, going to enjoy himselves.
So he's working on some fun stuff. So uh, I gave him
a list of all the strains we have coming up and he's like, oh
man, I got some ideas already. So we're getting excited with that.
But no other than that, I really tried to keep it small and simple
with our packaging. Um, other than the bright bags, I mean that's
one thing I like, the artistic bags. Yeah. Yeah, well that's
one thing is I always hate the prepact. You know, like I said,
you can run into that quality and stuff. That's why we do the
bovidos because I came from a place that literally would order thirty thousand dollars with
the product, and then you're yeah, yeah, so so who knows when
it's actually going to go on the shelf. Um. That's one thing I
like about us is where a class t so we can have limited orders.
You're not gonna be all ordered fifty thousand of our packaging, but I'll tell
you what I can get you in order every every two weeks of actually good
fresh quality. So the quality over quantity is the biggest things. I mean
then that we all want, right, yeah, we all want cool little
tips in their drink water breathe, Yeah, were two necks. I think
it's like breathing breathe, deep breathe or something. But that's those are pretty
cool. So you say you're in thirty stores, Yeah, you say ye.
Our flower has been hit hit about thirty stores. I honestly want to
say about fifty. But right now we're on a constant basis about about thirty
stores. So we've been all over where down downstate. Uh, we down
here, I want to say Green Farm over at Hazel Park. We'll go
over. Um and then they just open one ann Arbor's not too far from
here. We're over in Green Farm a little bit there, but mostly it's
up in the up and the North that we try to play with a little
bit more. Um. Yeah, it's it's it's been pretty fun. But
we have our own dispo and then we have a second store coming up soon
too, So like I said, we're not stressing to get to a lot
of other places. It's really just getting our brand and ourselves there and then
the carts and the concentrate or what I want to get to a lot of
other people. So our flower can be more for myself, but you know,
being able to open that brand up for other people and like I said,
working with legit Labs and getting things out there too. So um,
you say concentrates as a you go when you said you have carts coming,
are you having like Rosin and resident like that. So I've just worked on
getting some freezers, actually get some freshtrozon on the back now, so we're
gonna have. Um. But when when you're doing the class Sea and you
know, we're just getting these guys going, I mean we just hit almost
two years of being open for just our grow there, so you know,
just always been to Coleman like that, you're like home location, where's the
new one. It's not too far actually, it's going to be from Alma
over by own on Riverdale. Okay. So so we're trying to stay more
central Michigan, I mean down here to college out there though, yeah,
yep, yep, so and not too far still from some of the other
places. We kind of looked on our map and seeing where people shot from,
and it's still mostly mid Michigan, but we have people from an hour
and a half north, an hour and a half south. So we figured
if we can kind of push more in the central area and still have that,
you know, we're more travel area. Everybody's always going up north or
you're driving down south. If you're going there, it's it's just a nice
focal point. So right, it makes sense. Yeah, and then we're
working on Minnesota, so we uh stay Minnesota. Yea, Minnesota just passed
there in Minnesota, the city I don't know there might be to us,
maybe Minnesota. Michigan sounds that we're talking right now. It's like I wouldn't
have expected to un dropped Minnesota. So to me, I was like,
go ahead now, So Minnesota that's cool, exciting. Why Minnesota, that's
h where our owner's family actually is originated from. He's got people there.
And then uh, for myself, I actually, uh you know, I
see you got the alien where so I'm assuming a game. Uh So I
like South Park games, I like little games. So one of my gaming
buddies actually, uh, you know, I'm known him for like ten years,
and he's always been somebody that I want to say, he was in
cannabis fore I was man. Yeah, and he's he's over there doing uh
cell phone sales, you know, just sick of it. And uh.
The one thing is I was really excited to tell my owner said, I've
I've got buddies. I've been gaming with it, I trust for eight to
ten years. I've got people I can go over there, let's set something
up, let's do this. So having those yeah, So it's hard because
you know, hiring you know, I don't know if you guys have had
to hire somebody before. But it's a gamble. Um. Well, we've
worked with freelancers and stuff, so I hear you. Sometimes it's winning.
Sometimes it's oh my god, get what you get. Most of the time
it's it's not winning. So so that's true. Onyn't you find someone?
Yeah, you stick with him shout yeah. Yeah. That's where Kate and
myself we're really able to trust. So we can step off and kind of
explore these things because we have these people that we worked with for almost two
here. So right, Um so these are people game buddies, man,
Like you're like tight with them too. Oh yeah, I love seeing those
videos. Again, I know a little tangent here, but we've seen the
videos. Were like we've been gaming together for twenty years and they never met,
and they met and they were hugging each other like they know each other.
Well, I'm bastard. So he's somebody that can literally just text me
and be like buy this game. I'm like, all right, I got
it. Episode then I'll tell my girlfriend and I got we'll fiancy out,
but I'll be like I got it for free, don't worry. Or I
sold some cards and I got this. So I'm buying too many games because
of him. But um so it's nice though, because he's always asking me.
Usually he's one step ahead of me. He's like, have you heard
about CpG? And I'm like, all right, now i gotta Google this,
and so there's there's always something I'm learning from him, and it's nice
because he's still part of that black market, so he's always sending me photos
and doing stuff. And then, like I was kind of telling you guys,
he actually went to Vegas for the first time. It was the first
time trying recreational product and man, not in Vegas. Yeah, but but
the crazy thing is yeah, and it was dry, yep, but it
was I was blowing away because he was like, Bro, this is the
best highs I've ever had, some of these pre roles and things like that,
and I'm like, man, I cannot wait to bring you some Michigan
product. Oh from Vegas. He was saying. It was that fire.
Yeah, I mean there are there. We had a couple of good strains
out there, like the Grower Circle, right, yeah, but a lot
of it was just the wax and stuff. So he's so used to these
people that who knows what you're adding being to it when you're doing this processing.
I mean, I've watched my buddy. He was a shoot. I
think it was pretty much a pressure cooker and some weird nass shit he was
blowing through and He's like, try this and it was brown as hell,
and I'm like, I'm gonna wait a second, man, Yeah, thank
you, thank you. So yeah, I mean going when you are going
from kind of like the black market stuff to the recreation and you see it,
there is a little bit of a difference in that concent trade market for
sure. I mean even when we switched here in the state, it was
like, like you just said, it was brown. It was like that
black taint. It was like that black soup he had for the longest time
here. And then it's because people don't want to do it right, yea.
