#181 - The Opportunity Train: Skye Banks on Global Entrepreneurship, Small Business Growth & AI

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I'm always going to have an entrepreneurial mindset.

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think that's in my DNA.

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I'm always excited to pursue what I see as the next big thing.

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Hey you all, welcome back for what's gonna be another great, we're not tall calling them
episodes anymore, we're calling them sessions, we're calling them mental breakouts, we're

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gonna call them mindset shifts, but anyway, I'm pumped when somebody comes on and they're
a different generation.

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I don't think that age is the only thing that matters, like experience and perspective
does, and I'm pumped today to talk to somebody with a cool name.

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So today's guest is Sky Blanks, and y'all, that's Sky with an E.

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He's the chief operating officer of the International Council for Small Business.

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It's ICSB.

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They work across more than 80 countries to support entrepreneurs, small businesses, and
the ecosystems around them, from policy and research to education and global

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collaboration.

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Sky oversees organizations, operations, and partnerships and has a unique vantage point on
what small business owners around the world are facing right now, which is a ton.

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uh What's actually helping them grow where the system still falls short

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So I'm excited to dig in to the real slate and state of small business and what
entrepreneurs need to know going forward.

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Sky, that's a whole bunch of stuff that we get to pack into 15 minutes, but welcome to the
necessary entrepreneur, man.

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Thank you for having me, Mark.

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Yeah, man, this is I'm excited about this.

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So 80 countries around the world supporting entrepreneurs.

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ah What a big gig, huh?

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Yeah, no, it's definitely opened my perspective about the world ah and just hearing the
cases of how being in so many different places all around the world, there's a lot of

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similarities that face businesses and issues there and how can we bridge that gap?

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And that's really what, know, ISISB does the best is bring together, I say our three
buckets, our policymakers, our practitioners, our professors.

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So we have research-backed solutions.

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We have, you know, forums to bring people together.

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And, you know, my personal, uh

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passion is connecting the students and startups to those experienced leaders and having
them, you know, learn by example.

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there are you see you touched on a little bit, but if you go around the world, there
similar similar experiences happening in entrepreneurship or business or there are there

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some distinct differences from the US to Europe to Asia?

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there a lot of similarities here?

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I, there's definitely, you know, cultural uh differences, right?

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So the U S is very, uh, know, individual, individual society where people are very much
about, you know, um, the individual first, where you go more East, you start getting into

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more community focused, um, the collaborative, um, nature of things, or, you know, I
always, I always joke about how we're talking to our colleagues and you're up in there on.

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a whole month of vacation in August and know Americans are like we're working through
we're going to keep going and so there's a very different culture and I think it's

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important to learn from both right?

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Having a balance, being up to date with a lot of like innovation because I think a lot of
people get left behind sometimes because they're used to the way things are and so I think

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the more east you go the more I guess resistant there is to change and the more west you
are the more open you are to change.

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And so I like to, you know, see where that gap lies.

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And I was in the Pacific region most of the summer hopping around country to country and
just learning about the young population there.

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There's a lot of young people.

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was in Indonesia and they have one of the youngest populations in, um, in Asia and one of
the largest too.

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And a lot of it is tradition and what they're used to, but we need to reframe the focus
and say, Hey,

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Just because you're Indonesia doesn't mean you can't have the next, you know, billion
dollar company.

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Let's, you know, refrain ourselves and not put ourselves in a box.

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And so a lot of what, you know, what we do and what I learned is people sometimes are used
to what tradition is and they're used to what's happening.

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But they need to step aside, look at the goal perspective and say, Hey, we can learn from
each other.

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We can collaborate with a company in the U S and, and, you know, propel ourselves to the
next level or a U S company can learn from the cases of

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family business and uh tradition in the Asia Pacific region and be able to build on that.

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there's a desire I see with touch, like high touch for human interaction with all this
technology being there.

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And so I think there's definitely a lot of collaboration happening moving forward and how
we can learn from that.

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Are they, when you travel around the world and you just spent time in the Pacific and Asia
and you mentioned Indonesia, uh are they as optimistic there as inherently this

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entrepreneurial system is in America?

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I don't think so.

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Because people a lot of times in these cultures don't do well with failure.

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Right.

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It's easier to go with the safe bet.

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It's easier to, you know, have the corporate job where in America, I feel like we're very
much open and we love a story about the underdog and they failed a bunch of times.

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We talking about Mendoza and how, you know, you're able to overcome the adversity where a
lot of these other cultures

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you're frowned upon, you're carrying your family name, you need to be able to have a
guaranteed shot.

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And so the risk taking degree is very different.

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I think that's probably where their optimism about entrepreneurship, but they're not high
risk tolerance.

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Their risk tolerance is very much, I guess, lower than maybe the US.

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down every one of these stories, they call it what the hero's journey.

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Yeah.

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That right.

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The hero had massive failure moments where it looked like it wasn't going to happen.

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And all of sudden out of the blue, does.

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um I think you do have to believe in that because if you don't believe that that's
possible, you're probably not going to step out on the edge of the board there.

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Right.

