Category: Women Owned Cannabis Businesses

Moving Beyond Empowerment
Marijuana Businesses, Women Owned Cannabis Businesses, Women Who Inspire

Women know what empowerment is. It’s those empowering sayings on our bathroom mirror and memes on social media.  We join empowering groups and events. The energy, camaraderie and stories of success empower us. We are Empowered! But, we are not in power. The sense of empowerment; the sense that we can make the life we want slowly diminishes and we go back to the quotes on our social media for reassurance.

Empowerment is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.

Empowerment is the process of gaining freedom and power to do what you want or to control what happens to you.

No matter what words we use to describe empowerment the key word is process. Empowerment is a process that leads to a crossroad where an act of courage and belief in yourself is needed.  The women who have entered into the cannabis space have moved beyond empowerment into actions. Their actions are moving them beyond empowerment into positions of power. These are women of courage and vision. To change women’s positions in any industry or job segment is challenging. To change the positions and attitudes towards women in the cannabis industry is a battle. Our secret weapon is our power. Connecting with other women in the cannabis space online or in person for authentic conversations amplifies our power. 

Women consumers, women-lead companies and women in executive roles is no longer a niche.

The stats confirm: Women are a Solid Investment! 

  • 42% of all U.S. businesses are owned by women
  • Women-owned businesses have grown 114% in the last two decades
  • Startups with all-women teams only received 1.9% of venture capital funding
  • About half of all startups in the U.S. are founded by women
  • One-third of businesses worldwide are owned by women
  • Businesses with gender diverse executive teams are 25% more likely to have above average profitability

https://luisazhou.com/blog/women-in-business-statistics/

“In recent years, women have accounted for more than 85% of purchases per TechCrunch across various categories in the U.S. alone. Women make up roughly half of the U.S. working population and, when adjusted for self-employment, are the new workforce majority. Much of this growth was driven by gains in the retail and healthcare sectors, industries that employ more women and are heavily influenced by female spending power.” 

“Women are estimated to control 75% of discretionary spending by 2028. Women entrepreneurs also tend to borrow more conservatively than men, launching startups with less capital. Yet, they contribute more than 37% of global GDP today.” Forbes

Let’s move beyond Empowerment and acknowledge and embrace our Power!

Women's greatest asset and resource are themselves.
Marijuana Businesses, Networking Events, Women Owned Cannabis Businesses

The impact of women throughout the ages reflects how powerful we are when we come together to work towards a common goal. This not only applies to causes – It applies to business.

We are all in an industry with unique business challenges. And, the women in the cannabis industry are unique. We chose to transition our careers and businesses into the cannabis space. We don’t have to be here. We have options. But, we are here. We are in the industry because we believe in the healing properties of the plant and we see the opportunities it affords us as entrepreneurs.

It is imperative that we come together to harness and use our power in an exchange of expertise and resources. Every woman in this industry has had to continually educate themselves on all aspects of the segment they are in. We’ve made business and career decisions with no access to counsel from other women who had to make the same decisions. There are other women, as well as ourselves, who have made the mistakes we are about to make. Each of us has crucial information and resources that affects the success of another woman’s career and business in this industry.

Make every online and in person networking opportunity with other women an open, authentic conversation. This is how we begin building a strong national business community for women in the cannabis space.

Women's Cannabis Chamber of Commerce
Marijuana Businesses, Women Owned Cannabis Businesses

Founding a Cannabis Chamber of Commerce in 2011 in Colorado was not an ah-ha moment. It was based on my decades of experience as an entrepreneur, and member. and ambassador for my communities’ chambers. Chambers of commerce are a group of businesses that support the interests of its members. I felt cannabis businesses would benefit from communicating and working together to find solutions to non-political issues. It turned out to be a hard sell. 

What was not a hard sell was the monthly women’s breakfast. The subjects of conversation were consistent and specific to women working in the cannabis industry. It was obvious that the direction of the Cannabis Chamber of Commerce should be focused on women entrepreneurs and career women transiting into the industry. In 2016 the Cannabis Chamber of Commerce had evolved into and became the Women’s Cannabis Chamber of Commerce.

Six months into 2014 and the legalization of adult use, smart women who had worked in the medical marijuana market in Colorado started coming to me with stories of how they had verbal agreements and sweat equity in medical marijuana businesses that were not honored. I heard stories of women getting their business open but with no money or plan on how to market they found investors. They lost their companies to their investors.

That was the turning point for WCCC. I could not help each woman individually, but I had a platform that could provide networking, connections, resources and business education – the Women’s Cannabis Chamber of Commerce.

The Women’s Cannabis Chamber of Commerce continually evolves, like the industry, to meet the needs of women entrepreneurs and business owners in the cannabis space. My vision in 2011 for a chamber of commerce for the cannabis industry was based on traditional chamber templates. It became obsolete immediately. The cannabis space is complex and multifaceted. 

For me the Women’s Cannabis Chamber of Commerce is not a business, for me it is a passion, an obsession, my swan song, my legacy.