[NEW EPISODE] Cultivating Cannabis Content

Some say that content is the best vehicle to build consumer awareness, education, and connection...and our special guest this week would agree.

This special team produces 150+ pieces of unique content per month in the music, lifestyle, and cannabis space.  They also produce the #1 online-only publication in Seattle, a top 30 hip-hop site on the internet, and one of the top cannabis lifestyle websites in the world.  In addition, they host 15+ events a year with unique brand activations across the West Coast of the United States.

If you are looking to take market share in the music and/or cannabis spaces, this team is looking for you.  They can assist with content creation, consulting, and providing services to brands, dispensaries, artists, labels, PR companies, and other agencies.

Visiting Planet Pakalolo this week is Mitch Pfeifer, CEO & Co-Founder of Respect my Region. Mitch and his team have been featured in XXL Magazine, Hot 97 New York, Music Choice Television, The Blacklist XYZ, Northwest Leaf Magazine, Marijuana Business Daily, The Seattle Times, King 5, Q13, and Feedspot.

Tune in for this crazy conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Jonny welcomes this week’s guest, CEO and Co-Founder of Respect my Region, Mitch Pfeifer. Mitch gives a bit of background on himself before moving onto talking about his involvement with cannabis, beginning with his involvement pre-legalization. Next, Mitch delves into how cannabis plays a large role in the music industry. This prompts Jonny and Mitch to launch into a conversation about some challenges the cannabis industry faces.

Segment 2

Mitch and Jonny get into a discussion about the business side of cannabis. Mitch mentions that he’s working on some projects and that he is currently working with different brands across the country, including Cookies and Glasshouse Farms. Jonny then asks Mitch about licensing and his thoughts on that, among different aspects of business. After this short conversation, Mitch then discusses the differences between “plant-touching” and “non-plant-touching” businesses. Mitch then analyzes the success of the rapper Berner and his cannabis empire, Cookies.

Segment 3

Getting into why he is in this industry, Mitch describes his love for the plant. He talks about how he was first caught with cannabis as a teen, how he did get in some legal trouble as an adult, before, thanks to legalization of cannabis, he began to pursue a career in the cannabis industry. Now that it is legal in many states, Mitch is open about discussing his profession and also talking about his consumption in hopes of breaking down the stigma surrounding cannabis.

Segment 4

Mitch talks about how important creativity is to marketing cannabis, especially considering that certain social media platforms aren’t generally friendly toward the plant. He then talks about what separates his company from his competition, such as networking via social media and using creativity when marketing. Continuing with this discussion on how to market cannabis, Mitch gives his opinions on celebrity endorsement before Mitch and Jonny wrap up the show.

Transcript

00:00:40.290 --> 00:00:52.950 Jonathan Colavita: Hello everybody i'm Johnny tsunami, and this is planted Popolo less taboo view For those of you who don't know Papa lolo is hawaiian slang for crazy tobacco.

00:00:53.310 --> 00:01:07.140 Jonathan Colavita: Also, known as marijuana but this show is about debunking the stereotypes and stigmas and taboos connected to this illustrious plant by talking to people who are diving deep into the industry and serving it well.

00:01:07.950 --> 00:01:21.870 Jonathan Colavita: Sorry for last week, I was a little bit under the weather so shaka Steve was able to hold the realms down and, by the way, Happy Birthday to shaka Steve Iran co host a planet taco low low today.

00:01:22.410 --> 00:01:38.040 Jonathan Colavita: we're going to do an episode on marketing and music and I have a special guest with me his name is Mitch Pfeiffer and he has been in the marketing and music world for quite some time Mitch, how are you today welcome to planet block oh low low.

00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:40.680 Mitch Pfeifer: pretty good Johnny thanks for having me my guy.

00:01:41.910 --> 00:01:42.750 Jonathan Colavita: How are you today.

00:01:43.230 --> 00:01:53.790 Mitch Pfeifer: Man no complaints no complaints it's like 7274 up here in Seattle, which is, which is hot you know if you're a local so it's definitely feeling nice man.

00:01:54.210 --> 00:02:00.270 Jonathan Colavita: Nice so give me a little bit about your background before we get deep into cannabis just you as a person professionally.

00:02:00.720 --> 00:02:09.510 Mitch Pfeifer: yeah yeah man, you know it's professionally obviously you know you got to take it back to my youth honestly I grew up in a really small town.

00:02:10.740 --> 00:02:16.800 Mitch Pfeifer: And with a with a really keen interest in hip hop music and not just the music itself but learning how to.

00:02:17.220 --> 00:02:23.970 Mitch Pfeifer: To make it producer just get involved with music and uh you know growing up in a small country town, there was no outlets everything.

00:02:24.750 --> 00:02:32.580 Mitch Pfeifer: In terms of learning about the genre learning about gear and equipment, how to use it, how to make it how its structured was all kind of self taught, but also through.

00:02:33.750 --> 00:02:39.510 Mitch Pfeifer: The Internet, you know and early Internet pre YouTube pre Google what it is, you know, a message boards.

00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:52.170 Mitch Pfeifer: So just that my in my youth I learned to taught myself how to make music and how to take things and make new things out of them and then I also had to use the Internet, you know, an early version of the Internet as a resource.

00:02:52.890 --> 00:03:01.860 Mitch Pfeifer: Not just for information but also like community and networking so been been social networking before I knew what a social network watch.

00:03:02.340 --> 00:03:08.970 Jonathan Colavita: It can be feel so kind of old anyway because early Internet for me was a card catalog so.

00:03:10.260 --> 00:03:12.510 Jonathan Colavita: You were literally rolling through paper.

00:03:13.620 --> 00:03:23.130 Jonathan Colavita: In the library you pull out a sleeve, and then there'd be like a visa, you know you go through it you're like 33 two 1.743 you know i'll be and then you go look at a book.

00:03:23.580 --> 00:03:37.080 Jonathan Colavita: Obviously, things have gone a long way from there, so you've always had that passion that love for that from from when you, you know where you're when you're young so when did you transition into let's say cannabis.

00:03:37.830 --> 00:03:46.890 Mitch Pfeifer: um you know i've been involved in in in cannabis for quite a long time, you know pre pre legalization it was um you know.

00:03:47.700 --> 00:03:53.580 Mitch Pfeifer: Pre industry, I guess is the term that I call it a lot of people call it different things, maybe the Gray market the black market.

00:03:54.420 --> 00:04:00.480 Mitch Pfeifer: You know, but I was definitely involved for for many years pre whatever it's called an industry.

00:04:01.410 --> 00:04:06.540 Mitch Pfeifer: You know, when people didn't really talk about it was very hard to network and build a business within cannabis.

00:04:07.170 --> 00:04:21.690 Mitch Pfeifer: Just due to regulation and for sure you know, the stigma around the plant right was a huge driver, along with that so involved with it from from an early age, and definitely in the commerce of cannabis, you know pre industry.

00:04:22.770 --> 00:04:29.460 Mitch Pfeifer: And then, when medical came around up here in Washington when it starts to get real strong in the in the early 2000s 10s.

00:04:31.170 --> 00:04:39.300 Mitch Pfeifer: I had a respect my region, I started my business as a T shirt company and we used medical dispensary's is outlets to sell.

00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:53.310 Mitch Pfeifer: Our T shirts and then promote hip hop shows and stuff we were doing so I started kind of networking and in that capacity and then, once legal legalization tipped in Washington, you know, like day one, we are, we are working with brands and companies in a professional way.

00:04:53.880 --> 00:05:09.450 Jonathan Colavita: So we'll touch on you know what I want to touch on that briefly just because the main I had medical marijuana farm and me right, and one of the things that the Attorney and said to me, was you can do a state level llc.

