Cayla Rosenblum, Co-founder, Very Good CBD
Cayla Rosenblum is a co-founder of Very Good CBD, an artisanal hemp flower brand. As a graduate student studying healthcare informatics, Cayla blended her love for data with her interest in the medicinal cannabis industry. Her research allowed her to present at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Global Health Conference on the potential barriers and benefits of medicinal cannabis integration into our electronic health record. Cayla began her journey into the cannabis industry working on data analytics and EHR system consulting for PotBotics, Inc and her goal is to provide individuals with the highest quality natural hemp solutions to their daily routines.
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:01] You're listening to Thinking Outside the Bud where we speak with entrepreneurs investors thought leaders researchers advocates and policymakers who are finding new and exciting ways for cannabis to positively impact business society and culture. And now, here is your host Business Coach Bruce Eckfeldt.
[00:00:30] Are you a CEO looking to scale your company faster and easier. Checkout Thrive Roundtable thrive combines a moderated peer group mastermind expert one on one coaching access to proven growth tools and a 24/7 support community created by Inc. Award winning CEO and certified scaling up business coach Bruce Eckfeldt. Thrive will help you grow your business more quickly and with less drama. For details on the program visit Eckfeldt.com/thrive. That's E C K F E L D T.com/thrive.
[00:01:06] Welcome, everyone. This is Thinking Outside The Bud. I'm Bruce Eckfeldt. I'm your host. And our guest today is Cayla Rosenblum. She is co-founder at Very Good CBD. Excited about this? They do CBD products, CBD Flower, an interesting kind of fassett interesting space in the cannabis community here. I'm really interested in this one. I think there's CBD is a hot topic. Everyone's talking about it. I think the flower side is something that is not talked about as much. So I'm really curious to see what they're doing here with that kilo. Welcome to the program.
[00:01:33] Thank you so much for having me today, Bruce.
[00:01:35] So why don't we talk? When do we start with your background, just kind of understanding how, you know, professionally what you've been doing, how you got into the cannabis space? We'll talk about CBD, CBD flower. But let's start with the story and kind of your background and how you got into this. Tell us tell us the history.
[00:01:49] So I actually got interested in cannabis when I was still an undergraduate. I was studying health sciences and I got really sick and nothing was really helping me. I was on a lot of painkillers and I just wasn't functioning. And I was like, I worked too hard to get my degree, you know, to not finish now. I'm so sick. And a friend was like, why do you just try some try some cannabis? Like, you know, you've tried everything else. Nothing's working. And I hate for the first time in a month. And I was like, oh, my God, there's something here. And I really took that to heart and started studying more and more on my own. And when I got to graduate school, which was for data, health care analytics, they were really, really positive and letting me kind of focus my projects on data analytics. But within medicinal cannabis, I really gotta start building that knowledge, which got me my first job in the cannabis industry, which was doing data analytics and electronic health record consulting or a data aggregation company in the cannabis space interests. So that's really what sparked all the interest and my research side.
[00:02:48] So I come from a very medical research background. And it's been really awesome to see such reception across the world. I was able to present at a health information conference about the positives and the really important key benefits all of healthcare can get from integrating and accepting this into their programs. So I think, you know, there's a big space for CBD and that's kind of what led me to wanting to start my own brand and working with the flower itself.
[00:03:17] So literally it's talk about the data side. So when you're when you're doing medical record, data analysis, what is it you're actually I guess what is the data you're actually analysing? What kind of analysis are you doing on it? What kind of insights you're trying to tease out of it? Tell us a little bit about that process, because that's something we haven't really talked about much on the show.
[00:03:34] And I'd be curious to kind of learn more about, you know, how the process works. What is the data you're using and how do you actually extract insights? So what do you get out of it?
[00:03:42] So a lot of data analytics really starts with getting the data. So many companies you will partner with you you can pull data from free sources. And, you know, you always have to understand there's a caveat of if you're not taking that data yourself, know, you don't know percent how accurate it is, but that is the world we live in.
[00:04:02] And it's kind of accepted part of data science.