You know, they know how the basic steps and they learn how to
in a lot of times they started with that team. I think now that
Rosin has become more like a powerhouse. I think you're going to see a
lot of people skip those steps and just go right to it. But you
don't get as much pull, you know. Yeah, I'm so excited for
the Rosin stuff though, because I was so sick of seeing seventy eighty dollar
grams a rosin and now I have people that are bringing me forty things that
can actually get to people that are you know, it's that personal. We're
all hurting you know at the end for our water pocket and some people can't
afford that stuff, so yeah, we still have. When I see seventy
eighty dollars grams a rosin now, I'm like, how are you competing with
everyone? Because if people are selling pretty good stuff for forty fifty, yeah,
like it's border hopping. That's that's what those guys are. They're people
that are they're trying to get the uneducated market. Yeah, they're saying braining
yep, as the same person. I used to buy that that schwag for
four hundred ounce when you know you can get the same stuff for one hundred
and fifty people, Yeah, I think sometimes it's like we'll get me spending
the money type of vibe. Yeah, yep, so and and I used
to get that all the time. When I opened up a couple down shoot
over an Adrian Monroe area, it has most people coming through. How much
can I get for a pound? I'm like, I can't sell you a
pound? First off? Where do your shop normally? Yeah? You know
you'd be like, well, I'll do it for six hundred. I'm like,
I do are purchasing too. I don't think you understand. I don't
even purchase it for six hundred. So now some people do, which is,
you know, pretty kind of sucks but pretty great. Yeah. Well,
and and that's again you're asking about the Minnesota thing. Why that it's
it's an open market, it's brand new, Michigan's almost tainted in a way.
Uh. And it's really just a big corporate base. You have too
many of these guys trying to rush open these stores, driving the bottom dollar.
I do our wholesale too, and I'm going to meet some of these
guys that you really sound promising, and they're like, okay, yeah,
I'd love to meet you. And then all of a sudden you're meeting with
them and they just literally almost spitting in your face, like this is garbage.
What do you mean? Oh you're bud, You're so yeah, yeah,
they're just say this is garbage. You know, you were telling me
it's worth thirty und pound Almo again, send six fifty, And then all
of a sudden you have someone still saying they'll send six fifty, but buy
all of it out. And I'm like, okay, so you're telling me
it's garbage, but you want to buy all of me out. So you're
having too much of that in the state. That's why all these concentrates gummy.
It's everything regulating two hundred milligram dropped out and you've seen them go from
thirty a package down to twelve a package. Yeah, that's true. A
lot of everything a whole markets drop prince wise yep. So and and and
that's the biggest thing is that people trying to drive that bottom dollars. So
you have all these grows and processing that game and keep up because they're i
mean shoot, their price points just too low for how you sustain you know,
yeah, yep, So now you're difficult. And what sucks those is
then at that point, most of these indoor grows that are giving that quality
product to it aren't gonna bill sustain. And now you've got people with outdoor
grow next to these farms with nothing but pesticides all of these things. And
I mean, if you're going to have a testing standard, most of them
process it. There you go, you've cleaned it in a sense clean.
Yeah. Yeah, I know they get away with things for sure. And
I mean at the end of day, like see, I know people are
going to hate this statement, but a lot of times sometimes outdoor stuff isn't.
It's not necessarily not take care of as well. It's just that sometimes
outdoor stuff it's so much cheaper to make, so not it's not always just
why I said, people are are gonna hate this. I feel like indoors
such an easier controlled environment, so it's more predictable how good the quality is.
We've you where I saying outdoor can be very good. Sometimes it's not.
I just feel like it's not consistent. I've had some good outdoor come
to me, but I consistency though, Yeah, not on a consistent basis,
that's the thing. So it's usually one good strain and then the rest
of all just feltered. And that most of that's because they didn't give it
that actual hand attention that it should have. It's just in this massive field
like, okay, this is the ones that are going good, let's focus
here. So um. So, I for myself, when you mentioned n
K, how's it going? I love them? So I try to work
with someone yeah, yeah, I appreciate nick Um. You know, trying
to work with someone who has more of those small batches and that pay attention
to what they're actually doing. I get some of that time it's a gamble
right now, I'm you know you work on leaf Link. I'm not sure
you gets familiar with leaf Link. I know of it. We've talked about.
It's like we can kind of put your butt on the air and people
can Yeah, yep. It's it's basiness the business. Yeah, it's the
legal wholesale market for it. So, um, it's the same thing as
any other pretty much like weed maps, but for you know this wholesale marketer.
So you still have that top slot you can purchase, you have all
these things, you see all the pricing, and you see your pricing and
so. But that's the crazy thing is when you're going on this, you'll
see people that go sixteen hundred pound but don't list any THHD percentages. So
then you know, okay, now that's a communication like now I got to
talk see what you're actually wanting. Most time it will be eleven hundred and
it's an eighteen hundred or eighteen percent. So it's actually trying to figure out
what you're looking at. And it's gamble too, is wow, you don't
get an image. You don't get so you think because it's legal and metal
cold that it's like oh, it's you know, it's probably more per you
still just reaching out and going let me see your shy Yeah, yeah,
you know, it's it's all trying to actually go through. So a lot
of times people that we purchase from, we actually tour the facilities. UM.
If I purchase with the offer of I purchased with the A lot,
put you on my top. I gotta know what you're doing, right,
Let's have some visibility. Let's see how clean your facility is. UM.
And it's pretty funny because I I thought that we had an okay facility,
you know, I never really got into the massive growing place and I was
like, but you're working with plants, so you're always gonna have that.
But we have such a phenomenal clean facility compared to some of these ones that
I've visited. It blows me away. So seeing some of how some of
this stuff and the standards to pass, so it made me want to just
say, hey, okay, I gotta see where it I'm actually purchasing from.
And I know who you are, what you're doing. Why am I
helping you out? If you know you're gonna do some garbage? Oh?
I mean yeah? And honestly, like when we when we meet these these
big facilities too, it's about how much care goes into every step. So
I think when you see the cleaning is it shows what other steps you know
you're looking at, you know what I'm saying, but you're skipping here where
else you skip it? You know, it's small things, they all add
up. So that's that's we're always telling the staff to, you know,
make sure the bulls are cleaning your tongues, all of that. I mean,
we do deli style, so I try to make sure this deli style.
You don't see that as much. You really don't. It's about that
bottom dollar. I mean, you're gonna make more money. You're gonna push
more customers out quicker if you can just throw a prepack D eighth and say
see you, um yeah, and then but then control you can't keep the
bud is like oh exactly, yeah, And that's that's one thing. I
get the packs and they do the best they can. But it's like there's
still nothing to just open. And you'll see these places with this giant wall
of bud, but nothing but bright ass lights right on the butt. Like
God's a good point. It keeps, it keeps it good. You know,
it keeps it bright looking. Yeah, yeah, so that's yeah,
and then I'll send your browned out, you know, three days later.
So that's why we don't do a window on any of our packaging. So
I send you that sample. Well, I like that you send an extra
eighth though for the for them to open up and to showcase the butt and
then that's PrePex so you'll be able to tell as a consumer. Okay,
that's exactly what that is. That's the frost of cherry for the frost cherry
cookie. I think it was there any like go to strain you like my
favorite by far as our schitlements. That you didn't have it when we were
there, that's because it sells out so quick. Uh yeah, we I
just pushed them. We actually have two rooms coming of that here soon.