00:05:10.950 --> 00:05:26.820 Jonathan Colavita: But you can apply for federal that it's not federally legal, but you can make gear and you can patent your company name federally through your Apparel and then the name itself is protected doing all.

00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:43.620 Jonathan Colavita: Right, not necessarily the plant, but you know when you're thinking about it in the long term, the name is what's important I mean soon as cookies it opens up or makes a deal with xyz state lines out the door.

00:05:43.950 --> 00:05:48.330 Jonathan Colavita: yeah nice a name but ironically enough to go back and what you were saying.

00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:53.640 Jonathan Colavita: My man definitely dealt burner definitely dealt with some Gray market before you.

00:05:54.630 --> 00:06:13.320 Jonathan Colavita: Make the name that he did and that's something that you know, in the music world let's touch on music now is something that we've experienced it mean how long how many years how many decades now is rap hip hop whatever you want to call it, where that is being openly spoken about.

00:06:13.620 --> 00:06:15.300 Mitch Pfeifer: Right so.

00:06:15.810 --> 00:06:16.950 Jonathan Colavita: touch on that for me a little.

00:06:16.950 --> 00:06:32.160 Mitch Pfeifer: bit yeah yeah I mean you know cannabis, has played a huge element, you know, and not even just you know I predominately operating the hip hop genre but you know, obviously, like reggae and then you know rock and roll you know, for decades, and you know, in the music creation.

00:06:33.420 --> 00:06:42.450 Mitch Pfeifer: aspect of it, it plays a huge role, you know, like in studios there's a you know smoke filled studio like that's a common phrase to describe a studio very much for a reason.

00:06:43.230 --> 00:06:53.280 Mitch Pfeifer: It just unlocks something creatively, you know personally when I when I work on music like you take you get some called ear fatigue when you're when you're recording or you're mixing.

00:06:53.640 --> 00:07:02.700 Mitch Pfeifer: And they say i'm mixing engineers ears are only accurate like 45 or 50 minutes and then you're supposed to take a break, because your ear you just can't hear frequencies is clear and.

00:07:03.270 --> 00:07:10.290 Mitch Pfeifer: Something that i'll tell anyone is if you're mixing music like that, and at 45 minutes you take turn the music off or step outside and you hit a joint.

00:07:10.650 --> 00:07:18.480 Mitch Pfeifer: And then you come back inside it's, just like the layers and textures remain so deep and you can find those frequencies.

00:07:19.380 --> 00:07:22.800 Mitch Pfeifer: And it battles ear fatigue and then from a listener standpoint, you know, like.

00:07:23.370 --> 00:07:34.560 Mitch Pfeifer: Pre legalization where was cannabis consumed like you know guaranteed to be consumed in any concert in you know any outdoor concert anywhere smoke is rising up doesn't matter the genre.

00:07:34.890 --> 00:07:43.950 Mitch Pfeifer: You know, so that, from a listener state from the creation and the listener standpoint, I think, cannabis plays a huge role in music that's your fatigue i'm going to use that one.

00:07:43.980 --> 00:07:47.370 Jonathan Colavita: that's probably how my marriage has lasted so long.

00:07:48.450 --> 00:07:54.000 Jonathan Colavita: 45 minutes of my wife just yelling at me I gotta go outside on the patio and hit a joint honey i'm suffering from.

00:07:55.890 --> 00:07:56.820 Jonathan Colavita: I come back in.

00:07:57.960 --> 00:08:00.780 Jonathan Colavita: i'm settled i'm ready to go another 45 minutes yeah.

00:08:03.540 --> 00:08:13.830 Jonathan Colavita: So I and but and I and it's true, though, I think that music is is art and if you're thinking about our.

00:08:16.140 --> 00:08:16.770 Jonathan Colavita: Oh, my God and.

00:08:17.970 --> 00:08:19.260 Jonathan Colavita: They go to excuse me.

00:08:21.750 --> 00:08:23.040 Jonathan Colavita: I did have one just before.

00:08:26.310 --> 00:08:28.950 Jonathan Colavita: The music and art do go together.

00:08:29.460 --> 00:08:42.210 Jonathan Colavita: right that they are, they are one as a unit, so one thing I want to ask you, before we you know switch to the next segment because we're flying ready, is what is the biggest obstacle currently in the cannabis marketing world.

00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:45.120 Mitch Pfeifer: The biggest obstacle um.

00:08:46.230 --> 00:08:47.460 Mitch Pfeifer: You know, I think.

00:08:48.510 --> 00:08:53.550 Mitch Pfeifer: The industry is infinite and there's a disconnect.

00:08:54.780 --> 00:09:06.240 Mitch Pfeifer: I think a big thing for the industry as a whole, and especially effects marketing is there's a real disconnect between like the culture and people that really understand the plant and the community of cannabis and the.

00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:17.520 Mitch Pfeifer: And the business and the understanding of like having a marketing budget building out a marketing team and that kind of the good, the good sides of corporate America that bring structure, and you know.

00:09:17.940 --> 00:09:28.770 Mitch Pfeifer: Experience of launching and scaling brands and then, on the other side right a lot of those people that have that infrastructure that that know how at that process are so disconnected from the plant.

00:09:29.160 --> 00:09:40.230 Mitch Pfeifer: And then you throw the wrench of not just regulation varies from State to State city to city county to county but you know these terms of service on the various Internet platforms and.

00:09:41.280 --> 00:09:54.540 Mitch Pfeifer: You know it's just the and the unclear with without having federal legalization Facebook and Google, you know, try and take it a neutral stance, are they so so they say but it's really kind of just like a no man stats.

00:09:55.620 --> 00:10:06.780 Mitch Pfeifer: And so there's just a lot of uncertainty, but i'd say it's definitely been the biggest challenges are going to be rooted in my mind in this disconnect of infrastructure and what this stuff really is, and then.

00:10:10.110 --> 00:10:15.480 Mitch Pfeifer: And then just these the regulations you know the regular to whether it's state regulations or digital regulations.

00:10:16.140 --> 00:10:23.430 Mitch Pfeifer: it's it's not even that it's prohibits marketing it's just the some so many things are so uncleared due to just the infancy of this market.

00:10:23.670 --> 00:10:37.800 Mitch Pfeifer: It does make it hard to operate and hard to scale, because what works one time might not work, the next time will work for one company might not work for the next company, you know when it comes to these digital realms and it's really just like up to chance it's not even smarter anything.

00:10:38.310 --> 00:10:44.940 Jonathan Colavita: So what would I really took away from that was is that when you look at a multi state operator they're spending money on the marketing.

00:10:45.210 --> 00:10:45.930 Mitch Pfeifer: right there.

00:10:45.990 --> 00:11:02.880 Jonathan Colavita: they're interstate and they've got a grasp on the regulation because they have their policies and everything, whereas a new up and coming startup that's in the state and they don't have any plug or connection to any other state the marketing is crucial it's so crucial.

00:11:03.210 --> 00:11:04.110 Jonathan Colavita: But you know.

00:11:04.260 --> 00:11:07.740 Jonathan Colavita: Even being a sales guy and sales and marketing are very intertwined matter.

00:11:08.130 --> 00:11:11.100 Jonathan Colavita: If your sales and marketing aren't intertwine you have like a 90%.

00:11:12.630 --> 00:11:29.310 Jonathan Colavita: failure rate So for me when you are trying to sell and market it's all about Roi you know see if I hire a marketing company, I want to know if I put this much into my budget, how is that marketing going to translate into revenue from my.

00:11:30.270 --> 00:11:36.780 Jonathan Colavita: So that's already a battle that marketing people have to deal with every day they do it now with Atlanta and with analytics a lot.

