Episode 32: Best Business Practices to Increase Customer Loyalty

Lisa Buffo  00:12

Hi everyone, welcome to party like a marketer, the podcast dedicated to cannabis marketing, public relations and authentic storytelling. I’m your host Lisa Buffo, the founder and CEO of the cannabis Marketing Association. You can connect with me on Instagram at Lee buff and on Twitter at leap of 21. And don’t forget to join us at this year’s annual cannabis marketing summit this June 7 through ninth in Denver, Colorado for two and a half days of cannabis marketing speakers, best practices and networking over three stages in the heart of Civic Center Park. Today’s conversation features Wesley Williams, co founder and CEO of KND infusions. Wesley Williams holds a Bachelor of economics and marketing from the Wharton School and a juris doctorate from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law. West has over four years of cannabis experience as a corporate strategy consultant in California, and then as an executive for a vertically integrated medical cannabis company. Prior to coming to cannabis, Wes spent over 10 years working for Fortune 500 companies in the financial services and energy sectors, respectively, where he held VP and director level roles in legal operations, marketing and strategic planning. Wes is a functional cannabis champion and the co founder and CEO of KND infusions Inc. A functional infused edibles company whose mission is to enable all people to curate moments in their daily lives. Using infused wellness products as a grounding resource. KND infusions is launching its first product kinetic in Los Angeles, California in the summer of 2022. Okay, hi, everybody. Welcome to today’s episode of Party like a marketer, the podcast dedicated to cannabis marketing, public relations and authentic storytelling. I’m your host, Lisa bucho. And today’s guest is Wesley Williams, the co founder and CEO of k and d infusions. Wes, thank you so much for being here today.

Wesley Williams  02:08

Oh, thank you for the opportunity. I’m happy to be here.

Lisa Buffo  02:12

Yes, of course. So first, can you tell our audience a little bit about yourself? Your background? You know, how you got started? What brought you to cannabis and a little bit about your company as well?

Wesley Williams  02:24

Sure, yeah. So I kind of began like her career focusing on like marketing, analytics and business school at Wharton. Then I went to law school and I got into oil and gas law really on like the transaction, personal side. Then I pivoted into learning and development and human resources sources like optimization and high level strategy in the financial services sector. Then I began as a consultant in the cannabis space out in California, just really focusing on partnering with companies on how to market strategy and operational improvement, then I had an opportunity to serve as the chief administrative officer for a vertically integrated medical cannabis company in Pennsylvania. So they had an indoor grow multiple retail dispensaries. So that’s kind of the high level of My professional background. It’s kind of random and going from oil and gas to banking and HR to cannabis. But you know, there are a couple of common threads there. It’s just one I’m, I’m really, for some reason, I find myself involved in highly regulated industries. So having both that legal background and that business background has been helpful. And I would say the the kind of common thread throughout my career journey has just been going after the largest problems and opportunities, just because I get so much energy, just being able to apply like business and marketing and operational best practices to solving problems that are just really large, really meaningful and really impactful. So that’s, that’s really what I was doing prior to founding KND infusions, which I founded in the summer of 2021, with my co founder, and really, United’s just saw that there’s such an opportunity to broaden the access of care in the cannabis space by just focusing on like, functional use and effects based products because ultimately everybody comes to the plant for an effect. So we saw this just really big opportunity to you know, broaden the circle and broaden the pie and possibly even add on a whole other pie In terms of just like, how do we bring more people to the plant so that they can practice better tactical, self care through infused wellness. And so we’re actually going to be launching in California in the summer, early fall of 2022. With our first product, it’s a vegan, gluten free, edible with a micro dose of cannabinoids, and just other special compounds that are just really tailored for that effect. Because the easier that we as an industry can make it for, you know, both current consumers and prospective consumers to have the confidence, that sense of being able to consume cannabis and achieve the effects that they want, the better we can really make the world.