So it's yeah, we're we're excited specifically, and when you're talking to Terpans,
I mean we're almost at three percent in the turps for that. It
was a high tester. Or it's just the flowery very good. And shoot,
even when we got the shake and trim, most time you get that
and it's like ten percent. When we get this one, it's like twenty
twenty one percent. So yeah, I mean you're you're you're talking to make
butter. That's what you're using there, so um so when it comes to
it's just overall really smooth turkey. It's by far my favorite strain when you're
coming in to try to do anything. If you're a big blunt guy and
you want to infuse something, it's gonna make your garbage blunt taste even better
now because you got that. So it's just not something that ever has the
bed must have heard a review on the El Blunt though, jeez, that
thing was I was not a fan of the blunt long story. Sure,
yeah, I don't think it's in our store. So yeah, the infused
and like the pre brow markets, such a it's such a hit or miss,
like uh right, because some of them are some of them are really
good, like he actually one of the best ones that we mean, still
holds up to a lot of them. I can't say it's the best,
but I really love the Holy Canolis. I love those Holy Cano wins Man
shout out to Jordan. I always enjoy them. That that was one of
the first ones that we had in um for my infusing I'll always carry them.
It was that Flower Power Cloud that we tried. That guy. Yea,
I was so see all these people with their their own donuts, you
know, the first that they're always saying, come on, get out of
here. It's like, no way, you're a hind dude. I'm excited
to get some more of He actually just sent some hash hats I think s
packaging for that. So yeah, we're gonna try to get some of that
in for seven to ten, which seven tents coming so oh yeah yeah,
but we are ex yeah no, so with him pretty selective on that and
that. I don't want to name drop them, but Kate and I we're
smoking one of our favorite brands last night. It was our first time trying.
They're infused. I love their Flower. I've really been enjoying the concentrates
coming out that Okay, disposable. But then I go to hit this this
pre role and I'm thinking, you know, I've got high standards for this,
you know, I'm thinking it's gonna be awesome. I threw it out
after like three hits. You know, Kate was sitting there dying. I'm
just off afcord. Yeah, so I yeah, so I asked, you
know, send a team's message out to the crew. That's how we communicate.
I'm like, all right, you know, hey, who thought of
this? We had any bad responses? So we have different channels for the
staff. You know, products you want to see, products that we think
we should drop, you know, so that way we can communicate on that
um because the staff sell it. You know, they're the ones who,
right, yeah, they're the front facing. Yeah. You know people,
people you know, don't give enough credit to the bud tenders. I mean
because a lot of times they don't care. But you know, but I
think it's fifty fifties. And then as you get those people who really care,
the face of the retail shot people, people who's that's why I love
about them. I can I can literally be away. I wasn't even worried
once on vacation. I knew they were going to be hardly taken care of,
and I think we had our reviews even went up more when I was
gone, So I was like, Okay, I need to be here.
More vacation. Yeah, more vacation for me. So you know when it
comes into I mean, they're they're there, they want to make sure they
even let them know on the way out. If you have any questions,
call me, I said, we're open most of night. Call me.
Shoot, they have my business cards that they hand out to some customers,
my personal numbers on there. I don't shy from it, so I always
tell someone text me. Hopefully that's really unique because like I was actually just
about I ask you, what do you think set you apart from other dispensaries,
Like how do you people give that personal touch of like that really personal
connection. And I'm not gonna I guess that. I can't knock all bud
tenders because I literally it's about fifty fifty. Some of them care like so
much, and they're like, have you tried this lemon ne tterpetes like they're
so they so care. And then there's some some dispose or some buodtenders who
were like, what do you want? Have you tried to Indica? How
much TAC do you need? You know what I mean? It's just like
come on, well A lot of that leads up to your leadership too,
though, like, oh that's true, that's true. People care enough to
make sure that you care. I think that I think you're onto something there
because I think that's like with most things. If your leaders bleed I love
this, I care. It just motivates it of energy passes to people where
they're like, you know what, all right, yeah, let's do this
right, you know what I mean? Like it's it's just more of a
lot of passion for it when it comes from the top. I think it's
hard to like motivate if you're not like passionate. If you're a person at
the tops just like showing up, just sell, just sell, then you're
just gonna be like, oh all right, I'm just gonna sell. Yeah.
And that's the biggest thing too, is that there isn't a week that
I don't butt ton. So I'm not I'm constantly there. Most of the
customers know me just as much as the staff. Um. Like I said,
I've always been a front man. So even though I'm constantly doing this
paperwork, I'm in the back end. I'm gonna make sure I at least
spend ten to twelve hours a week how my sales for UM, there's always
something new to learn. Making sure the staff were talking about those things.
Um, it's a sales industry, and the biggest thing is being repetitive sucks.
So how do you qushen it up? How do you make things new
for somebody? Now? Should we change our floor up? Do I have
customers that constantly want something new? So, um, you're not always going
to see something from behind the curtains. You got to be up there too,
so yeah, yeah, oh it's that's where you learned what your customers
really want with the how they're talking, how your bud tenders are working,
all that jazz. We use a whole note system too, So someone normally
prefers a product in a Turpene profile as soon as you pop up on our
system, we have asked for that feature. So you click on their name,
it says, hey, don't recommend this, don't suggest you. Kind
of like a little preference thing. Um, and it was knocked over my
ship. No, a little preference thing for your system. That's that's smart.
I mean, I imagine a lot of places have notes, but I'm
sure it's like this guy asked too many questions candidate. Yeah, no,
I I That's one thing I get annoyed about is if you don't ask me
a question while I'm bud tending. You like, come on, bro,
yeah, like how much do you care. Yeah, yeah, what's the
cheapest? Oh yeah, I still get those, but then I'm always letting
them know, so this is why it's cheap, just so you know.
All right, but I always got this, but um, I never like
to use cheap in our store. Actually, affordable is what I like talking
about. That's good. Yeah, well you know what I mean, Like
that's that's how people will come in bad. What is it the best value?
We try to say value too, because also sometimes it's like if I
paid twenty bucks, but it tastes like shit, well okay, it was
you know, it was marked low for a reason. Like if I paid
twenty bucks it taste amazing, Well damn, that's high value. Yeah.
No, my bud tender, Tyler. You guys meet Tyler yet Milkman.
