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What’s the biggest challenge facing the cannabis industry right now, and how are you and/or your company addressing it?
The biggest challenge is financial literacy. Too many operators take bad funding deals, chase growth at any cost, and don’t know when the juice is worth the squeeze. The market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent, so you have to plan all the way to the end. The other elephant in the room is the tax code. 280E makes profitability an uphill battle even when you’re doing everything right. At Mango Cannabis, we compete hard on pricing, but we do it with discipline. We understand our margins, we don’t overextend, and we structure deals that make sense long term. That’s how you survive in this business.
Where do you see the most exciting opportunity for growth and innovation in cannabis?
On the retail side. Cultivation and wholesale are consolidating, but retail is still wide open. A lot of companies treat dispensaries like gas stations—just move product. But the real opportunity is building brands and customer loyalty at the retail level. We’re doubling down on events, community building, and data-driven promotions. When you make your store a destination, not just a transaction, you win for the long haul.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone looking to break into the cannabis industry?
Don’t fall for the hype. This industry isn’t easy money. It’s regulated, competitive, and capital-intensive. My advice: treat it like any other business. Get good at fundamentals like cash flow management, operations, and customer service. If you can run a great business, the cannabis part is just the product.
What is the most important thing you have learned from your experiences in the cannabis industry?
Adaptability. The rules change, the market shifts, and what worked last year won’t necessarily work today. If you can’t pivot and make decisions fast, you’ll get left behind. We’ve expanded into multiple states in under a year, and the only way we pulled that off is by staying flexible and willing to adjust strategy on the fly.
What do you want your legacy to be as it relates to the cannabis industry?
Perseverance. Mango wasn’t supposed to be here. We were overlooked and counted out more than once. Starting out we didn’t have the biggest checks or the most polished backers, but we had the audacity to compete with better-funded, more established retailers. We refused to take no for an answer, and we built a company that proves grit and vision can go toe-to-toe with money and connections. That’s the legacy I want: showing that you can start with very little, fight through every setback, and still carve out a place at the table. You can go from the trap to the boardroom if you believe in yourself and have the courage not to quit.