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I mean, that is true.

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And it comes down to the community around you, We hear the stories all the time in the US
because that's just how our culture is built, where you're looking and seeing that role

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model and say, they did it.

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I can do it.

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They come from similar communities.

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Where a lot of these other cultures, they're looking to the US, but they're like, I'm not
American.

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I don't really have the resources for these possibilities.

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ah So I think that's maybe where this connect is.

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Yeah.

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So how'd you get into this role with the International Council for Small Business?

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You ripped through it quick on the acronym ICSB, right?

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That's what you guys do.

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But how'd you arrive here?

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Honestly, it was all about being curious and asking questions and having conversations.

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So funny enough, I was my sophomore year undergrad.

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I went to George Washington University in DC, focused on international affairs.

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I didn't really know what I wanted to do.

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Honestly stumbled upon that degree.

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I'm like, Hey, I get to learn about the world.

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not?

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But always, you know, came from a family business, always had an interest in business.

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And so I took a minor in creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship.

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My first class in entrepreneurship was taught by a professor named Dr.

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Iman El-Tarabishi.

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He came to the class kind of something different than all my other professors did.

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He's bringing donuts in, he's talking about his background, he wants to know about us.

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He's not even talking about business, he's talking about the people.

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And that stuck to me and I'm like, this guy's really cool.

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He worked in the World Bank, he did his PhD, he's a professor, but he also runs this
nonprofit.

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And I'm like, what's this nonprofit about?

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I, over the summer I was in DC.

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had like reached out to him.

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like, want to just learn about you and what you do.

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And turns out he's the CEO of ICSB.

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And he's like, I really like your, your curiosity.

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I really like your tenacity.

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I want you to intern with me.

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So from sophomore year of undergrad, I started as an intern, worked myself up to project
manager and you know, did my, my grad studies and everything came back and now I run the

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operations.

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So.

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It's kind of a story of you never know where a conversation leads, where you build that
trust with somebody and be able to lead, you know, this multilateral organization that,

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you know, touches so many people.

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Yeah, what what's your all's purpose?

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What's the purpose of the business?

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Like not just mission statement and all that.

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But what do you feel now with you being the CEO spot?

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What do feel your purpose is every day?

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I say it's connecting knowledge across borders.

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uh People get siloed a lot.

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I think there's, uh we say the ivory tower of academia where people or researchers are
just talking about theory and theoretical ideas where ISISV is different is what we're

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able to take that theory and bridge and say, hey, you guys aren't really talking to
people.

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Let's talk to the local small one shop.

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man shop in Kenya and get their perspective.

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Let's talk to the UN.

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And so a lot of us, a lot of what we do is be an advocate and a knowledge connector for
the everyday person to these uh institutions that are seen on a pedestal that's not

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accessible to maybe common people.

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So we try to be that bridge.

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Hmm.

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What, where do you guys get your funding?

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How in the world is there enough revenue to drive this thing to grow it around the world?

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Who supports it?

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Honestly, it's all self-funded.

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A lot of it comes from our research.

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So we have a network of universities and partners that publish in oh our journals, the
Journal of Small Business Management, uh the Journal of the International Council of Small

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Business.

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A lot of our revenue and operating budget happens there with the researchers.

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For the operational side of things, it comes down from our uh different countries
sponsoring

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So we'll do a project with Azerbaijan.

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were in Baku.

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We did a forum with them.

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We had a program with uh Korea.

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So these different institutions will take and sponsor initiatives and we'll able to go in
and execute on those things.

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But a lot of it also is membership based.

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There's different organizations that are members.

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They pay a fee.

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We call them k-hubs, knowledge hubs.

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And so it's very bootstrapped.

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We are very thin line budget.

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It's not as super.

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super stressful sometimes of like, how are going to get this thing done?

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But a lot of it is, you know, just having in kind sponsors and be able to uh do a lot of
it from your passion and your heart of like, Hey, we'll make it happen.

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We'll figure it out.

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Um, but that's kind of the day to day funding of ICSB.

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How in the world do you have time to travel to Baku, to Azerbaijan, and travel to South
Korea and spend time with them when you are also an entrepreneur yourself?

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Yeah, my partners are like, sky in the country?

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And I'm like, that was my caveat of getting in business people.

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like, this is what I do.

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This is what I enjoy.

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This is where we're different because I get this goal perspective that a lot of people in
our industry don't.

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They're in their bubble.

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And so they see the value of it.

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And it's really just really scheduling my time and being very,

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strict with, with my, with my commitments and be able to plan ahead.

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I literally sat down last Saturday and just planned out my whole year of like, okay, I
know I have to go here.

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I don't have to go to this event here.

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Let's make sure I have, you know, coverage for, uh, you know, help at the store and do
this and that.

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it's, it's a lot of planning, would say, advanced planning to figure out how I can be in
multiple places at once.

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So what happens here in this world of cannabis, you all have an operation.

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We're to go deep into it.

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um What do you do when you have all these different responsibilities and you have this
calendar?

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What do you do when inevitably it doesn't go well because there's a lot of things that
don't in this world of entrepreneurship?