00:11:37.620 --> 00:11:47.340 Jonathan Colavita: But the same thing for how do you know you might even be more challenging for a cannabis company because one they're they're even less limited they might feel even less unsure.

00:11:47.880 --> 00:12:00.360 Jonathan Colavita: They might feel like they don't necessarily even have a brand in mind that they would be able to go with a need guidance, so you know i'm sure you've come across that in your own you know situations.

00:12:00.660 --> 00:12:09.840 Mitch Pfeifer: yeah yeah and then you know the sales and marketing and what's what's interesting about cannabis and it's it's it's very similar I guess other consumer packaged goods right where they're sold out of.

00:12:10.380 --> 00:12:21.930 Mitch Pfeifer: You know, retail outlets is there's two different parts of the sales funnel there's getting the accounts getting the shelf space, you know sent getting selling your product to get brands to place that initial order and then.

00:12:22.590 --> 00:12:33.390 Mitch Pfeifer: The aspect of them, the customer sell through to get them to restock their shelf so it's like you have to do some form of of B2B sales and then there's that B2C communication.

00:12:34.500 --> 00:12:44.760 Mitch Pfeifer: And then the cannabis industry, a lot of these people, you know view the the B2B portion is just sales and I think that really prohibits them right because there's an aspect of.

00:12:45.150 --> 00:12:54.420 Mitch Pfeifer: of marketing or adding that like you're saying combining marketing with sales at the sales level if it's an alignment to there, then you can communicate and build shelf space.

00:12:54.780 --> 00:13:02.820 Mitch Pfeifer: At the retail level, and then, if that's going to translate into a better sell through and relationships with the retail chain, and I think in this industry a lot people.

00:13:03.090 --> 00:13:10.110 Mitch Pfeifer: Somehow separate those two things and put sales over here on getting shelf space and marketing, to the consumer, where there's a real.

00:13:11.820 --> 00:13:14.820 Mitch Pfeifer: there's a real game when those two things are aligned and working together.

00:13:16.260 --> 00:13:17.880 Jonathan Colavita: yeah I would agree and.

00:13:18.780 --> 00:13:19.170 I think.

00:13:21.090 --> 00:13:22.020 Jonathan Colavita: Essentially.

00:13:23.310 --> 00:13:23.820 Jonathan Colavita: That.

00:13:25.290 --> 00:13:35.160 Jonathan Colavita: The challenge, too, is that their startups I let's say i'm a cannabis grower you know, and I, I know how to grow cannabis, but I don't really know how to to market and that's understandable.

00:13:35.340 --> 00:13:35.670 Mitch Pfeifer: Right.

00:13:35.850 --> 00:13:42.120 Jonathan Colavita: How do you deal with that and then, how do you feel comfortable working with the right person and.

00:13:42.600 --> 00:13:54.450 Jonathan Colavita: You know you only think like you got one shot, because a lot of times startups have a very low success rate and maybe even more so in the cannabis industry so there's a lot to deal with we're going to take a short break.

00:13:55.260 --> 00:14:01.740 Jonathan Colavita: we're gonna come back and we come back we're going to talk a little bit more about the science and the business behind marketing and cannabis and music and how they're accused.

00:14:02.040 --> 00:14:12.600 Jonathan Colavita: Mitch fiber is our guest, and he is just crushing it right now and we're having a great time, so we will be back this planet bako low low Johnny so Jason i'm your host and we'll see you right back.

00:16:40.920 --> 00:16:52.710 Jonathan Colavita: What up crew, this is Johnny tsunami and planted parka low low a less taboo view we got Mitch Pfeiffer here, thank you for flying in to planet bako lolo my friend and visiting us.

00:16:52.950 --> 00:17:04.170 Jonathan Colavita: On this lovely cannabis podcast station and the first segment, we talked about some current events talk a little bit about niches background and this next segment, we like to talk about business.

00:17:04.620 --> 00:17:17.100 Jonathan Colavita: So Mitch we're going to ask you this question here who you're working with in the cannabis industry today, you had mentioned obviously you're doing your own thing, but is there anything in the works or somebody that you're perhaps guiding right now that you can.

00:17:17.730 --> 00:17:19.050 Jonathan Colavita: Give us a little shed a little light on.

00:17:19.260 --> 00:17:24.360 Mitch Pfeifer: yeah I mean i'm you know i've worked with a lot of a lot of clients got a lot of projects going on.

00:17:25.080 --> 00:17:37.980 Mitch Pfeifer: don't necessarily want to want to let to me to secrets out but uh working on a couple of cannabis facing products through my brand we have a publication, we run a platform through social media and then through the agency side.

00:17:39.390 --> 00:17:56.940 Mitch Pfeifer: Work with a lot of brands across the country some of those you know we've done some work with cookies worked with glass house farms, a big operator to California worked with that Panda that's a big recognizable brand up your Washington packs vessel.

00:18:00.030 --> 00:18:01.230 Mitch Pfeifer: have a heart.

00:18:02.730 --> 00:18:09.690 Mitch Pfeifer: A lot of men, a lot of a lot of them and celery dispensary's plan touching you know we worked we worked with a lot of brands.

00:18:10.410 --> 00:18:12.300 Jonathan Colavita: packs that's a cool brand.

00:18:12.600 --> 00:18:13.080 Mitch Pfeifer: yeah.

00:18:13.260 --> 00:18:16.860 Jonathan Colavita: What do you think about that, like you know I mean, because for me.

00:18:19.980 --> 00:18:25.980 Jonathan Colavita: Think of cannabis it's the ancillary products that make to can make the revenue.

00:18:26.220 --> 00:18:28.710 Mitch Pfeifer: Everybody is on the plant, you know.

00:18:28.740 --> 00:18:36.300 Jonathan Colavita: New Jersey i'm on the east coast right, even though you're a low low and we want to be out West where it's beautiful and sunny all day long.

00:18:36.990 --> 00:18:53.040 Jonathan Colavita: Even though it's not too bad the east coast right now that the ancillary businesses are what are making the money off of it, except you know okay now New Jersey has become recreational legal so everybody gets crazy over the license and not the business.

00:18:53.220 --> 00:19:04.650 Jonathan Colavita: Right right because that's the key and i'm not going to fight that because at the end of the day, the license gives you the ability to distribute manufacturer deliver whatever it is that you want to do.

00:19:05.340 --> 00:19:14.610 Jonathan Colavita: But there are so many other components to the business marketing being one of them, all of a large portion of the business, you know when people do startups.

00:19:15.900 --> 00:19:22.320 Jonathan Colavita: 30 to 50% of it could be spent on marketing right don't have a presence out there, how you can create revenue.

00:19:22.830 --> 00:19:31.500 Jonathan Colavita: You can't just automatically you know, everybody loves a happy accident, but you can you know that doesn't happen all the time, you need to be able to do more with that so.

00:19:31.890 --> 00:19:37.650 Jonathan Colavita: What are your thoughts, you know when I when I think of a company like packs it becomes so successful and they're not growing wheat.

00:19:38.340 --> 00:19:43.230 Mitch Pfeifer: Right um you know I think it's credited to a great design and a lot of funding.

00:19:44.250 --> 00:19:52.230 Mitch Pfeifer: In their case but uh you know you're absolutely right, you know they say they said that you know there's that saying or phrase i'm not sure what it is when.

00:19:52.530 --> 00:19:59.160 Mitch Pfeifer: You know, during the gold rush times right as the guys that were selling the pots and pans who made the real money you know not not the people that were going up there going for gold.

