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Crafting the Perfect Smoke: Inside the World of Cannabis Accessories with Brian GerberKarson Humiston welcomes Bryan Gerber, co-founder and CEO, of Hemper and Hara Supply, also known as the "King of Cones." The nickname stems from a Forbes article that highlighted Bryan's success in building a $75 million pre-roll empire. Both Karson and Bryan reminisce about their college days and the realization that they are no longer the young entrepreneurs they once were, with Bryan approaching his 33rd birthday.Brian recounts the early days of his business, which started when he was 23 years old, shortly after graduating from George Washington University. He shares the story of how he convinced his roommates to start a subscription box for smoking accessories, despite being called crazy at the time. The business, launched on May 1st, 2015, was inspired by the subscription economy trend, with companies like Birchbox and Dollar Shave Club making waves. Hemper's initial concept was akin to a "Birchbox for stoners."The subscription box took off when they introduced a guest-curated concept, where celebrities would select items for the box, allowing subscribers to "smoke like Snoop Dogg" for a month. This concept rapidly increased their revenue, and within six months, they were processing six figures monthly. From just a couple of hundred subscribers in the first four months, Hemper grew to over 30,000 subscribers.As the business evolved, Hemper faced the challenge of keeping the subscription boxes fresh and interesting. They decided to develop their own products, becoming an authority in enhancing the smoking ritual. Brian mentions the Jolly Pop, a water pipe that resembles a lollipop, as an example of their innovative products.The conversation shifts to Hemper's expansion into retail stores. Brian explains their strategy of leveraging the brand's power to drive traffic to retailers by announcing the availability of Hemper products in specific locations. They positioned themselves as a partner to retailers, not just a supplier, and emphasized their strong online presence, including a significant Instagram following, to support retail partners.Bryan also discusses the company's foray into manufacturing pre-roll cones. Initially, they were approached by Kush Bottles (now KushCo Holdings) to fill a market shortage. Brian's business partner, RJ, went to India to learn the cone-making process, as all cones are handmade due to the fragility of the paper. They now run 15 manufacturing sites in India with about 4,000 employees, producing around 100 million cones a month, primarily for the North American market.Despite the challenges, such as the vape crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, Bryan notes that these events positively impacted their business by driving consumers back to pre-rolls and increasing sales.Looking to the future, Bryan envisions moving into automation for cone production and continuing to innovate with product development. He also plans to expand into Europe, with Germany's recent legalization being a significant opportunity.Bryan concludes by offering advice to his younger self and to aspiring entrepreneurs: avoid shiny object syndrome, stay focused, and be willing to reinvent the business model as needed. He encourages listeners to reach out via email or LinkedIn if they're interested in joining the Hemper team, emphasizing the value of taking initiative.https://www.hemper.co/https://harasupply.com/TIMESTAMP:00:00:00 - Introduction to Brian Gerber00:00:39 - Brian's Age and Feeling Old00:01:02 - College Graduation Years00:01:18 - Starting Hemper at 2300:01:34 - The Idea Behind Subscription Boxes00:02:38 - Celebrity Curated Boxes and Growth00:03:11 - Transition to Creating Own Products00:03:35 - The Jolly Pop Product Discussion00:04:22 - Moving to Retail and Distribution Strategy00:07:03 - Funding and Financial Growth00:08:10 - Decision to Focus on Profitability00:08:37 - Expanding into Retail Stores00:11:00 - The Shift to Pre-Roll Cones Production00:13:42 - The Handmade Process of Cone Production00:14:44 - Domestic Operations in Las Vegas00:17:03 - Future Plans and Expanding into Europe00:20:20 - Hiring the Right People00:23:35 - Impact of Vape Crisis and COVID on Business00:25:13 - Brian's Vision for the Next Decade00:26:14 - Advice to Younger Self00:27:30 - The Importance of Reinventing the Business00:28:12 - How to Get in Touch and Join the Team Produce By PodConxWatch Video - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNZI8qZy0lKxLO4OTk6P-twKarson Humiston - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karson-humiston-64572b97/Vangst - https://vangst.com/Recorded on SquadcastSound Design by Jamie Humiston
Nick Kovacevich, Chief Executive Officer at Greenlane Holdings discusses his journey of taking a small start called Kush Bottles to becoming a leading provider of ancillary cannabis products and accessories. Kovacevich was recently the CEO and Chairman of KushCo Holdings, another industry pioneer, which merged into Greenlane in September 2021. Nasdaq: GNLN
KushCo Holdings with Nick Kovacevich, CEO, Co-founder, and chairman. KushCo Holdings has a diversified business model including Kush Bottles, a dynamic sales platform that is the nation’s largest and most respected distributor of packaging, supplies, and accessories, Kush Energy, which provides ultra-pure hydrocarbon gases and solvents to the cannabis and CBD sector, Hybrid Creative, a premier creative design agency for cannabis and non-cannabis ventures, and Koleto Packaging Solutions, the research and development arm driving intellectual property development and acquisitions. Recent reports are stating that vapes, concentrates, and smoked flower sales have flattened or even dropped in some locations while edible and tincture sales have increased.
