"Empowering Women in the Evolving Landscape of Cannabis Funding" In the fast-growing Arizona cannabis industry, Sara Gullickson, CEO of Cannabis Business Advisors, is a trailblazer for women. She joins Kyra Reed to shares insights on navigating the challenges of raising capital for women in the cannabis sector. Sara emphasizes the importance of solid business plans, the right team, and considering partnerships or equity sharing to help social equity applicants overcome financial barriers and turn their licenses into valuable assets. Produced By PodConx
"Empowering Women in the Evolving Landscape of Cannabis Funding"
In the fast-growing Arizona cannabis industry, Sara Gullickson, CEO of Cannabis Business Advisors, is a trailblazer for women. She joins Kyra Reed to shares insights on navigating the challenges of raising capital for women in the cannabis sector. Sara emphasizes the importance of solid business plans, the right team, and considering partnerships or equity sharing to help social equity applicants overcome financial barriers and turn their licenses into valuable assets.
Kyra Reed - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyrareed/
Women Leading in Cannabis - https://podconx.com/podcasts/women-leading-in-cannabis
Sara Gullickson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/saragullickson/
Cannabis Business Advisors - https://thecannabisbusinessadvisors.com/
Women in Cannabis Mentoring Program - https://hopin.com/events/roadmaptofunding/registration
The Arizona cannabis industry is on [00:01:00] fire, and this woman is blazing a wide trail for other women.
Today we're talking with Sarah Gullickson, chief Executive Officer of Cannabis Business Advisors. Welcome back to Women Leading In Cannabis, where we get real about what it takes for women to raise money in cannabis. You can find us on the Pod Connects network on iTunes, Spotify, and Pandora. I'm your host, Kira Reed.
If you like what you hear, subscribe to women leading in cannabis and leave us a good review. We'd surely appreciate it. I wanna give a shout out to our patrons, the Panther Group, for their ongoing support of women in cannabis and their mission to close the funding gap that women face when it comes to raising capital.
Thank you for supporting this podcast and women employed in cannabis. Alright, welcome to the show, Sarah. Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here. I'm excited you're here too. I'm looking forward to talking with you. Sarah is an entrepreneur, [00:02:00] investor, and corporate deal maker with more than a decade of experience building and scaling businesses personally and professionally.
She's had six cannabis licenses that are minority or women owned. She's a high level strategist and advises stakeholders on corporate structure, financing, and operations to better position their companies for growth and potential exit. All right, Sarah, it's so great to have you on the show today. I have been hearing your name for quite a while, so it's great to finally meet you.
Um, so you know I'm new to you. You're new to me. I'd love to hear your background. How'd you find yourself in cannabis? And then how'd you find yourself advocating for and supporting women and women owned businesses? So, I mean, I landed in cannabis. I think, um, unlike people that landed in cannabis today, it wasn't necessarily like chasing after I.
The development of the industry or the capital that's associated with the industry or the riches? Um, I landed in cannabis, you know, kind of on a [00:03:00] fluke. I had a marketing and advertising agency. There was somebody that needed help advertising a new, like, back in the day pot shop. And so, you know, I got involved, I was helping them kind of like market and brand things.
Um, you know, I've told this story a bunch of times on different media interviews, but iic. Look at cannabis as something that was bad. I also didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up, so I decided, hey, why not give it a shot? So, um, you know, the journey between, you know, then and now. Um, you know, thank God I got involved.
It's been such an amazing opportunity and I know things are a little tough in the industry right now, but, Um, you know, it's been a wild and really, really fun ride being able to do, you know, business in different markets and all over the world. And I'm very, very grateful for my journey in the industry.
Um, and I really got involved in like the women's side of things just because, you know, when I was 26 starting in this industry. [00:04:00] And, you know, meeting with seasoned business men 'cause that's who was in the industry. I really didn't have, um, any mentors. And it would've been really nice to have female mentors to say, here's how you handle it and this is what you do and this is what you don't do.
