Love, Community, and Feeling Good - The Village Collaborative

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jeremy Jacob, Co-Founder of The Village Collaborative Inc., located in Vancouver, BC, USA.

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

Village Bloomery is in the business of helping consumers find their higher and better selves through education, awareness, and conscious cannabis consumption. Cannabis is not just about getting high: it can be an agent of positive change in our mental and physical health, relationships, and lifestyles. Our customers range from cannabis enthusiasts to new consumers looking to explore cannabis products and experiences in an inclusive, educational, and uplifting environment. We also support consumers looking to cannabis to enhance their health and wellness.

Tell us about yourself

I learned early on that I found it difficult to be an employee. I wanted to be challenged, and I wanted to create positive change. To find the job I wanted, I realized I had to create my own. To this end, I started a business designing and installing renewable energy systems for buildings. At Exchangenergy, I was the business development lead, hired staff, designed systems, managed projects, turned wrenches, and was the CFO. I had the big-picture role and responsibility I craved. We became a well-respected company and did some great projects throughout BC. After 7 years of this, I was ready for a change. I sold this business and was looking for a new opportunity. The evolving medical cannabis retail industry in Vancouver, BC, caught my attention. This was another "green" business (haha) but also one that fit my bigger-picture goal of driving positive change. Since its inception, cannabis prohibition has been a tool of oppression and discrimination. As a black man, I put my energy into breaking those chains, throwing off the stigmas, and helping create a new era of cannabis that fit my sensibilities.

In 2015 I founded Village Bloomery with my partner Andrea. In its first version, we combined an organic cafe with an organic dispensary. This was an exciting time where vision and creativity in the space were limitless. As Vancouver's municipal government trended towards legalization, our business pivoted and evolved. Today, as a regulated cannabis retailer, we hold true to our values of providing quality organic products, educating our consumers, helping them find their perfect fit in the spectrum of cannabis products, and continuing to push for positive change.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

As a cannabis business owner, my biggest accomplishment is the positive impact we've been able to have in people's lives. Second to this is the satisfaction that comes from creating something new and nurturing it into a thriving, successful business that supports and is supported by the communities it operates in.

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

Pivoting to changes in the business landscape is a test of the resilience, ingenuity, and creativity of a business owner. One of the hardest things that we've had to deal with is the repercussions of being regulated by both the Canadian Federal and BC Provincial governments. Losing our small-batch organic supply chain - like-minded people producing cannabis products with positive intentions - was a serious blow that took a couple of years to recover from. Now, we are relieved and happy with the strong return of micro growers to the regulated space. The quality of our offerings has gone up, and with it, the pride we feel in our curated selections is up where it should be.

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

1. Run your idea by friends and colleagues, and take their responses seriously while you gauge the feasibility of your business idea.
2. Find mentors to help and guide you - being able to make decisions that benefit from the experience of others is a huge leg up in avoiding lessons learned the hard (and expensive) way.
3. Ensure that you're adequately funded, including a contingency. Unexpected costs and deviations from proformas can be costly - being prepared means you can navigate these curve balls with less stress and without jeopardizing the stability of your business.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://villagebloomery.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/villagebloomery_shop/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/villagebloomery

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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