High Risk, High Reward Vertical w/ Dan Serard

"We've operated in over 30 states in Europe, Mexico and Canada. The Cannabis Creative Group has absolutely taken off like wildfire."  – Dan Serard, VP of Sales and Marketing for Cannabis Creative Group 

Let’s take a deep dive into a vertical that certainly is anything but dull. This week's guest, Dan Serard is a trailblazer in cannabis marketing and has stories to tell in setting up agency services for cannabis companies.

As the VP of Sales and Marketing for Cannabis Creative Group, Dan was invited to set up the vertical by Champ, a full service agency founded back in 2008. While the parent agency offers everything from branding, website design, social media, search engine optimization, paid advertising, and social media, CCG saw an opportunity to specialize in the weed industry.

Why cannabis?

In addition to the co-founders sharing a passion for the industry, cannabis was about to be legalized in the state of Massachusetts. So they called up Dan, and the rest is history.

Between legislations and stringent restrictions to even perception, cannabis isn’t a simple vertical for agencies to master. This week, Dan and Corey discuss everything from carving out a vertical for a highly regulated product, dreaming up a standalone event brand for industry networking, and the building blocks that made CGC the success that it is today.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

• Starting the cannabis vertical at an agency.
• The quirks of the industry and navigating restrictions.
• How CCG grows through thought leaderships, partnerships, trade shows, and more.
• Building community for long-term success.

Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders:

• GTM skills, even from a different industry, is a great skill set for sales leaders.
• Try to find spaces where you can show up first to gain an unfair advantage.
• Be active at industry associations; it’s a space not all agencies play in.
• Be the connector between clients and prospects at industry events to build community.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

• Connect with Dan on LinkedIn Here
• Check out Cannabis Creative Here

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