So I obviously had to kind of. Figure that out on my own, which I was obviously able to do a fine job of that, but now it's something that I'm really passionate about and want to, you know, kind of expose the downfalls in the industry, but really help women understand how to operate in a male dominated space.
And I think cannabis came out as this like hoorah thing, you know, 5, 6, 7 years ago that it was like, A wo a industry for women. And it's not, it's just not so, you know, if you are gonna compete in this space, I don't really like to talk about the negative pieces of it. It's just like, here's full disclosure, here's what it looks like, and here's [00:05:00] what you gotta do if you wanna play.
So that's kind of how I, I give my advice in a very blunt way. It's what we need right now. There's, you know, we launched the roadmap to funding this year, which was meant to, or is meant to help women kind of close the gap in the strategy before they approach the investors. And the very first thing we addressed was, do you actually have a business?
Because I personally have watched so many women pour their heart and soul into these incredible businesses only to lose everything. And then not only they lost their business, but they've lost their retirement, they've lost their, the wealth that they have built. And I really think it's important that we get them to stop doing that and really understand, Hey, look, this is not the green rush that we were promised at all.
This is a. Brutal experience. Absolutely. I, I appreciate and respect your bluntness. So you've got an M B A, which is completely and [00:06:00] totally impressive. Congratulations. Thank you. Uh, and we are talking about raising capital. So it's something that you as a c e O are, you're tasked with in leading your company and the multiple companies that you have.
So let's talk about your experience raising money. As a woman in cannabis, what was your strategy with investors and how did you prepare your companies to actually be fundable? So, I mean, I think that, I mean, in my experience in the industry, I mean, I would say dating back to 13, 14 years ago when I got into the industry, the, the.
How much capital you needed to raise was so different. Now, if people are like, Hey, I have this idea, I really wanna get into the industry. I'm like, if it's ancillary, if it's plant touching, no matter what it is, unless you have at least a million dollars, there's a really, it's a really hard entry point into the industry at this time.
So early on in my career, we were really, [00:07:00] you know, able to. Launch businesses organically, which that day is, is gone. Um, and then a lot of the other people I either helped or companies that are, you know, funded that are actually mine, you know, we follow like a really, really simple playbook. And I think that people, when they get involved in the green rush, really just don't understand that.
It's like, okay, put your corporate structure together. Put your financial projections together, make your pitch deck, put a rough shot term sheet together. And so I'll never go anywhere without those four or sometimes five documents. That's gonna be like your marketing, your branding, your website. And so until I really understand, you know, what the project looks like and can build out those pieces, A, I won't help you.
And b I won't talk to anyone about the project because it's not a project yet. Um, for us, we're [00:08:00] raising on a lot of businesses that are on the come, meaning if and when the license is awarded. And so we often. Encourage people or entrepreneurs that are trying to get a license to self fund that piece of it.
Um, just because the valuation that you get on the other side of it, once you've already won the license is better. So you're not giving away 49% of your business, you're maybe giving away 12% of your business. So, I mean, I get, I don't think that there's like a cut. Answer in the industry of like where to go, how to do it.
But the five basic foundational fundamentals of raising capital, you have to have your deal papered, so to speak, and you have to be able to kind of prove up what the numbers are going to be. And then, you know, I've seen so many deals that it's like, well, yeah, I wanna give away 2%. And I'm like, well, how much capital are you raising?
And you know, like, why aren't your numbers adding up? You know, just kind of make sure your numbers are [00:09:00] adding up and like, honestly, not every entrepreneur is good at putting those five pieces together. Sometimes you have to get an attorney involved. Sometimes you have to get marketing, branding, graphic design.
Sometimes you have to get a C P A or somebody that can work through your budgeting needs. So those five items aren't necessarily easy to develop. But, you know, get your team of people together so that you can develop something that's, you know, somewhat bulletproof. There's so many people in the industry wanting capital right now, that your plan has to be so solid no matter who you go to.
