The top 5 things I learned as a cannabis entrepreneur in 2017
“On your last day on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.” — Anonymous
I love that quote for several reasons but the main one is that it essentially says to live ones life with no regrets.
Of course it goes without saying that you should temper and infuse that quote and my statement with your values and high moral standards...by being good and by being generous.
And that brings me to the business I (and my wife) are now in.
Cannabis.
If you wanna learn more about WHY we co-founded a cannabis startup then you gotta go back a bit. But seriously speaking it wasn't a simple choice. We were fully immersing ourselves into more than just a business.
Cannabis is a culture...a way of life...has a fanatical following and yet is still different, counterculture, misunderstood and is also a new path to wellness. And at the end of the day there still remains a stigma.
So onward ho...re-read the opening quote and lemme now share the top 5 things I learned in my first year as a cannabis entrepreneur.
1. It's not about getting high. We developed our line of products to offer "A New Kind of Better". As an RN for over 20 years our mission was not "recreational" but rather as a wellness alternative. To date we have sold and shipped Citizen products to all 50 U.S. states and the responses we have received from clients, customers and vendors has been incredibly positive. Help without the high.
2. Ignorance is NOT bliss. As I have become more and more versed and learned as much as I possibly can (and learning more each day!) about cannabis, marijuana, CBD, their uses and what not it has become glaringly obvious that the general public is...by and large...extremely mis-informed about this plant and it's potential. Ignorance is not bliss as related to this industry. Ignorance is a detriment. For us all. Part of our growing mission in 2018 is education.
3. Everyone wants in. Ok so perhaps this blanket statement of "everyone" is a stretch but hey...I'm the author here and in my experience I have yet to have an intelligent conversation with someone and their interest is piqued. Either as a consumer...a potential customer...an interested investor...a curious, stressed, over-worked friend. The truth...for me at least...is EVERYONE wants in. The 'green wave' will impact us all in some way, shape or form. One can no longer ignore this fact.
4. It has limitless potential. For a second put on your entrepreneurial thinking cap or if you're not an entrepreneur put on your dreamers cap. Got it on? OK...listen up.
This is a multi-billion dollar industry in the very early stages. Cannabis today is like what the gold rush was back in the 1800's. Or the tech boom was this century. It's fact...not speculation. Venture capital money and big industry already has their eyes on cannabis and the truth is the potential is unlimited. As an entrepreneur I'm hyped...as a dreamer I'm on cloud 9. Exciting times are up ahead.
5. My mom and dad are still proud of me. That was important for me. Not only my mom and dad but my wife and family. Having their approval was a step I didn't wanna miss and while I will admit they don't have a 100% grasp of what we do at Citizen Ventures they know enough to understand that it is good. The peace of mind and support I have felt are more than a good feeling it's a fuel. You see because it's not just about me or this business it's about something much bigger.
And I am blessed.
So there ya have it.
While this list can certainly be much longer and in way more depth these were the glowing '5' for me. I would implore and ask you that if there is any interest in learning, in supporting or maybe even a small bit of curiosity in this "cannabis thing" then don't end it here.
Get on our email list and learn more about us, our mission and our canna-purpose.
Until then, always know you have a friend with a green thumb.
Peace from Citizen Central.
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