He's got the long beard. Milk is his last name, but we call
milkman. But he's probably one of my favorite bud tenders because he's so honest
with people. See. I have a couple of brands on there that myself,
I think a garbage, but they're so asked often by customers, and
I'm like, okay, I gotta I gotta have up there at least make
you happy. Yeah, but every time someone else, just for one of
those, I'm gonna say, hey, this is this is what I'd recommend
over this. And he's by far my favorite person for it because he'll look
at somebody and he'll he'll almost roll his eyes, but not to like that,
you know, like being a dick again. Okay, so let me
let me tell you why. And then he'll spend twenty minutes with somebody even
though we got a full lobby trying to educate them. Oh my gosh,
I love him. Yeah, so I would love him as my yeah,
yeah, you know, he's great. But then sometimes I always got to
look at him like, Tyler, we had a lobby full of people,
what are you doing? So yeah, so education education, I'm like trying
to be behind the customer, just going come on, come on, come
on, repeat business. Yeah. But uh and that's what I love about
it so and that it's so infectious because even some of my other people are
not like that, you know, so um having that kind of knowledge and
stuff, and even some of the customers that come in that he's taught those
things, it annoys the shit out of me because they'll be coming in talking
to the person that we're talking to you. They'll be over there and they'll
be like, oh, actually did you recommend this? Because I was told
this the other day and I'm like, all right, all right, so
now you're a bud tending okay. So um so even even the customers,
you know, the way they communicate to people, and um, it's such
a small community, Coleman. But like I said, we I've had people
from almost two hours that drive to us weekly. Um yeah, I feel
great about that. Oh I love it. And especially with so many kids,
that's dedications. Yeah, exactly, because you know nowadays there's probably one
within an hour now days. Well, and the biggest thing that I post
too is I asked business owners to said, well, if you shop with
me, I want to know if you're local because here's what I do.
And we we actually have a list right up in the front of our store
that said, if you have a receipt from this store in the last twenty
four hours, I'm gonna three or free gift. So usually a penny out
a pre roll for somebody. You know, he's just like something to be
like, hey thanks, yeah, promote a local business and uh. Some
of my favorite people that have known throughout the year's shoot. I've even coached
their kids and stuff. I love seeing them just come in and I'm like,
oh my god, I know you're a store owner. First off,
you smoke weed and the yeah. Yeah. So I'm like, hey,
it's coach, how you know? And they just kind of put their head
down. So I'm an obnoxious guy went around public sometimes. So it's pretty
funny too. Yeah. I love to embarrass people if I can, so,
yeah, that's great. I don't know why I shouldn't thrive a little
smile here. So but those are the people from the community I like to
involve with the like. For us, we honestly give more money away than
we take in. I have a little line on my sheet saying how much
money can I literally just give away this month? So we've done stuff between
our Turkey Driver Thanksgiving. We've sponsored the Whole Boy Scout. They do a
lot with pets dogs and yeah, yeah, some Midland County pitstops. We're
actually Midland County's only dispensary right now. We've had the Midland Mayor in.
I mean, when you're coming, if you live right in Midland, we
are the closest thing to you even if you drive to base City. So
and basically is just like down here in Detroit, it's oversaturated. You go,
oh my gosh. Yeah, and I see a new dispo pop up
and drop out every other day and you got to look, and sometimes five
of them are owned by the same person. They're just trying to make that
bottom dollars. So those are guys I still don't work with. Oh oh,
you'd be surprised, man, Yeah serious, Oh yeah, yeah,
oh yeah, we'll talk after the record. But yeah, yeah, so
knowing those are the people that are just being greedy and and faced about who
they are. Yeah. So um. But that's the one thing is we
were constantly working with people in the community. Uh. We helped sponsor a
bike for someone with they their son was disabled. It was like five thousands.
We made sure we posted up on our store for that and you could
donate and I think they got it within like two weeks. It was so
cool. So we've we've done the dog adoptions. Boy Scout. We literally
paid for all of their fees for that. We had to Dad reach out
to us say hey, we're not gonna be about boy Scout. So I
was a boy Scout myself. So yeah, boy, Scouts are nine five,
you know, But so it was just really cool to be have those
kind of people that are okay with reaching out. So we're about to sponsor
some football helmets this year, give back so much. Yeah, it's good.
Well, your community, it's your community focused, centered centered. I
feel like it's a good way to say, because you're always doing stuff with
community and around and I mean you definitely see a lot of dispensaries doing things
like you know, vendor days, which again you do those two. Yeah
I'm saying you don't do the dispo thing, but I do see a lot
more community involvement, not than like every dispo because you know dispos are doing
it, but I do see your above the average for sure. Yeah.
Well, and the way we want to do it those we wanted to let
people know. I mean, we're never promote the smoking in an event.
So even at our four twenty event, we had a field next to us,
people brought their kids for the live band, we had t shirt,
tie dye. You know, we want to make sure that's it's an open
community. I mean, people should know what it is, how how it
is. You know, if you're smoking it your kids should know you're smoking
it. You know, they should know what what's going on and how those
situations are. So that's what I loved. When I mentioned those dads that
came in, I was like, oh my gosh, you know, but
you hide it. You know. He's actually no, my kids know.
I just don't want their coaches now. So I'm like, okay, so
it's cool knowing those people you don't want, like teachers and coaches to like
Johnny's got weed problems every because of the kids. You know, you don't
know who. It's cool and well, it's the same reason why you know,
you don't know, he don't know you. Yeah, So it was
just cool. But knowing like those people that like I, Like I said
when we were talking earlier, there's people that I was saying, Hey,
I'd love for you to come and promote I want to open a storing area.
Actually i'm law enforcement, or I'm actually a nurse the doctor. I'm
like, oh shit, okay, so you partake. Cool, that's awesome.
So but they can't openly say those kind of things or you know,
getting into that just like, was it is it the NBA that just finally
said yeah, yeah, so you know what the NBA like smoke. Oh
my gosh, it's probably more than idiot. They've at least tried it,
so yeah, but but it's cool, so it's not hal Yeah. So
seeing those kind of things that open up. Um. But my worst thing
is I have those people that are truck drivers even that you're like, oh,
I can't use c THHC, but I want to get you a CBD
thing, And I'm like, bro, you sit for like forty hours a
day and there's not even forty hours in a day. Yeah, yeah,
and your back's just killed. Like you see these guys kind of crumping in.
I just want to be able to recommend the actual stuff because i mean,
let's see, CBD is a miracle, but they were not. They
were Yeah, I'm try wrecked out. So so trying to make sure we
get those people on there and yeah, so I'm either when they come in,
my people know to talk about CBD and then they let them know,
hey, this is what you're gonna want to use when when you're able to,
when you're like ready, or when this is yeah yeah, or if
you retire. You know, that's a big thing too. A lot of
people retire and then it's like to do what you want. Oh my gosh.
Yeah, that's the one thing I opened my eyes up in this industry
is I didn't realize how awesome the elder they were. Um, yeah,
what do you mean by that? Because they're a lot. Yeah, they
are by far my favorite customers. They are my least favorite on the road,
but they're by far my favorite customers I have. I'm gonna give a
shout out Calendaum she comes in almost every other day with the most infectious vibe
and nice and it's just great because it passes on to other customers. And
um, you always you're talking about the leader, you know, I mean
it always trickles down and he passes. It's the same thing. This lady
comes in. She just lightens up your place. And a lot of them
come in with these lists, like a whole written out list. And I
actually my bud tender, Kelly, she she saves all the list that they
bring in, so she wants to make a whole little collage of them and
you know, be able to do that. But um, just the way
that they come in and they're open about it and having to do and then
also you see this nervous kid that's like twenty two, just trying to like
keep his head down, and you got old Calenda just putting her arm around
him, going, you're smoking weed, Like yeah, it's just it's just
hilarious. And then even some of them, your more business owners or stuff
that I see grandparents and stuff that you're just like, man, you smoke
and talking to them. It's just so normal. It's just been hidden for
so long. I still think there's that like everyone's a little nervous to just
be open. Oh yes, well that's I got my grandma and some wild
gummies. You know. I was. I was excited about that. I
was like, oh, you're gonna use you just don't tell dad, you
know, so, Dad, if you're watching this, sorry, but um,
she's not Yeah she's not a CBD. But no, I mean that's
all. Oh she loves them. I mean I should. I take her
trash out every Thursday, and usually I'm always having to bring a tincture now
or something on that. That way, she went to hit my pen the
other day. I left it on the table, and uh, I go
take trash out and I just see it in her hand and just cloud of
smoke. I'm like, Grandma, that's the rosin pen. And she goes,
oh, what's the rosin pen. So she goes, she goes,
she goes. I thought you were so that's Kate that smokes the breezes Graham.