I don't care if you're pitching it to your friends and your family versus, you know, a, a hedge fund or a family office. Do you have advice above and beyond that for women? You know, I try and stay away from the conversation that, you know, we're so different or it's harder because like I'm a woman, I'm in the industry.
Maybe I haven't done as well as men have done, but like I've been able to trudge the way through. [00:10:00] So, I mean, I guess for a woman I would say it's even. More important to have your i's dotted, your T's crossed and your team there. So if you are not like a financial person or you can't answer the tough financial questions, at least you have somebody to do it.
Or on the flip side of that, if you are the financial person but you're not, um, great at presenting, then get somebody to present the plan for you. So, you know, I would, I would give that advice to anyone where it's like, you know, fill your holes in. Nobody expects you to be like a rockstar at every. Yeah.
Yeah, I, I hear what you're saying. And then I see the number that only 1.9% of all funding last year in the US went to women. And I can't help but wonder why, why are, I mean, 1.9%, we're not talking 5, 8, 10, 15%, 1%. Yeah. Why do you think, um, I mean, I think that's a loaded [00:11:00] question In order to kind of stay positive, a lot of the women that I've worked with, just to be honest, like they lead with the emotional side of things.
And when you're trying to get capital, you know, the emotional and warm and fuzzy side of your why, or like your good idea or your niche or your execution plans, like those are important, but. People are investing in the numbers, right? And so you have to have the facts lined up, the numbers lined up, and not lead with like the bleeding heart side of things or your need to be in the industry because you wanna give to people or whatever that looks like.
And I hate to make like a generalization statement like that. Um, but if I had to answer a tough question like that in the wom with the women I've worked with, that's what I've seen. I don't know from a global standpoint. Makes sense. So what are your plans for growth and what is your funding strategy to move forward with them?
I do a lot of things in the industry [00:12:00] and you know, I think that the reason that I do different projects, I do client projects, I do my own projects, I have a group of investors, I have a group of partners, is because the industry has changed so much. So we went from a very cut and dry merit-based application round, working with entrepreneurs and politicians, putting the best projects together, answering the request for application, the request for a proposal these types of entrepreneurs had.
Self-funded, right? They had the money from other industries that they were, um, successful in, and, and, and that was like the easy way in the cannabis industry. Now things, you know, the floodgates have opened, you know, wide, there's different licensing types, there's ancillary businesses. There's a lot of conversation about lottery.
There's a lot of conversation about social equity. And so as an entrepreneur that owns a firm, which is my bread and butter and how I pay my bills, [00:13:00] um, and I have two children to feed, I had to get relatively creative where it's like, okay, here's how we used to do things. Now how can we do things a little bit different where we're partnering with social equity applicants to, um, you know, make sure that their are dotted, t's are crossed.
You know, contracts are done, pitch decks are finalized, and so that when that license is awarded, they're not kind of floating on their own to try and find funding and to try and navigate the waters of a new industry in the sense that I've been in the industry a long time, so I can like leverage my expertise.
Um, and so I guess it's like. A convoluted answer in the sense of when I'm doing work for a client, I'm doing work for a client. When I see an opportunity or a wide open gap in the industry that, you know, maybe the MSOs can't fill or local, um, entrepreneurs can't fill, and it's a very specific, you know, group like social equity or like, um, you know, diversity or minority.
Then I try and [00:14:00] build those projects around what the parameters of the industry are, and once I'm successful with that, meaning winning license, we're mainly self-funding the application processes with and for the social equity applicants. Then after the fact, if the license is one, then we have to figure out what the license at that point.
Needs and who to call in, whether that's a real estate investor to, you know, rent us the property, or excuse me, buy us the property and then lease it back to us. Or if it's the operational capital that we need to open our doors, um, you know, obviously then we usually just go to kind of private, um, investor groups that will raise the funds there.
Um, Just to do like the operational side of things, but there are really good groups that will lend on just real estate, that will lend on equipment if you're opening cultivation or processing. And then your ask for, you know, your operational capital isn't as large at that point. So if you can kind of go to different groups [00:15:00] to piece the puzzle together, that's usually where you, where you'll see the best deal.
