Diamond Miners Podcast

Episode 10: The Unique Strengths of an Asset-Backed Cannabis Business Model with Grant Schuster

In our tenth episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Grant Schuster, the co-founder and CEO of Accelerant Holding, a PAAS (production-as-a-service) company specializing in pre-roll manufacturing for the cannabis industry. Prior to founding the company, Grant helped build Curio Wellness in MD over the course of 4 years as the Director of Lean Manufacturing and Supply Chain, after which he went on to oversee the manufacturing division at Parallel. These experiences, along with his prior background in culinary spice manufacturing have given Grant a strong foundation on which to build his new, revolutionary company. For the episode notes, transcript, and linked resources, please visit ⁠https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-10/ [https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-10/]

Episode 9: Scaling Up a Family Cannabis Brand in the New Mexico Market with Samantha Robinson

In our ninth episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Samantha Robinson, the Chief Operating Officer of Santa Fe, NM-based vertically-integrated cannabis operator Best Daze. Samantha, an accountant by trade, joined this family-run operation earlier this year as the head of operations, after having provided them with accounting services as a client of her firm. During her tenure with the company, she has leveraged her financial and at-scale operations background in other industries to bring tried and true best practices to Best Daze, allowing them to continue their growth while improving operational efficiencies, quality management, and consistency. In this episode, we explore the challenges Samantha and her team have faced with maintaining an "access-to-the-underserved" focus as a company, while also expanding their footprint across the state, as well as the unique relationship between the slower-moving culture in the state and the rapid pace that the cannabis industry often demands. Samantha also talks about how strategic partnerships with out-of-state brands—like Old Pal—have been advantageous for growing the manufacturing side of their business. For the episode notes, transcript, and linked resources, please visit https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-9/ [https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-9/]

Episode 8: Perfecting Pre-Rolls, Packaging and Regulatory Activism with Nathan Russell and Ben Richards

In our eighth episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Nathan Russell and Ben Richards, the owners of the cannabis packaging company formerly known as CUSTOMPACKCO (now a subsidiary of AE Global), as well as the Michigan-based cannabis processor The Lab, and innovative pre-roll brand Road Trip. In addition to running their production facility like a well-oiled, lean manufacturing machine, Nate and Ben are vocal proponents of regulatory reform in the state, particularly regarding the newest regulation updates proposed by Michigan's Cannabis Regulatory Agency. The duo has managed to win on several fronts—successfully selling controlling interest in their packaging company, launching their pre-roll brand into some of the biggest dispensary chains in the state, and growing their co-production facility to become one of the top pre-roll producers in Michigan. In this episode, we dive deep into the strategic decisions Nate and Ben made to stay non-vertically integrated, the importance of operating with lean principles, and why more cannabis operators need to get involved in their state's regulatory conversations. For the episode notes, transcript, and linked resources, please visit ⁠https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-8/ [https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-8/]

Episode 7: Building a Multi-State Cannabis Brand With a Team of Two with Lex Corwin and Sabrina Wheeler

In our seventh episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Lex Corwin and Sabrina Wheeler—CEO and COO of Stone Road, respectively—a quickly-growing, multi-state cannabis brand from Los Angeles, CA that has been rapidly gaining fans from across the country. Sabrina and Lex have a particularly unique approach to building their cannabis brand—most notably, being the only two full-time employees of their company! This hasn't stopped them from quickly expanding outside California into several other state markets, including MA, OK, MI, and NM. They've been able to expand with only their tiny team by leveraging coproduction and distribution partners in their markets. In this episode, we explore what they look for in their partners, and how they are able to maintain quality control and product consistency in these expansion markets. For the episode notes, transcript, and linked resources, please visit ⁠https://podcast.diamondminers.co/episode-7/

Episode 6: The Art of Combining Legacy Experience and Executive Knowledge with Michael Towey

In our sixth episode, host Benjamin Ballinger sat down with Michael "Mikey" Towey, VP of Cultivation at Good Day Farm—a vertically-integrated, Southeastern US-based multi-state operator headquartered in Little Rock, AR. Mikey has a rich background of experience in cannabis cultivation, starting with his time in the WA legacy market, followed by several roles overseeing progressively larger facilities, including the opening of the 250k sqft Salinas-based facility that is now the home of Lowell Farms. Mikey covers a wide range of topics, including GDF unique lighting approach that allows them to produce exceptionally-high yields from their grow facilities, as well as the challenges he's faced building leadership teams in an industry filled with many first-time leaders. He's also managed to create a unique culture in his teams by combining the passion and artistic expertise of the legacy industry with the efficiencies and business acumen of executive-level strategic thought and tactical planning—something that's helping Good Day Farm stand out as a dominant player in their markets.