[00:04:05] You know, you get your sources to the best of your ability being you ever know. And I think the two biggest parts of data analytics that really come together for cannabis is a focusing on strains, which is what I did at probiotics. And that was taking data from hundreds of thousands of different strains and looking at those cannabinoid percentages, seeing where they breakdown. And that's where I first started to really see that issue of calling things the T-the and Indica, because when you look down at that data level and you're comparing the different TDC to the CBD to CBN levels, those names really didn't show any difference. It's more of a feeling of how people start to describe. So that really is a great thing for us to understand in hemp and in cannabis as a whole, because with data analytics we can start working with those strains that people review better, that people have better experiences with or certain specific experiences with. And that's something that's so cloudy right now.
[00:05:02] You know, in the industry is how everything is affecting everyone. And any of the larger demographic scale as well know, which is what health care really does and social determinants of health. So your doctors and your insurance companies, when you're sick or you want a new insurance plan, they don't only look at your personal health, but they'll look at the healthier area.
[00:05:19] Is their high rates of cancer, are there high rates of pneumonia in the elderly and those social determinants of health? So basically where you live in your life. While also can really impact that data analytics, and I think that's something that can help brands grow in terms of looking at the data and the social determinants of their consumers and seeing what their consumers lifestyles are. In order to branch out to more people.
[00:05:44] Interesting. So I'm fascinated by this kind of strange cultivar issue and the actual chemical composition that comes in there and then tying it back to the end user or patient results or patient insights around it. So you've been able to actually look at a particular strain and say, well, this here is the molecular breakdown of this. In terms of the chemicals that are potentially affecting people and here's the results so people are getting and you can actually make correlations between different cultivars or different chemical compositions and different patient outcomes.
[00:06:14] At this point, it's the first step. It's just ice always. I love using the example of Advil. You know, you have a headache. Someone says, all right, go take some Advil. I take three Advil. I know it says don't take more than two at a time. I take three because I just know the two won't work for me. But the bottle says, you know, to some people, take one.
[00:06:34] Yeah. Some people split in half.
[00:06:35] Exactly. So, yes, that medication is made exactly for headaches. And this is the recommended dose. But it doesn't perfectly work for everyone. And that's something people need. The first one is named cannabis and then multiply it by a thousand because each strain has a slightly. You're dealing with a plant vs. chemically manufactured pill.
[00:06:53] Yeah. Well, and that's I mean, that is it's such a huge aspect of this industry from, you know, why are people taking it? How are they taking it, how much they take, when do they take it? What are they taking? You know, there's so many variables there. And unfortunately, I've I've just seen many cases where, you know, people have a bad first experience and then they write off the product. You know, they write off the plant, you know? Yeah, completely. Just because they you know, they had a they had a missed dose. You know, it's the first experience, unfortunately.
[00:07:18] And that's definitely is it's a common problem is it's something I saw with my own mother when I started. Very good CBD. You know, I'm so excited to bring this hemp flowers something. It's federally legal. This is amazing. And I brought it there has I'm like, Ma, you gotta try this. Try it. Yeah. And she was like, I've had it. I had a bad experience smoking like pot once. I'm like, Mom, it's not pot. Like, give this a chance. And, you know, I was able to convince her to try it and she ended up loving it. But it's that first, like you said, it's unfortunate when people have that first bad experience.
[00:07:52] It's about, you know, trying to teach people to open up a little bit more. Some people have a terrible first experience. The time they the first time they would jump in the pool. You know, they don't swim forever. You could still swim again. I still don't like zucchini. Had a bad experience with zucchini when I was younger. And I still to do something about it. That's me in jail.
[00:08:10] So let's talk about CBD a little bit more.
[00:08:12] So for those that, you know, don't do kind of know kind of the breakdown of the plant and the components and how CBD and a.t work. Give us give us a quick lesson on what is CBD. Why is it different to THC? Where do you get it? You know, and then we talk about hemp a little bit and kind of where we're at with that from a agricultural point of view.
[00:08:33] Awesome. So basically the easiest way to break this down is hemp and THC or cannabinoids. So they are parts of the cannabis plant and those parts create a hole and there's a whole list of cannabinoids. But the main ones that we were able identify as a society, first word, THC and CBD.
[00:08:51] So THC is your psychoactive cannabinoid and that means it attaches receptors in your brain that create those psychedelic and, you know, high effects. CBD is also another natural cannabinoid. However, it's receptor is slightly different and that receptor affects more of the overall body feeling rather than the mental effects. Got it. CBD also it's various things can attach the same receptors as THC, but on the side almost and that causes THC to not enter it. And that's where we start to talk about the entourage effect of why full spectrum might be a little bit better or has better effects than single cannabinoids distillate products.
[00:09:35] Yeah, and explain broadspectrum full spectrum, you know, isolate.
[00:09:39] Give us a sense of why why these things make a difference in terms of how they impact somebody or how they what they do to the body or how they're different from a consumption point of view.
[00:09:49] So from a consumption point of view, you're talking when you're talking about isolate, you're talking isolating down one of these cannabinoids. So CBD only and that's a very popular thing out there, you know, and it works for some people versus something when you have full spectrum. What that means is that even yes, it's a CBD oil, but they didn't take away some of those other cannabinoids that might be there at smaller amounts. And that's where we get this entourage effect of cannabinoids working together. So just like I kind of you know, we see a little bit with THC and CBD work together. It's these new effects and these new interactions. We're starting everyday sizes of learning more and more. But, you know, for the consumer, it's important to understand that you can get it if you. You know that THC does not react well to your body and Islip product might be best for you just to not risk having any THC within the product. Everything's about what's best for you.
[00:10:39] You know, I think that's a fine finding, sort of sees good ways to gain experience on some of these products and finding the one that actually has as the right effect, the right impact that you want. I think it's generally what I found being a good, good strategy for most people getting into this kind of cannabis space, whether you're TRT or CBD.
[00:10:57] And tell us about Turpin. I mean, I don't know how much you get into the Trippi's everyone talking about turfing profiles and all the, you know, being able to create all the different cultivars and preem percentages and stuff. How do you think about or how does triptans come into the mix for you?
[00:11:09] So turbine's are another newer little side project of cannabis that people are really starting to focus on. And I think the best way for people to really understand this is to think of essential oils and lavender. People love lavender, essential oil. They put it a calming, you know, bed time tea. They put it in calming bed time sprays. All of that, because lavender naturally contains Lynn a little. That is a Turpin that is also naturally found in cannabis because we're all talk about plant bases here. So the idea here is if you're taking this lavender, you know, for the same effects that the Linna Little creates in these sprays and these, you know, edible products based on lavender, that lentils should be doing the same thing within the cannabis plant. Got it. And that's also where you're getting this great of Roma's flavors in a lot of the newer hemp products coming out. And that's something we love to focus on because industrial hemp was only focused on beginning for, you know, clothing making, rope making. Once the law opened up to allow the sale of him below point three, Delta 98, see that first hand hemp was terrible because it wasn't meant to be consumed.
[00:12:19] I hope you don't smoke it. T-shirt. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I like that. You don't smoke. It doesn't.
[00:12:24] You know, by focusing on these turbines, all these growers and being able to start developing these great flavor profiles and something we really pride ourselves with very good CBD is finding the streams that these amazing flavor profiles that taste to you. We really want you to taste difference because there shouldn't be a difference in taste. Yeah.
[00:12:43] And just for folks, I mean, kind of helping them understand. Mm hmm. Technically, it's basically the cannabis plant that is less than point 3 percent THC.
[00:12:52] And so there's still a little bit or there's potentially a a little bit of THC on a hemp plant. As long as you're below 2.3 percent, you're categorized as hemp. And now under federal law, the farm bill, the 2013 farm bill, it is legal to grow, produce a process, hemp products that meet that qualification.
[00:13:09] Yes. So that is a great thing for the industry because it allowed us to start growing. You know, even the government, if you look into the USDA regulations, only guidelines that came with the farm bill, you'll actually find that that point three THC limit, they even admit is an arbitrary number because no one really knows how much THC will get you high. And so that's something, you know, as businessmen, as the cannabis community, as a hemp community only come the other really start focusing on how lawmakers are going to affect the industry as well, because all these changes you're talking about genetics at a plant. And if you're making decisions off of arbitrary, you know, numbers, we might never be able to reach their full potential because we'll never we'll be barrier's the whole way, which is already the industry is a ton of barriers.
[00:13:59] Martin Well, so let's start let's talk about the business and very good CBD. So how I guess how did the idea I mean, you mentioned you got you got interested in CBD flower. How did how did you go from kind of idea or interested to actually being the company up and running, you know? What was that journey like for you as an entrepreneur?
[00:14:17] It's definitely been a long but rewarding journey. And I was lucky enough to have business partners who are already in the industry, who are great at finding those key networkers and the key people we needed, you know, for the merchant processing to get the website up and running and to get those connections to small farms that we could really, really work with and have not some big wholesaler can actually really have a strong connection with and to work with them as they grow their plant and we grow our brand. So as that progressed, I took on a lot of the branding parts of it and marketing and that's something in the CBD space that is beyond difficult. You know, if you're starting a T-shirt company, you can just go go on Facebook, go on Google ads, pay for your ads and get your name out there. CBT is not that easy. And many of those big players do not allow, even though it is federally legal, they will not allow the promotion of those ads. So it's a lot of organic marketing, which is it takes time. It's a lot of work and it takes a lot of time to build organic following, reaching out to people and really building a strong brand image. People, that's what they prefer.
[00:15:30] Yeah, yeah, I guess.
[00:15:32] How did you choose them when we were looking at, you know, kind of the customers that you wanted to serve, your ideal kind of clients, who have you kind of zeroed in on or who have you built this brand for and the products for? Who do you expect to use this and why? Why are they using it? What is what is your brand do for them? Talk me a little bit about that strategy.
[00:15:51] So our running strategy, it's not necessarily a focus on one demographic in terms of this is what we're doing. This is who are hitting. It's what? Everything that we do hit every little target group in its own unique way. So we focus on the people who have no idea what hemp flower is. And we provide educational content on our blog. We provide our seaways. We make sure all our paperwork is put together. Even our labeling on our cans has the main Turpin levels, the flavor profiles. We're putting really as much information out there for our consumers as possible, as well as doing in-person events just to spread this education of CBD to those who don't know anything about it or do those who might know but want a trustworthy brand who actually is putting in the time and effort to vet every product and everything that crosses our website.
[00:16:42] And in terms of product, the products that you're you're focused I'm putting out there.
[00:16:46] I mean, like I said, I haven't seen many companies doing hemp, you know, CBD, hemp flower, I guess. How is the product different? How is the product the same from some of your products?
[00:16:54] And how do you kind of looked at your product strategy or or, you know, either in terms of the cultivars that you're focused on or, you know, the the different products themselves and how you're kind of packaging them and getting out to consumers.
[00:17:06] So we originally launched with our two premier hemp strains, Sapphire and Bass, and we sell that in the whole flower form and we put those in branded cans which have all the information for the specific strain as well as a QR code. You're going to scan with your phone. They'll bring you right up to all the testing material. So you have it with you at all times. We heat seal that smell proof bag, which then goes into the bubble mailer, which has the paper copies of your testing data as well as the letters law enforcement. And it's all smell proof, all discreet in a nice mailer. And the whole point is we understand that this is still a stigma attached to hemp. It looks like cannabis. It smells like cannabis offences. It won't get you high. So we really take pride in making sure that not only is our is the physical flower the best flower we possibly could find for our consumers, but also that the entire experience feels high end. It doesn't feel like that bodega shadiness, it has this great feel atten that you can reuse over and over again. And it just feels. high-Class And that's kind of the point. You want a premium smoking experience and this. And by doing that, we really help our customers elevate themselves and enjoy the entire experience rather than kind of hiding behind the stigma and shame that used to be, you know, very, very difficult to win.
[00:18:27] Does that work?
[00:18:28] If I'm if I have a CBD pre-roll, you know, walking down the street and a non cannabis legal state, like from a user point of view, how like if I carry this information with me so that it's law enforcement.
[00:18:41] So, you know, stops me and ask me, you know, what is this you're smoking? Like, how do how does that work from a consumer point of view in terms of dealing with this kind of looks? It looks and smells just like a high THC cannabis product.
[00:18:54] It's you know, it's something that's difficult. It's such a case by case basis. State by state basis. Even where you are there certain areas in New York City where I would walk around, not think twice about doing it. And then there's other places where even I know it's federally legal. I just don't want that deal, you know, exactly the complexity of it. But it is federally legal. Recently, there was a huge seizure by NYPD and USPS of someone's hemp shipment. It was for a store. So, you know, it was a very large quantity, but it was misidentified as THC. And they wrongfully arrested the the buyer and they were finally acquitted. And, you know, it's taken care of, but no one should have to go through that for dealing with a federally legal products.
[00:19:42] Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's that's part of the unfortunate complexity we're dealing with. You know, these days with the state and federal laws, you know, not, you know, being inconsistent or at odds at times.
[00:19:53] I mean, in terms of having developed the business and the suppliers and I guess wherever you found your product, how is that process worked? You know, it seems like you're very attentive to the quality and to the, you know, defining interesting, strange cultivars. How has that process worked? Where have you been? Where have you been able to find the products that you felt are good enough to actually put your brand on?
[00:20:13] And so it's a lot of testing, a lot of, you know, testing amongst the founders. And, you know, some friends know just the first to get that idea. If this is good, but before we even get to the sample stage, we go through. You know, hundreds of different strains and, you know, recommendations from people. Our biggest things is looking is the certificate of analysis. Is it legitimate? Is it from a trusted, well-respected lab?
[00:20:39] I've gotten samples, you know, an e-mail with the photos and such. Before going forward and realize certificate was spelled wrong on signifigant of analysis.
[00:20:50] That's a sign.
[00:20:50] Exactly. But that's a big sign. And it scares me to think that those aren't there are people who might not realize that little mistake. And by that and who knows now what they're getting.
[00:21:01] So it's really vetting. It's looking at the color, the flavor, the smell, the smoke. Is it a smooth experience? Is it harsh? We don't want to cause have a harsh, smoky experience. We want people to have a nice, smooth one with no coughing because that just it causes it's not a nice, pleasant time when you're hacking up along.
[00:21:22] Yeah, exactly.
[00:21:24] And I'm curious, are the are the ah the strains cultivars in him. I mean assuming there's different RAM and you're not going to get a Daeso in and help.
[00:21:33] Right. I mean these are going to be their own sort of Caldmore.
[00:21:36] Well funny enough is we're actually starting to see a rise in farms focusing on basically stripping away the THC from some of our favorite flavored strains out there. And I think this is gonna be a next genetic boom for the CBD. Hemp flower industry is almost like you have a alcoholic drinks and you have a mocktail. You know, it's all this is could be the equivalent of the mocktail finally for the CBD industry.
[00:22:02] Interesting. I could get an orange sherbet without the THC in it as a CBD product. Yeah, it's fascinating. Just as I you know, as you change, I mean, I guess what I think of is you're talking about plants, right? I mean, this is not a chemical. This is not like a factory process where I just oh, I'm going to turn down the THC bile. Right.
[00:22:19] Like I've got to go through some kind of genetic altering process to figure out how to get this plant to produce, you know, a bud that's gonna have, you know, a lower THC level or a very miniscule to 2 level without changing all the other properties of it. But people are doing it. Interesting.
[00:22:34] It's definitely it's I think it's a extremely fascinating, you know, place for the CBD industry to go. But again, it's a lot of where we're talking, like you said, plants. This is genetic level, not, you know. Oh, let's tweak the formula here in the factory. Yeah.
[00:22:51] So it's suddenly something I think people should keep in mind. And I think people should work towards because it's a great rate alternative. I love you know, I'm I have no issue with regular kind of his first CBD. I love Bill equally and I find it great to mix it together for me. For me, that's the have the extra CBD when I'm, you know, let's say rolling a joint for personal use and to be able to throw CBD in there. So I'm I feel that body high with a little bit of that head, but I still am relaxed and functioning. And that is a great thing even for the typical cannabis consumer. You consider hemp flowers. You know, I gather sand, if you're a habitual cannabis user, turning the CBD, oil might not be the term for you. I respect it, but hemp flower, it almost looks indiscernible sometimes and I think that's a great place for people to start exploring with it in terms of kind of where you're going with with the brand and sort of the products because what's on your pipeline?
[00:23:48] What's in your backlog? What are the things you're looking at producing and bringing to market in the coming months and year?
[00:23:54] Well, we actually have a lot coming up within the next few weeks. We are launching a pre-roll line it for both our premier strains that will come in both 2 and 5 pack. And this will provide a great alternative for those we found from, you know, our first consumers customers we talk to. A lot of feedback we got was that some of our older demographic. They got the flowers. What do I do it? Yes. I don't know. Matamoras going. So I think this will really help open up our doors to more consumers and more people who might just not really know a lot about him, but want to try. But don't want see the commitment of buying a piece or learning how to roll a joint. And I think this is going to be a great way for us to reach those people.
[00:24:37] Yeah, it's interesting.
[00:24:39] And in terms of, you know, other other kind of, I guess, things you've learned about the business, you know, so for folks that are listening, that are either in the cannabis space or thinking about getting in the cannabis space. Grissom Your takeaways as a founder entrepreneur, as you've grown the business, things you didn't know or things that things that you learned as you built a business that you wish you would have learned before you started or or that you had to kind of learn the hard way. What are some of the insights that you might have for folks that are thinking about getting into cannabis?
[00:25:04] Really do your research. You have to consider you're taking all of the difficulties and hardships that come with starting a small business and now multiplying them by an industry that is constantly developing and extremely complex. You know, we're talking about fairly legal product, but there's some states that if I ship to there could be issues. It's a lot of research and it's really knowing how you're going to build. Brand building, high yield insights did a survey and they showed that 30 percent of people prefer a CBD brand website as their preferred purchasing channel, and that is specific brands that they have come to known and love. What about whether from word of mouth or random? Yeah, I'm going to try this one day. So building your brand is something that is extremely, extremely important. Having a good logo, having good outreach, doing community outreach. We've done comedy shows. We're planning yoga events because we want to reach the community and show them we're not just an e-commerce site. We are entire brand. You know, there's a person sitting here who's, you know, has their hands on your product, who is making sure that everything looks perfect every time it goes out. And I think that's something that's so important in this day and age of Amazon with, you know, things are thrown into a box and shipped to you to get a package is something that is new and exciting. And you could see loving care that went into the products and packaging and everything about it. It's kind of this experience we've lost out on nowadays and I think through the hemp industry is a great way to reintroduce our personal touch.
00:26:32] No, that's great. I think, yeah, all the anything that's looking to be at the top of the market. You're a premier brand, exclusive brand. You know, it is so much it's so much about the whole experience around the product. It's not just the core flower itself, but, you know, all the care and attention to detail, to everything from the brand to labeling to shipping to packaging, how it's round, how it's labeled, you know, all those things.
[00:26:53] So if people want to find out more about you, about Very Good CBD, what's the best way to get that information so you can check us out?
[00:26:59] We are at verygoodcbd.com
[00:27:03] We also are on all social media channels at very good CBD, but as on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, all of them. Awesome. Yeah. Keep it simple. Very good CBD.
[00:27:14] Perfect.
[00:27:15] I will make sure that all those are in the show notes here so that people can click through and and get that information.Cayla, it's been a pleasure. Thanks for taking the time. Fun, fun conversation about CBD. I think it's a fascinating branch of the cannabis market that is no pun intended. But it is growing and it's going to it's going to see a lot of interesting kind of developments over the years. I appreciate your time and and sharing your story with us.
[00:27:36] You've been listening to Thinking Outside the Bud with Business Coach Bruce Eckfeldt to find a full list of podcast episodes. Download the tools and worksheets and access other great content. Visit the Web site at thinkingoutsidethebud.com. And don't forget to sign up for the free newsletter at thinkingoutsidethebud.com/newsletter.