So are you finding, so what you've mentioned is, uh, debt, right? For your setup costs. Um, Is this something that social equity applicants have been in a position to qualify for? And if they don't, what is the next step that you are guiding them on? So some are debt and some are equity. Usually the operational capital is going to be equity, right?
Um, the social equity groups specifically for, uh, you know, taking loans out or all these programs that were built that were supposed to have funding that now don't. It's a much different conversation and I think that when we went into the project, it was one thing and now that funding's not available, like.
It was supposed to be. It's a much different conversation because like New York specifically, and New York's obviously exploding right [00:16:00] now, but um, in a bad way, um, they, they want you to collateralize their loan. And I don't wanna make a general statement, but a lot of people, you know, that are just getting into the industry for the first time or were wronged by cannibal.
CRI criminalization don't have the collateral to put up. So it's putting everybody in kind of an interesting situation. So, I mean, honestly, I'd love to give like a blanket answer to you, but it's like literally per project where you're gonna have to find somebody that's either. An entrepreneur like me that's done so many different capital raises in different ways to kind of steer you in the right direction or, you know, go to one of the family offices or hedge funds or groups that really specialize in cannabis and if you can get a response from them, that's a good starting point.
So you're obviously dealing with clients throughout the us, right? Yeah. Okay, so not just Arizona. So I'd like to dig into this a little bit more, if you don't [00:17:00] mind. We do have a lot of social equity, equity applicants that listen to the show, and we just took 25 women, several of whom were social equity through a mentor program and what we kept hearing over and over again.
You say friends and family. I don't have friends and family that can give me money. You say equity, but I don't have a history of raising money. I'm pre-revenue because I just got my license. What are you telling the women and men, the social equity applicants who are in that position and find themselves able to obtain the license, but beyond that, have no financial support and really no roads open to them.
So I I, and I've been in this situation a lot of times and I've talked to a lot of women in the exact same position, and most of their stance is, I don't wanna give anything up to anybody. I get it. But guess what? You have to. So if you have to give two points, 1.5 points up to somebody that can steer you in the right direction, that has the [00:18:00] contacts, that has the, you know, skillset to put together your pitch deck, to look at your financials, you have something that's tangible and valuable and it's a license.
But if you don't do anything with that license, it's zero. So you have options, right? You can either partner with somebody, give a little bit of equity for them to drive you over the finish line. There's brokers out in the industry that will help you sell the paper if that's what you wanna do. And sometimes that's the best option.
I hate to say that, but sometimes that's the best option. Negotiate an employment contract and be a part of the facility in that way. But if your skillset isn't in line with the job that you need to do, you have to get people involved to. And, and I think that's the main mistake that I see people making.
It's like, I wanna build a legacy for my family. And I'm like, I get it. So do I. Um, but at the end of the day, if you don't have a hundred percent of the value that your license requires, you're gonna have to start chipping away at that equity to bring a [00:19:00] team and to build a team of people that can help get you into the hands of people that either have capital or the skillset that you need.
And that's just the ugly truth of it. And the people that we see that are just holding on so tight and don't wanna like share. Those are the people that end up in the ninth hour when the license is supposed to already be open and operational and haven't gotten anywhere with it. And then if you pass your 12 or 18 month mark of when you're supposed to be open, guess what?
Your license is worth zero. So I mean, I can't even open a facility a hundred percent on my own. And how long have I been in the industry? That doesn't make me a bad business. Person. It makes me, you know, a leader that needs to build the team around me to execute upon, you know, a huge project. These projects are a heavy lift.
Yeah. And capital is really hard to come by right now. Are you finding that you have been able to get some deals funded through equity, and if so, what [00:20:00] were some of the things about that deal that. Kind of, you know, made it the cream on the top in this environment that investors said, you know, yeah, that I wanna put my money into that person or that project.
