We are Spiritleaf: Meet Brandi!
We believe in connecting people in a world which is deeply divided. We believe that everyone matters equally, regardless of status, age, ethnicity or creed.
Embracing diversity!
Diversity in the workplace has both internal and external benefits such as greater career satisfaction and better community acceptance. A diverse workforce can provide a fresh perspective, allowing for better creativity and innovation. Employing a wide range of diverse individuals gives companies an opportunity to outperform their competitors, elevating their overall brand.
Our employees stem from a wide range of professional backgrounds; each bringing their own unique skills and talents to the table, working together to continue our incredible momentum of growth! Learn about the individuals behind the Spiritleaf brand, in this ongoing series.
This individual is following her passion, from canines to cannabis! With a background in the recreational and medical sectors of the cannabis industry, this highly educated lady is sharing her knowledge with consumers everywhere. Find out why Brandi is Baked by reading this interview below.
Tell the audience your first name and a bit about your background. Like where you are currently located and what past profession or schooling you have taken etc.
My name is Brandi and currently located in Calgary, Alberta. I previously worked as a dog trainer and photographer before making the transition to Cannabis in the summer of 2018. Prior to Spiritleaf, I worked with another retailer and a national cannabis clinic as a patient educator. For schooling, I have taken the Marketing under the Cannabis Act with Mount Royal University, Cannabis Clinic Educator program with CannU Educational services and Cannabis Sommelier Level 1 Certification program with Canna Reps.
Why are you passionate about working in the cannabis industry?
As a long-time cannabis consumer, I know how important it is to find the right product for the right person. Cannabis has been stigmatized for years and I believe helping consumers make educated shopping decisions for their personal needs along with an understanding of the plant will help to remove that.
What position do you currently have with Spiritleaf and what do you like best about working for the company?
My role with Spiritleaf is Education and Training coordinator, some of my tasks include managing/creating content for our internal training and education app, creating our training program and training courses, facilitating various education opportunities between our store teams and brands/LPs and working closely with our franchise partners and managers for onboarding training, new store openings and helping keep our teams up to date on new products, brands and regulations.
What question do you get asked the most when people learn about your career?
Most people are pretty curious about it, I haven’t had many situations where the response has been negative. Some of the questions I get asked the most are usually if I use cannabis, some sort of product recommendation or what it’s like to work in the cannabis industry.
In your opinion, what is the greatest strength of the cannabis industry in Canada right now?
I think the greatest strength of the Canadian cannabis industry is the example it sets as the first G7 country to fully legalize cannabis. This is a huge step in normalizing cannabis and removing stigma, in addition, its created thousands of jobs and given a safe way for consumers to access the herb.
Working in a regulated industry can be challenging. Give an example of how you overcame a particular restriction and give some advice to newcomers to the industry.
The training aspect can be a challenge with the strict regulations, specifically speaking to various products and the plant itself. Creating training material that is accurate while staying in compliance has been the biggest challenge I have overcome.
Was there a certain ‘transferable skill’ that helped you to be successful in the industry? If so, tell us more about it.
My people skills and past experience creating training plans, seminars and training sessions. At the end of the day, I just love cannabis and am always down to have an authentic conversation about it whether with stores guest, co-workers, LPs and so on. I think being genuine, knowledgeable and personable goes a long way in this industry.
Tell us about your fav cannabis brand or strain right now?
Great Question! But also hard for me to just choose one. I love cultivars with linalool and/or cake or cookies genetics. GSC and Wedding Cake are ones I always have on hand. Anything from Good Buds! Lately, I have really been enjoying the Kolab 232 ICC cart and their ICC terp slush. Little Victory beverages are also another favourite. So many good options, I could go on and on!
Earth, Water, Air, and Fire: if you had to choose one of these four basic elements, which would your personality be most like?
Earth for sure! I am a Virgo Sun and definitely resonate with that.
As a female podcaster, in the cannabis industry, what advice do you have for other ladies who are interested in this type of work?
Whatever you are doing, keep going! Foster and support your connections and friendships within the industry, network and never stop learning. Don’t be afraid of what other people might think, you never know who you are inspired by being your authentic self!
Due to government regulations, we are unable to show images of our staff and encourage you to check out their personal links for more. Connect with Brandi on Instagram, here.
We are Spiritleaf. Find out what makes Spiritleaf’s office culture unique in this previous article on The LEAF, follow this link here! To read this first feature, click here.