00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:06.000 Mitch Pfeifer: And so that's that's very true in the cannabis space and even you look at like cookies one of the largest you know plant touching brands.

00:20:06.270 --> 00:20:12.990 Mitch Pfeifer: You know, put air quotes on that they're they licensed IP right they're not really as into cultivating they partner with cultivators.

00:20:13.770 --> 00:20:16.110 Mitch Pfeifer: And so, someone like packs you know.

00:20:16.830 --> 00:20:23.250 Mitch Pfeifer: They have a really I like their business model because they have a really good device, but then the means of pushing their device or their brand is.

00:20:23.520 --> 00:20:29.730 Mitch Pfeifer: teetered off of their their partners, and so they can select what partners, they want to work with in each state.

00:20:30.060 --> 00:20:38.220 Mitch Pfeifer: And that helps them like penetrate you know really effectively of having strategic partnerships and those partnerships are like co branded right it's not just.

00:20:38.610 --> 00:20:52.350 Mitch Pfeifer: You don't go to the store shelves of packs device but you're not buying the packs pod like you're buying a Pax pod that's you know curated by an actual farm or processing facility so there's a there's a little bit of like.

00:20:53.430 --> 00:21:02.250 Mitch Pfeifer: You know when two people are winning off of one thing that's like that collaboration really I think has the potential to reach the most amount of people, and so I think their business models built off of that which is really unique.

00:21:02.670 --> 00:21:10.980 Mitch Pfeifer: And then just from a consumer standpoint I like I love the packs device it's I tell them all the time, you know, like there's other devices that are.

00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:22.050 Mitch Pfeifer: Technically, better and better and what you know there's certain functionality is better, but their device just looks and feels so great and then I prefer to use it there.

00:21:22.320 --> 00:21:34.440 Mitch Pfeifer: they're pods are more expensive than buying a traditional 510 thread but i'm more you know i'm a pilot beyond just working with them i'm a Pax consumer myself just because I the device resonates with me.

00:21:35.940 --> 00:21:41.100 Jonathan Colavita: Well it's utterly you just use before the no hands, no, no touch.

00:21:41.130 --> 00:21:42.870 Mitch Pfeifer: What was its own non plant touching.

00:21:43.260 --> 00:21:52.590 Jonathan Colavita: yeah so we'll dive elaborate a little bit more on that for for the audience because, again, our audience, they are people that are in the industry or but are also looking to get into the industry.

00:21:52.590 --> 00:21:58.920 Mitch Pfeifer: Sure sure yeah so you know plant touching is right, you cultivate cannabis you manufacture cannabis.

00:21:59.910 --> 00:22:06.210 Mitch Pfeifer: You actually touch it and there are plant touching brain like cookies on the surface, you buy cookies it's a flower.

00:22:06.420 --> 00:22:16.530 Mitch Pfeifer: But the company itself doesn't touch the flower they don't call it, you know they partner with cultivators that cultivate manufacturer the flower and they there's a licensing deal with their product, so there.

00:22:16.890 --> 00:22:23.520 Mitch Pfeifer: And it's a great business model for people entrepreneurs that want to get in the cannabis space, because you can launch.

00:22:23.850 --> 00:22:35.850 Mitch Pfeifer: A business obviously cookies as major, but you can still do their model on a very, very small scale, and you don't have to have the investment dollars to get a license which is you know, especially on your guys's side of the map is a godly.

00:22:36.540 --> 00:22:42.720 Mitch Pfeifer: expense, you know if you're if you're not dealing with multiple millions, you know you're not getting a license and building out a facility and.

00:22:43.320 --> 00:22:52.500 Mitch Pfeifer: Putting plants in the ground and waiting 10 months before you have anything to actually sell you know it's a big investment so being a non plant touching company.

00:22:53.160 --> 00:23:06.450 Mitch Pfeifer: has huge advantages in terms of it, potentially, is a lot lower cost of entry and offers a little bit more flexibility and ease the scale from in and out of market if your businesses, you know, built on that.

00:23:07.470 --> 00:23:17.730 Mitch Pfeifer: touching the plant then every state you go into you have to get another license and another facility and another bill ballard and other regulatory red tape, you know tango dance.

00:23:18.360 --> 00:23:24.870 Jonathan Colavita: So cannabis, music and it makes me go back i'm thinking burner, you know frankie be.

00:23:26.430 --> 00:23:27.450 Mitch Pfeifer: No, not at the top of my head.

00:23:27.600 --> 00:23:34.290 Jonathan Colavita: He was around with burner over on the east coast and brooklyn boy, but he's in the music industry look up frankie day.

00:23:34.500 --> 00:23:34.710 Jonathan Colavita: When.

00:23:35.190 --> 00:23:37.590 Jonathan Colavita: you're looking at burner, but shout out to frankie berardi.

00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:52.770 Jonathan Colavita: But you know why do you think burner was the one I mean that's you know I don't know I feel like he might be almost the appetite of of what it is that we can always argue and debate, maybe there's you know, a top five or whatever.

00:23:53.190 --> 00:23:57.480 Jonathan Colavita: But what makes you know what is it about his brand what is it about.

00:23:58.050 --> 00:24:11.880 Jonathan Colavita: You know what's he doing, I mean because musics involved in that marketing's involved in that so much is involved with that the brand and again it goes back to that brand So what is it what did he do that might have separated himself he's not like a clearly that's a brand.

00:24:12.150 --> 00:24:12.570 Mitch Pfeifer: Right.

00:24:13.110 --> 00:24:32.700 Jonathan Colavita: But that's not a brand I mean it's a brand but it's a paid brand where burner is like more of that tradition of grassroots no pun intended coming from Gray roots and then transitioning over which is to me the the heart of the cannabis culture right, so why him.

00:24:33.120 --> 00:24:42.480 Mitch Pfeifer: Right and and and at that point, you know burner does get a lot of flak on the west coast from people that are you know really from the culture there's certain people certain you know.

00:24:43.080 --> 00:24:56.280 Mitch Pfeifer: You know, think that he's negative for the industry for certain certain reasons right because of the scale of his business but that's always very natural, but you know I think burner was successful, for you know.

00:24:57.330 --> 00:25:07.050 Mitch Pfeifer: Few reasons, like three pop out, you know he's not the biggest rapper he's never been the biggest rapper has weed celebrity has made him a bigger rapper than he was as a rapper but he.

00:25:07.350 --> 00:25:19.140 Mitch Pfeifer: has always had a cult following and a Bay area of work ethic to music, which, if you follow it too short and he 40 like these guys have 2030 albums under their belt, you know, like whereas a normal you know.

00:25:19.650 --> 00:25:27.930 Mitch Pfeifer: Normal trajectory of an artist comes you know their careers like 48 albums like these guys crank fucking help them out, you know they really crank them out.

00:25:29.010 --> 00:25:33.720 Mitch Pfeifer: And so I think there's a work ethic there and understanding how to cultivate a hardcore fan base.

00:25:34.950 --> 00:25:42.990 Mitch Pfeifer: But then also you know, he was also first to market, you know cookies was a brand that was branded in cannabis before cannabis was even legal.

00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:52.890 Mitch Pfeifer: And nobody else did that, and at least to the scale he that share their street brands back in the day, but to his level there wasn't and then thirdly.

00:25:53.220 --> 00:26:01.560 Mitch Pfeifer: He branded around genetics keep didn't brand around on a cannabis company he built this brand around genetics and that.

00:26:01.980 --> 00:26:11.460 Mitch Pfeifer: And with genetics it's just like you know street where like supreme is going to come out with this new drop and or easy, as you know, and that's a much newer product line but.

00:26:11.790 --> 00:26:18.630 Mitch Pfeifer: You get hype around these new releases and what's coming and what's next and pushing the envelope better than last time.