You know, the limited license markets are obviously easier to fund on because you walk into the door with your investors with a value just on the piece of paper that you were awarded. And so that's just an easier project to put together. Um, New York is the toughest right now 'cause there's so many licensed.
Unless mass there's litigation, it's social equity partners, the partners have to stay in for four years. Um, and so deals are getting done there, just not at the valuation that we thought. And it's a, it's a big brother mentality in, in New York where it's like, Hey, we're real estate investors. We own city blocks in Manhattan or in the Bronx, or wherever it is.
You know, come into the fold and we'll help you with operational capital. But obviously for our assistants, we're gonna take a piece of the pie, [00:21:00] which I don't think that's a bad deal. I really don't. If you can leverage somebody's skillset in somebody's real estate, I mean, especially in New York, real estate is like a monster to find.
Yeah. I agree. That's that's amazing. I had no idea that was even happening there. Oh, most of the companies that are sucking up like the social equity applicants, like into the fold and like creating kind of conglomerates, so to speak. Of course, within the legal parameters of the regulations, I would say 85% of 'em are are real estate guys.
Oh, interesting. Very interesting. So from your vantage point in the industry right now, where, what are you excited about and what are you concerned about? Um, you know, I think if I let concern like bog me down, I still wouldn't be in the industry. I don't know how many people I. Told me 10 years ago, 11 years ago, eight years ago, five years ago, that I wouldn't be the in the industry next year.
And guess what? I'm still here and I'm still [00:22:00] making money. It's not the same kind of money we used to make, but you know, I think that the, um, You know, how you can kind of flex as an entrepreneur, as somebody that's been through the ebbs and flows of an industry like ours that's had so many idiosyncrasies and so many versions and now is kind of like down in the dump.
So for me, I'm excited about the social equity programs. Um, there's so many of 'em that we've kind of found out, you know, a way to navigate through them. And for me, uh, social equity programs are quite different than, you know, where I was raised in the industry. Um, you know, I was used to the more like, you know, polish, let's say professional politicians and, um, N F L N B A players as my clients and meeting with the cities and stuff like that.
And so I love a really good challenge. And so, um, it's been interesting to kind of work with like a different kind of demographic and a different kind of program just because I'm always up for a challenge. [00:23:00] And so, um, It's definitely challenging. Um, but there's so many states that are coming up with social equity programs that, you know, you could put your blinders on and say, Hey, we only do this.
Or you can open the world up to say, okay, how do we do that? So I'm excited about that. I'm originally from Minnesota. I was. Born and raised there. I've lived in Phoenix longer than I ever lived in Minnesota, because I moved here when I was relatively young. But Minnesota obviously has, you know, a program coming up.
Part of it's social equity and part of it's gonna be, you know, merit-based criteria and application. So I'm super excited about that to potentially work with people that I like, went to high school with, that have now become, you know, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and, you know, successful business people. Um, If I look over at my states to watch list, my states to watch list today is longer than it's ever been in my history of cannabis.
And that's a continuing thing over the last couple years. So we used to [00:24:00] meet like a couple times a year to say, oh, this is on the docket. This is on the ballot, or this is coming down the pipe. And we meet every single week now. To figure out what legislative changes are happening, what programs are expanding and like kind of where to watch next to look for either partners or clients to potentially produce applications.
Um, and so there's a lot of really exciting things on the horizon, even if, you know, the financial aspect of the industry is like down in the dumps. I can't tell you how many times where it's like we've had somebody that was so project and they're, oh, markets are down. I get it, but there's still a very, very, very large sector of marijuana businesses that are private, that are thriving and doing great.
Yeah. Yeah. What are your top three? Can you share that with us? Yeah, so Maryland, I don't know if you saw the numbers, but Maryland just came out with their like, I think first month of recreational [00:25:00] sales and it was like absolutely amazing. Yeah, we're very, okay, so we're gonna be doing social equity there and then hopefully we'll be doing, um, you know, merit-based or, you know, regular licensing.