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um How does sky handle it?

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What do you do when the plans just don't work out?

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Yeah.

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it's something that I'm still trying to figure out.

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uh It's lot of being okay with a Plan B and being okay with, I uh guess being patient is
the first thing, right?

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You have to be patient with yourself.

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can't, I say, luckily I'm not in the healthcare field.

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Someone's life's not really dependent on what I do right away, right?

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uh If our store has an issue and we're down for an hour, hopefully no one's having an
issue about getting their cannabis.

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So I'm like, okay, it's okay.

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Let's take a step back.

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Let's breathe.

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We can work through this.

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Um, it gets frustrating.

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Of course you, you're, um, you know, our operation has, you know, 40, 40 employees and
we're working, you know, all that's, we're always open.

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So there's always inevitably something that pops up and I'm okay.

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Well, I'm on a plane, uh, to South Korea.

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I need to get this proposal set and I have to run the payroll.

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Uh, so it's a lot of juggling, but it's also rely on a strong team.

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Right.

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I have incredible partners.

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I'm writing to the store of me, know, in-store management, my C-suite team, and then,
know, ICSB, have, you know, my, my project managers under me that help.

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I can delegate, right?

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Delegate a lot of things.

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And I think that saved me.

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saying, Hey, trusting someone to carry out something that you know, you're not going to
have time for.

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Having an executive assistant is helpful.

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This building that, that team that's, that can have your back.

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Cause you realize in business you want to do it all yourself, but you can't.

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You have to.

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give the baton to someone else to be able to grow and have that scale.

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Um, tell us about primo cannabis because you know, there's some good revenue here.

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It's a really good business.

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Um, tell us about this entrepreneurial journey of, um, of a 27 year old hustler who's
making that happen.

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Who's also out here running and leading the COO spot of this international business
organization.

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Tell us about this journey because you know, there's this stat out there, you know, we
hang onto this data.

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I'm sure you do the same thing in your job that comes out, but right now.

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I think it was Malcolm Gladwell wrote in his latest book or something that it's either one
in four or one in five humans around the world are either currently starting a business or

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thinking about starting one.

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so cannabis was the hot topic for a long time.

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Now it's becoming more of the norm around our country, but talk to us about this journey,
how it started.

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And I'm sure we're going to learn some of the tough moments and, and how you keep going.

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00:14:40,247 --> 00:14:44,930
build it to multiple million dollars in revenue, but there's a lot of people at your age.

213
00:14:44,930 --> 00:14:48,258
that really want to be in business and they're really thinking about this.

214
00:14:48,258 --> 00:14:50,492
So let's talk about this story here for a minute.

215
00:14:50,734 --> 00:14:51,774
Of course.

216
00:14:52,414 --> 00:14:54,174
One of my mentors, Dr.

217
00:14:54,174 --> 00:15:02,354
Winslow Sargent, he always says the opportunity train, you have to be ready to jump on the
train and there might be only three or four of those trains that pop up in your life and

218
00:15:02,354 --> 00:15:04,214
you have to get your luggage and get on it.

219
00:15:04,214 --> 00:15:07,054
And so that's kind of the story with Primo.

220
00:15:07,054 --> 00:15:16,934
I was doing MBA, I was studying about just try to get my business acumen up here.

221
00:15:16,954 --> 00:15:19,350
I social sciences as my major.

222
00:15:19,350 --> 00:15:25,732
So just getting my finance uh degree and having the accounting, all the stuff I hate,
right?

223
00:15:25,992 --> 00:15:29,333
Now it's something I do every day, but you have to overcome that.

224
00:15:29,333 --> 00:15:31,413
And so I was doing that.

225
00:15:31,413 --> 00:15:41,256
I get a phone call from my father and he's like, Hey, I know, you know, I told you never
to smoke weed, but we're going to get into uh the dispensary business.

226
00:15:41,256 --> 00:15:42,116
Could you help me with that?

227
00:15:42,116 --> 00:15:44,417
Like I, you're the one that went to school.

228
00:15:44,417 --> 00:15:47,662
You're the one that, you know, has the, the operational.

229
00:15:47,662 --> 00:15:50,542
Acumen, let's get in the business together.

230
00:15:50,542 --> 00:15:52,042
And I'm like, I can't say no that.

231
00:15:52,042 --> 00:15:53,262
Let's figure it out.

232
00:15:53,262 --> 00:16:01,942
And personally, I don't use cannabis, which is the funny thing is, my dad, he was in the
music industry and he owned a gym and did health and fitness.

233
00:16:01,942 --> 00:16:10,222
So growing up, if you see my brothers, all of us are built athletes, but I decided to use
my brain and just stick to academics.

234
00:16:10,222 --> 00:16:13,242
And so he's like, we can really do something with this.

235
00:16:13,242 --> 00:16:15,842
This is our community, our town.

236
00:16:15,842 --> 00:16:16,652
had voted yes.

237
00:16:16,652 --> 00:16:24,146
So in New Jersey, uh basically in 2022, they voted yes for recreational cannabis.