00:26:18.810 --> 00:26:30.300 Mitch Pfeifer: which still leaves the crumbs of you can still keep selling what you did and people like but they're always seeking something new from you, and he built branding and product lines and brands around these genetics.

00:26:32.100 --> 00:26:44.520 Mitch Pfeifer: And that was a unique approach that nobody else had really done, you know, no one had done at that scale and tell him and he's from the bay area where the best cannabis genetics in the world, come from, so I mean it kind of goes hand in hand there.

00:26:45.720 --> 00:26:55.680 Jonathan Colavita: that's such a great point the genetic specifically because on a medical level, you can even appreciate genetics, you know, one of the guests, that will be having on soon she's a.

00:26:57.420 --> 00:27:04.680 Jonathan Colavita: Child pediatric doctor deals with children, who was specifically so from grand mal seizures and she uses CBD.

00:27:05.310 --> 00:27:13.860 Jonathan Colavita: To to heal them and she's used it on her own son and now she's opened up a whole practice revolving around that when people wouldn't take these kids the genetics, is what led that.

00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:23.580 Jonathan Colavita: charlotte's web right, but so and I can push down and medical level, and I can appreciate on a recreational level because.

00:27:24.540 --> 00:27:36.540 Jonathan Colavita: wow Look how deep that resonates you know you smoke that cookies and all of a sudden you're brought to the bay area for your brought to that feeling of what the cookies brand means.

00:27:36.750 --> 00:27:49.920 Jonathan Colavita: So once once it leaves the bay area and goes to another state and it's a no touch scenario, the genetics, also as a businessman tie him back in because he's like listen.

00:27:50.430 --> 00:28:00.540 Jonathan Colavita: You could open up this dispensary or, if you want, you can put my name on it, what I am not going to give you my genetics, unless you sign a huge in agreement with me.

00:28:00.690 --> 00:28:09.720 Jonathan Colavita: Right right and that's another way as a business man that he can tie people in without them running off and i'm sure obviously you know listen.

00:28:10.470 --> 00:28:17.160 Jonathan Colavita: These guys are hearing people run off with genetics all the time, I mean I started my farm, we had to get genetics somewhere.

00:28:18.090 --> 00:28:32.970 Jonathan Colavita: Right and that's the same for everybody and then it's what you do with those genetics, from that point on, but the to go back on your point, which is an amazing point which I think everybody in the audience to take away with that is that he created a story.

00:28:34.170 --> 00:28:35.460 Jonathan Colavita: And those genetics.

00:28:36.570 --> 00:28:45.390 Jonathan Colavita: infused with the name of his actual company on top of that is what made something really spectacular when you look at you know, a marketing.

00:28:46.350 --> 00:28:56.340 Jonathan Colavita: Marketing perspective, even a music perspective so that was great we're going to go on a little break that was beautiful I love that and when we come back we'll be talking about.

00:28:56.970 --> 00:29:05.820 Jonathan Colavita: Just a little personal story narrative how Mitch, you know really got into the industry and we'll take a little break and we'll be back for part three.

00:31:52.710 --> 00:32:05.910 Jonathan Colavita: Hello everybody we're back i'm Johnny tsunami, and this is planet taco lolo less taboo view, looking at the world of cannabis flying in to planet Barker low low today niche fiber.

00:32:06.870 --> 00:32:17.940 Jonathan Colavita: Cannabis conceivably area of mine and connoisseurs well but also a marketing guru in the space, as well as as a music aficionado.

00:32:18.360 --> 00:32:29.430 Jonathan Colavita: And we have talked about some business talked about some brands how cannabis has evolved and like to talk a little bit more now just on a personal level.

00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:44.580 Jonathan Colavita: of how cannabis and Mitch kind of go hand in hand, not not so much on a professional level your personal level, so why did you enter the cannabis space.

00:32:45.360 --> 00:33:04.500 Mitch Pfeifer: Men i'm just honestly a lover the plant, you know you know before legalization was you know again was very much involved in the Gray market industry and was a consumer and then also you know, being a music lover and when both you know, making music for the majority of my life.

00:33:05.730 --> 00:33:13.470 Mitch Pfeifer: Just cannabis just went hand in hand, you know and i've dealt with i've also dealt you know, one of those other series, I never was a medical patient because I.

00:33:14.040 --> 00:33:26.610 Mitch Pfeifer: You know, was blessed to live, where I live in always have access, you know safe access even without medical and pre industry but i've dealt with chronic back pain for about 1415 years of my life and.

00:33:27.570 --> 00:33:37.560 Mitch Pfeifer: never ever wanted to you know even at an early age, and everyone to go the pharmaceutical route and have found some relief quite a bit of relief from cannabis and CBD products.

00:33:38.580 --> 00:33:40.110 Jonathan Colavita: So when you.

00:33:41.250 --> 00:33:53.490 Jonathan Colavita: You know, got into it, how did your family feel as far as being you know I mean the first time I remember when my father was like you know smoke weed right.

00:33:53.580 --> 00:33:54.150 Mitch Pfeifer: But yeah.

00:33:54.240 --> 00:34:02.550 Jonathan Colavita: I was like 1716 years old, or whatever we were walking in the woods I buy a house in upstate New York my family I like property up there in the catskills.

00:34:03.150 --> 00:34:11.460 Jonathan Colavita: And we're walking in the woods staking a nature hike and I just roll I pulled out a joint and I just let it and smoked in front of me.

00:34:12.510 --> 00:34:16.770 Jonathan Colavita: yeah yeah and he was like What do you do, but.

00:34:18.150 --> 00:34:34.380 Jonathan Colavita: You know, smoking weed and he was see you're going to do that it's like yeah yeah it actually helps me and while you know a lot of pretty much the majority of the people that I went to high school with it was all about you know drinking and.

00:34:34.680 --> 00:34:34.980 Mitch Pfeifer: Right.

00:34:35.010 --> 00:34:43.830 Jonathan Colavita: Not that we you know not that you weren't accepted and go drinking, but, for whatever reason it benefited me more I mean there's people that drink to medicate.

00:34:45.120 --> 00:34:52.710 Jonathan Colavita: Some chemically, for whatever reason, I mean we call it spirits for a reason because it raised ones spirits back in the day.

00:34:53.100 --> 00:34:58.710 Jonathan Colavita: So, but there's obviously a slippery slope to that as well, but businesses have used to have bars in there as well.

00:34:59.670 --> 00:35:15.480 Jonathan Colavita: You know if you were in a marketing agency, nobody sales, you know, there was a bar back and you literally made yourself cocktails in the middle of day so for him, it was you know, I was very open about it now for you what was that, like you know going into it.

00:35:17.130 --> 00:35:30.630 Mitch Pfeifer: yeah yeah I mean I you know I got I got caught smoking weed when I was like 1616 you know us grounded, you know my parents not allow me to stay the night at another person's House for quite quite a bit of time after that.

00:35:31.650 --> 00:35:38.940 Mitch Pfeifer: I got got a got caught up in some legal stuff I got arrested for cannabis, you know, like freshman year college.

00:35:40.830 --> 00:35:46.260 Mitch Pfeifer: You know my parents are like you still do this stuff man, you know because I was not very forthcoming within.

00:35:46.470 --> 00:35:47.340 Mitch Pfeifer: Their knowledge later.

00:35:48.390 --> 00:35:48.900 Mitch Pfeifer: what's up.

00:35:49.080 --> 00:35:50.190 Jonathan Colavita: they're not cannabis people.