Even though New York is a total and utter mess, like it has to clean up at some time. And I'm actually really looking forward to come fall, um, putting some projects together in New York for not social or card applications, but for like regular. Applications. Um, and then, like I said, Minnesota's super exciting just 'cause it's where I'm from.
I still have a ton of family there. I still have a ton of friends there. Um, and so it'll be fun to kind of travel back there and, um, you know, meet with people in the Midwest. And Midwest is obviously like, you know, the nicest people. So it's always fun doing business in the Midwest. So what are you excited about Minnesota's market?
How do you think they're gonna set themselves apart? So Minnesota has, Well, they've already done things very differently and I don't know if it's like a [00:26:00] good thing, but Minnesota's program has really struggled. It's never really put itself on the mark for anyone that wanted to operate there. 'cause their businesses that were operating there were like losing money hand in hand, you know, just.
Losing money. So I think this is a chance to revitalize the program, open it up a little bit, and get some like local operators in there. And so the weight of the world for a whole entire state program isn't relying on a handful of people. Um, and so I think sometimes that's what it requires, even though.
I am a fan of limited license, you know, merit-based applications. I, that doesn't mean three operators. It means enough operators to meet the supply and demand. So I think that'll be exciting. I really do. Do you know what process, I mean, every state, you know, tackles it differently, but how do they determine how many licenses?
I mean, in California we've given up. [00:27:00] The state's given it up to jurisdictions. So the jurisdictions can decide we want it, we don't. We can limit it. We can give out a a ton. Is Minnesota approaching it differently? We don't know that yet. So a lot of the rules and regulations haven't been developed for some of the states that I just listed.
So we only have the legislation to go by, which is. I don't know how they decide how many licenses are gonna be available. Um, I mean I do, but it doesn't make sense. So a lot of states will say, we have this many congressional districts or this many regions or use, or this many community health analysis areas, and they'll use those preexisting.
Zones, regions, areas, and then they'll slap a number on top of it that like, sort of makes sense from a population standpoint. Um, it just depends who's lobbying [00:28:00] there, to be honest. I mean, I'd love to paint a, like rainbows and butterfly picture for you, but a lot of the way that the world works is controlled by who's lobbying in the state.
For and against the program. Um, and that was obviously an ugly truth that I learned at a very young age when I got involved in this beautiful industry. Yeah. That was my first cold bucket of water too. When I got involved in the California industry, it's like, oh, the consultants that were first to hit the city councils, that's who's determined our entire outcome and they had no idea what the hell they were talking about.
And their advice was terrible. Yeah. So, yeah. Part the beginning of California's trajectory to tell, quite frankly. Yeah, I don't really work in Cali just because it's like there's so many Cali consultants that know Cali specific, so it's like our expertise isn't really needed. Um, [00:29:00] But you know, we, we'll work on whatever project.
If we meet somebody that has, you know, a cool project and wants to do something unique or whatever, I keep the firm super boutiquey. So we work with who we wanna, we don't work with who we don't wanna, and that's just always kind of been my rule of thumb. Um, But Cali's just difficult. You can't get the fees out of clients and you know, it's just, it's a harder, harder, right.
You can't get the fees out of clients, meaning people don't pay their bills. Yes. No. Yeah. So, and I've learned that a long time ago. So, you know, whatever, I'll, I will work there, but I typically don't. So before we move on to our final segment, she's got my back. Is there anything else you wanna talk about?
Cannabis business advisors you wanna share? Anything you've got coming up this year or any of the services that you're offering? Yeah, so we do, I mean we do hourly consulting. We do, you know, packages for helping people through the application process. You know, [00:30:00] our little, our social equity contracts are like $2,500.
And then some of our larger merit-based application, um, packages, you know, Go up into six figures. So it just really depends on what you guys are looking for. I always tell everybody to like, interview three or four groups. Figure out who you vibe with, figure out who you know, not can give you the best sales pitch, but the person that you can envision yourself working with on a day-to-day.