Lisa Buffo  05:57

Definitely and you’re so you’re based in Pennsylvania. Right? So you’re in Pittsburgh. Yes. Nice. And I want to talk a bit about what you have. I know you and I have talked about this effects based marketing and what it what it is really doing. Or I should just say effects based products, where, which applies to the marketing, but where what consumers are looking for is basically desired intention equals, you know, what they’re actually getting out of the product. And we know that one of the barriers to entry for a lot of folks is that maybe they’ve tried cannabis once and the desired effect that they had was not what they thought they were gonna get. And it put them in the place of it will it’s just not for me. You know, maybe I had too, too much anxiety or too many psychoactive effects. And so therefore, to them that is representative of the entire experience. And it kind of writes the plan off as a whole. And you know, a lot of these folks, at least that I’ve talked to have had this experience. This was not when things were regulated or or legal, or you could get a product from a dispensary. Maybe they tried something when they were younger, or in college. And you know, who knows where it came from? Or who knows where, what it what was in the product. And so they’ve sort of written cannabis off. So can you just tell me a little bit more about the importance of effects based products? And we’ll talk about marketing, this is a marketing podcast, so kind of how you communicate that as well. But also how you’re approaching it at KND and fusions? Like, what? How do you get that concept in the way you’re launching and applying your business?

Wesley Williams  07:37

No, that’s a great question like, and I can say, what kind of like my early journey through cannabis, you know, in the legacy market, I think is representative of a lot of what you were just articulating, right. But I so just a bit of background on me a bit more personally, is that like, my whole life, I’ve stuttered and I’ve dealt with anxiety and add. And so I kind of stumbled upon cannabis recreationally. And then I found that like, it could also help me with, like, my anxiety would add and with stuttering, and so I just kind of saw this as just this wonderful product that Why isn’t anyone advocating and just saying like, this can help you with these types of things, because I saw that it helped me, you know, but a lot of the challenges that I faced was just being able to get that help consistently. So I would go to my connection. And, you know, he would have a variety of strain names that I didn’t really understand how to really tease them apart. So it’s just coconut haze, OG Kush. versus, you know, a strawberry haze, like, I just would kind of pick the one that sounded the neatest. But because I just lacked that knowledge of just like cannabinoids and terpenes, and just how that interacts with strains, like the effect that I got was constantly all over the map. And it just got to the point where I couldn’t consistently get the kind of functional calming effect that I was looking for. So I just migrated away from cannabis as a whole for like 10 years. And so, as we think about really effects based products and effects based marketing, you know, the the kind of big thing that that keeps coming up is well, how do we get the evidence to be able to actually validate that and so, evidence is important, not just in terms of like the FDA and the TC in terms of claims, but also just in terms of being able to just be that active, steward and shepherd it to just help people find the effects that they want. And so the approach that we’re taking at KMD, and fusions, and we hope that many others are following in our footsteps is, we’re actually looking to understand through research, just how our product actually performs in a variety of consumers, right, because getting back to this concept of the evidence, and the transparency, it just became very clear early on that really, we in the cannabis space should kind of take the lead on just evaluating and getting feedback on our own products. Understanding that over time, as regulations lacks, and kind of like the more conventional pads for, you know, NIH type research become more available, like, that’s going to be great, but we don’t have to wait. And so if we, in the industry are just comfortable making the investment of time and the energy and like the effort to actually get that feedback on our products from actual consumers. Like that’s how we’re going to be better able to correct both current consumers and the candidate curious towards like the effect and the products that will actually help them get closer to what they’re seeking.

Lisa Buffo  11:38

That makes sense. And can you tell me a little bit about the name KND and fusions? And how how you got to it?