KushCo Holdings with Nick Kovacevich, CEO, Co-founder, and chairman. KushCo Holdings has a diversified business model including Kush Bottles, a dynamic sales platform that is the nation’s largest and most respected distributor of packaging, supplies, and accessories, Kush Energy, which provides ultra-pure hydrocarbon gases and solvents to the cannabis and CBD sector, Hybrid Creative, a premier creative design agency for cannabis and non-cannabis ventures, and Koleto Packaging Solutions, the research and development arm driving intellectual property development and acquisitions. Recent reports are stating that vapes, concentrates, and smoked flower sales have flattened or even dropped in some locations while edible and tincture sales have increased.
Nick Kovacevich is the Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of KushCo Holdings, a publicly-traded company providing ancillary products and services to businesses operating in various industries, including legal cannabis and CBD. It was formerly known as Kush Bottles.Nick became CEO 5 years ago and has grown the business dramatically – from under $2M to nearly $150M in sales and the team from less than 12 to more than 250 people, as well as diversified the business into five categories and operations in multiple states and countries. For a non-tech company, that is still tech company growth rates!Prior to KushCo, he helped co-found another successful company here, BigRentz, a leader in online commercial equipment rental. He remains on their board today. He also has a number of other business holdings.I have to note that he was captain of his college basketball team at Southwest Baptist University, which was a dream I always had growing up in Indiana, playing basketball. He was also a great student there, graduating with high distinction. Like prior guests at Accelerate OC, I think he was born an entrepreneur. He had his first business shortly after college, joining a friend (and now longtime business partner) in one called Pack My Dorm, which they successfully sold in 2010.With KushCo, Nick has become an expert on the cannabis industry, and he speaks and writes about it often in mainstream media and at events. We had a good discussion about the value of developing industry expertise as an entrepreneur.Nick and his team have a front row seat in the evolving and fast-growing cannabis industry. No matter how you feel about it, it's an exciting and dynamic industry with a lot of change in it.
In this week's episode of The Real Dirt Podcast, Chip and his Co-Host Justin Jones (Dank Dispensary, Kush Bottles) call up Brett Terry. Brett works with Front Range Biosciences in Boulder, CO. he has already obtained his permit to grow industrial hemp in Alabama, and coming from a growing background, he's seen some issues already. Sit back, roll one up, and hear how Alabama is dealing with their new hemp industry, who's getting involved and why on this week's episode of The Real Dirt Podcast. For more grow tips, news and cool content, follow @therealdirtpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, and join our private facebook group where we talk all things cannabis with over 500 other ganjapreneurs.
On this Real Dirt Hempisode, Chip and his Co-Host Justin Jones (Dank Dispensary, Kush Bottles) talk with Mike Leago from the International Hemp Exchange. The three talk about the rising amount of farmers getting into the legal hemp industry, the problems they are facing and how iHempX is helping hundreds of hemp sellers and buyers connect through their online platform. Roll one up and hear about the rising trends in hemp, the explosion of CBD and where the industry is headed on this week's episode of The Real Dirt Podcast!
In this week’s episode, Brandon welcomes Matt Nordgren, CEO of Arcadian Fund to the show. Matt and his team have deployed capital in some of the premier cannabis companies, including Meadow, Kush Bottles, Treez, Wurk, BDS Analytics, and Baker. Arcadian focused exclusively on ancillary companies in Fund 1, but as Matt gears up for Fund 2, the focus will shift to plant touching. Brandon and Matt also dive deep into his team’s due diligence process, co-investing in cannabis, and what new trends he’s following in the industry. Tune in, listen up, and get acquainted with Matt and Arcadian!
CannaInsider - Interviews with the Business Leaders of The Legal Cannabis, Marijuana, CBD Industry
A firefighter out of college, Cody Shirk’s expertise in finance is self-taught. Today he’s a full-time investor and the founder of Explorer Equity Group (EEG), a global alternative asset manager that works to capitalize on investment opportunities off-the-beaten-path. With investments in industry household names including Kush Bottles and Regulated Solutions, Cody’s latest non-mainstream investments lie in - you guessed it - cannabis. In this episode, Cody shares his insights on the future of cannabis and advice for both entrepreneurs and investors looking to break into the industry. Follow Cody at https://www.explorerequity.com/canna Key Takeaways: - Cody’s background in investing and how he came to start Explorer Equity Group and Explorer Partnership - Ongoing propaganda against cannabis and how the industry is working to improve public perception - The cannabis businesses Cody has invested in thus far, including Kush Bottles and Regulated Solutions - What Cody looks for when investing in cannabis businesses and his advice to startups seeking funding - Cody’s outlook on startup investment and the price of cannabis over the next 1-2 years - Asia and South America’s developing economies and the exciting investment opportunities within - Cody’s tips on how entrepreneurs should go about approaching investors as well as ways investors can determine the best entrepreneurs to get behind To learn more, visit: https://www.explorerequity.com/canna
In this episode, Brandon welcomes CEO Nick Kovacevich of Kush Bottles to the show. Since 2010, Nick and his team have built Kush Bottles into a publicly traded powerhouse of the cannabis industry. KSHB provides everything from vape carts to packaging and labels for cannabis businesses. Since retaking the reins as CEO in 2014, Nick and his team have raised over $10 million in equity and executed almost $30 million in stock acquisitions. While politics aren’t his passion, Nick believes that 2018 will be the year that cannabis becomes a core wedge issue in American politics. Lastly, Nick prefers flower and if you want to join his awesome team check out https://careers.kushbottles.com/. Tune in, listen up, get acquainted!