But for me, so I'm sitting there, I was like, I
call Kate and I'm like, hey, I'm gonna be a minute. I
just want to chill. Grandma seal she doesn't. Oh my god, She's
sitting there stroking the dog, just having a good time. I think she
started making sausages for him at one point, and I was like, she's
for the dog. Oh, my Grandma's dogs should the fattest dogs ever.
I boiled. Oh yeah, I love it because Kilo spoiled. But well
I've gone Australian Shepherd two and uh, she's got two of them. Man,
they are just round. I mean they are so my dog just runs
circles around him. She's super super active. And then you got my Gramdma
just overfeeds them. But I remember, like, part of it's my problem
now because she's just stone half the time. But um, she's retired,
you know, she's had all these meet and back problems and then here I
am hitting her with all these things, and I love it because now she's
actually out gardening. I'll dry buy. And it's just such a shame that
people like nurses and ems people can't use cannabis and police officers because they feel
like that's that's such a big community. That would help normalize cannabis as a
whole way. To me, as long as they're not on the job,
Like I don't give a shit if the cops at home, like smoke a
joint at the end of your day, you know. I mean, I'll
be honest, like I won't. You know, I have family members that
are policed, and it's like after he after a long day, he's like
having glass of vodka, you know what I mean, not like shot they
That's what I'm saying, Like, you know, like that ship would help,
you know, Like this stuff is like you know, I don't know.
That's one of my Do you guys remember Disjointed on Netflix? Yeah?
With with was a Kathy Bates. Yeah it was. It was the stupidest
show. Yeah. They only lasted two season, and honestly, I liked
it at certain points of ago it was a good show, and then it
would just come in with some dumb scene. Yeah, damn. The one
thing I really enjoyed about was the security guard. Disjointed had Kathy Bates,
I think it was about Netflix, right, yep, yep. She was
like, Uh, it was when Recreation was really just getting going to Michigan
and stuff, and I was like, oh, I know, I'd love
this. And it just had its moments like you said. But the one
thing I love so much about was the security guard. You know, he
wasn't using at all, and you can see he was having his issues throughout
the show. We'd go into like these little flashbacks and like, you know,
have issues and then a sudden he goes to to smoke and just clear,
you know, just mind's clears out, settles um And we get those
a lot too. And that's the one thing I love about this is we're
actually part of the hero's network. Um So, a lot of people vets
and stuff that run in a PTSD drug issues, they actually get sent to
US. Um So. Even one of my own cousins, Joe, he
was shot in the chest. Uh you know, so those kind of crazy
things, you know, people run into those things, and that's what our
law enforcement people that are forced to drink now, and that's how they take
care of themselves well. And again, if you want to drink by choice,
that's cool, but they shouldn't be forced that's what I don't like,
or forced to take pills taste. Now, you got a viking addiction you,
I mean people, police officer people too, right, they can still
have addictions. People like act like these they're just because they're cops, like
they're they're special. They're not like they're just people, you know what I
mean. They can still face these things. So it's like, I think
you should just be able to have the option. Plus, like I said,
like that's a huge sector that has always been kind of closed minded to
cannabis if you can get and I'm not saying like not all nurses smoke,
because I know some nurses that'll smoke. I know some nurses that don't.
But it's like if we get it to just be okay, that's such a
big part of the big sector. The biggest drive of that too is a
big pharma. I mean, you've got the medical industry. I mean,
there's money to be made. It's the same thing as it's why I try
not to work with brokers in my industry because I know that broker's making a
bottom dollar on top of what I'm purchasing as well. And that's the same
thing for some of these doctors and places. I mean, they literally sign
up for some of these drugs to sell these new drugs and things, and
then all of a sudden they're pushing it. Why are they pushing it so
much? You know you get these kickbacks, yeah, kickbacks yep. So
things like that, and it's it's awful to see. So you shouldn't have
to be forced to have that in your industry. And that's that's where you're
going to get that, Like you said, fifty fifty. But I love
it because lately I've been seeing some people. The doctor told me to come
over and try Yes, it's your doctors, he said. Not to say,
Okay, I love that though. The doctor's kick ass. Yeah yeah,
so I say, your doctor's awesome, So doctor green dumb? So
yeah. So there are some of those out there that you know, are
trying to say, hey, I don't think you should be using all of
these pain pills. Try cannabis, you know, go over to this place.
I've heard good things from them, so it's nice to be that story.
And there's a place, there's always a place for those pills, like
they definitely exist. And that's why it sucks that big farmers afraid of lose
their money because it's like they're not going to go away. It's not even
if cannabis exists, Like people are still going to break their legs. You
can't smoke a joint that way. Ketting will becoming nice. Oh, I
just I just recently got introduced into the panic of not having your insulin pump
stuff. My fiance's a little brother. He went to stay up with us
and we could and find an insulent piece. So here I am on Facebook,
you know, for two days trying to find a piece. I'll say,
I'll drive all the way over here, just because you have to wait
three days, four days to get something ship that you need to survive.
So it was crazy seeing that kind of thing, you know, someone depended
on that. Those are the things that really we should be driving and spending
more focus on instead of just you know, how can we profit? Yeah,
profit, that's the thing about They're not going to learn to lose out
on two billion dollars learning upset about it. You know, it's like where
if you come into the canvas industry. I mean someone comes in they said
a brand new I said, great, here's a free eighth, here's a
joint, here's some gummies. Let me know what you think? You know?
So that's where you should get that mindset in the industry here. Yeah,
I messed up rote. I don't know what happened. Sorry, I
know I grabbed it somewhere and where I wasn't supposed to. Definitely taking blame
on that one. But that's cool that you hook up someone when that's new
and like to like the world because they don't know what they're getting yourselves,
so should be. I mean, yeah, it's the same thing my most
of my butt tenners is when I'm picking up something new if someone doesn't send
me samples, usually losing out one hundred dollars either because I'm gonna penny it
all out for my staff. Um, how are they supposed to know what
they're selling if they don't get an option to try? I see that's awesome
because I know I don't think every dispot does that because sometimes you'll go in
like, what is that like, dring? I don't know, Oh,
they don't. Some of these guys I've I've gone and you know sent bud
too. I'm like, well, how many staff you got? And they
get don't worry about it? So okay, all right, sure that's fine.
