Welcome to the Diamond Miners Podcast, a podcast for cannabis operators, by cannabis operators, where we explore what makes great cannabis companies great. We talk with real operators across the US and beyond who are making moves in their markets to find out how they’re creating successful organizations that can withstand the test of time, in this volatile world that we all know as the cannabis industry.
Episode 10: The Unique Strengths of an Asset-Backed Cannabis Business Model with Grant Schuster
In our tenth episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Grant Schuster, the co-founder and CEO of Accelerant Holding, a PAAS (production-as-a-service) company specializing in pre-roll manufacturing for the cannabis industry.
Prior to founding the company, Grant helped build Curio Wellness in MD over the course of 4 years as the Director of Lean Manufacturing and Supply Chain, after which he went on to oversee the manufacturing division at Parallel.
These experiences, along with his prior background in culinary spice manufacturing have given Grant a strong foundation on which to build his new, revolutionary company.
For the episode notes, transcript, and linked resources, please visit https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-10/ (https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-10/)
29 Sept 2023
Episode 9: Scaling Up a Family Cannabis Brand in the New Mexico Market with Samantha Robinson
In our ninth episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Samantha Robinson, the Chief Operating Officer of Santa Fe, NM-based vertically-integrated cannabis operator Best Daze.
Samantha, an accountant by trade, joined this family-run operation earlier this year as the head of operations, after having provided them with accounting services as a client of her firm. During her tenure with the company, she has leveraged her financial and at-scale operations background in other industries to bring tried and true best practices to Best Daze, allowing them to continue their growth while improving operational efficiencies, quality management, and consistency.
In this episode, we explore the challenges Samantha and her team have faced with maintaining an "access-to-the-underserved" focus as a company, while also expanding their footprint across the state, as well as the unique relationship between the slower-moving culture in the state and the rapid pace that the cannabis industry often demands.
Samantha also talks about how strategic partnerships with out-of-state brands—like Old Pal—have been advantageous for growing the manufacturing side of their business.
For the episode notes, transcript, and linked resources, please visit https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-9/ (https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-9/)
15 Sept 2023
Episode 8: Perfecting Pre-Rolls, Packaging and Regulatory Activism with Nathan Russell and Ben Richards
In our eighth episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Nathan Russell and Ben Richards, the owners of the cannabis packaging company formerly known as CUSTOMPACKCO (now a subsidiary of AE Global), as well as the Michigan-based cannabis processor The Lab, and innovative pre-roll brand Road Trip.
In addition to running their production facility like a well-oiled, lean manufacturing machine, Nate and Ben are vocal proponents of regulatory reform in the state, particularly regarding the newest regulation updates proposed by Michigan's Cannabis Regulatory Agency.
The duo has managed to win on several fronts—successfully selling controlling interest in their packaging company, launching their pre-roll brand into some of the biggest dispensary chains in the state, and growing their co-production facility to become one of the top pre-roll producers in Michigan.
In this episode, we dive deep into the strategic decisions Nate and Ben made to stay non-vertically integrated, the importance of operating with lean principles, and why more cannabis operators need to get involved in their state's regulatory conversations.
For the episode notes, transcript, and linked resources, please visit https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-8/ (https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-8/)
1 Sept 2023
Episode 7: Building a Multi-State Cannabis Brand With a Team of Two with Lex Corwin and Sabrina Wheeler
In our seventh episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Lex Corwin and Sabrina Wheeler—CEO and COO of Stone Road, respectively—a quickly-growing, multi-state cannabis brand from Los Angeles, CA that has been rapidly gaining fans from across the country.
Sabrina and Lex have a particularly unique approach to building their cannabis brand—most notably, being the only two full-time employees of their company! This hasn't stopped them from quickly expanding outside California into several other state markets, including MA, OK, MI, and NM.
They've been able to expand with only their tiny team by leveraging coproduction and distribution partners in their markets. In this episode, we explore what they look for in their partners, and how they are able to maintain quality control and product consistency in these expansion markets.
For the episode notes, transcript, and linked resources, please visit https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-7/
18 Aug 2023
Episode 6: The Art of Combining Legacy Experience and Executive Knowledge with Michael Towey
In our sixth episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Michael "Mikey" Towey, VP of Cultivation at Good Day Farm—a vertically-integrated, Southeastern US-based multi-state operator headquartered in Little Rock, AR.
Mikey has a rich background of experience in cannabis cultivation, starting with his time in the WA legacy market, followed by several roles overseeing progressively larger facilities, including the opening of the 250k sqft Salinas-based facility that is now the home of Lowell Farms.
Mikey covers a wide range of topics, including GDF unique lighting approach that allows them to produce exceptionally-high yields from their grow facilities, as well as the challenges he's faced building leadership teams in an industry filled with many first-time leaders.
He's also managed to create a unique culture in his teams by combining the passion and artistic expertise of the legacy industry with the efficiencies and business acumen of executive-level strategic thought and tactical planning—something that's helping Good Day Farm stand out as a dominant player in their markets.
4 Aug 2023
Episode 5: Bringing an Iconic Alcohol Brand to the Cannabis Industry with Kevin Forde
In our fifth episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Kevin Forde, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer of Fireball Cannabis, which first launched in Las Vegas, NV. Most people know the brand Fireball as the hot cinnamon-flavored whiskey loved by college kids. Kevin and his team built an edibles brand through a licensing deal with Fireball and brought that same iconic flavor over to the cannabis world.
In 4 short years, Fireball Cannabis has expanded into more than 10 states/territories and has established a strong foothold in the gummy segment—primarily due to Kevin's integration of customer service and success into his team's sales cycle. As of today, the brand is currently available in CA, CO, IL, MA, MI, MO, OK, OR, and PR.
