We know most New Year’s resolutions are made to be broken. But a new year offers more than just an opportunity to try out an unsustainable diet. For those at the forefront of business, it can be a chance to take a fresh approach to leadership and an opportunity to implement sustainable change.
For the first Successful Cannabis Executives column of 2020, mg checked in with Carrie Mapes and Patty Pappas, co-founders of Hello Again, and Adrian Robinson, chief executive officer at High Street Cannabis, to learn about the New Year’s resolutions they’ve made.
While 2019 brought Hello Again early success, Mapes and Pappas said continued growth, maintaining product quality, and expanding production are priorities in 2020. “As we welcome a new year, we also celebrate the first anniversary of our company,” said Mapes. “In the early stages of our product development and manufacturing, the number of people involved in each step of the process was limited.”
For Pappas and Mapes, the new year also represents a chance to focus on creating opportunities for women in the cannabis industry. “Personally, we know countless highly intelligent and vastly talented women who have been out of, or absent from, the workforce and would be a tremendous asset to our company and brand,” Pappas told mg. “As we grow our company, we would be honored to provide a professional opportunity for these women.”
Robinson hopes 2020 is the year of personal connections for High Street and its customers. “This year I would like to improve my business’s communication strategy, both internally and client-facing,” he said. “Rather than meet through phone or email, I would like to meet face-to-face. This will be my top priority as the year goes on to create connections in, and outside of, the workplace.”
The new year also is a chance for Robinson to focus on people, both on his employees and the clients High Street serves. “I want to focus on the happiness of my team by encouraging a healthy work-life balance,” Robinson said. “We are a start-up business with big ambitions and our people are our biggest asset.” Robinson sees High Street as more than a transactional business and hopes his shop can become integrated within the community. “We want to be recognized not only for our sales or products but for what we stand for as collective individuals.”
Busy professionals are rarely afforded enough time to commit to their own New Year’s resolutions, but it is still important to set personalized goals. Mapes has resolved to spend at least a little time each day painting or reading a book while Pappas wants to finally achieve work/life balance. Similar to his professional resolution, Robinson is seeking to take a step back from viewing the world through a digital lens dependent on smartphones and email. “This year, I would like to unplug with frequent digital detoxes to allow my brain to fully rest and recover,” he said.
