Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Troy Meadows, Chief Sustainable Officer of Legion of Bloom, located in Santa Rosa, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Legion of Bloom is a family-owned and operated Cannabis company based in Northern California. We are committed to crafting award-winning products that make people feel good by doing good by eliminating single-use plastic from our packaging and giving back to environmental causes. We are focused on providing conscious cannabis enthusiasts products they can trust while minimizing our environmental footprint to make the planet a greener place.

Tell us about yourself

Four long-time friends and I founded the LEGION back in 2015. Before then, I was a cannabis farmer for over 15 years, providing medical cannabis to patients in California. Helping people really motivates me. Whether I am mentoring junior team members, helping to create efficiencies in our organization, or reading emails, comments, and reviews from satisfied customers that we are helping to make a difference in their lives, it is in service to others and creating smiles that I find my motivation.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Looking back on our journey as founders and friends, I would say my biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been taking something that started off as an idea and growing that idea through a lot of hard work and personal growth to what it is today. I am still really close with my founding team, and our friendships have grown in this journey as well. That is something that I am very proud of; all too often, business drives friends apart, and we have managed to grow stronger together. We have high hopes for the future, but we all realize that it is in the journey, not the destination, that the real accomplishments are made.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

There are a lot of sacrifices that come with being an owner. You have to put in the work; often, especially in the beginning, the hours are very long with little outside validation for your toil. I would say the hardest thing about being an owner is owning your vision and working tirelessly to ward getting it off the ground. After that, the work changes, as you now have to cast that vision and lead by example, making sure that everyone is aligned with the goals of the organization. It is hard work being an entrepreneur but the rewards, in my opinion, far out way the sacrifice.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Lead by example. You cannot expect people to follow as a leader if you are not willing to roll up your sleeves and do the hard things.
  2. When the time comes to start delegating responsibilities and building your team, remember that communication is key and that people do not know what they do not know. Founders spend a lot of time in their heads and assume that the people around them know what they know. Taking the time to explain not only what you expect from a task or project but also explaining why and how that task or project benefits the organization is vital. It may take a few extra minutes to convey this, but it will be well worth the extra time when your team not only knows what they have to do by also how it alines with the overall vision of the company. It will make them feel like they are part of it, not just a cog in the wheel but the wheel itself.
  3. Always put team goals above individual roles. This will create unity in your organization and create a culture of service with your team members.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.thelegionofbloom.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelegionofbloomca/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/legionofbloomca
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-legion-of-bloom/

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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