00:35:50.310 --> 00:36:02.310 Mitch Pfeifer: No, no, no, very, very much not so my dad is it what just retired but commercial airline pilot so you know he can't you know drug tested can't um yeah my mom's just not you know.

00:36:03.210 --> 00:36:07.320 Mitch Pfeifer: Just not you know not her not her thing and I got.

00:36:08.130 --> 00:36:19.380 Mitch Pfeifer: In some trouble around the you know the commerce of cannabis not quite not quite a you know recipe got got guns sticky situations with some you know special divisions of law enforcement in a certain point and.

00:36:20.160 --> 00:36:31.260 Mitch Pfeifer: You know that that was a big shock to my own my parents it's like not like oh you're you're not you're not just still smoking this you're you're you're moving it and it's um well yeah I mean I don't see anything wrong with you know and so.

00:36:32.610 --> 00:36:42.930 Mitch Pfeifer: I just grew up you know, again I grew up in a very small town my parents weren't big on cannabis so is very much something the use of it and then later the commerce of it was something that I shielded and.

00:36:43.410 --> 00:36:53.940 Mitch Pfeifer: I grew up in a small town where there's five different police departments so and as a college town so just it's very hot very hot you know, like if you.

00:36:54.480 --> 00:37:07.320 Mitch Pfeifer: are involved in cannabis that level, I was and you don't get arrested, you know what I mean you're you're very rare you're very, very rare person, and so I was very much shielded from talking about it shielded from.

00:37:09.060 --> 00:37:22.740 Mitch Pfeifer: Doing I didn't even smoke Eve, I own the House I didn't even smoke inside my house I smoke in the garage or outside you know I very much for a long time didn't want people to know that I was involved with it did it or anything you know it's very secretive.

00:37:23.880 --> 00:37:30.330 Jonathan Colavita: So when you switched over and really said to yourself what what was that point that turning point where you're like you know what I want to.

00:37:31.440 --> 00:37:35.370 Jonathan Colavita: create an ancillary business, you know you were talking about insurance of friends and stuff so.

00:37:35.820 --> 00:37:43.020 Mitch Pfeifer: Honestly until legalization came around I wasn't comfortable talking about it, you know at thanksgiving with extended family or.

00:37:43.110 --> 00:37:51.270 Mitch Pfeifer: You know, to any you know if people you know, unless I knew, you are new your your people and New York cool you know I didn't bring it up, you know and so.

00:37:51.510 --> 00:37:57.420 Mitch Pfeifer: When legalization came around it was finally like okay now I can talk about like hey i'm a consumer, I cannot talk about being a consumer.

00:37:57.690 --> 00:38:06.030 Mitch Pfeifer: And if anyone wants to shun me i'm like well I bought this legally the same way you bought that wine or the cigarettes, you know, so you know don't point the finger at me and then.

00:38:06.600 --> 00:38:17.670 Mitch Pfeifer: I had pre before legalization I I had stopped doing what I was involved with previous to that, and you know once I kind of realized, you know the statute of limitations are up.

00:38:18.270 --> 00:38:26.970 Mitch Pfeifer: i'm not going back to where I once was i'm focused on moving forward and being a part of this legal industry and I started being more of upfront and open with like hey.

00:38:27.300 --> 00:38:36.180 Mitch Pfeifer: i'm not i'm not just the cannabis consumer but i've been involved with this on multiple levels and in for a long time, you know, I have a lot of experience and i'm no longer.

00:38:37.110 --> 00:38:43.260 Mitch Pfeifer: You know i'm no longer frightened for my freedom to talk about it and i'm no longer really care if anyone has any thoughts about.

00:38:43.500 --> 00:38:52.260 Mitch Pfeifer: What I am or not, because people didn't wrote up in Rolling Stone for being entrepreneurs for this now, so I don't you know I no longer care about your judgment, you know.

00:38:52.560 --> 00:39:05.190 Jonathan Colavita: yeah and it's ironic, how it works, we keep those secrets, I remember even or vice versa, instead of you, keeping it from your parents right your parents keeping it from you.

00:39:06.330 --> 00:39:15.540 Jonathan Colavita: Like where, in my situation, I was sitting in a family Barbecue, this is not, this is only like a few years back and sit down a family Barbecue.

00:39:16.050 --> 00:39:30.210 Jonathan Colavita: And I talked about the medical marijuana farm and I was you know it was it's a it was a full fully operational fully licensed medical marijuana so I had taken the full dive in and which, in some ways, is actually works.

00:39:30.930 --> 00:39:31.410 Mitch Pfeifer: Right right.

00:39:31.650 --> 00:39:33.060 Jonathan Colavita: on the map, right in the beginning, but.

00:39:33.090 --> 00:39:33.330 Mitch Pfeifer: yeah.

00:39:33.660 --> 00:39:44.310 Jonathan Colavita: We said we were going to do it and we did, and we were fortunate on the exit strategy as well, the point is is that i'm sitting at the Barbecue and my aunt my aunt Susan.

00:39:45.510 --> 00:39:48.780 Jonathan Colavita: she's like oh Jonathan.

00:39:49.890 --> 00:39:59.670 Jonathan Colavita: it's not a big deal, how do you think mean your uncle Jim were able to pay for the furniture in our first apartment when you were i'm looking at it and going.

00:40:00.780 --> 00:40:02.700 Jonathan Colavita: What did you just say to me right now.

00:40:03.840 --> 00:40:09.780 Jonathan Colavita: physically on the record verbally just telling me that you were flipped and everybody was.

00:40:11.520 --> 00:40:22.470 Jonathan Colavita: Saying and then, and then it clicks and you're like out all right, you know, I was playing golf with yesterday at my club, and I also do appraisals on the side real estate appraisals because.

00:40:23.040 --> 00:40:29.640 Jonathan Colavita: That real estate is a huge portion of candidates as well, more it's probably the most valuable thing right now.

00:40:29.760 --> 00:40:42.360 Jonathan Colavita: Sure, the actual assets go and i'm playing with somebody who's a trust attorney and we you know we do appraisals will trust attorneys and he's like oh you do appraisals and everybody I know it does appraisal smokes weed.

00:40:42.930 --> 00:40:50.580 Jonathan Colavita: Or you know flip leading the past like it's great, and this is an eternity telling me this and, of course, he was more than happy to talk as well.

00:40:51.750 --> 00:41:06.840 Jonathan Colavita: And and but we were on the back, nine and you're in the back and nobody's around so nobody's looking and you're up so you know, make sure, whatever the only people that don't care the groundskeepers as long as you don't pass the funding the country club so there's that level of.

00:41:07.980 --> 00:41:21.030 Jonathan Colavita: Wanting to just explode and release that was part of the reason why we even did the show, so I commend you on doing that you know, being part of taking that step forward and doing that is something that's very hard and I feel like if you don't do that.

00:41:22.350 --> 00:41:25.770 Jonathan Colavita: you're never going to make it into the space you're never going to get that kind of respect.

00:41:26.220 --> 00:41:35.400 Mitch Pfeifer: Right and that's you know we talk all day about breaking the stigma and that's the reason for the show it's a reason anyone in the industry that's a big goal of theirs and.

00:41:36.270 --> 00:41:42.480 Mitch Pfeifer: You know I think to certain extent once I kind of internalize that it's I have to be true to myself and.

00:41:42.930 --> 00:41:53.190 Mitch Pfeifer: and be a little bit more upfront with my story otherwise my own shame is helping keep this this stigma alive, you know and, but I do understand for people out there that.

00:41:54.060 --> 00:42:04.350 Mitch Pfeifer: come from a place of fear, because that was a big part of this, you know free free industry, so I do sympathize and empathize with most people being a little bit more reserved.

