You're Not An Imposter (Trust Me)

Welcome to the first A Green Legacy Insight newsletter of 2023! This ain't your daddy's stuffy newsletter. You’re partying with over 3200 cannabis entrepreneurs, professionals, and enthusiasts who are navigating the highs and lows of the cannabis industry.

'Round these parts, it's no secret that things can get wild! A Green Legacy is here to help you take your idea, business, and career to new levels – no sweat necessary!

We'll take things one leaf 🍃 at a time and connect you to the people, opportunities, and "uncured" commentary from our favorite industry!

What are The Most Frustrating Parts Of Being A Cannabis Service-Based Business Owner/Leader?

As we get into 2023, I decided to ask LinkedIn about their cannabis business frustrations. At first, I was surprised to see "imposter syndrome" and "communicating value" at the top. Then I began thinking about the questions I get asked most often by cannabis entrepreneurs seeking advice.

How can I reach my target audience effectively? What marketing channels should I use? How do I get the media to write about me? What organizations should I partner with?

Before I can offer helpful advice, I need crystal-clear answers to 3 questions...

• What problem does your business solve?

• Who specifically are you solving it for?

• What's your differentiator in the market?

They seem like easy questions, but many people struggle to answer all three.

Below is the not-so-secret process I recommend (and use myself) to help quiet imposter syndrome and make communicating my business's value way less intimidating and way MORE clear.

Crystalize Your Features and Benefits

The only way to answer questions like, How can I reach my target audience effectively? What marketing channels should I use? How do I get the media to write about me? What organizations should I partner with? – is to get clear about your business's features and benefits.

Clarity breeds confidence...

Clarity also means you're more likely to get media coverage, secure long-lasting partnerships, and spend less money on content and other things that won't really help your business.

I was struggling BADLY with this 2020-2021.

Someone would ask me, what's A Green Legacy, and my heart would race with embarrassment. I'd stumble with my answer because I was doing THEEE ABSOLUTE MOST – too many focuses, too many audiences, and not enough differentiation.

I spoke with a local business center and worked with a business coach --- both forced me to lay out the features and benefits of my offers.

BAYBAY THIS WAS A GAME-CHANGER!

Some Examples

Features = what something does

Benefits = what’s in it for the customer

It sounds easy, but most people lean on features and either leave out the benefit or they focus on what they THINK is beneficial without stress testing it with their target audience.

This is even true for workers who are eyeing a promotion or interviewing for a new job. While we may call them "tasks" and "results or value" instead of "features" and "benefits" the concept still tracks.

People often talk about the facts of what they did in their role:

I manage the email marketing team providing guidance and oversight for brand launches and company-wide initiatives.

Without highlighting the benefits of what they did:

I manage the email marketing team under my guidance and oversight customer retention increased by 20% and abandoned cart rates decreased by 10%.

The difference between the two statements is huge, right!?!? The most important difference, however, will be how much more confident you'll feel when speaking.

Check out how a few cannabis brands highlight their features and benefits:

Try It Out

Over the next few weeks I want you to try this:

Think of your main offer, service, or product. List 5 features related to your offer then ask: SO What?

For example:

I'll focus on A Green Legacy's influencer marketing campaign offer.

Features include: strategy development, influencer sourcing, influencer coordination, contract negotiation, end-of-campaign reporting

Benefits/SO WHAT? so cannabis business leaders can grow their reach without growing their workload.

Once you've gotten this far, take it a step further by turning it into a statement with the Madlib-style guide below.

My feature statement: My company, A Green Legacy provides influencer marketing so cannabis leaders can grow their reach without growing their workload.

You'll continue to tweak your statement over time. The goal with this exercise is getting a clear foundation so you can start feeling like the badass you are!

Learning and applying this process has been critical for quieting my imposter syndrome and communicating my business's value more effectively. I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me.

Message or tag me on Linkedin and let me know how it goes.

The Green Room News

Welcome to The Green Room, where you can grab a few puffs of news updates that may have slipped past you.

In case you didn't catch the shit show going down at Curaleaf – Let’s do a quick run-through, shall we?

• Pulls out of the following markets via press release

  • Colorado

  • Oregon

  • California

• In that very same press release, they literally dropped over 200 employees

• The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is investigating MSO Curaleaf for the alleged unauthorized use of a radiation machine dating to 2020.

• Last but not least, their billionaire CEO (emphasis on billionaire - *ahem clears throat*) Boris Jordan, went on Twitter Spaces and claimed criticism of Curaleaf is bordering on racism and he may sue NYC over social equity!

What in the Russian money is going on? Excuse me Boris, but your privilege is showing, chill out!

Available For Hire

Almost Consulting: Offering, email marketing ($500/newsletter), analytics for site/social/email (starting at $1k), or strategy sessions ($350/hour). For more information contact Kieryn Wang by email at [email protected] or head to almostconsulting.com

Hi Five Sensory is a cannabis consulting business startup that is offering sensory training, consulting, quality programs, and more. Starting at $150 (CAD) an hour. For more information contact Amanda Plunkett at [email protected] or check out hifivesensory.com

Jonalyn Delos Santos, an email marketing specialist, is accepting new email clients. Their email marketing packages start at $999. Jonalyn can be reached on LinkedIn or by email at [email protected].

Opportunities

MsKindness Riviera is looking for California retail and cultivation cannabis workers, to participate in a research survey for UCLA. Participants will receive a $40 gift card for their time. If you’d like to participate schedule time with MsKindness here.

FlowerHire is hiring for a National Sales Director. FlowerHire is a rapidly-expanding Cannabis Ancillary company seeking experienced B2B Sales Leaders to join their remote team as they grow and create partnerships with Cannabis Growers and Cultivation leaders nationwide. This is a full-time opportunity with a salary range of $80,000/yr - $100,000/yr.

Jointly is hiring for a Senior Software Engineer (Remote). Jointly is the cannabis discovery company, powered by a proprietary data platform. They are looking for a senior software engineer to design and implement new features and evolve our platform. This is a full-time opportunity with a salary range of $140,000/yr - $180,000/yr., Email your resume to [email protected].

Did you know A Green Legacy is an integrated marketing consultancy?

We help our clients get unstuck and save time Influencer Marketing Campaigns | Public Relations | Organic Marketing Strategy | Social Media Strategy & Management | Content Development | Executive Visibility and Positioning | Marketing Mentorship.

When You're ready, there are 3 ways we can help you:

1. Free 30-minute consult: Need a boost for your business? Struggling with how to make big changes without taking on more work and hassle? Schedule a free 30-minute consult – let's explore if A Green Legacy is the partner you need. BOOK HERE

2. Promote yourself to 3200+ subscribers by sponsoring this email.

Shoot us an email with the subject line: Newsletter Sponsor @ [email protected] 

3: If you'd like to be listed in the Available For Hire or Opportunities sections of our next newsletter complete THIS FORM