'cause that's really what it's about for me at least, is the relationships. Um, and somebody that you know cares about your project, not just like, You know, are they paying, you know, whatever. Um, and then, yeah, I mean, if you have questions about the industry, um, I love helping people out. I don't love people that wanna pick my brain, um, because I only have, you know, 40, 50 hours and the work week to, you know, work and then I, yeah, contact us.
Um, you know, we help with applications, [00:31:00] we help with operations. You know, we help people put packages together for fundraising. We can help the marketing branding. Um, if your project's cool and it ticks, either we can help you or our vendors could, you know, give it a shot. Awesome. And where can they find you?
Uh, the cannabis business advisors.com, which is a very long domain. Um, my second domain is sarah gullickson.com. Um, either way, we'll get you to me or the team, and I'd love to hear from all of you. Awesome. Thank you Sarah. Okay. We are coming up to the end of the show and this is when we talk about women who support other women in this industry, they are not celebrated enough.
So that is what we do here. What she's got. Your back. So Sarah, while I read our submission, I would like you to think of a woman that has had your back in the cannabis industry that you'd like to give props to this afternoon, and we'll absolutely. Okay. All right. So today [00:32:00] our submission comes from Samara Addis.
She wants to celebrate Shauna Dunbar, who started the N p O Edu Can Nation. Samara says in her fight as a mom to help her epileptic son, she took his health into her own hands. She recognized very quickly how little help and education there was for medical cannabis, and went on a mission to change that.
With the help of two like-minded women, ed Can, ed Education was born today with a board of directors of six female volunteers, reputable partners and affiliates. Ed Education is becoming Canada's first association of certified cannabis educators and leading the way in standardized and responsible education.
EDU Education also just won the award for Educator of the Year at the Canon Expo in Toronto, and Shauna has dedicated hundreds of hours, worked with hundreds of patients, and is truly making a difference in the industry for patients and educators. Thank you for sharing Samara and thank [00:33:00] you Shauna for the work that you do and congratulations on your award.
And I think this is like the fourth or fifth celebration of women that I have read where it is a mom whose child has been saved or helped that has got them to start a business in the cannabis industry. I think there's this whole category of women in our industry who are, um, entrepreneurs. Because of their children.
It's pretty amazing. I, I don't know a single other industry where that is as prevalent as it is here. So thank you for sharing. It's great to hear about it. And congratulations. All right, Sarah, tell us that a woman who's had your back that you wanna give props to. So I actually feel like I've been so supported in so many different ways through.
You know, women in the industry and I think back in the day, um, women Grow was such an amazing organization to when the industry was little 'cause we could all get together and share ideas and, um, the person that's coming to the [00:34:00] top of my mind right now is somebody that I actually haven't ever given a shout out to, but Lauren Reddick, she's based in New York, she's a lawyer, she's a complete badass.
And her and I met, like back in the day at one of the Women Grow events, and she has helped me through so many different projects. And right now I hold a card license, um, in New York with obviously a social equity applicant. And Lauren's just like a wealth of knowledge. She understands the regulations up and down, back and time.
And really has supported me in a way that's been remarkable. And we've worked on a lot of other projects together, like throughout the country, which has been really amazing. But she just launched her own law firm and kind of separated from the law firm that she was with before, which I think is like amazing.
And then her and I actually, our kids, we were pregnant at the same time, both times. Common, common. Just amazing. And if you're in New York and you're a social equity person [00:35:00] or involved in potentially getting a license or selling a license, um, she's definitely one of the best. That's awesome. Thank you, Lauren, for everything you've done to support women in the industry and for what you've done to support Sarah.
Absolutely. All right, Sarah, thank you so much for your time and for sharing your wisdom with us today. Ladies, thank you for tuning in. If you haven't yet downloaded the roadmap to funding the Essential Guide for Starting your Funding Journey for Success, go to the Panther group.co/roadmap to funding and tune in again next week for another episode of Women Leading in Cannabis.
Alright.