The Cannabis Business Coach Podcast Episode 34: Michael Krawitz, Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access

The Cannabis Business Coach Michael Zaytsev interviews Michael Krawitz, Executive Director of Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access. For decades, Krawitz has been at the forefront of international Cannabis reform. On this episode, he provides a masterclass on the inner workings of international drug treaties, why they matter and how they're finally being renegotiated. He also offers great insight on a variety of other topics including:

• the dangers of corporate Cannabis models

• why creativity is so important for Cannabis leadership

• the importance of taking a harm reduction approach to Cannabis policy

• how to maintain focus and commitment to the movement for decades despite numerous setbacks

• Hemp & the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

• preserving the ancient plant and person relationship and protecting Cannabis genetics

In the coaching portion, Michael Zaytsev invites Michael Krawitz to play the role of coach and tell industry the uncomfortable truth that it may not want to hear.

Recorded on 1/20/2021

Additional Resources:

The Cannabis Business Book

The Emperor Wears No Clothes: A History of Cannabis/Hemp/Marijuana

Cannabis & Sustainable Development

The Cannabis Business Coach Podcast Episode 33: Brenda Smith, CB Capital Concierge

The Cannabis Business Coach Michael Zaytsev interviews and coaches Brenda Smith, Founder and Managing Partner of CB Capital Concierge, a boutique capital advisory firm that helps investors and entrepreneurs succeed in Cannabis business.

Brenda Smith is a high power business leader. After working at top financial institutions (Merrill Lynch, PNC Securities, Bernstein Private Wealth Management) Brenda built and sold her own international coaching business. She also taught Enterprise Leadership at Carnegie Mellon where she helped to commercialize new technologies developed at the university. Brenda led the U.S.-Israel Economic Development initiative for the exchange of entrepreneurial ventures. She has advised Next Act Angel Fund on strategy, as well as the Financial Women’s Association on investment management. She serves on the Board of the American-Israel Cannabis Association (AICA) and chairs a group for Tiger 21.

On this episode, Brenda offers an array of insights into the Cannabis investment landscape including

• how to raise and deploy capital for your Cannabis business

• the future of the industry beyond federal legalization

• the right way to evaluate Cannabis business growth

• how Covid pulled the legal industry forward several years

• what are the essential attributes of effective Cannabis leaders

• and much more.

In the coaching portion, Mike Z helps Brenda with one of her clients who is in the midst of "the entrepreneurial dilemma" aka "what got you here won't get you there."

Recorded on 1/13/2021

Additional Resources:

The Cannabis Business Book

What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful

The Cannabis Business Coach Podcast Episode 32: Tangy Daniel, Jayn Green

Copyright: © Jonathan Martin Photography

The Cannabis Business Coach Michael Zaytsev interviews Tangy Daniel, a U.S. Marine Corp veteran who served 2 tours of duty in Iraq and then became Founder and CEO of multiple Cannabis businesses.

This interview marks Tangy's last interview as an entrepreneur in the Cannabis industry. She's exiting the business to serve as an advocate in the firearms space, working to protect 2nd amendment rights.

We discuss:

• how PTSD and Veteran’s health issues opened Tangy’s eyes to the power of Cannabis medicine

• the restrictions around Cannabis and guns which are forcing Tangy to give up one of her great passions

• Georgia’s Cannabis regulations

• the importance of being a good leader and a good follower in Cannabis business

• being the only black woman in the room

• the importance of learning the origin stories and how things came to be

• the benefits of working with a business coach, especially in Cannabis

Recorded on 1/6/2021

Additional Resources:

The Cannabis Business Book

Getting More: How You Can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life

The Cannabis Business Coach Podcast Episode 31: Adam Remis, YourCannaCFO

The Cannabis Business Coach Michael Zaytsev interviews and coaches Adam Remis, Founder of YourCannaCFO.com and Co-Founder of CannaCFO Magazine. Adam has over 25 years of accounting and tax experience and has even been CFO of a New York Stock Exchange publicly traded company.

In this episode, we discuss common misconceptions about the Cannabis industry, the importance of hiring experts to help with due diligence before investing in Cannabis businesses, and how the industry will change after federal legalization.

In the coaching portion, Mike Z helps Adam with a client’s fundraising challenge.

Recorded on 12/16/2020

Additional Resources:

The Cannabis Business Book

The Cannabis Business Coach Podcast Episode 30: Mary Pryor, Cannaclusive, Tonic CBD, & more

The Cannabis Business Coach Michael Zaytsev coaches Mary Pryor, Co-Founder of Cannaclusive, an organization built to facilitate fair representation of minority cannabis consumers and CMO of Tonic CBD.

Mary has been widely recognized as a leading figure in the fight for inclusivity in the Cannabis industry.

This episode is all coaching and no interview. Mike Z helps Mary battle with burnout and create space for her own fatigue and recovery.

Recorded on 12/02/2020

Additional Resources:

The Cannabis Business Book