Q & A with LY
Friday, January 26, 2024
Welcome to the first of possibly many Q&As with yours truly. Enjoy!
I'd love to know more about the beginning of your journey into the space and what inspired you. Was there any particular resource (like Sticky Bits!), mentor, conference, etc. that inspired you and put a fire in your engine?
The weed community I came up with was very inspiring. In Portland, OR, in 2014, there was no big out-of-state money in the mix yet, just a lot of people who’d always loved weed and believed in its healing potential. I had great editors at Willamette Week and Forbes (at the time) who had high editorial standards and took cannabis reporting as seriously as any other issue reported by a respectable outlet—they expected multiple sources, fact-checking, cross-referencing, etc. It instilled in me a pride for reporting on cannabis in an ethical and responsible way, and there was so much passion in those early days, I felt privileged and excited to capture all of it.
Connecting with fellow writers and creative women through the Broccoli universe and the Asian American Women Who Enjoy Weed online community (not official, but somehow we find each other) were hugely inspiring steps in my journey as well.
I'd love to hear you describe your ideal smoke session in detail.
One version of this is packing up all necessary accoutrement, plus ample charcuterie, magazines, sunscreen, and water, and heading out to a sunny, remote spot in nature with a handful of friends. Fine gummies or chocolates to snack on during the hike, tools to roll a joint once we’ve found a perfect spot, and a pipe for extra hits as needed.
The other version is totally alone on a rainy day, with my favorite ceremonial pipe that has its own little stand and matching ashtray and a very good psychological thriller queued up on my projector. Very slow-paced yoga and homemade popcorn would come into play.
Do you do affiliate marketing in the newsletter?
Nope, I don’t make anything off of any clicks. I like to think the 100% ad-free, independent positioning adds value to Sticky Bits, but the last reader survey actually indicated many of you wouldn’t mind as long as it was a vetted partner. (Full transparency: There was one sponsored post back in early 2021). If the right, like-minded business wanted to talk about a sponsored post/some form of ad, I’d be open to talking.
How many of us are there in the Sticky Bits universe?
Total subscribers are right around 6,100. I’m hoping to double that number this year! You can help Sticky Bits grow by sharing with one friend today. 😀
Have you considered creating a database of services? Sort of like Lonely Hearts but a fleshed-out digital marketplace...could include factories, fulfillment centers, financial services, design services, etc.
No, I have not, mostly because that sounds like a lot of work to maintain. Although I am considering creating a database of all the Lonely Hearts entries. Both of these would be more feasible investments of my time if my subscriber numbers doubled!
Who took that amazing portrait of you in the red dress?
My friend Zoe Ching in Portland, OR. We captured that groovy, backlit vibe with cool gel filters that fit onto the light rigs.
Do you come to NYC often? A Sticky Bits meetup would be incredible.
I have never been. 🙈 I would love to plan a meetup(s) for our community this year, in New York or otherwise. Does anyone have hospitality connections?
I subscribed so I could have access to the personal ads (looking for a marketing person), but I don't know where to access them. Can you help me with that?
Here are links to all past Lonely Hearts Boards.
Is there a place (outside of The Lonely Hearts Board) where creatives can connect with cannabis businesses?
Here? I don’t think people are utilizing the comment section enough. The open rates are consistently 45-60% and get a lot of relevant eyes. Elsewhere, I’d say LinkedIn, where a lot of cannabis connections are happening. Feel free to drop other ideas in the comments!
What types of innovation are you seeing in package sustainability? Waste is one of my biggest frustrations with the cannabis industry (all industries TBH), and it feels like cannabis has a natural sustainability partner in hemp...but, are there any processes in place that make it, or other options accessible to brands?
Hemp plastic containers are a thing. Compostable materials are a thing. Vermont banned single-use plastic containers for flower. Waste in cannabis stresses me out a lot too, but so much comes down to different requirements for childproof packaging. I really hope we start having conversations about how these precautions aren’t working, and that it isn’t packages that keep kids safe—it’s responsible adults and secure, safe storage. Let us use Mason jars from home.
Are there any conferences or events that you would say are essential for brands in the space? I'm thinking particularly for ancillary products, but I'm sure plant-touching brands would be curious as well!
It depends on what your current goals are as a company. If you’re fundraising, it’s not a bad call to enter the MJBizCon fray. If you’re just looking to build brand awareness, I think it’s smart to start really small and targeted—pick a city/a specific community and learn what events they care about/where your brand would be a good fit. I did a roundtable a while back and have never forgotten how one brand said spending a bunch of money on a Coachella-adjacent pool party was the worst marketing choice they ever made.