Fireball's success is unique—most alcohol brands that have tried to transition into cannabis have struggled to succeed. In this episode, Kevin outlines why they picked the brand in the first place, and how he has approached sales and marketing to ensure that Fireball efficiently gets on shelves, and then into consumers' hands—even in expansion markets where the sales are fully outsourced to a partner operation.
For the episode notes, transcript, and linked resources, please visit https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-5/ (https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-5/)
21 Jul 2023
Episode 4: How to Build an Amazing Reputation in the Cannabis Industry with Jonathan Kane, PhD
In our fourth episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Jonathan Kane, PhD, co-founder, and Chief Scientific Officer of Lion Labs out of Lansing, MI. Lion Labs is one of the state's most prominent processing and manufacturing operations, with a portfolio of retail brands, including their flagship brand Element Extractions—one of the best-selling concentrate brands in the state.
Rooted in Michigan's caregiver market, Lion Labs represents an artful combination of legacy knowledge and corporate/academic acumen—between three of the executives' previous roles at PepsiCo, and Jonathan's background in scientific research.
Unlike many operators in the state, Lion Labs chose to grow slowly and strategically and avoided vertical integration—instead focusing on processing and manufacturing operations in-house, while partnering with third-party cultivators and retailers. In retrospect, their choice was a solid one—as the company is profitable, self-funded, and in a good position to expand to new markets where they plan to repeat the same winning process all over again.
Jonathan discusses how Lion Labs has stayed true to its core mission—providing accessible, high-quality products to its target consumers—in everything they do, from product innovation to customer service, to the way the team approaches partnerships with suppliers and retail customers.
For the episode notes, transcript, and linked resources, please visit https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-4/ (https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-4/)
7 Jul 2023
Episode 3: Operational Discipline in the California Concentrate Market with John Lafata
In our third episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with John Lafata, Chief Executive Officer of Big Oil Co—a Type-7 cannabis contract manufacturing operation out of Los Angeles, CA—and the cofounder of BEAR Labs—a long-standing concentrate brand from the legacy market days.
John's cannabis journey started as a consumer when he was a motocross racer, and quickly morphed into a series of entrepreneurial ventures in the medical market—starting with a greenhouse grow operation after he graduated from university in 2014, all the way to today, where he's now at the helm of one of the largest manufacturing operations in CA.
John has a track record of success with bringing high-quality products to market—first with his brand Bananaberry Farms, which won several Cannabis Cup awards from 2016-2018 in CA and MI, and then with BEAR Labs—a brand that has won more than 20 awards and holds a spot as one of the 5 most-sold concentrate products in CA.
John goes into depth about how Big Oil Co has managed—through operational discipline and focus—to withstand market challenges, bad partnerships, and mistakes made along the way, in a market that has chewed up and spit out more than its fair share of cannabis operators.
For the episode notes, transcript, and linked resources, please visit https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-3/ (https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-3/)
23 Jun 2023
Episode 2: Building a Portfolio of Value in the Michigan Market with Dean St. Peter
In our second episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Dean St. Peter, Director of Production at Machine Grow and Processing and Arcanna—a vertically-integrated cannabis operation out of Michigan, with a portfolio of in-house brands, including the well-respected brands 3Lefts and Trap House Company.
Originally a professionally-trained chef and legacy-market operator, Dean transitioned to the regulated cannabis market when he co-founded Arcanna in 2019.
Dean shares many insights in this episode, including lessons learned during his time in the hospitality industry that have carried over into the cannabis world. He also shares some tips that he has used to build a solid operating team that has managed to scale up as the company has grown.
Dean's advice is highly-actionable for any cannabis leadership team that is currently in the midst of a growth phase, and looking to take their business to the next level while shedding any bad habits they picked up during their time as a start-up.
Be sure to listen in and learn how Dean and his team are seeing success in one of the most competitive markets in the United States—and how you can implement similar processes into your own operation to improve the performance and cohesion of your own operations team.
For the episode notes, transcript, and linked resources, please visit https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-2/ (https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-2/)
8 Jun 2023
Episode 1: Social Justice, Ganja Gold, and the New Jersey Cannabis Market with Manish Patel, JD, MBA
In our first ever episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Manish Patel, JD, MBA—a seasoned cannabis operator and legal professional. Manish has had his hands deep in the transformative soil of the cannabis sector, from the wild-west days of the legacy market to the regulated markets we see today.
Manish shares valuable insights and hard-learned lessons from his time as the VP of Business Development for Ganja Gold, a prominent California brand that successfully transitioned from a legacy start-up, to a growing company in the regulated market, and ultimately, a public exit.
His journey wasn’t without its rough patches however—as Manish candidly shares—he experienced getting raided and arrested by the feds, which is something he’s still dealing with to this day.
Manish’s story doesn’t end with trials and tribulations. He’s making a comeback with a unique NJ-based initiative—the Social Justice Business Development Fund—that brings together pioneering legacy operations, traditional investor funding, and experienced executive oversight. Manish talks about his vision of building a “cannaplex” with the aim of fostering an ecosystem where premium legacy brands can launch and scale.
Manish offers an insider’s view of NJ’s burgeoning cannabis market, including the biggest barriers would-be state operators face—spoiler, it’s not getting the state license. This is a don’t-miss episode for cannabis operators who are keen to understand the industry’s intricacies, navigate pitfalls, and seize the opportunities that lie ahead.
For the episode notes, transcript, and linked resources, please visit https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-1/ (https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-1/)
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