Wesley Williams  11:46

Yes, yes. So, k, MD is an acronym. Many people assume that it’s pronounced kind. But it’s actually k MD. And it’s stands for kinetic nano dynamics. And so why we chose that is just in keeping with this research, forward philosophy, we just looked to the pharmacological kind of best practice and the terminology there. And so pharmacokinetics, right, the K is the study of like the onset, so how long it takes to feel an effect of an active substance and the decoration. And then on the other end of that spectrum is the pharmaco type dynamics, which is the D, right. And so pharmaco dynamics is actually focused on the effect of the act of substance. So that’s the K and the D, and the n is nano. So one of the big challenges in the edibles space is that normal cannabis oil is is very long acting, and it has to be broken down in the tummy, which is a technical term, and then it gets absorbed through the small intestines. And all of that is just why would have you eat conventional edibles. It’ll say on the packaging, like it’ll last beyond say, it’ll be between like an hour and two hours, and it’ll last between four and eight. And that’s not really a useful every day driver, because you’re like, I don’t know how long it’s gonna take to kick in, and I might eat some more and then be, you know, more protected than I would like. So through nano technology, we’re actually able to kind of shorten that duration of feeling, the effect and the overall duration of the effects. So it’s the kinetic nano dynamics. And that’s just really how we came about our name. And our first printed product is actually going to be called kinetic, k i n e t IK. And it’s, it’s just all about how cannabis can move you closer in the direction that you want to be. Yeah, so in short, we’re just nerds. And we just wanted to have a kind of cyan epic nod in our fairy name.

Lisa Buffo  14:26

Well, kind is a good acronym. If people are gonna mistake it and call it something. It’s a good good one for it to work in your favor that way. So I want to talk a little bit about the marketing aspects because they’re so there’s sort of two facets to the conversation. It is very difficult to launch a new product and bring it to market I mean period for any company, let alone in cannabis. And cannabis, particularly now, California specifically depending on your state, but we’ll talk about California specifically because that’s where you’re launching is getting incredibly competitive just as time goes on more brands launch and get in. So two things First, I want to talk about what are some of the ways in which your marketing and positioning kinetic and your products to enter the California market or perhaps cut through the noise? So kind of strategy as the first step. And then secondly, how do you there are a lot of nerds myself included in cannabis who can speak to these, you know, larger words, the scientific terms, but took us you know, years to get to that understanding. And, and I like you, I mean, to this day, sometimes I know everything about not everything, but a lot about cannabinoids and terpenes. But sometimes they still do shop based on I like the sound of this name and quick scan of the label. I know this is the right THC percentage and enough terpene percentage that it fits. So kind of the strategy as far as launching, what are some of the steps that you’re taking, as far as entering a new market as a new, you know, startup company, we have a lot of entrepreneurs listen to this podcast, but also how do you send messaging that is accurate and speaking to the scientific components, but that the consumer can can have and understand based on you know, where they’re at, particularly the kind of curious who they don’t need, they may not even know the word cannabinoids or terpenes. So how do you kind of marry those two? You know, once you sort of establish, okay, we’re launching in a new market, and this is what it’s like, I know, that’s a huge question. So take it for what it’s worth. But that’s what I’d like to talk about.

Wesley Williams  16:37

Okay, cool. Yeah. And like, as I’m answering it, if there’s anything that you asked that I haven’t hit on, just please don’t hesitate to just give me like a little nudge. Sure. Yeah. So so for us that the kind of first point of entry, and I think this applies to just any brands and products is just understanding what your brand and your product actually does. And the fact that it gets you high isn’t really going to be sufficient anymore, going forward big because as just more people come in, to the cannabis space, who may not have been in it for years or decades, like it’s gonna have to be more than you’ll feel something it has to be, this is the thing you will feel. And so as a brand and a product, I think just kidding, consumer feedback on like, how is the product working for you? What are you feeling, and just being willing to invest the time to really ingest that feedback. And if you need to, like modify your formulation, and like, look at your cannabinoid mix and the effect that it’s causing and the terpenes. And if your feedback like isn’t what you would like it to be in terms of the effect, like, don’t hesitate to kind of go back to the drawing board, and just re iterate until you get to that effect that you actually want. And that approach really applies only if you are concerned with the effect, which you don’t have to be I think there definitely advantages to having this cut this kind of functional on effect based focused, but even if your goal is to just create an infused product, or if it’s flour, or if it’s vapes, or whatever, like just being very mindful of the fact that you’re going to have to be able to articulate why your products can accomplish whatever it accomplishes. And, you know, as you were saying, there’s so much research and frankly, there are so many knowns and unknowns in terms of like how cannabinoids work, and how terpenes work and the entourage effect and how all of that kind of plays into everything else. But the proof is in the pudding and the pudding is how people actually feel. So ask them but also listen, and that’ll be the good kind of like product focused way to bring a new product to the market. But in terms of the actual like branding and the marketing side, you know, it’s it’s just being very clear on just who your audience is and what your audience wants. That that applies in cannabis that applies if you’re selling toilet paper or you know, whatever else. Like it’s it’s very easy for cannabis brands to overemphasize, like the attributes of their product, but not provide the context that’s going to actually help someone on the floor of a store, you know, having a congress station with a budtender like be able to get closer to what they do. As success, you know, and in the consumers eyes, I think six passes, am I gonna get what I hope to get out of this product. So being comfortable and embracing, like the empathy that’s really needed to just meet the consumer where they are, and to build that rapport of just trust and transparency, like, that’s really going to be a big differentiator going forward is not only does this work, but here’s how, and here’s why we think and we may not know precisely, and that’s okay, too. But just being honest, and being transparent Is this really how a brand can truly effectively be credible. And when you’re credible, then you’re building a relationship with your consumer. And that’s ultimately, the Holy Grail.

