The Cannabis Business Coach Podcast Episode 4: Danny Danko
Danny Danko is a world-renowned Cannabis cultivation expert and educator. He spent nearly 20 years at High Times, most recently serving as the Senior Cultivation Editor. Danko has written multiple books on Cannabis Cultivation and is a huge advocate for home-growing aka growing your own. Danko has judged more Cannabis Cups than anyone alive and has educated tons of people around the globe on how to grow their own Ganja.
Danko has visited and profiled the largest and dankest grows and Cannabis farms in the world. He is a devoted Cannabis activist and his mission is inspire and empower as many people as possible to grow their own Cannabis.
For the first 42 minutes, I interview Danko as he tells me epic stories of his Cannabis career, his topic iconic strains, and the basics of home-growing. Then we shift into The Cannabis Business Coach portion, where I help Danny work through his challenge of procrastination.
In this episode we discuss:
Danny’s first job in the Hemp industry
Meeting Jack Herer in Amsterdam
Judging the best Cannabis products in the world
Iconic strains from over the years
How Covid19 is impacting the sacred cypher ritual
Why Danko wants you to “Grow Bud Yourself” (Danko’s new podcast)
Making gardening cool
Resources:
Cannabis a Beginner's Guide to Growing Marijuana - Danko’s book: True to its name and seriously dank. 100% Mike Z approved and endorsed.
Grow Bud Yourself - Danko’s new podcast
Supplies to Grow Bud Yourself (note: these are just a few options to get you started, neither I nor Danny are endorsing these as the end all be all)
Crop King Seeds - A trusted source for Cannabis seeds to get you started in growing your own.
A budget friendly LED light & budget friendly grow tent to get you started
Or you can get a complete indoor grow kit with everything you need, except for the seeds.
A few other cultivation reference books: Marijuana Horticulture by Jorge Cervantes, Marijuana Grower’s Handbook by Ed Rosenthal.
The War of Art - Excellent book for overcoming resistance and inner blocks that are stopping your creativity.
The Cannabis Business Book - Michael Zaytsev - The Cannabis Business Coach
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.
Video below:
The Cannabis Business Coach Podcast Episode 3: Emily Paxhia
Emily Paxhia is a co-founder and one of the Managing Directors of Poseidon Asset Management, an investment management company founded in 2013 to invest exclusively in the cannabis industry. Poseidon is one of the longest running dedicated cannabis investment funds with total Assets Under Management of $145 million.
Emily has reviewed thousands of companies in the cannabis industry and has made over a hundred placements in the space. Prior to Cannabis, Emily had over a decade of experience working as a consultant and researcher.
For the first 30 minutes, I interview Emily and then we shift into The Cannabis Business Coach portion, where I help Emily work through her challenge of dealing with way too many emails and too much computer time.
In this episode we discuss:
Historic moments Emily has witnessed as an investor in the Cannabis industry
Emily’s first time buying Cannabis at a dispensary
The 3 moments that inspired Emily to get into the industry in the first place
How Cannabis demand may be inelastic and how Covid19 might make the industry stronger in the long term
The challenges of due-diligence while in quarantine
Some of Poseidon’s portfolio companies that Emily is particularly proud of
How hemp can create a lot of jobs
What it’s like to be one of the only females in the room and advice for other ladies in that situation
The importance of yoga, reading both fiction and non-fiction, and why warm intros make a big difference
Resources:
The Hard Thing About Hard Things - Ben Horowitz
Getting Things Done - David Allen
High Output Management - Andy Grove
The Cannabis Business Book - Michael Zaytsev - The Cannabis Business Coach
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.
Video below:
The Cannabis Business Coach Podcast Episode 2: Jeff Schultz
Jeff Schultz is a partner at the law firm Feuerstein Kulick LLP. Formerly the General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and partner at Navy Capital a New York City-based hedge fund manager with one of the longest track records of investing exclusively in the cannabis industry.
Prior to Navy Capital, Jeff was the Chief Legal Officer and CCO of Phoenix Investment Adviser, a credit-focused hedge fund manager, and a Senior Counsel at BNP Paribas Investment Partners, the multi-billion dollar asset management arm of the global investment bank.
For the first 40 minutes, I interview Jeff and then the Cannabis Business Coach portion begins. I was completely surprised and thrilled by how the coaching session evolved into Jeff committing to start a meditation practice.
In this episode we discuss:
What it’s like working with some of the largest Cannabis investors and operators in the world
How Jeff went serendipitously from Cannabis consumer, to medical patient, to professional
The challenges of hiring good people in Cannabis
Why getting into the Cannabis industry requires takings risks and making sacrifices
Joe Biden’s dangerous stance on Cannabis policy and why him getting elected might be terrible for the industry
The Cannabis investment landscape in the Covid19 world
How Jeff's worked with an Executive Coach for years and why he thinks everyone can benefit from coaching
The critical habit that every entrepreneur (and employees working from home) must develop if they want to be successful
Resources:
Prohibition Déjà Vu: Cannabis And COVID-19 - Article Jeff wrote comparing the end of alcohol prohibition to the end of Cannabis prohibition.
www.NewCannabisVentures.com - For Cannabis business news.
The Green Regulatory Arbitrage - by David Wenger (Jeff mentions this as one of the first things he read when he entered the industry)
The Cannabis Business Book - by Michael Zaytsev, The Cannabis Business Coach
The 4 Agreements - A book that Jeff, his executive coach, and I highly recommend to anyone. It’s simple, elegant, profound, and full of wisdom.
Just for good measure, an article about the health benefits of meditation, which are numerous and well backed by scientific and anecdotal evidence.
Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.
The Cannabis Business Coach Podcast Episode 1: David Tran
Episode 1 kicks off with Cannabis media legend, David Tran, Co-Founder of DOPE Magazine.
In the first half of the episode, I interview Dave and we discuss:
What’s it like to be David Tran?
What Dave learned from Co-Founding DOPE Magazine and how it all came together in 30 days.
Why his mom is his superhero and he attributes his success to her.
Some of the different businesses Dave built before getting into Cannabis.
How has Covid19 impacted David's business?
Taking risks, overcoming challenges, going towards fear.
Why Dave is excited about Psychedelics?
What does it mean to be high?
In the second half of the episode, I coach Dave on how to pivot his events business in a Covid19 world.
To learn more about Dave:
https://www.goldfingersgroup.com/
https://www.instagram.com/tranimalchronicles/
Video Below: