G: You’ve spent a decade building brands in cannabis—one of the most complex and fast-moving industries out there. What’s one lesson from cannabis that every emerging brand or category should be thinking about right now?

B: When I think back on my career in cannabis, the ultimate learning is the need to be as creative as possible. Especially in startups, creativity becomes core to how you define strategy, differentiate your brand, and find ways to convert customers. It’s been a major factor in our success—keeping creativity front and center in everything we do.

G: What are some moments where those limitations actually unlocked surprising wins or new ways to market?

B: Marketing cannabis means navigating major restrictions—no paid advertising on the big platforms, limited events and sponsorships. So you have to really double down on the channels that are available to you. For us, email and SEO are two of the most important. That’s one reason we love working with Ground—it helps us maximize ROI in a super focused way. Because our tools are more limited, we have to be way more intentional and creative with what we do have.

G: And that focus is powerful—so many brands get distracted chasing trends instead of iterating on what’s working.

B: Totally. We’ve definitely felt that shiny object syndrome too—like, “Ugh, we can’t use this or that channel like other brands can.” But it’s also forced us to iterate and refine our messaging constantly. We’ve had to get really strong at one-to-one personalization, making sure the content resonates and the timing hits. That focus ends up being an advantage.

G: How have you seen the consumer mindset shift over time? Do you think the stigma is still there, or is the category finally understood?

B: There’s been a huge shift. The perception of who a cannabis consumer is has evolved dramatically in the last decade. It’s not just college students or stereotypical “stoners” anymore. At Alchemy Naturals, our core customer is over 50—they’re using CBD to sleep better, reduce pain, manage stress. It’s truly a wellness-driven product now. The market is expanding every year as people start to understand the benefits and normalize it in their everyday lives.

G: That kind of shift requires not just a great product but trust. How do you build real trust with customers in a category that’s still misunderstood?

B: Trust is absolutely foundational. There’s still a lot of gray area in cannabis, so we prioritize transparency. We have a 30-day money-back guarantee—if our product doesn’t work for someone, we want them to feel safe trying it. We also lean heavily on reviews, both positive and negative, so customers see real feedback. Referral programs, product education, retail staff training—it’s all part of building authenticity. We want customers to feel seen and supported at every stage of the funnel.

G: Let’s talk about AI. There’s a lot of noise out there—what’s one smart, grounded way cannabis or wellness brands should be thinking about experimenting with AI?

B: We’re just starting to explore it, but I see real value in AI helping with operational efficiency—especially when you’re a lean team. Content generation, personalization, even predictive analytics—if you can use AI to take repetitive tasks off your plate, you get more room to focus on strategy and connection. For cannabis, it has to be applied thoughtfully, since regulation is still so specific. But there’s a lot of potential.

G: What keeps you grounded?

B: Talking to our customers. Anytime I’m feeling disconnected or overwhelmed, I go back to their stories—how they’re using our products, what they’re struggling with, how we’re helping. It reminds me why we’re doing this in the first place. That’s the stuff that matters.