For a new brand launching, what are the top few things you'd recommend to do in order to get publicity?
Craft a concise, catchy press release that effectively captures what makes your brand/products newsworthy, include popping visuals in the email (not links or attachments—don’t expect them to click things), and, if you have any sort of personal tie to the company, send them out as a founder. Hiring PR can be worthwhile to get into inboxes of editors and writers who’ll actually read your emails, but I can say that seeing a passionate founder speak from the heart goes far with me when I open my 40th press release email of the day. If you do the research of the writers and outlets covering brands and products like yours, there’s nothing stopping you from reaching out to them. Can’t find their email? DM them on Twitter, IG, wherever. (This past interview with the Tetra founder about DIY PR is fantastic.)
Where can I buy (pre-order?) your book?
Do you consult?
Yes, depending on what kind of consulting we’re talking about. Feel free to reach out: yoshikolauren@gmail.com.
Would you entertain a content partnership related but independent from your current work?
Same answer as above.
The news about Theory Wellness in MA becoming the biggest employee-owned cannabis company made me very excited. Do you think this business model would work in CA? Do you know anyone that’s currently doing this in CA?
Nothing comes to mind, I think it would be possible and could be an element of brand identity. I’m not well-versed in cap tables and shares and all of that, but I look at the news of MedMen stock hitting $0, and the generally razor-thin profit margin of most shops (if it’s miraculously not in debt), and I do wonder how much value there is for employees to own a part of a shop. If being employee-owned is going to be enough to get more people in the store than the nearest STIIIZY location, that’s something, though.
I’m interested in founding a CPG brand focused on Asian and Hawaiian flavors. I know of the brands already in the space. Is there room for more in the market?
I think there’s room for a lot more innovation in the market. Dear Flor launched in California in late 2023 with an ube-flavored gummy that’s sold really well in the stores it got into. However, in highly competitive states like California where so many brands are fighting for the same shelf space in a finite number of retailers, it’s undoubtedly riskier. Even long-time operators with tons of press like Rose Los Angeles are opting to diversify their businesses with a DTC arm operating under the hemp rules (Farm Bill). Regardless of your product offering, I recommend thinking long and hard before joining the California market.
If you were building a cannabis accessory business, what would you do to grow it? How would you build a community around your brand?
I would do whatever I could to build rapport with and glean information from your current customer base. Any emails you’ve garnered through past purchases are gold. I’d reach out to them with discounts/special perks/gifted merch in exchange for completing surveys that can inform what they want and where they want to connect with the brand/each other.
I think a lot about PuffCon and the idea of a bunch of people coming together and bringing their PuffCo vape along—what are ways to do that on a small scale? Is it lil tupperware-styled parties, but instead of buying tupperware, it’s a group bong cleaning sesh? City-by-city book clubs where everyone brings their own piece? Weed-lovers are still starved for ways to connect with their community; we just need to figure out what kind of activities will get them out of their house.
Any other tips for us regarding our products, brand, or business? Have always loved your insight and feedback!
Keep trying new things. One thing I’ve heard since the Meta ad roundtable is how many other brands in weed are advertising on meta—licensed dispensaries, accessory brands, etc. Even though pages are still getting censored and dealing with deletions, Meta is loosening up in other instances. It may be worth trying something that was denied three years ago, in regards to Meta ads and beyond. The game has evolved since before and during the pandemic, and the landscape may have shifted more than we realize in certain spaces. Didn’t get a response from your local arts fair to be a vendor? Try again! Didn’t get into your dream e-commerce site when you first started? Shoot another shot. Think bigger and weirder for ways to get in front of customers looking for products like yours. ✤
This was free for all, but, as I mentioned earlier, this newsletter runs on paid subscribers. Can’t do a full-year subscription? That’s ok! I get it. Subscribe for a month or two and enjoy reading all of the paywalled gems during that time.
Coming soon for paid subscribers:
A candid chat (in podcast and written form) with the outspoken and inspiring Olivia Alexander, founder of Kush Queen and legend of the Cannabis LinkedIn community.
A trend report on a particular cannabis + food parallel that’s informing savvy marketing approaches across the industry.
What an election year could mean for weed.
And lots more.
Stonedly yours,
Lauren Yoshiko
To the person asking about creating an edibles brand with AAPI and Hawaii flavors... 👋 hmu!!! An an edibles expert with an AAPIs in cannabis community in Los Angeles, I have lots of insights and thoughts I'd be happy to share. Dear Flor, Auntie Aloha, and Sundae School are just a few brands and there can always be MORE representation. 🫶