An Insight into Brand Strategy and Innovation Bri Smith, a cannabis brand strategist and podcast guest, joins Susan Burns to share her journey in the cannabis industry. She started as a curious consumer, explored the medicinal benefits, and eventually pursued her passion by working with various cannabis companies. Despite facing challenges along the way, Brie's dedication and expertise in marketing have allowed her to help brands tell their stories and connect with consumers. Produced by PodConx Bodacious Women in Cannabis - https://bodacious-women-in-cannabis.simplecast.com/ Susan Burns - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sburnslegal/ Brie Smith - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brie-smith-24ba26a2/ Recorded on Squadcast
An Insight into Brand Strategy and Innovation
Bri Smith, a cannabis brand strategist and podcast guest, joins Susan Burns to share her journey in the cannabis industry. She started as a curious consumer, explored the medicinal benefits, and eventually pursued her passion by working with various cannabis companies. Despite facing challenges along the way, Brie's dedication and expertise in marketing have allowed her to help brands tell their stories and connect with consumers.
Bodacious Women in Cannabis - https://bodacious-women-in-cannabis.simplecast.com/
Susan Burns - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sburnslegal/
Brie Smith - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brie-smith-24ba26a2/
[00:00:00] Hello, this is your podcast host, Susan Burns. I'm also a lawyer in the cannabis industry and nothing delights me more than showcasing Bodacious women in cannabis. Today we have the good fortune of talking with Brie Smith. And Brie founded Goree Creative. She is a cannabis brand strategist. So if you're looking to grow your brand and learn some industry ins and outs and just have a good time in general, this podcast is for you.
Welcome, Brie. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me on. Oh, it's a delight to have you. You know, Brie, we met because I attended an event you hosted on four 20. Tell us about that event a little bit. Awesome. Yeah, so, cause it was so awesome. Thank you. Yeah. So, um, I'll back up just a little bit to say that, you know, a lot of movement has been made in, in Minnesota, in the [00:01:00] cannabis space in the last year.
In fact, um, they just voted and approved, um, the cannabis, um, adult use in Minnesota just the other day. So a really huge win for Minnesota. Um, it'll be signed soon by the governor, and there are certainly some things that could be, you know, every single law. It's like we, there's more that could be done there.
It could have been better, it could have been, and we'll work towards that. But at in the very least, we've, um, gotten adult use and we can use it as a kickoff point. You know, to better that. But, um, really excited about that. And, and part of my interest in the, uh, Minnesota cannabis is in the beverage scene.
Um, in part because the Midwest is such a, um, Uh, drink focused, beverage focused craft beer, uh, alcohol focused culture. And I think that infusing beverages with cannabis offers people who would typically [00:02:00] reach for alcohol, a really familiar, um, modality that, uh, it's, it's an easier entry point into sampling cannabis and trying it out for themselves.
And so, um, it's, it's just really exciting to see how many. Uh, breweries and beverage manufacturers have adopted cannabis beverages and are bringing really great tasting beverages to the industry, um, and offering that in such a unique way, like no other state can do that. Um, because they can sell it in grocery stores, in liquor stores, in gas stations, uh, any retail space can sell cannabis edibles.
Um, Up to, you know, serving size was five milligrams. But those are hemp derived cannabis. Hemp derived currently? Yes. Hemp derived, um, THC before statute. That's correct. Um, now the statute, that's what allowed the hemp in beverages, hemp derived [00:03:00] cannabinoids in. Yes. And, and July of last year is when that was made live.
So, um, they've had almost a full year of. That, that, uh, setting and that's really allowed me to see cannabis beverages in almost any way that you can think of. It's, it's insane. Last night I went to a drag show. They had cannabis beverages there, um, two days prior at Art World in Northeast Minneapolis. The big, you know, weekend long celebration festival, uh, concert weekend, uh, highlighting artists in the area.
Cannabis beverages indeed brewing co through Worley gig, they had two, um, cannabis beverage offerings there for people to try alongside other beer, um, and seltzer offerings. And it was, it felt so natural. It was fully integrated into the culture. Um, people were enjoy. I was hearing people talking about it in the crowd.
Oh my gosh. Did you try this? It's so good. Yeah. It's only two milligrams, so nice. I'm gonna have maybe like one or two more [00:04:00] those conversations to hear that out in the public. It's like, It's kind of just like a dream come true. Um, so, uh, my interest has really been in the beverage space and that's allowed me to partner with, um, a few different brands.