238
00:16:24,307 --> 00:16:34,922
And a family friend of my dad, the Chandler family, who he has a relationship with from
the music industry and growing up, uh is both a father-son duo.

239
00:16:34,922 --> 00:16:42,146
So his contemporary, Darren Chandler Sr., did some stuff with dispensaries in Colorado.

240
00:16:42,146 --> 00:16:46,030
Him and his son were trying to build uh

241
00:16:46,030 --> 00:16:52,010
of dispensary or grow as well during the medical licensing in 2016.

242
00:16:52,010 --> 00:16:52,710
Didn't work out.

243
00:16:52,710 --> 00:16:53,970
They dealt with a lot of issues.

244
00:16:53,970 --> 00:16:56,330
And so it just became the perfect timing.

245
00:16:56,330 --> 00:16:58,470
I was finishing my business degree.

246
00:16:58,510 --> 00:17:01,510
They had the know-how from Colorado.

247
00:17:01,510 --> 00:17:06,690
My dad had the insight with the town and the politics and location.

248
00:17:06,690 --> 00:17:09,410
And so, you know, we're like, Hey, let's go in business together.

249
00:17:09,410 --> 00:17:11,350
Let's actually try to get this license.

250
00:17:11,350 --> 00:17:13,370
And so it was a fight.

251
00:17:13,370 --> 00:17:15,690
We started this process in 2022.

252
00:17:15,726 --> 00:17:22,746
didn't get open to 2024 because of just how long it takes to go through approvals and
logistics.

253
00:17:22,746 --> 00:17:28,806
And I'm going up and down from DC to New Jersey and we're getting presentations from the
council.

254
00:17:28,806 --> 00:17:37,946
We're, you know, lobbying the government about, you know, getting more funding and grants
for people to be able to be open, pay rents for two years and not have anything coming in.

255
00:17:37,946 --> 00:17:38,446
Right.

256
00:17:38,446 --> 00:17:42,566
So it was definitely a lot of figuring it out on the fly.

257
00:17:42,566 --> 00:17:44,186
A lot of.

258
00:17:44,302 --> 00:17:45,782
getting our foundation and footing.

259
00:17:45,782 --> 00:17:51,922
But once we got the doors open, you know, it just really fell into a rhythm.

260
00:17:51,922 --> 00:18:01,021
And so we're able to grow, grow, grow every, every month, be able to have our staff, um,
learn the systems.

261
00:18:01,202 --> 00:18:05,502
We, you know, promote a lot of people to be management with from the first core group we
had.

262
00:18:05,502 --> 00:18:10,582
And so was just this beautiful, I guess, full circle moment because

263
00:18:10,710 --> 00:18:20,578
You know, our families have faced, you know, the issues of the war on drugs and it's who
better to run this industry and be in this industry and be a leader now as one of the top

264
00:18:20,578 --> 00:18:24,722
10 independent dispensaries in New Jersey than us, right?

265
00:18:24,722 --> 00:18:35,220
And so having that uh success has been really a blessing and, uh you know, humbling that I
can be part of that narrative, the story.

266
00:18:36,083 --> 00:18:38,654
The, um, what's the success from it?

267
00:18:38,654 --> 00:18:40,566
Cause you had to fight for those two years to get it.

268
00:18:40,566 --> 00:18:41,877
And it's like, we arrived here.

269
00:18:41,877 --> 00:18:43,047
So you have the success.

270
00:18:43,047 --> 00:18:45,649
Um, what do you do now though?

271
00:18:45,770 --> 00:18:47,521
So you have this business, you're a partner.

272
00:18:47,521 --> 00:18:48,802
you, do you build more?

273
00:18:48,802 --> 00:18:49,602
Do you grow it?

274
00:18:49,602 --> 00:18:53,225
Do you, cause I was going to make a joke earlier when you're like, well, now it's just
grow, grow, grow.

275
00:18:53,225 --> 00:18:55,456
went, all right, sky's the time for make a joke.

276
00:18:55,456 --> 00:18:59,379
Or we just, are we grow, grow, the plants or, know, you were talking about revenue and
profits.

277
00:18:59,379 --> 00:19:02,161
Um, but what do you do now?

278
00:19:02,161 --> 00:19:03,426
You're 27.

279
00:19:03,426 --> 00:19:06,931
There's this new inspiration for entrepreneurism in our country.

280
00:19:06,931 --> 00:19:14,211
um What do you do with this knowledge that you've learned, the understanding and all the
success and the failure that's come with it?

281
00:19:14,211 --> 00:19:15,262
What do do now?

282
00:19:15,692 --> 00:19:24,204
Yeah, so with Primo, we're still looking to expand, we're reinvesting, we're thinking
differently, right?

283
00:19:24,204 --> 00:19:29,206
You have to be creative in lots of spaces and be able to share that knowledge as well.

284
00:19:29,206 --> 00:19:39,368
So, uh we're working on projects uh to have roundtables with other uh business owners and
share the knowledge and say, hey, we can come together and be stronger together because

285
00:19:39,368 --> 00:19:45,134
there's large multi-state operators that dominate the space in lot of states and don't
really...