Still I usually end up visiting a manager and getting some pre rolls off
to the side. But you know, I how you take care of your
people, it's the best way. And that's where you're going to be is
how how do you sell those things? So doctors and nurses, you know,
unfortunately there's going off descriptions or what they're given. For us, we
have a little bit different of an opportunity where we can actually just consume every
freaking thing that comes on herself and now I can give you an actual good
description. So, like I was telling you before, we have a little
list of you know, what's good, what tastes like this? How how
do you have this profile? It's it's nice to have my bud tenders just
constantly communicating, sometimes knowing because they'll be like two am and someone's going,
oh, dude, this bananog and I'm like, dude, it's two in
the morning. Yeah, come on man for the morning care. Ye soog
yourself is yeah. But again, the one thing I like with that there's
a passion that comes with it. Absolutely. I mean, they know that
they're in a job that they can you know, it's not like you're sitting
at coals or Walmart or somewhere. You're just standing there scanning something. You're
literally scanning something you love to talk about, right, you care about right,
you think it's doing, it's making you believe, at least most people
believe that are working in this industry believe that it makes a difference in people's
lives in some way. Yep. And that's a cool thing. So that's
that's that's why even when I chop with my car, you know, I
like to buy from a guy that knows his cars. You know, he
loves it. It's not so kind that goes Yep, this is what I
got for you here. You go like, okay, right right now,
that's true. Passion speaks a lot, man, that's true. It gives
you confidence in your purchase. Yeah, confident with it for sure. And
you guys, you guys do a lot, uh all all together? How
big is your team? Because you've been given a shout out to them,
like, how how many people are you even on there. So on my
grow there is eleven people back there. Actually we just added two more.
So at thirteen. Packaging has been like I was telling you guys, it's
been kind of crazy. The brands out so um. But then on the
dispo side, including myself and Kate, there would be twelve of us.
Still not a big team out, No, no it's not. And uh,
I mean we go nine to nine on the weekdays and nine to ten
and then um, I've been looking on I just designed a curbside so I'm
gonna have a drive through curbside, but we do run out curbside you can
pull in. So um. We just signed up for debit pen so I'm
finally jumping on the debit card where people can do that. I've always been
a little bit tad was got Bay in the cash eight team thing. Yes,
so people are still doing so yeah, that's so we're doing it.
You can do it through Duchy and it's like a pre pay but not until
you really cash out, so it's like your money sitting there but it's not
really through us and a day it's going to take it a couple of seconds
later. Yep, So I I you know, I spent freaking I think
we spent less three weeks going through all of this trying to learn, make
sure it's good and all that. So um, but it's just been the
biggest drives people want to have. That and then focusing on the ATM is
My biggest issue too, is halftime. We've been so busy it runs how
you know stock Yeah, so that's a good problem having me absolutely so.
We when we started last year, I want to say, there was maybe
thirty people that come through a day. I mean we're in't Coleman, So
I mean, if anybody knows it's a mush country, it's a very small
town. We've been out there, it take, it takes, it's back
there. Yeah. Um so now we're sitting at two hundred and fifty to
almost three hundred a day. So that's yeah ten x man. Yes,
So the amount of people that we have, it just speaks volume for how
we come through, how we you know, just overall communicate with our customers.
And then the marketing is the one thing that kind of drives me a
wild is we really don't market much. Um. I learned when some of
these other big industries, I thought that eighty percent of you know, the
whole business had to be marketing. But it's it's just talking to the people.
It's being relatable. It's not just having that best deal and the fifteen
for one hundred of some garbage. I feel like that's also different because you're
not You're like, well, you're the only one in Midland, right Like
I feel like when you have like thirty in like one city like Detroit,
that's where you might have to face out another dispo just five minutes away,
and another one fifteen minutes away. And then we have Mount Pleasant where you
have two looms and the jars. So um so for me, I've got
within a half or thirty minute drive radius, we have eight competitors. Well,
it's good that you're doing loyal you have loyalty. Then yeah, it's
like, yeah, I'm just saying I just assumed. That's what drives up
competition is just the amount of like you know, some of these dispos are
literally across the street from other Dispoh yeah, you know what I mean.
Out here it's crazy. Yeah. So, and that's the one thing I
enjoys. People drive by and I always ask us, well, what made
you want to drive by that place, you know, and they're usually like,
well they don't give a crap, you know, Or it was a
forty five minute wait and there's only three people back in the line. We
said two looms. Oh there, I got you. Oh my gosh.
Yeah. Yeah, so tired. So no when it comes into it though,
and that's what people see is they're like, Okay, you know,
now I'm driving past the McDonald's on a Starbucks to go actually check out a
family restaurant. Exactly. That's exactly right. Be more person and actually knowing
that. I have two pictures of my owners right up on the lobby.
One of them has his arm around someone's smoking to join at one of our
I think it was the rock for Vets that we did last year. And
then the other one is our other owner literally in his grow in the garage
back in the days, just waving to you. He looks like I always
for Home Improvement, the guy with the fence down Wilson. Wilson. Yeah,
he literally reminds me of Wilson. When you look at that, you
just see it kind of his eyes and this just poofy little hair and it's
just great. So so I was looking at your website here, nice website.
Are you guys hiring it all? Or how if you were hiring where
how would they know get a hold of you? Yeah? So, like
I said, we're expanding over to Riverdale here soon. And then we just
posted the Minnesota we are on that article and mistakenly my email is there,
so we need to create a different one because holy crap, I've gotten over
one hundred different inquiries about that and we haven't even like dropped you know that
we were hiring yet. So for there, we've post mining Kate's email on
the website. Like so, we're pretty personal. I'm not gonna ammilfires you
see. Yeah, yep. So it's you can brand in that Emerald fire
or Kata Demerald fire. And we're, like I said, we're very open.
I'm not going to put you through three different channels. You want to
talk to me, and we're gonna talk. I appreciate them. And then
I always recommend people drop off a hard copy too, Like I said,
I got one hundred emails, So if you wanted me to put a face
to a name and be more personal, that's the person I'm looking for impost.
My mom told me that years ago. And I was like, okay,
like go put that extrafford in. You want to work there, you
go show them yep. And then and then the one thing that I always
want to recommend people in this industry is I always had people going, well,
what can I put them a resume? What can you put on your
resume and say weed's legal? Now? I said my resume, said,
I was the backpack kid. That's so, that's what I told these guys
that you don't these these people that were trying to give me a job to
manage their their story, I literally told them, so this is what I
did. I was backpack kid, said, I've watched my buddies grow,
I've done this, I've done pizza, done pipeline. These are my skills.
What do you want for me? And this is an industry I mean,
Sue, we've only been open almost two years now, recreational three years,
so there's so much growth to it. I like I said, I've
got to read every day. And you've learned so much because you've been doing
this for what like whatever X amount of years now since we've met you,
and we see I've seen you just talk like you'd know so much more any
advice you'd give to someone just getting into the cannis industry or the dispensary game,
like don't be afraid to try. That's that's literally just ask questions,
communicate. If I don't know something, I'm gonna call That's even what my
butt unders. No, I mean they know my phone's always on me.