But more than anything, the event that we met at, or that you got to witness to was, um, the LinkedIn Live that I co-hosted with, um, Elizabeth Sage and Diana Eberle Eberle, um, from Source Technology. Technologies. And, um, she's also the, the president of the Cannabis Beverage Association. She was gonna be swinging through Minneapolis on four 20 a week.
And I knew that I had to make it a special event since cannabis beverage is just popping off, um, in Minnesota. So I. Um, I hosted a dinner event and at Natrium Hemp in St. Louis Park. And then, um, the next day at Dabbler Depot we had a LinkedIn live, um, where we got to [00:05:00] talk about cannabis beverage and what we can expect and some of the challenges of their faces are seeing.
I just absolutely love conversations that dive deep into that stuff, and it's really interesting to hear from somebody. So. So knowledgeable in the cannabis beverage space or in, in the infused beverage space, um, to hear their insights and to see how Minnesota fits into the bigger picture of the national cannabis beverage scene.
Yeah, and I think that's one of the things that, um, that, that we we're talking about because I participated in the LinkedIn live session and, and I've been working in this industry for a while, but I was hearing so much. Um, and I'm a huge fan of the beverages and the, um, and I think one of the things that's so interesting is that Minnesota was able to do this because it was, it legalized the ham derive, which is nationally legal, right?
Federally legal. So that set the stage for infused beverages and other states are [00:06:00] looking to Minnesota as a model. Um, absolutely. And so, It's so, the hemp, the hemp space, which when people talk about cannabis generally they're referring to marijuana or more than Sure. 10%. So I think that, but anyway, the infused beverage model that we have, and I've learned a lot about it, you know, practicing in this area, but the conversation you and, uh, Deborah and Elizabeth were having once.
Diana, sorry. You and Diana and Elizabeth were having was so, um, deep of, and the level of knowledge was amazing to me. I was, I was awed by the whole thing. Yeah, absolutely. And Elizabeth Sage is, oh God, I could go on and on, um, about how brilliant she is. Um, she's a certified Go ga. She's a consultant helping people to.
Establish, [00:07:00] you know, what modalities work best for them, kind of consulting on, on Flower Choice, and, and she's just, uh, she hosts the Goji Guild calls Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays every week leading GOJIS through assessments of flower and introducing new experts to the JE Guild. And oh man, I just, she's amazing.
So having her on with Diana, I. Felt like in the presence, kind of love, like cel, you know, cannabis celebrities or something, cuz they're just really knowledgeable, brilliant, driven women. Um, so really honored to have both of them on, for conversation around that topic. Well, as a participant I can say that you've shown as a celebrity as well.
Oh my gosh. Not, not even, not at all. But thank you. I, I appreciate that. So, so how did you get started in this cannabis average brand strategist? [00:08:00] Yeah, it's kind, I mean, it starts back obviously in high school, you know, end of high school, like early college years. Um, you know, I didn't really consume in high school.
I was pretty straight laced at that point, but in college I was certainly exploring my newfound freedom, um, and. Consumed it re recreationally. Um, didn't really understand any medicinal evaluate, but that was back in, you know, probably like 2008, 9, 10, 11. Um, and as I got older, I was probably maybe like 2015 when somebody was like, you know, you get migraines all the time.
You should probably consider utilizing cannabis like medicinally. And I was like, I have never even heard, heard that. And they're like, oh yeah, there's like tons of research being done right now. And, um, It's like people are really opening up to the idea. So I was like, okay, I'm curious. Um, so I attended a green flower.
Uh, at the time it was Green, green Flower Media, but now they have shortened it to Green Flower, um, online symposium with all these cannabis experts. Um, [00:09:00] Mara Gordon, um, Steve D'Angelo, um, the, uh, cannabis nurse, oh my gosh, I'm forgetting her name all of a sudden. But, um, oh, nurse Ivory. Yes, and so, so many other experts and I was in total awe of how deep this information was and how many different uses, and I felt like this is this, I wanna learn as much as I can about this.
At the time I was, I had a, a degree in advertising. I worked at ad agencies, um, as an account coordinator, account executive, kind of like sh moving my way up, um, in the ad space ad agency scene. Um, first in li in Madison, in Milwaukee, and then near Chicago. And then I moved out to, to California in 2013. So, um, 20 15, 20 16, I, I attended that symposium and I started to get more and more and more curious learn and I was seeking out podcasts and I could only find podcasts [00:10:00] that were, um, hosted by like older white men.