286
00:19:45,134 --> 00:19:48,174
consumers first and we want to make sure that we're able to do that.

287
00:19:48,174 --> 00:19:57,114
And some of that knowledge, you know, I've taken and started my own private consulting
firm, Herman Todd Consulting Group, and, you know, different business owners from any

288
00:19:57,114 --> 00:20:07,674
industry were able to look at, you know, their operations and say, hey, do you have the
foundational keystones and strategies to take your business to, you know, six figures?

289
00:20:07,954 --> 00:20:11,754
And a lot of them would say, hey, I've been just figuring it out on my own.

290
00:20:11,754 --> 00:20:14,562
And from being able to do this from a...

291
00:20:14,562 --> 00:20:19,607
domestic perspective with my own company and in the global perspective of seeing what
works and doesn't work.

292
00:20:19,607 --> 00:20:29,685
I positioned us to be in a good space to say any business can really come to us and figure
out what's the pain points and what can we do to elevate ourselves.

293
00:20:29,685 --> 00:20:31,897
And that's where I get excited, right?

294
00:20:31,897 --> 00:20:40,865
Like just be able to change someone's life because they just need a little bit guidance um
and take those lessons and reapply to my own business.

295
00:20:40,865 --> 00:20:41,870
So it's a...

296
00:20:41,870 --> 00:20:45,510
ecosystem, I say of things I do because they all reinforce each other.

297
00:20:45,510 --> 00:20:48,150
They all help me grow my knowledge space.

298
00:20:48,150 --> 00:20:52,870
Um, and any mistakes I've seen from other people, I don't have to make those.

299
00:20:52,870 --> 00:21:00,550
can, you know, learn from their mistakes and, build and say, Hey, let's, let's, uh, go in
a different direction because this might not work all the time.

300
00:21:00,550 --> 00:21:02,130
This might be something that's one off.

301
00:21:02,130 --> 00:21:06,854
Um, just being really intentional with the decisions we make as a company.

302
00:21:07,150 --> 00:21:13,010
Do you think you said to take other people's advice and maybe you don't have to make the
same mistakes and all that.

303
00:21:13,010 --> 00:21:13,630
I'm listening.

304
00:21:13,630 --> 00:21:14,210
I'm like, Hmm.

305
00:21:14,210 --> 00:21:16,510
I wonder if sky was this type of a kid.

306
00:21:16,510 --> 00:21:19,410
Your dad said, don't, don't do, don't smoke weed.

307
00:21:19,410 --> 00:21:24,230
And you didn't, but I'm like, I don't know if he was the guy that was taking dad's advice
all the time.

308
00:21:24,970 --> 00:21:29,094
I would say, you know, I'm definitely stubborn.

309
00:21:29,094 --> 00:21:38,543
Um, and I definitely learned, and that's part of the beauty of working with my father and,
and, and Darren senior is that we have the OG council, we call it.

310
00:21:38,543 --> 00:21:42,186
And they're the ones that, you know, had the wisdom and are able to bring it down.

311
00:21:42,186 --> 00:21:47,890
And if I have a crazy idea and they have to bring me down to earth a bit, I'm like, okay,
let me, let me take a step back.

312
00:21:47,890 --> 00:21:51,784
Let's not be too, uh, don't put personality into it.

313
00:21:51,802 --> 00:21:53,884
and fight them on this.

314
00:21:53,884 --> 00:21:55,104
They've seen it, they've done it.

315
00:21:55,104 --> 00:21:56,185
But sometimes they're wrong too.

316
00:21:56,185 --> 00:21:57,516
And so me and Darren Jr.

317
00:21:57,516 --> 00:22:05,752
have to be like, okay, we need to convince them that we need to be more calm about this
decision and look at every option.

318
00:22:05,752 --> 00:22:09,044
And so, as a kid, was pretty, I guess, straight-laced.

319
00:22:09,044 --> 00:22:15,158
If you see my father, he's uh still, he's large, working out every day, strong guy.

320
00:22:15,158 --> 00:22:17,602
So I was a little intimidated to ever do anything wrong.

321
00:22:17,602 --> 00:22:19,221
If I didn't have straight A's, it was over.

322
00:22:19,221 --> 00:22:21,178
um

323
00:22:21,178 --> 00:22:23,566
You know, she were a rule follower

324
00:22:23,566 --> 00:22:26,106
Yeah, for the most part, I have two younger brothers.

325
00:22:26,106 --> 00:22:27,046
I'm the oldest.

326
00:22:27,046 --> 00:22:30,206
So a lot of it, you know, as the oldest child, they put it on you.

327
00:22:30,206 --> 00:22:32,906
You have to be the one to do everything the right way.

328
00:22:32,906 --> 00:22:42,106
Um, you know, I, I wouldn't say I have a rebellious streak, really more just in DC,
figuring out who I am as a person, you know, be able to screw up a bit and, and understand

329
00:22:42,106 --> 00:22:47,986
I'm overextending myself or doing something, you know, that I should be spending my time
doing better.