If they have a question, they're in the middle of a sale, they
call me. If I don't know what I'm say, hold on, let
me google it. All right, So we're gonna make sure we get that
because we're in an industry, like I said, we still don't know what
the hell's going on. There's so much growth, so there's so many people
that are collapsing, growing, falling. It's so true. Yeah, so
you're gonna be always evolving market chances are you going to be with somebody that
sucks to learn as much as you can with them because we're in an industry
where the grass is always greener. So yeah, nice. So it's it's
it's just nice to have that that knowledge and that growth to it and just
don't be afraid because you staly give a lot of cool things. Going up
to next year with the new dispensary and getting into concentrates and I just in
general all the concentrates. Yeah, I don't sleep much. If I do,
it's usually I'm gaming. So but we're, like I said, we're
looking to do it. I think how he does. He says, if
I don't sleep much, but if I do, I'm gaming. Yeah what
Yeah, that's not sleeping right now. That's exactly here we are. But
it's just having fun with it too. Is I love what I do,
so even my people love what they do. So we're always different getting different
ideas. Uh, I was about to roll with you guys. We're gonna
talk about our dodgeball tournament that I got coming up. So we're gonna be
walking around to I think inviting twenty dispos and twenty brands. Yeah overright there
and Mount Pleasant we get more. How many man team? How big a
team? I want to do? So I'm still trying to learn all the
rules and stuff on that. I just want to throw seen. I'll believe
me, I'm gonna be yeah. Yeah, Um, but it's it's suppostedly
getting the whole community and everything involved. But um, that's the one thing
is everything we've always been to see like a music fester, a big smoke
thing. Like athletics have yet to be really involved and Mount Pleasants. You
know, they have CMU there, they have all these special Olympics that they
actually host there. Uh yeah, Kate, Kate, she's done coaching special
Olympics like forty different years now, so um, she's she's always been heavily
involved. So that's one thing that we want to make sure we get cannabis
is how do we get it open to the athletics. You know, see
basketball? Yeah, man, what is NBA? Like? This was to
say people act like it's not there, but it is there because it's not
like you're smoking cigarettes where you smoke need when every five ten minutes, So
it does actually mess the owner. You know, smoked a mus joints a
couple joints today, you know, like, well, I was that good
kids in high school. Honestly, I was always the person that you could
call it two in the morning if you were drunk er, Hi'd come get
you. I think it was like twenty when I first smoked, and it
was after I had about five six different pills a week from high greets.
So I was like kid, I did like four or five sports. You
know, I think attack a little too much with my head down. Um,
but I was taking all these pills in my buddy Harris, he goes,
hey, smoke a joint and I was like, all right, I
don't know man, he goes he's by the way, he's the king of
peer pressure. So so so here you are. Yeah, thank you Harris.
Yeah um and uh so I sit there and I smoke it and I
I just felt such a good relief and it wasn't even like that paranoid high
you know that I thought it was gonna get. You know. It was
with the right people when I first tried it, And I think that's a
lot of people's you're a lot to you assume the worst. Oh yeah yeah,
or especially it's like maybe you do get the fear, so you think
it's always going to happen. It was to schedule one drug that you're giving
me here so so um, but it's it was just really being with the
right people. And that's what, you know, having that effect and stuff.
So that's what we tell everybody even that comes in. I've I've got
like you're asking about the elderly, I've got brand new seventy year olds that
come in that go, I want to smoke some weed. I've never done
it. You've never done it, not even back in the day. No,
I said, I'm retired. I can do what I want. It's
legal. Now, let's talk. And so, you know, telling those
people and those are the people like in my business card for sure, I'm
like, please call me. I said to you, let me know.
I said, Margaret, you're freaking out, let's talk. Okay. So
I put the ice cream in the mic. Yeah yeah, so uh yeah,
so uh, just being open with those people and knowing that they they're
trying something new and saying it's okay, that's yeah, yeah, one hundred
percent. Now you're seeing more and more people who you think never would do
it, and you're an, oh crap, they're opening your mind to it.
But that's just because it's not looked at so crazy. Bill. People
are not as scared of it, yep, so and stuff. Yeah.
So, and then looking back into athletics thing, that's where we want to
make sure we get into that. So moll pleasants always been a heavy thing.
More courts, uh, they are like an indoor court. There's six
basketball courts they have the gym, they do racquetball. Um, they're very
involved with everything. It's always where was it the Gusmacker? I don't know
if you ever remember those. It was like a three on three tournament.
So terrible at basketball, but I was always that dude just sat there.
I think I shot too much when I have fun, I was like this
guy over here's but they always do so much cool. That doesn't that make
you have? You lost me? Oh, get out of here with good
it's fair. She's like a foot and a half toner. I mean he's
still barely Oh I was. I was our key in high school. Man,
I'm like five eight, and I'm going against guys that I mean we're
from you know, class class C. I think we were. So I'm
going to get guys are like six five and I mean I was king at
Elbows, that's for sure. Seven there. Yeah, but uh no,
So making sure that we're involved with that stuff. And that's where we're exciting
a dodgeball and get some people presented. So if you're a dispoa or a
brand, you want involved, let me know. So I'm reaching out to
a couple of people. I'm gonna try to keep it small. Um,
sponsor wise, I don't need a lot of money, you know, I
can do it myself. I'm looking to do a nice after party somewhere.
Probably there's a bar right there in my pleasant we're paying. They have an
outdoor little courtyard and stuff too, so um yeah. But other than that,
I mean, shoot, there's even a bowling alley that we're doing some
events and sponsoring over there. So trying to be involved with more of the
athletics is where I want to go with right now. Cool. So about
the athletics though, that's cool. I'll see that aspect with it. Yeah,
pushing that with it. I mean, do you I guess, like
towards we get towards the end here? Is there anything you think where you
if you were to say cannibis was going in any direction, like where,
what would you think it was going like in Michigan or anywhere in general?
Do you think the edibles are like any I'm trying to ask that question better,
Is there anything that think is the future of cannabis that's coming? Because
you see the inside the market like you know, so nows some people saw
like trop cherry was coming, right, and then people saw drinkables as a
thing. Do you think there's anything new or anything that's going to be hit
in the industry. I really just think that the open consumption is going to
be the one thing that we're going to see more of. I mean,
you got lounges that are for that awfully ask question. But I'm glad.
Yeah, that's the one thing that I see so often. It's like even
alcohol, uh, you know, we're you're you can buy it almost anywhere.
You know, you can go to your grocery store, you can go
to your gas station. Cannabis you have to go straight to a dispo.