How can branded packaging help you stand out from the competition? Nicholas Kovacevich, CEO of KUSH BOTTLES INC (OTCQB: KSHB) explains the company's unique approach to packaging products and solutions.
In 2008, Greg Gamet was a landscaper with dreams to grow medical cannabis and $1500 to start do it. He went to Cultivate Colorado to buy a grow tent, a 3x3 tray and "something to grow hydro." He talked to his wife and said, "I want to grow my own medical cannabis in the basement." Of course, you need your wife's blessing to do anything. Greg is one of the guys that believes anyone can do what he did - because he did with next to nothing. He then went from cutting to growing grass to getting one of the first legal cannabis cultivation licenses in the country. Today, Greg owns DANK Dispensary, Kush Bottles, Cannascore, and Denver Consulting Group.
First up on this week's Food Talk, Mike speaks with Nick Kovacevich, co-founder & CEO of Kush Bottles. Founded in 2010, their mission is to provide innovative packaging solutions for dispensaries, growers, retail shops, and consumers throughout the legal cannabis industry. After a break, we return with Kamal Kouiri, the general manager and wine director of Molyvos in Manhattan's Midtown West. One of New York’s most beloved Greek restaurants since its opening in 1997, Molyvos has won numerous awards, including Wine Enthusiast’s “100 Best Wine Restaurants” in 2015 and 2016 as well as making their “Five Best Wine Bars in New York City.” Finally, Mike is joined by Stett Holbrook, editor of Bohemian, an alternative weekly in Santa Rosa, California. He is also a contributor to the Food & Environment Reporting Network (FERN), and has written a piece on new resorts and vineyards in the Napa Valley that are threatening the region's water supplies.
Dallas Imbimbo, a College Works Alumni, is on the show today! Dallas is co-founder at BigRentz and the founder of Kush Bottles. Jason Reid and Dallas have a great discussion about why Dallas became an entrepreneur and how his experience with College Works as an Intern has helped along the way. Show Notes: Dallas is the founder and CEO of Big Rentz, the "Uber for construction equipment" Dallas has been an entrepreneur since he was 10 years-old Dallas' advice to young entrepreneurs, “Don’t let anyone ever outwork you." How timing plus product creates unique businesses How Dallas has cultivated a unique work environment for his employees Why Dallas starts each day before the sun comes up (and why he takes frequent breaks) Why it’s important to maintain your competitive edge (especially outside the office) Where Dallas sees himself (and his businesses) in 20 years Fast Five: Favorite quote: “Do or do not there is no try.” — Yoda Favorite app: Postdates (on-demand delivery) Favorite TV show: Entourage, Silicon Valley Favorite book: The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell Favorite technology: Nike Air Mag Marty McFlys (sneakers from Back To The Future II)
Dez White, Founder of Invisible Text, Invisible Social, Invisible Call and Invisible Email. Wouldn't it be nice to have your messages, texts, etc invisible from snoopy eyes! Dex teaches our listeners how to start a business just like this!Nick Kovacevich, Co-Founder & CEO of Kush Bottles
John Nemo former Associated Press Reporter, Author, Award-Winning PR Director and Social Media Consultant. He is the creator of LinkedIn Riches, an online training program that helps brands,businesses and individuals leverage LinkedIn to instantly generate more leads, clients and revenue. John is also the founder and CEO of Nemo Media Group Dallas Imbimbo Founder of Kush Bottles, Inc., the nation's leading manufacturer and supplier of state certified and approved child resistant containers for the growing alternative healthcare and pharmaceutical industies Nina Kani principal and founder of Kani Law Group, which is a boutique law firm focusing exclusively in all aspects of employment law, including compliance counseling and employment litigation
Everett Jolly interviews Nicholas Kovacevich, CEO of Kush Bottles (KSHB) and talks about the Marijuana Investors Summit in San Francisco and the Kush Bottles brand We are pleased to share the following UPTICK Network Stock Day Radio Show and Podcast content. The CEOs interviewed on Stock Day did not incur any charges for their time with Uptick CEO Everett Jolly. Uptick staff is always looking for exciting companies to bring to our interested readers and listeners. Contact us if you would like further information on the UPTICK Network or Uptick services.