330
00:22:47,986 --> 00:22:52,718
So a lot of that was my own self discovery, um, throughout college, but.

331
00:22:52,718 --> 00:22:53,312
Through high school.

332
00:22:53,312 --> 00:22:54,993
Yeah, was by the book.

333
00:22:54,993 --> 00:22:56,198
uh

334
00:22:56,526 --> 00:22:57,006
Good.

335
00:22:57,006 --> 00:22:58,726
It served you well.

336
00:22:59,646 --> 00:23:05,226
What do you think, what do you think your dad would say right now?

337
00:23:05,706 --> 00:23:12,102
So there's a lot of life that both of you have to live to keep going, but what do you
think he'd say right now?

338
00:23:12,846 --> 00:23:14,866
Yeah, I hear his voice in my head all the time.

339
00:23:14,866 --> 00:23:18,966
He's like, uh, you know, he always calls me his immortality.

340
00:23:18,966 --> 00:23:20,226
I'm his legacy.

341
00:23:20,226 --> 00:23:31,926
He's so proud of how, uh, I've, you know, became a man and be able to run this company and
do my own thing and be able to also give back to my people, uh, not, you know, just be

342
00:23:31,926 --> 00:23:41,134
selfish and, I could just run off and, and work in, you know, a fortune 500 company, but,
uh, I decided to take the chance and be there for him.

343
00:23:41,134 --> 00:23:42,274
when he needed it.

344
00:23:42,274 --> 00:23:44,814
you my goal goal is I seen him work every day in his life.

345
00:23:44,814 --> 00:23:48,714
And when we got this dispensary open, that's the first time I seen him and my mom taking
vacation.

346
00:23:48,714 --> 00:23:52,394
And that was like very, you know, respiring to me.

347
00:23:52,394 --> 00:24:02,914
I'm like, this is what it's for, you know, be able to see him relax and be able to not
work every single day, have other people work for us and have this community built, um, is

348
00:24:02,914 --> 00:24:10,210
important because I know they've sacrificed so much and my mom just to get to where I am
with college and see my brothers, you know, try to

349
00:24:10,210 --> 00:24:12,730
go through their path through school and everything like that.

350
00:24:12,730 --> 00:24:14,836
I just know there's so much love there.

351
00:24:15,768 --> 00:24:19,788
So the first vacation that he's taken or first one he's taken in a long time.

352
00:24:19,788 --> 00:24:23,058
Yeah, since I've been alive, I would say.

353
00:24:24,574 --> 00:24:37,858
Um, see that's something that the world, it's nice that you've had a front row seat to
that, to being in the audience of him being on the stage of his life and, making the

354
00:24:37,858 --> 00:24:39,739
sacrifice and the commitment.

355
00:24:39,739 --> 00:24:44,180
And that's what maybe your generation that you can pass on to them, right?

356
00:24:44,180 --> 00:24:49,342
These examples of like, Hey, listen, y'all, you got to go all in for a long time.

357
00:24:49,634 --> 00:24:54,101
before you get to a place where it feels like I've arrived or maybe I can take a breath.

358
00:24:54,101 --> 00:24:59,190
And so I think his goal for you, obviously he created a life where you could take it a
level up, right?

359
00:24:59,190 --> 00:25:02,294
You get your MBA, I'm assuming he doesn't have his MBA.

360
00:25:02,552 --> 00:25:06,030
Yeah, yeah, I'm the first gen to college in my family, so...

361
00:25:06,030 --> 00:25:07,830
And so that's it.

362
00:25:07,830 --> 00:25:08,890
So he lived his life.

363
00:25:08,890 --> 00:25:10,670
Your parents did to put you there.

364
00:25:10,670 --> 00:25:14,250
So what your generation has to make sure is that you do the same thing.

365
00:25:14,250 --> 00:25:14,850
Yep.

366
00:25:14,850 --> 00:25:15,270
Right.

367
00:25:15,270 --> 00:25:21,550
And I think that's something that you being even in this position of, of ICSB to take out
to the world to say, you all like, it's worth it.

368
00:25:21,550 --> 00:25:22,730
Go on this journey.

369
00:25:22,730 --> 00:25:29,650
You don't have to go work, work just for fortune 500, but you're to have to go all in,
make a lot of sacrifice, be patient for the outcome.

370
00:25:29,650 --> 00:25:32,770
And don't just expect that it's going to happen right now.

371
00:25:33,504 --> 00:25:33,774
Right.

372
00:25:33,774 --> 00:25:34,915
Be willing to put in the time.

373
00:25:34,915 --> 00:25:42,150
Cause I think that's the debate is it feels like, cause we're out here looking at
Instagram and we're looking at Tik TOP and it's like people my age are already living the

374
00:25:42,150 --> 00:25:42,721
life.

375
00:25:42,721 --> 00:25:48,565
It's like guys, even if you think about an influencer, those people do not have easy
lives.

376
00:25:48,565 --> 00:25:49,346
No.

377
00:25:49,346 --> 00:25:49,575
Right.