And I was really yearning for a female voice in the space. So I started a podcast about cannabis and it was called The Grass Class Podcast. Um, that was really my entry point into diving deeper into the industry before I had any new role in the space. And I was interviewing people like, uh, Tracy Ryan from CannaKids, um, Jeff Raber from, um, work the Workshop.
Uh, Michael Katz from Evokes Labs, um, Ashley Manta from, um, pansexual, uh, and, and just attending, uh, women grow events and diving deeper and deeper, deeper. And I was like, okay. I, I think it's time that I take my. Ad industry and marketing, um, knowledge and bring it into the cannabis space because I would love to be working this, this is what I should be doing all day every day cuz I have such a passion for it.
So that's when I, um, applied to work with Green Flower and I worked with them for on, on a freelance basis for about seven or eight months. Um, [00:11:00] learned so much and um, slowly worked with other. Other companies, WIC Andor wrote blogs for them. Um, I co-founded a non-profit called, this Is Jane Project. I started working with a company called, um, cany Co.
They build websites for cannabis brands. Um, and I came on first as a writer for them, and then slowly, you know, as I was working more, more and more with them, they're like, you need to be in a brand strategy position because you, you have that. Um, ad industry and like, and, and marketing experience. And I think that we can be using it in a more holistic way.
So, uh, worked with them as a brand strategist for a long time and, and now I still write with them and I, ah, man, I. It's crazy when you like tell, tell the story from start to finish or start to now. Um, how it all came together, but it felt so natural that I just slowly became more and more involved in working with cannabis and being interested by [00:12:00] cannabis.
And being a consumer first I think really helped me because I knew the challenges that I faced when I was trying to find flower that. That interest me or, or products that worked well with my body. And I understood that trial and error process. So I feel now as a marketer in the space, I can really help to speak to what I experienced as a consumer, what my friends had experienced as consumers, um, and help brands to tell their story, to make sure that people know exactly if that brand aligns with what they want.
That's so needed. And what a great, what a great background and I, what I think is. Is is, um, so amazing about your story so far to today. I think we expect a lot more things from you, Bri, but I, what's so amazing to me is that you did the proverbial follow your passion, follow your nose, follow what, this is what [00:13:00] makes me, makes my heart sing, and this is what I'm going after without.
Here's my plan and here's how I'm gonna achieve it and here's where I'm gonna be. But the natural progression of you pursuing your passion and what was interesting to you led to, yeah, thank you. Great, great career position right now. And who knows what the evolution will be. And um, I also love how you talked about the sophistication of the plant and how complex it is.
And I think that's in part why we have. Legislation that's not appropriate or not fully formed, or, you know, misses certain things. And because it is such, the plant is so amazing, so, uh, brilliant and has so many variations in so many uses that I think it's just hard to get it. It's hard to. It's hard to wrap your arms around the whole thing, let alone your brain.
Um, absolutely. Yeah. [00:14:00] But so along your journey, which sounds like an amazing ride so far, what do you, what, have you had any challenges in your way, and if so, how, how have you overcome them? And were there absolutely. Particular people that helped you out or situations or talked to us about that? Yeah, we all struggle so.
All struggle. Yeah. And you know, the difficult part too is, um, you can, you know, the challenges often come with how other people interact with you, how you other interact with other people. And like I mentioned earlier, like I had, I had co-host, co-founded, um, an organization called, this is Jane Project, and I'm, I'm no longer associated with the organization.
Um, and you know, there were a lot of challenges surrounding my exit, um, which. I think is, is better left, you know, in the clouds. But, um, I've learned a lot from that. Um, you [00:15:00] know, it's so important to, uh, align yourself with people who are really, um, driven and passionate about doing what's right. And it can be tr challenging to find those people.
And you may, um, you may think at first partnerships are gonna work out or partnerships are are good ones. And, um, And things don't, don't go the way that you had intended. So I think for me, there was certainly a, a period afterwards where, um, you know, like trauma, there's trauma in business, there's trauma in life, there's trauma in relationships, and you have to really push through that, push through imposter syndrome.
Um, you know, really start to educate yourself on how to protect yourself in business. Um, those things. Should never be overlooked when you know you've got the passion in you going your path, and you have brilliant ideas and, and you wanna execute them, [00:16:00] but you can't overlook how that, there's a really essential piece to that, which is just protecting yourself, protecting your future, protecting, um, you know, your, your, um, creative, um, you know, intellectual, you know, copyright, um, stuff.
You know, it's. It's really challenging. Um, but I think one of the biggest things is, is really overcoming imposter syndrome. And the way that I've done that, um, is to make sure, tell my, I'm not an expert. I'm not, I'm working every day towards becoming an expert. Hang on. Um, Brie, you cut out a couple of times there and this is a really critical point, so I'm going to have you just start that.