So I'm expecting to see more stores that are open to that kind of thing,
you know, where you can get your groceries, you can get those
things. Was it Weeds? The last episode of Weeds? I don't know
if you guys ever seen that. Oh yeah, goes up into the gas
station, goes let me get a packet those you know. So that's that's
where I'm definitely seeing. And you're already seeing some dispos attached to gas stations
and things like that. I mean you can literally walk in McDonald's, go
over and get your gas and then go get your other gas, you know,
soya. So it's it's cool to see that kind of grow, but
it's also kind of scary because who are the people that are going to control
that. Who are the people that are going to try to make that growth?
And then are they going to do it right or they're going to ruin
it for everybody else? So um, I think that's the biggest thing is,
you know, people like myself and people like my ownership, these are
the people that need to make sure they're doing the drive and doing those things
and not letting other people step on our toes and making sure that hey,
this is how it should be done. I actually consume, I actually listen
to the person that is consuming. You know, you're just some dude that
sitting behind a curtain that's just telling people to push a button. So right,
So being being more in control of the industry is what I'd like to
see. And I think that's where having open consumption is gonna gonna push because
now not everybody is limited to just this dispoint. I mean, not everybody
has fifty six thousand dollars to open up a license, and that's that's shoot.
I think it's going up this year. So and then even general yep.
And then even with purchasing in terms, I mean, you got to
have that money or either discuss terms. Hey, i'll pay you in two
weeks, you know, let me get this money first on my opening day.
So seeing other people being able to make those sales would be nice,
you know, not just us dispensaries. Uh, you know, I'm not
worried about competition on that. You know, Hey, let's see if your
gas station down the road can sell it better than me. But either way,
I'd like to see it kind of open up in that market. That's
interesting may early because especially running a dispenser, you're like, I do want
to see it go that way? You know. It's interesting, Yeah,
because you think you're like, no, no, competition is healthy. No.
Well, plus the stuff you get the gas stations that's gonna end up
being that cheap garbage that I won't say the companies, but some of that
that really crappy Comspen up your knowledge and open up that market, and it's
gonna make people like us, you know, hey, stick out right because
we really care. We love we that's just boring, basic ass bulls.
It's the same thing as your it's your mom and pop restaurant that you go
to in town. You skip the other kind of percent. I uh,
we got one more question for you. Yeah, it's a funny question here
ask every guest that. So I know you love your dabs. So imagine
you're getting your proxy, getting your proxy ready, heating it up, and
all of a sudden, the ten pops up, pops out, and grantee
one wish for the cannabis industry. What would you do so one thing you
could just change with one wish? One thing? Oh man, instant?
Oh man, that's almost a hard one. Yeah, if I could change
it, I would probably. I would, honestly say, the testing testing
industry, oh I wish that it was controlled by a different branch of people.
Um, that's been the hardest thing for everybody, I guess, yeah,
because I think I standard like one company test everybody. If you can
give me a list of who actually consumes in the CIRA and it's over five
people, I'll give you a million dollars, right, right, I hear
you. Right. If people making the rules don't even try it and they
don't know what's going on with the actual industry, like I said, if
they step in they're they're there for five minutes, or they're just viewing it
over a computer and saying, okay, it's someone else just making a bottom
dollar. Yeah. Oh so also in regulation you're talking about too, Yeah,
yeah, I just I wish that there was a better control and a
better visual over that aspect. And I feel like if people like ourselves that,
you know, we're able to get our foot in that door, other
than some just government douchebag that was right, right, just speak government talk,
right, someone who actually cares about cannabis. Right. So that's one
thing I was asking anybody I ever meet from the the agency, I'm like,
hey, do you actually consume? No, I don't. I don't
do that garbage. I've heard that a few times. So yeah, garbage.
Yeah, yep, so we hear that stuff. But I drink liquor
every day. Yeah, but so um yeah, so it's it's been hay,
it's breeze vape. Yeah. So that that would be the one thing
I think I would like to change. So not too much of a funny
answer, to be honest, No, no, No, we just meant
it's like a funny random question and we try to hit we know we've been
asking questions about the market and animals, fire and the future of cannabis.
So this is kind of one way to be like, what do you feel?
What is something that you see? Sometimes it's something kind of nice to
hear what personally because we've heard answers all across the board. Yeah, from
legalization to dec him to bringing back old strains to you know, you know,
anything regulations, so we hear them all sorts. Like honestly, it's
it's just kind of a fun answer to see what people think. Oh yeah,
you know that's it because it has nothing. It's not really an Emerald
What does Emerald Fire think? I'm asking Brandon's Brandon thing. You know,
it's up with the campas industry, you know, so that's why. Yeah,
I know, appreciate it. So yeah, yeah, this is a
fun episode man. Yeah, yeah, came on finally had this conversation,
learned a lot about Emerald. Guy's got a lot of things popping off.
I'm excited to see cer. Anyone you want to shout out before we get
out, you know, you twelve people? I mean really I like shout
out too, So Tristle Haley, Um, I really appreciate both of them
because they are the people. Um, they came with me from my last
place. UM, and that was more of a loyalty base. It wasn't
when they stuck with you. Yeah. I mean we're talking pay cuts to
start, I mean coming in they want to. I literally told them,
I say, if you're gonna come respect, you're starting something brand new.
Yeah. And so there have been somebody that like, those are the two
people as to take that vacation. We're gone ten days. I was so
nervous the whole time, and I came back the eleventh day and I was
like, oh my gosh, the hell is that nervous spelled? Um?
So those are two people that the most hardy apparently even their newborn for the
first time, Like honest just calls mom and dad all the time. That's
so funny. Um. But just being able to trust those people, and
that's that's again. Those are two people that took that step. They didn't
come from cannabis before. There's shoot, I think Hayley did hair and Tristan
was working different odd jobs and stuff. So there are people that took that
step. They learned they were involved with cannabis. Uh. They're two of
my shift leads now and they're about to be two of our actual store managers.
So you go passion man speaks. Yeah, and that's the biggest thing,
is like, that's why I want people know is take that step,
take that extra initiative. Ye take that, and it should be passionate about
it because the chances are there, there's growth, there's so many different states
opening up. Don't feel like you're stuck in the city, you're in the
town, you're in take that chance. So oh yeah, I like it.
Well, shout out to the whole team over there. You guys do
a quality work. Man. Appreciate you. Um yeah, anything you like
to mention, I appreciate you. Yeah, shout out. Got to where
my Armorial fire had I've been. I've been literally had this since a big
fan last year. So oh yeah, no, that's what. Oh I
guess I was gonna shout ut to movie Tyler Dutcher too, because honestly,
I gave him a half a year ago. Every photo I see from vid
Farms, their every photo I see he's always wearing our hat brand. Yeah
he trusts us love Yeah, Yeah, sorry, I appreciate it. But
that's awesome. Well, thank you, Thank you for coming on. This
was a fun sash, looking forward to coming out. We gotta come back
out to your facility. See you said you're about to expand, So like
the mom bro, we're we're we're excited for that. So a lot more
genetics coming through, That's what I'm excited for. I'm excited to see some
more of these genetics. And then, as always Groopy, we're here to
advocate and inspire. So next time, y'all pay