Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jonathan Pollard, Owner of Grass Supply, located in Edmond, OK, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a family-owned Cannabis Dispensary in Oklahoma, focused on providing a better environment and experience for our patients. We see ourselves as part of the community, serving our patients as neighbors. Our team consists of a wide array of professionals with backgrounds in Hospitality, Sales, Retail, Professional Services, Architecture, and Construction. We have been nominated for best new dispensary by The Oklahoma Gazette. We are partnered with a local radio station in support of Veteran's Mental Health Awareness. We have been featured by Best of OKC as an up-and-coming dispensary. Our customer experience and product satisfaction are well illustrated in our 5-Star ratings on both Weedmaps and Google. We are looking to secure our future as we build THE brand that will reset the expectation for dispensaries nationwide.
Tell us about yourself
I was raised to be just another employee (albeit a great one). My dad worked for the Post Office, and my mom was a teacher, and both set a great example of hard work and determination. After working for 15 years in the restaurant industry, 60+ hours a week for $40K, I'd had enough. My wife and I started our first business, a pet salon.
After finding success there while leaving the workforce altogether, I began to look for the next adventure in my life. I have a great team of friends and family who helped me discover our shared passion for how cannabis can change people's lives. I wake up every day and try to find a new and creative way to impact the lives of those around me.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Employee Culture!! Our vision for Grass Supply is all about taking care of people, and our employees are included in the people we need to care for. We work diligently daily to provide a space that shows respect and dignity to those who would trust us for employment. We are working to change employee culture, one person at a time, by reaffirming their intrinsic value as individuals and encouraging them to be mirrors that reflect grace and understanding to others instead of sponges. "Be a mirror, not a sponge!"
Caring for our employees is a core tenant of our foundation and shows them an example to emulate to others. Through supporting them, they are better able to support each other, and we find they work harder to live up to our expectations of who they could be.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It never ends. EVER! My business and those who work for me are the first things I think of when I wake up and the last thing I ponder before I go to bed. Being a business owner comes at a cost, but the reward is greater than you could imagine.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Make sure you're passionate about it!
Find a creative way to turn your passion into sales, not by stepping on the competition, but just by being better at what you do than they are at what they do. Competition breeds better results. - Be slow to hire and quick to fire.
Employees are the secret ingredient that can make or break a great business. Take your time to discover the right people and then spend your time investing in them; however, when the warning lights go off, trust your gut and move on from employees who will rot your business from the inside out. Don't let someone who is not invested in your goals ruin great culture with bad behavior. - Don't Stop!!!
There will always be bumps in the road and unforeseen hurdles to overcome, but with passion and perseverance as your driving force, nothing can stand in your way.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://grasssupply.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grasssupply.llc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grass.supply.llc/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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