Segment over, and I'm wondering if maybe you wanna turn your video off because your audio keeps cutting out. Sure, sure. So talk to [00:17:00] us if you can hear me well. Yes, that's perfect. So talk to us, Bria, about the, okay. Tell us about imposter syndrome. The, okay,
go ahead. Is it okay? Yeah. So, um, overcoming imposter syndrome. Yes. So, um, a lot, a lot of it is really just telling myself and reminding myself that, um, I'm not an expert and I'm working every day towards someday feeling like, um, I understand a lot about the plant, but I don't, I don't know if there's ever a way to become truly an expert in cannabis because it is so, Broad and deep, and, um, there's so much to learn always, but I'm, I'm not the expert, so I don't have to ever present myself as one.
Um, I, I don't have to put myself on a, on a pedestal or act like an expert, you know, an expert. I'm here to ask questions. I'm here to dig deeper. I'm [00:18:00] on a learning journey just as many consumers are. Um, and I am learning from so many other people in this space. We're all building together, so, um, I can't be an imposter if I'm not, you know, try, trying to be, I am recognizing where I'm at and that makes me feel much more comfortable in continuing to push forward because it allows me the, the grace to ask questions.
The, you know, the grace for myself to forgive myself if I don't know something, um, I'm not expected to know it. That's what we're here for. We're here to learn. So, um, that's been some of the, so those have been some of the biggest challenges and the ways that I've. Helped myself to kind of push through and push past that.
And have you found that, because this is my experience, so that's why I'm asking that, that women in the industry are, are generally very generous with their time and information and help and [00:19:00] in working through certain things in the, as you go along. Absolutely. I, I can't stress enough how important the women in cannabis, the cannabis industry have impacted my life.
Um, even beyond my career, I've been taken under the wing of so many women. Um, when I've been going through life difficulties. You know, I'm a newly single mom, um, to a three year old. That has been an extremely challenging, um, Experience in my life if a painful experience in my life. And, um, the women in this space have wrapped their arms around me, um, and really held me close and given me the permission to show up as a mess sometimes, because that's where I'm at, you know, on, on certain days.
And it's been extremely beautiful. I feel like I have a, a family. A interconnected nationwide family of people who care about me and who [00:20:00] love me, and that's made me feel so safe and so loved. Um, you know, Elizabeth and, and just lenal, she was really the woman in, in Minnesota who brought me into her network of women and said, you need to be a part of what we're doing.
And, you know, Elizabeth then took me under her wing and. You know, she was even like, you need to come to this conference. I don't care if you don't have money, you're gonna stay in my hotel room. I'm driving us like, let's go. And I mean, I, I could seriously like tear up thinking about how many different times people have gifted me with their love and generosity and I wouldn't be where I am today without the women in the space.
Sounds like the spirit of the seventies. Peace, love, dope. Era. Yeah, absolutely. That's like, that's a sense of community that that prevailed at that time. Yeah. And uh, so it's like love, peace, and cannabis.[00:21:00]
There you go. Um, what about things that you never thought you would experience when you started this journey that bring you joy? Oh yeah, I talking to incredible people, interviewing people, helping brands in this space. Um, telling the story of some of my favorite brands. It's like, it's a total dream come true.
Um, and, and the culture and the vibe, the music that comes with this industry. You know, I was listening. I got to go to the nerdy, nerdy concert, um, at Whirly gig this weekend and be consuming can a cannabis beverage at the same time. And I was, besides being high from cannabis, like I was on a total life high, like my mind is blown all the time at the creativity in the space and what people are doing.
Um, being able to actually see the plant in [00:22:00] person to. I feel like so, so many people have never ever been in the presence of a live cannabis plant, and that is such a unique and overwhelming experience to see it growing, to smell it, to be able to feel the leaves. It's first, it's, you know, it's been so illegal and so, uh, inaccessible for so long, and being able to actually see a grow in person has been, Just, um, really, really cool.
Nice. And it, and it is because it is such an, uh, abundant plant in so many ways. And the interesting thing to me about the legalization journey is that most people I talk to have come into it through a personal experience. Absolutely not because, oh, I really wanted to get messed up and so I got a big joint and, [00:23:00] or whatever we call it now, I don't even know.
But, um, but, um, or, you know, dabbed and most people are, have used it to solve, uh, an, an issue and then they think, oh my God, what is this? And then they start on the journey of trying to explore Absolutely. Something that was, has been. Withheld from us for so long, and I was just reading a publication by the Mayo Clinic about the medical aspects.