00:42:05.280 --> 00:42:09.810 Jonathan Colavita: And then on the flip side of that you have the professionals now from.

00:42:10.860 --> 00:42:15.540 Jonathan Colavita: the corporate world that you know I can ask them well have you ever even.

00:42:16.080 --> 00:42:26.550 Jonathan Colavita: Like been part of the cannabis Community culture your consulting people on how to write a business plan you know anybody can write a business plan you know any.

00:42:27.120 --> 00:42:34.740 Jonathan Colavita: Oh haha I could look that up on the Internet and five seconds, but have you infused yourself with the culture, no i've never even touched marijuana my life.

00:42:35.010 --> 00:42:42.000 Jonathan Colavita: Okay, so you're going to tell me how to sell it and produce it and develop it and connect to an audience into a culture into a community.

00:42:42.630 --> 00:42:52.020 Jonathan Colavita: Because you're selling, so we need lawyers, we need bankers, we need those people, but we also need those who are interwoven to the very fabric of.

00:42:52.530 --> 00:43:02.820 Jonathan Colavita: What the Community is and the music the music is really a huge part of that wouldn't say ziggy marley I think we've got to be true to myself when you said that, for I thought ziggy marley.

00:43:03.270 --> 00:43:03.810 Mitch Pfeifer: Right right.

00:43:04.170 --> 00:43:17.460 Jonathan Colavita: good to be true to myself, I agree so we're going to take a little break Mitch, thank you we're going to be true to ourselves and take a little short one will be back and stay tears Poc Poc or low low coming back.

00:43:21.390 --> 00:43:21.660 Mitch Pfeifer: You.

00:43:21.870 --> 00:43:22.320 And my.

00:45:34.710 --> 00:45:44.700 Jonathan Colavita: Hello everybody, this is Johnny tsunami planet Poc Hello we're back and we're here with Mitch five for flying in the planet pato low low and take a little stop.

00:45:44.970 --> 00:45:48.690 Jonathan Colavita: For the end of the show the last segment, the message to the audience.

00:45:48.960 --> 00:46:04.680 Jonathan Colavita: Where we talk to our guests and we asked them what do you really think is the most important message you want to get out there, the people you serve in the cannabis industry so Mitch, you are a marketing and music aficionado you have worked with multiple.

00:46:05.310 --> 00:46:11.820 Jonathan Colavita: Companies and brands what's the message that you want to give to your cannabis professionals.

00:46:12.360 --> 00:46:18.780 Mitch Pfeifer: um you know something that's reoccurring, and just going to hop in meetings and consulting sessions lately uses being creative.

00:46:19.980 --> 00:46:30.300 Mitch Pfeifer: We talked about a little bit of the star of some of the challenges of marketing in this space and a lot of those are rooted in you know regulation like we said whether its terms of service or state regulation.

00:46:31.980 --> 00:46:42.030 Mitch Pfeifer: And some of those roadblocks people just view as simple roadblocks but you know, sometimes they can be building blocks to find unique channels and outlets to go where no one else is going.

00:46:43.560 --> 00:46:50.550 Mitch Pfeifer: And I just think creative approaches, you know instagram or Facebook is not friendly to cannabis brands, but.

00:46:50.790 --> 00:46:57.630 Mitch Pfeifer: The advertising and the targeting you know the audience targeting of those tools are some best in class when it comes to marketing.

00:46:57.960 --> 00:47:05.670 Mitch Pfeifer: And they can absolutely be used for cannabis, but it has to be done in a creative way and that's something that we've been big and helping clients with.

00:47:06.480 --> 00:47:16.080 Mitch Pfeifer: And a lot of the things that we we do people just don't seem to even have never thought of and and to me they seem kind of obvious so whether people work with.

00:47:16.350 --> 00:47:24.330 Mitch Pfeifer: myself or people like myself, I just encourage the Community to be creative and seek you know view challenges as opportunities.

00:47:25.200 --> 00:47:38.070 Mitch Pfeifer: Because wherever there's a challenge in this industry it's something we're all facing so that also means that there might be a lane to kind of carve off the beaten path and and really grab some market share or build some awareness, where no one else's going for it.

00:47:39.180 --> 00:47:43.950 Jonathan Colavita: And what do you offer your clients that differentiates you from let's say the competition.

00:47:44.910 --> 00:47:54.510 Mitch Pfeifer: One definitely is rooted and being created like I just said, being creative you know we're really open to being creative whether that's being creative with execution and the channels of execution.

00:47:55.920 --> 00:48:08.790 Mitch Pfeifer: or utilizing tools creatively in this space, you know instagram is a huge it's a huge hurdle, but it's a huge benefit and huge focus of of marketing and cannabis and the influencer marketing is is.

00:48:09.270 --> 00:48:16.050 Mitch Pfeifer: Primarily, like the main outlet people run to to work with which is great to build like follower counts, but there's.

00:48:17.160 --> 00:48:23.220 Mitch Pfeifer: You know instagram and then back to another thing that we talked about you know the power of social medias and connected and in networking.

00:48:23.550 --> 00:48:32.460 Mitch Pfeifer: and throwing crazy budget influencers to shout you out sure that can grow your followers it can give you some awareness, but you're not using that tool.

00:48:33.090 --> 00:48:42.510 Mitch Pfeifer: The way that it was designed the social media was designed to build relationships and build rapport and to network with individuals and a lot of brands miss out on that, so I think.

00:48:42.930 --> 00:48:48.390 Mitch Pfeifer: We take approaches like even like that hey you want to do influencer marketing, that means that you take instagram seriously.

00:48:48.870 --> 00:49:03.900 Mitch Pfeifer: let's push you a little bit towards like some traditional ways of how to actually grassroots use this platform to impact, the bottom line, instead of just working with influencers and looking at certain metrics that might be just for vanity honestly.

00:49:04.950 --> 00:49:18.930 Mitch Pfeifer: And so it comes with a little bit of execution a little bit of consulting and I think just a big mix of you know, myself and my team really come from the culture of cannabis we've been involved with the business of cannabis again since pre pre.

00:49:20.070 --> 00:49:29.790 Mitch Pfeifer: recreation and we also have worked, you know done some corporate work and work with clients and have some real world experience understanding marketing and building brands and building awareness.

00:49:30.600 --> 00:49:41.160 Mitch Pfeifer: So we just bring kind of what we like to call the best of both worlds, the bridge between both worlds and then just a really creative approach, whether it's an execution or or thinking.

00:49:42.210 --> 00:49:48.900 Jonathan Colavita: influencers and that was a key word that you just said and you're gonna have you kind of elaborate a little bit on that you've got.

00:49:50.220 --> 00:49:52.950 Jonathan Colavita: I can even save the laundry list of celebrities.

00:49:53.040 --> 00:50:10.650 Jonathan Colavita: Here i'm out Mike Tyson snoop dogg I mean Steve urkel was the Julia light, he is purple Oracle I mean back tell give me your thoughts on purple Oracle and i'm not saying purple article specifically but just you know he's the latter, I need a little bit give me side.

00:50:11.040 --> 00:50:17.820 Mitch Pfeifer: yeah I love, I mean I love that i'm very much I won't say anti but very weary of celebrity brands.

00:50:19.020 --> 00:50:32.670 Mitch Pfeifer: Simply because it's become a you know quick slap your name on something and sell it and as someone that comes from this and I really prefer a quality product and i'm very educate, you know there's a lot that I want from a product and.

00:50:33.000 --> 00:50:35.700 Mitch Pfeifer: When you associate a name to it, you build up this.

00:50:36.240 --> 00:50:44.400 Mitch Pfeifer: mystique in your head Oh, if he if seth rogen is involved with snoop dogg's involved in must be the best of the best because they're such an experienced smoker and it's.