Lisa Buffo  21:01

No, that’s a great point. And I also think too about knowing your who your customer is, a lot of people will say, Oh, it’s the Canna curious or, Oh, it’s the someone who maybe has some more advanced knowledge of cannabis. But once you get them in the first time, you also have to consider the next step, which is customer loyalty. So maybe they are the kind of curious category when they first try your products. But if they like it, and keep coming back, they will get more sophisticated over time. And you will need to recognize that and speak to them where they are in the future. So part of it is understanding that entry point. And the launch point. And okay, this is the customer today, and this is where they are. But if you want to, you know, maintain and scale and grow the business, you also have to think about that customer loyalty and what is that like lifetime value? What does that path look like, over time? And how do you stay in tune with that, and stay aware with that, aware of that, and I think one of the things you mentioned that I want to reiterate is having that two way conversation with your customer that it’s getting that feedback, its product testing, its understanding, because the way they might experience it with limited knowledge in the beginning, and then the way they might experience it after some experience and you know, test runs with cannabis may change over time. And then in order to meet their needs, and keep them happy, you’ll need to adjust either your product or your messaging or be in touch with that customer. So you’re not just I see a lot of brands go through this, but they kind of just churn through new people, but they don’t know how to keep them there. And understanding that part is hard to think about at launch or pre launch. But it is the long term roadmap and plan as you know, folks get more sophisticated and that consumer base, you know, that education gap begins to close, we got a ways to go. But I just wanted to add that context that it is great to set that system of feedback up in your organization in the beginning pre launch, because it will serve you when you’re now having the customer loyalty conversation, and not just the you know, how do we get people to try it in the first place?

Wesley Williams  23:16

Absolutely, it’s all about customer lifetime value. And it’s about your brand kind of growing and evolving as your consumers do. Right. And, and so this kind of empathy and this really inclusive orientation. You know, it’s like, easy to think about it as a single point in time. But you bring up an excellent point that like it is a continuum, and that you are having that kind of longer term relationship and like, you have to just stay very mindful and very attentive to just how your consumers are evolving in terms of their needs, in terms of their expectations, and in terms of their knowledge. So yeah, I couldn’t agree more.

Lisa Buffo  24:02

Yeah, and that credibility part, you mentioned, we talked about this, but we use the term authenticity, which they’re different, but I think go hand in hand in the sense where if they feel you’re credible, and authentic and aligned, they’ll be more willing to give you open ended feedback and say, Hey, I mean, we experienced this with our members, or they say, Hey, okay, I joined for this reason, but these are my needs now and this is what I need now. So it helps you also proactively get that information. So, but I also want to ask, what are some either channels or strategies that you’re using to enter the market? Like are you starting with events? Are you doing press like, is there any as far as your go to market strategy, any things that you’ve either are going to try or suggest to new brands? Or you know, we can even take it the opposite way like hey, we tried this and it didn’t work. I know a lot of launch myself included for founder is it’s test didn’t fail, iterate, tested, fail or succeed and iterate. Because you don’t know, as a startup, in the beginning, everything is a bunch of assumptions from your product to your marketing plan, you know, to whatnot, and you iterate as you go. So is there anything you’ve either seen work? Or if you want to answer the network, and I learned this lesson question, I know you haven’t officially launched yet. But as you’re sort of getting things ready, any channels you want to speak to, or strategies that you’re willing to share?