378
00:25:49,575 --> 00:25:52,908
They're working 16 and 18 and 20 hour days and their lives are controlled.

379
00:25:52,908 --> 00:25:55,970
So maybe you can be the voice to the, to the next generation.

380
00:25:55,970 --> 00:26:00,694
Cause before long, here's what I'm gonna tell you before long, you're going to be 35 and
there's me a younger generation behind you.

381
00:26:00,694 --> 00:26:01,038
Right.

382
00:26:01,038 --> 00:26:02,378
Exactly, exactly.

383
00:26:02,378 --> 00:26:03,638
I already hear it my brothers.

384
00:26:03,638 --> 00:26:03,878
Right.

385
00:26:03,878 --> 00:26:04,399
That's it.

386
00:26:04,399 --> 00:26:09,002
And I think you're probably looking at them and probably rolling your eyes or shaking your
head or something.

387
00:26:09,002 --> 00:26:09,403
Yeah.

388
00:26:09,403 --> 00:26:10,884
You're thinking about moments now.

389
00:26:10,884 --> 00:26:13,716
Um, you're, you're going to go to the West coast soon.

390
00:26:13,716 --> 00:26:14,727
that correct?

391
00:26:14,727 --> 00:26:15,348
Yep.

392
00:26:15,348 --> 00:26:16,268
Is that out in the world?

393
00:26:16,268 --> 00:26:18,630
Did I just break something that isn't supposed to be broken?

394
00:26:19,158 --> 00:26:21,343
No, it's public, I guess.

395
00:26:21,343 --> 00:26:23,446
It'd be a little bi-costal.

396
00:26:23,446 --> 00:26:28,013
Yeah, so what do you think your wife's gonna, cause then you're gonna stack that
responsibility too.

397
00:26:28,013 --> 00:26:30,346
So you're gonna have new relationships on the West coast.

398
00:26:30,346 --> 00:26:33,040
You have this East coast cannabis operation.

399
00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:40,830
You can still perform your role in ICSB, but what do you think that's gonna be like on
stacking more responsibility in another geographical area?

400
00:26:41,006 --> 00:26:48,646
Yeah, my thing I realized, you know, moving from DC back up to, you know, the Northeast is
really getting involved in the community.

401
00:26:48,646 --> 00:26:57,065
you know, one goal for me was, you know, or one goal I have to aspire for when I move out
to the West Coast is how can I be in the community?

402
00:26:57,065 --> 00:27:01,046
How can I have things and not be in the office all day and on the computer?

403
00:27:01,046 --> 00:27:02,846
Like I want to interact with people.

404
00:27:02,846 --> 00:27:04,126
I want to help build people.

405
00:27:04,126 --> 00:27:09,548
And luckily enough, like having this global network I have built and having, you know,

406
00:27:09,548 --> 00:27:13,241
the nonprofit work I do and volunteering I do on the side.

407
00:27:13,241 --> 00:27:21,818
I've been able to find, you know, friends and family that are out there that I can go to
and point me in the right direction of, you should work with a certain organization or,

408
00:27:21,818 --> 00:27:27,263
hey, let's talk to this university and run their startup camp for kids.

409
00:27:27,263 --> 00:27:28,824
Like those are things that excite me.

410
00:27:28,824 --> 00:27:30,856
And I feel like I can build on that.

411
00:27:30,856 --> 00:27:35,470
And then there's opportunity for business, you know, without even looking for it, right?

412
00:27:35,470 --> 00:27:37,998
You just be yourself, authentic.

413
00:27:37,998 --> 00:27:41,598
budget the time for that, you know, I'm not going to do every weekend.

414
00:27:41,598 --> 00:27:51,598
That's going to be, you know, maybe once a weekend thing in the month, but taking it one
step at a time and slowly easing into that new life.

415
00:27:51,818 --> 00:27:55,038
But everything, like I said, is the ecosystem of how I operate.

416
00:27:55,038 --> 00:27:56,338
Everything is built on top of each other.

417
00:27:56,338 --> 00:28:02,898
The world's so much smaller than you realize, I guess, as a person who's been to, I don't
know, 24 countries.

418
00:28:02,898 --> 00:28:05,858
like, I see so much similarities.

419
00:28:05,858 --> 00:28:07,218
So be on other side of the U.S.

420
00:28:07,218 --> 00:28:07,854
I'm like,

421
00:28:07,854 --> 00:28:08,934
Hey, this is nothing.

422
00:28:08,934 --> 00:28:10,454
I don't mind being on a plane.

423
00:28:10,454 --> 00:28:15,234
I was in Bangkok in January and was on the flight for 15 hours.

424
00:28:15,234 --> 00:28:16,954
You know, this is six hours.

425
00:28:16,954 --> 00:28:18,054
It's easy.

426
00:28:18,314 --> 00:28:20,054
So I'm excited.

427
00:28:20,054 --> 00:28:22,414
You know, I like new things.

428
00:28:22,414 --> 00:28:26,284
If I want in one place too long, I get a little antsy.

429
00:28:26,284 --> 00:28:27,264
Okay, all right, good.