00:50:44.700 --> 00:50:55.020 Mitch Pfeifer: If that celebrities not actively involved in making sure that product is consistent with that story, then you just consumers are just let down from the get go, but when it comes to Julio.

00:50:56.640 --> 00:51:05.010 Mitch Pfeifer: I think that came at a time where people were fatigued on celebrities and that, on the surface level is a celebrity like this makes no sense but it's so.

00:51:05.370 --> 00:51:18.750 Mitch Pfeifer: fun and so unique and every I mean everybody knows Steve I mean you're over the age of you know if you're anyone that can legally smoke weed probably knows who Steve urkel is and so.

00:51:19.080 --> 00:51:28.170 Mitch Pfeifer: it's it brings this whole conversation, you know what I mean like your parent, you know your parent my parents who might not smoke weed like that's an interesting dinner.

00:51:28.740 --> 00:51:38.490 Mitch Pfeifer: dinner table conversation for them, so I think things like that literally help break the stigma and just amplify the conversation while creating incredibly like.

00:51:38.940 --> 00:51:50.610 Mitch Pfeifer: fun products and they partnered with 710 labs who is someone you know personally i'd say you don't even need to question the quality, you know you don't have to question the quality they're not going to do anything quality.

00:51:50.790 --> 00:51:53.220 Jonathan Colavita: yeah seven times on point yeah yeah.

00:51:54.570 --> 00:52:06.090 Jonathan Colavita: Now i'm thinking of this this other instance where you have to go back to the startup the original people that have zero influence.

00:52:06.360 --> 00:52:17.370 Jonathan Colavita: Last night at 1230 at night or something like that the rock who obviously is I mean they did a poll on this guy and he could run for free, if you wanted to.

00:52:18.090 --> 00:52:26.610 Jonathan Colavita: And he's got tequila and he's like all right, you know, and I love the rock he's a fucking stud but you know he's got he's like all right it's 1230 at night.

00:52:27.060 --> 00:52:39.720 Jonathan Colavita: And i'm drinking my tequila you know and here's to all you guys that drink mind secure you know and he's like it's two things well i'm still working I know you're working it because he's got that hustle mentality so.

00:52:40.500 --> 00:52:46.710 Jonathan Colavita: eating into the internal hustler inside of you, the rock that's inside of you right.

00:52:46.890 --> 00:52:54.150 Jonathan Colavita: Right laying off of that but, but this you know anything about tequila know this George clooney know.

00:52:54.210 --> 00:52:54.660 Jonathan Colavita: Does hate.

00:52:54.720 --> 00:52:59.340 Jonathan Colavita: That lady gaga was the spokesperson for polaroid what does she know about taking a friggin photo.

00:52:59.430 --> 00:53:14.880 Jonathan Colavita: We know it doesn't it has no place but they built themselves up as a brand in and of themselves So how do you differentiate and bring somebody back to ground one who's let's say new to the industry and say.

00:53:15.480 --> 00:53:21.330 Jonathan Colavita: This is why it's touching about what you said you shouldn't be worried about connecting to some influencer you.

00:53:21.870 --> 00:53:33.900 Jonathan Colavita: Know story, you need to have your own you need to be that thing that eventually you know you say that name and it resonates the rock cookies whatever it is.

00:53:34.050 --> 00:53:49.080 Jonathan Colavita: Right relay that message back to let's say a new person who's trying to get out there, and so I got the best weed out there and I want everybody to know that or i've got the best idea and I think that you know, this is the cat's pajamas, how do you how do you bring their.

00:53:49.140 --> 00:53:49.380 Mitch Pfeifer: What.

00:53:49.500 --> 00:53:49.950 Mitch Pfeifer: I mean so.

00:53:50.640 --> 00:53:59.130 Mitch Pfeifer: Sometimes the influencer can be the best spend right like it could be, you know hiring snoop dogg to do it into one minute video endorsing you.

00:53:59.460 --> 00:54:07.710 Mitch Pfeifer: or come into your dispensary could be the single best spend you do you know all year or, for you know it started to start in history, your brand.

00:54:08.160 --> 00:54:15.030 Mitch Pfeifer: More than likely it's not going to be, you know, and so in even if you are doing that you need to authentically build.

00:54:15.720 --> 00:54:23.640 Mitch Pfeifer: know what your narrative is and be able to speak to that a celebrity should be able to amplify that or bring their audience to that, but you.

00:54:23.910 --> 00:54:33.150 Mitch Pfeifer: Regardless of using them or not, you need to understand what your narrative is and how to communicate that out, and then the celebrity or the influencer can be that amplification channel.

00:54:34.320 --> 00:54:45.990 Mitch Pfeifer: But a lot of people put their eggs in like oh we're just going to bring you know some rapper who was popular 20 years ago to the dispensary because that it's an affordable price and that's going to get us on the map and it's like.

00:54:46.560 --> 00:54:53.100 Mitch Pfeifer: What what What do people care, you know can't can the beverage came out to one of the number one beverages in California.

00:54:53.700 --> 00:55:04.560 Mitch Pfeifer: And I don't know if they did an influencer campaign or not, but Ellen spoke about it on our show, I was drinking can, and she mentioned is loads seat thc so anyone can try it like that is worth.

00:55:05.310 --> 00:55:11.100 Mitch Pfeifer: 10s of millions of dollars and attention in my in my mind I don't even know if they paid for that you know yeah yeah.

00:55:11.190 --> 00:55:19.080 Jonathan Colavita: I remember when we were up in maine wiz Khalifa came up to do you know to run around a couple of dispensary but it's like dude.

00:55:19.650 --> 00:55:32.160 Jonathan Colavita: yeah but you're in maine so that was great for the people of maine but main is eight you know you know eight times the size of New Jersey, meanwhile, new jersey's like you know the highest population density in the United States.

00:55:32.280 --> 00:55:42.030 Jonathan Colavita: Right oh would probably made more of an impact of wiz came over to Jersey, but he's there all the time, and you know somebody probably spend a decent amount of money to get was over there in the.

00:55:42.660 --> 00:55:55.230 Jonathan Colavita: y Z going to me, you know and to me that's where it's like you got to spend your money right and that's where it goes back to the original conversation the beginning what's the Roi what's the return on the investment.

00:55:55.500 --> 00:56:12.600 Jonathan Colavita: And I think that's where the message here is to say to people that that's why even more, you need to have somebody such as yourself, such as myself that's been infused in the Community to be able to tap into your story we don't have a story inside of us.

00:56:12.720 --> 00:56:13.080 Mitch Pfeifer: Right.

00:56:13.170 --> 00:56:28.110 Jonathan Colavita: But you need somebody to kind of help you get that story out and bring it to market and that's where you come in so it's been an absolute pleasure today Mitch having you come on the show what do you think the story of cannabis is for the future.

00:56:28.560 --> 00:56:32.910 Mitch Pfeifer: What do we have ministered it's just getting written, you know the book is just started.

00:56:34.080 --> 00:56:42.540 Mitch Pfeifer: But I think it's I think it's going to be a piece of you know I think it's already changed the world in certain regards and I think it's going to continue to do that on a much, much larger scale.

00:56:42.990 --> 00:56:52.740 Jonathan Colavita: All that i'm glad that you're one of the gentlemen that's going to be helping us do that Mitch Pfeiffer thanks for flying into planet pocket low low low i'm Johnny tsunami.

00:56:53.130 --> 00:57:06.840 Jonathan Colavita: This planet pocket low low low every Thursday 6pm don't miss it next week we're going to have another guest another topic and a great time was a pleasure everybody have a great night take care.

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