Wesley Williams  25:30

Yeah, I would say the biggest thing, and I kind of borrowed some of this, from my time in the big corporate world, right is, is just being very mindful of the fact that you’re not going to hit it out of the park, out of the gate, right. And you’re going to have to make assumptions, because we all have to, and you’re going to test and learn and get that feedback. But like, when, when we’re thinking about our assumptions, I think a big opportunity that we have, is to challenge them. And, you know, by challenge them, what I mean, particularly is challenge them in terms of like, just have more conversations, just just speak to your target consumer, to speak to your target segment, and just hear what they think what they need what they want, and just be very open to your assumptions being wrong, or right. And by looking at just actual use, and looking at the wide body of data out there, in terms of what consumers are looking for, and what they like and what they don’t like, you don’t have to guess. And I know that some early brands may not want to make, you know, like a very large economic investment in their own study and surveys and sending out questions and forms, right. But there’s so much data that’s already out there from, you know, any number of just cannabis sources that like you can stress test your assumptions by just looking at the data and not being afraid to accept whatever the feedback is, or whatever the findings are, because the more informed you are, the more data points you have, the greater the confidence, you can have that even though I may not knock it out of the park, on the first run, I’m going to be putting forth my best first effort understanding that it’s not going to be my last by any stretch of the imagination.

Lisa Buffo  27:39

Definitely, and I think that serves two purposes, it will save you time and money and energy, because you’re not making investing in efforts that are not stress tested. And also, if you’re fundraising, it helps build your case. Because when you’re a startup and you’re fundraising, I mean, it is all an assumption. And the more you can say to potential investors are leads or clients, hey, we have this data, even if it’s limited. And we’ve taken the time to put the effort into testing our assumptions and do market research. It builds investor confidence, because you know, from what I know about fundraising, in the early stages, it is very much so about the team into some degree more than the idea because execution is everything. So the ability to show potential investors, hey, we’ve we’ve tested this, and this is how we think as an organization, it’s going to build their confidence that you’ll be able to grow and scale as the inevitable, you know, changes and startup life happens. So I think there’s kind of two win wins to that.

Wesley Williams  28:41

Yeah, I mean, absolutely. It’s, it’s just be informed, and you’ll be better. And it doesn’t have to take a lot of time. I know, and I’m sure is very often the case that like you want to bring your product to market and you want to get it out there. But you need to make sure that you’re getting it out there in an intentional way. And, and that and intentionality doesn’t require that you just keep pushing back launch. It just requires that you’re just very deliberate about like, what’s the most effective way that I can get feedback. And that’s going to be part just talking to people. And it’s going to be part of like, looking at all of the work that other companies and other brands and other Reese searchers have done and just building off of that, and I can happen remarkably fast.

Lisa Buffo  29:37

Very true. Very true. And if you don’t mind me asking, I know you’re based in Pittsburgh and your co founders in California, but how did you come to the decision to launch in California or, you know, basically a state that’s been a more mature market been out for a while versus a Pennsylvania or perhaps a newer emerging market? Like how did how did you guys come to that? that decision?

Wesley Williams  30:01

Yeah, great question. So it was, it was really important for us to, you know, be in a market that was both recreational and medicinal. Even though like, I’m a firm believer that those two distinctions are, I don’t want to say arbitrary, but they’re not quite as like clearly delineated. And that this just thinking about like functional cannabis, and just how to people use it, like some may use it for a more kind of conventionally medical purpose. And some may use it for a more can intentionally adult use or recreational purpose, but they’re using it for a purpose. And that purpose is the function. So as we were looking to markets to launch, and we just saw that California, really check those boxes. And the fact that California is a more mature market, like it just gave us a much better space to work in in terms of thinking about how cannabis is going to look, as time continues to progress, it is going to mature. And so California being a more mature market than many other states was just more representative of both cannabis in its current state and in its future potential. And so like those were all kind of more reasons why. And California is like an anchor market. Right. I mean, if you if you can succeed, and Calif corny, I think that’s a good piece of data that would help to inform your ability to succeed in other states.

