Q: It’s clear that transparency is important to HOLISTIK Wellness. Not only are the STIKs that contain the proprietary blends clear, but you’ve taken the extra step to provide transparency on the product’s ingredients.  Can you tell us about the importance of transparency in your operations and how this is a differentiator in the space?  

A: Transparency is key in this category more than others because the FDA does not yet have clear regulations on the process from plant to finished product.  However, those regulations should be no different than any other products we find at our local grocery store from lettuce to OTC supplements: are the product’s origins clear, is the product tested, is the ingredient list reliable and verifiable, is there anything harmful?  It’s our responsibility as the manufacturer to check these boxes and make it easy for the consumer to do so as well prior to at the point of sale.  We display a QR Code on all of our products so that you can quickly and easily see all testing results before you make a purchase.  Further, online, we are working on full education and clarity in our process from seed-to-STIK, educating consumers on our products and what to look for when exploring others.  We believe that this is critical to the growth of the category. 

Q: By all accounts we are still in the midst of a major economic crisis, how did you and your team manage through the turmoil of the marketplace and find ways to continue to grow and expand?  

A: We have the good fortune of being a nimble team in the early stages of our growth trajectory, versus a category of brands with large distribution across small retail outlets, which have had to face a much stronger head wind.  A priority for us was identifying what we could do to help the situation.  We make stress, sleep and recovery products, which lets face it, everyone could use a little help with right now.  We’ve been dedicating our extra quarantine time at home to sending out products to local hospitals along with a thank you and message of hope to the heroes on the front lines.  From a business side, we have our heads down planning and innovating for the future.  If nothing else has come of 2020, we’ve been given the gift of time, and the ability to reassess what really matters in our lives and businesses.  Further, we’ve continued to grow month over month at our key customer, Wegmans, despite a stagnant to down category, driven by our trial-to-loyalty platform.  Most importantly, this continues to fuel our sell-in story for other retailers, as they anxiously watch the category.  Lastly, and just a teaser, we’ve been working on what our unique Stir STIK could bring to the full spectrum of magic that the cannabis plant has to offer.  More to come soon... 

Q: Multiple firms are forecasting the cannabis beverage industry to exceed $2 billion in the next five years.  How is HOLISTIK Wellness positioned to capitalize on this projected market growth?  

A: Beverages seem like the obvious answer as they are a necessity of nearly every consumer.  We drink coffee in the morning, water throughout the day, and sometimes a cocktail at night.  Net, we always have a beverage close by.  However, leading cannabis products are delivered in flower, tincture, vape, and gummies, which really don’t fit most of a consumer’s lifestyle, at least not as naturally as a beverage.  We believe that beverages open up a world of opportunity for consumers to conveniently infuse these products into more points of their day, not to mention many of the upsides of water solubilized cannabinoids and other ingredients, like efficiency and efficacy.   Specifically, versus most beverages which are ready to drink, each of our unique Stir STIKs are a single measured serving and can be added to any beverage, easily carried on the go, with multiple servings fitting in a pocket or purse.  The STIK is patented and differentiated, getting retailers excited about the uniqueness in a field of products that tend to look a lot alike.   Over the months and years to come, we expect to see a lot of new beverage innovation with big, mainstream beverages playing their hand, with many competitors coming in the ready-to-drink canned beverage space.  Though competition will heat up, we see this as an opportunity, as big budgets will help to educate the consumer, and in turn drive demand.  This will be a big challenge for the less differentiated products, and many will struggle to maintain shelf space.  We believe and strive to position HOLISTIK, with its unique form factor, stand out branding, and growing consumer loyalty, to command space on the retail shelf for years to come as the category evolves. 

Q: On the same note, we’ve read some bold predictions about the cannabis economy and market growth in the next ten years.  Given your role as Founder and CEO, what is your perspective and what, if any, predictions would you make?  

A: I love this game because at my core, I’m a math nerd.  Projections are only as good as the paper they are written on, and it will take an army of strong companies, creating quality products, and consistent positive consumer experiences to grow this category.  That said, despite how aggressive the numbers are, I believe they are low.  We need to think bigger.  As a brand marketer, I’ve worked my whole career trying to identify/create what the product I’m working on really does to touch someone’s life.  Now we sit on an all-natural ingredient with a world of upside, one where every day we learn of new benefits and possibilities.  I’m excited for the innovation, the de-stigmatization, and like-minded companies who push the boundaries with their products making us all better, and in turn, making our consumers’ lives better as well.