So when the Mayo Clinic starts publishing, you know, it's definitely going mainstream, at least the medical industry. Um, I saw that and I saw you posted about that, and I was blown away at, at seeing that. Um, it's a, it's a, I think it's a great sign. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. In some ways, yes. Yeah. But, um, one other thing I [00:24:00] wanna know from you free is what makes you Bodacious?
What's your unique brand of Bodaciousness? Um, I think I just, I really try to love people, um, and, and put my love in and my passion into my work. Um, I spent a lot of time in my past feeling like I had to present a certain way or be a certain way, and now I feel like I'm coming into accepting myself more, and that allows me to be more open-minded when it comes to learning about new businesses and other people's dreams and their goals.
And. Um, how to communicate with consumers who may look like me or may look totally different from me too. Um, so, you know, just coming, coming to the space, being with the, with the understanding too that I'm not in competition with anybody. Um, I believe that there are a, [00:25:00] there are a lot of people who do things similar things to what I do, and I'm, I'm not competing with them.
I support their, uh, goals and their. Businesses, I hope to refer business to those people. You know, there's Al, it's so great to have a network of people that you can refer business to. Let's say if your, your plate's too full or maybe it's just not aligning in the right way. I would love to know more people who do what I do so that I can refer business on.
As long as we keep the perspective like that, um, I think that the industry will continue to thrive and you will see really positive partnerships. Beautiful creative things coming out of that space where people are collaborating and not competing. Um, cuz there's enough of that and that sometimes that'll happen too.
You know, the negativity will happen. Um, people will get portrayed, people will get hurt, and we have to keep moving forward and partnering in really positive and, and, um, collaborative ways. So I think that's what brings, makes me, uh, a [00:26:00] bodacious woman is, um, No bar is held, you know, going in that direction.
There you go. Yeah. The peace and love plant cannabis. Yeah. You, one of the things you said, Bri, that's interesting to me because it's, I'm starting, as I'm talking to different women, having conversations with them at this podcast, I'm starting to notice a theme and that is that the plant enables us to, Stop the chatter about who we're supposed to be and how we're supposed to be, and what we're supposed to be getting done and, and come more authentically into ourselves.
That seems to be a theme. Did I, did I understand what you said? Is that Yes, 100%. And sometimes I forget, you know, I, because I work in this space now, I am abso like my consumer habits are, [00:27:00] Absolutely a benefit to understanding who I am. More coming into my own, accepting myself, processing things that get stuck sometimes.
Um, being able to push back past mental blocks. I, I'm not a consumer that is like every day I'm like hitting the dab, you know, 20 times. And like I smoke from the minute I wake up to the minute I go to bed, I take a totally d My approach I think is much more like, If I'm struggling in a certain area, I'll consume.
If I am feeling sad, I'll consume, if I'm feeling aches or pains I'll consume. It's not like some planned thing. It's just like, as my, I can tell my body needs help. I utilize the plant, and some days I'll go a week or two without consuming because I'm on a roll or I, I feel great or, you know, it's not just like, it's not something that I feel like I, I need to do.
So it's not, um, I just, [00:28:00] I think that cannabis has really allowed me to become a better, more rounded person, and that's benefited me in, in this space as well. Um, yeah, it's just, it's kind of cool to think about it all that, uh, consuming it brought me to this place and, and how it kind of like is a, is a big, beautiful circle.
Awesome. Very happy to hear that. Thank you. Where can we find you, Brie? Yeah, so when we wanna utilize your Bodacious background in building for sure. Um, I love networking on LinkedIn. So first connect with me on LinkedIn. Um, it's slash Gore Creative if you wanna search on there. And um, gore creative.com.
And that's b r i, not like the cheese. B, right? Right. Yes. G o b r i [00:29:00] creative.com. Um, those are the two best places you can find me on Instagram at the Grass class official. And that's where you're gonna see a lot of, more like the ways that I interact with the culture of cannabis. So going to concerts or going to, um, different events where they're, they're, they have cannabis consumption, um, or, you know, showing up at art events hosted by people and.
Um, so definitely follow me there if you wanna see more of how I'm kind of, uh, experiencing the world of cannabis as a consumer. Um, yeah, those are the three best places to find me, um, or to reach out if you have any inquiries about, uh, working together partnerships. Thank you. Thank you for sharing your bodacious journey with us today and look forward to staying in touch.
Brie. Awesome. Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure. Likewise.