Lisa Buffo  32:00

Yeah, that’s, that’s very true. And I would also say to your point, it’s a more educated consumer base. So you can speak to them a little higher level about the effects, the science, the cannabis, and it’s not news they’ve been, you know, they know this plan in these products to a degree, more so than other states. So you can kind of come in, like you said, Know Your Customer at that level, and you don’t meet them, meet them where they’re at. So, yeah, thank you for sharing that. I always find that interesting as why, why and how entrepreneurs sort of choose to launch particularly when they’re not located there? Because it is hard. I know. I mean, I know you’re technically half located there. But yeah, it’s not easy regardless. So what are I want to ask a little bit about some lessons you’ve learned in this space? Normally, I asked this question from a marketing perspective, like, what are some lessons you’ve learned in cannabis marketing? But I know, it might be a little early to say that. So let’s ask it from that entrepreneurs perspective, like, what are some lessons you’ve learned in this industry? And maybe you do have an answer to the marketing side from you know, your previous roles. But what are some lessons you’ve learned in cannabis, either as an entrepreneur or related to marketing in general?

Wesley Williams  33:16

Yeah, um, I would say, you know, just kind of getting back to some earlier constant I made to write is, it’s about being useful. And it’s about really enabling the consumer to be the hero of the story, and not the product or the brand, right, the brand and the products that they enable the consumer to achieve what they want to achieve, but the product isn’t the hero the person is, and, and like, that’s one thing that I’ve just really learned and just loved about cannabis is that there’s this this passion for the plant and his passion for just being helpful. And this, this enthusiasm and energy, that if we can channel that, right, and to, you know, how do we serve as multiple different types of consumer that like, that’s the big lesson that I’ve seen is that not all consumers need the same things. And if you’re thinking about early adopters who are like, I’m so glad that it’s finally legal. And I’m just gonna be here like, just in use whatever you want. And I’m down and like, this is great. Like, that’s really this this concept of cannabis one point out, right and, and like as we’re going into cannabis 2.0 and we’re bringing more people into the cannabis space who may have tried it in the past or they may have just been somewhat reluctant that like cannabis 2.0 is going to be about okay, we’ve got a kind of broader set of audiences now. So how do we really accommodate each of them without alienating either, and really being able to just translate that that passion and that energy and that enthusiasm into kind of adopting. I don’t want to say like an educational origin patient, this guy, don’t think that anybody wants to be taught to that just feels like I’m going to school. But being informative, right. And so just channeling that energy and that passion for just talking about cannabis and advocating for how it can help you in so many ways, if it’s, you know, for calm or relaxing, or sleep, or pain or social, like, there’s just so so many opportunities to impact people, but not all people are the same. And so let’s just be passionate and be energetic, but also be focused and tailored.

Lisa Buffo  36:00

I love what you said about making the consumer, the hero we I talked about the hero’s journey a lot, but I admittedly do do it in context to the product. And the plant, which I think as an industry we tend to do is say, celebrate the planet, all it has to offer and center it in the conversation, which is fair to a degree, but I think you have a great point about the consumer, because the consumer is really saying I’m willing to try this to address whatever, you know, anxiety, ADHD sleep, and they’re making that choice for themselves. And they are taking the time, as many of us often have to do to test multiple products, multiple forms of consumption, different doses to say, Okay, this is the right combination for me to address this effect that I need. And that does take effort and time it’s not as black and white, as you know, this product or this dosage, like you said, it’s going to work for everybody, it’s really dependent on the individual, their weight, their tolerance, you know, whatever other conditions they may have. So it is the hero is the consumer because they are taking that effort for themselves and choosing to use or seek out cannabis versus, you know, if let’s use sleep or an example melatonin or Ambien or, or whatever green tea, whatever it may be there, they have made this decision. And now they’re going forward and the product is just meeting them where they’re at. So I I need to change how to talk about this because I love that that’s so much better, even though the plant is amazing. Awesome. Yeah, that’s great. Okay, Wesley well, um, let’s see what else have we not talked about that you want to mention? I know we’re almost at time. But anything you want to discuss that we haven’t talked about, or that you want to share?

Wesley Williams  37:50

Um, I’ll just say that. So I’ve talked a lot about research and consumer feedback. And, you know, I’m very fortunate that we have an opportunity to partner with chroma Cigna in just being able to just get even a greater level of granularity and knowledge of just how our product works. Just using some pharmacological best practices, I can’t talk about it in too much detail, but it’s exciting. And just the opportunity is so great for all of us, like in the industry to just get more feedback on our product and just contribute to the canon of knowledge and just try to fill in gaps, because there are so many gaps and things that we don’t know. And just as seeing so many operators and brands and cultivators who are really willing to engage the consumer and get that feedback. Like that’s, I think one of the most exciting things about cannabis going forward is that we have this opportunity to kind of self govern, and just prove that like, we’re being thoughtful about how we, as an industry can be more consistent with just testing, right and CoA is and with just our brands and our products, like it’s, it’s just the most interesting time I think, to be in cannabis, because we have this wide open field. And we can make of it whatever we want. And if we all really embrace that part of us that brought us here, which is about being useful and being helpful, and just leveraging the power of the plants to make people’s lives better, then we can literally change society as a whole. And we like to talk a lot about decriminalization, and that is extremely important that and the scheduling, you know, but I think a big thing that we need to focus on as normalized. Yeah is just normalizing cannabis As consumption, be it inhalable or non like, it’s about this concepts of cannabis in real life, and the more people that we can bring on board, in terms of them just embracing the utility and the function of the plant, like that’s going to help to normalize it. And I think that’s our shortest path to the stigmatizing and to the criminalization and the scheduling.

Lisa Buffo  40:32

Yeah, I would agree. And I think the public opinion and sentiment really matters. And even though things are changing, we still have a ways to go. So the more people talk about it, share their stories, converse with their peers and their neighbors about their experiences, the more progress we make on that end. So yeah, and we have a lot of folks to thank for that, including the brands that are launching, giving us new language to use and helping educate the consumer base so consumers can have those more informed conversations and have options for what’s going to work for them based in the market, so I couldn’t agree with you more. And before we wrap up any contact information you want to share, where can folks find KND? Products? Are you on social media? Either your company or yourself website? Anything you want to share with our audience?

Wesley Williams  41:27

Yeah, sure. So our website is k and d infusions.com. And we have really, our pre launch strategy is going to be building up our socials. So I’d say stay tuned there. But I, I’m on Twitter at with my handle. It’s Wes, underscore it underscore is So Wes, it is just because I always have introduced myself as Wesley, but everybody just calls me west. So like, I just fully embrace that. And it’s like Wes, it is like that. So I’m on Twitter, I have the same handle for like Instagram. And if you go to k and d infusions.com, you can join our newsletter and just learn more about what we’re doing and the upcoming launch of kinetic in the LA area later this year.

Lisa Buffo  42:30

Awesome. And we will link your social handles and your website in the description on the podcast page. So if you’re checking us out on the website, feel free to click through there. Cool. Thank you. Okay, last Well, thank you so much. It was a pleasure to have you today.

Wesley Williams  42:44

Yeah, it’s awesome to be here. And like thank you and your team for all of just the hard work that you all are doing and just bringing together cannabis marketers and operators. Like, the more that we’re all able to just talk and lean on what we’ve learned and found, like the better we’re all going to be as an industry. So thank you.

Lisa Buffo  43:04

Totally, totally. All right. Have a good one. Thank you for joining us for another episode of Party like a marketer. Follow us on Instagram at party like a marketer and on our website, the cannabis marketing association.com And be sure to join us in person this June 7 through ninth for the annual cannabis marketing summit happening in Denver, Colorado. Check out our website for more details and membership information. We’ll see you next time.