430
00:28:27,264 --> 00:28:29,218
You wanna get stuff done.

431
00:28:29,218 --> 00:28:33,323
If you go back a five year segment, go back to the 22 year old Sky.

432
00:28:33,323 --> 00:28:34,223
Yeah.

433
00:28:34,945 --> 00:28:36,416
What do you tell that guy?

434
00:28:39,512 --> 00:28:43,786
I think I say, make sure you pour into the people around you.

435
00:28:43,786 --> 00:28:54,114
think 22 years old, I was hyper-focused on just myself and just trying to do something,
trying to figure it out, right?

436
00:28:54,114 --> 00:28:56,145
Like, I didn't know where I was going to be.

437
00:28:56,145 --> 00:29:02,240
I didn't know this opportunity was going to land itself of being able to be an
entrepreneur.

438
00:29:02,522 --> 00:29:07,675
I maybe, you know, didn't nurture those, those friendships as much.

439
00:29:07,675 --> 00:29:09,728
didn't, uh

440
00:29:09,728 --> 00:29:13,631
I like to say my fiance, she's very intentional about things.

441
00:29:13,631 --> 00:29:17,815
She writes, you know, cute cards to friends and it's really great with my family.

442
00:29:17,815 --> 00:29:29,114
And I'm like, I want to learn that, like how to be intentional, have time for the little
things and being mindful about how you're leaving an impact on somebody because you don't

443
00:29:29,114 --> 00:29:34,748
want to come off as arrogant or not caring and you want to be empathetic.

444
00:29:34,748 --> 00:29:39,566
You want to have this legacy of where people are always going to talk great about you.

445
00:29:39,566 --> 00:29:42,066
Understand the nuance of who you are.

446
00:29:42,066 --> 00:29:51,166
I think for me it's hard for me to always explain Why do I do it's I do it and then I'm
like, okay, how do I get deeper into it?

447
00:29:51,446 --> 00:30:01,366
and to let people into your life is something that I think a lot of people might not
always do because we're as humans are just you protective but it's okay to do that a

448
00:30:01,366 --> 00:30:09,350
little bit more so because that's where you see the authentic relationships get built and
you have your circle of people that

449
00:30:09,474 --> 00:30:12,837
will help you when you're down and need their help.

450
00:30:12,837 --> 00:30:22,907
And I think a lot of times as young people, especially in your early 20s, you're just
trying to like extract and try to talk to somebody just to get this opportunity.

451
00:30:22,907 --> 00:30:24,378
But no, let's get to know them as a person.

452
00:30:24,378 --> 00:30:25,629
Let's have an authentic relationship.

453
00:30:25,629 --> 00:30:28,072
I don't want to use people and I want them to use me.

454
00:30:28,072 --> 00:30:30,964
And what you put out there is what you'll get in return.

455
00:30:31,374 --> 00:30:40,660
Um, so then the challenge is I think the benefit, we shouldn't look back for regret, but
the benefit to that is, is then to say, okay, if that's what you would have told the 22

456
00:30:40,660 --> 00:30:43,482
year old sky, like you articulated it very well.

457
00:30:43,482 --> 00:30:45,844
So now the challenge is to make sure we do it.

458
00:30:45,844 --> 00:30:46,744
Yeah.

459
00:30:47,065 --> 00:30:47,825
Right.

460
00:30:47,825 --> 00:30:48,566
Yeah.

461
00:30:48,566 --> 00:30:50,227
Um, yeah, it's so good.

462
00:30:50,227 --> 00:30:54,710
What, um, what are you hoping to do when you wake up?

463
00:30:54,710 --> 00:30:59,854
I think it's, have to be careful not to think too far ahead because we need to be in the
moment.

464
00:30:59,854 --> 00:31:00,494
For sure.

465
00:31:00,494 --> 00:31:04,297
Um, but we do have these goals that we're working towards and we have these plans for
life.

466
00:31:04,297 --> 00:31:07,680
What I've learned is they usually don't work out exactly the way you want them to.

467
00:31:07,740 --> 00:31:10,322
Things take a little longer than you hope that they would.

468
00:31:10,322 --> 00:31:19,569
But, in your mind right now, this optimistic mind with all this worldwide experience now,
getting ready to go to another side of the country.

469
00:31:19,610 --> 00:31:21,501
What do you, what do you think you want?

470
00:31:21,501 --> 00:31:23,873
What do you, what do you think it is?

471
00:31:26,722 --> 00:31:27,714
do I want?

472
00:31:27,714 --> 00:31:32,526
And I said, think you want, because what I've learned and if you, it's gonna evolve.

473
00:31:33,812 --> 00:31:36,348
But right now, what do think you want?

474
00:31:37,981 --> 00:31:41,402
I I talked about this about, you know, your New Year's resolution.

475
00:31:41,402 --> 00:31:43,302
Like, what do you look forward to?

476
00:31:43,302 --> 00:31:50,162
And one of my friends who I did my MBA with, I'm like, yeah, you know, I just want like
routine and like, calmness in my life.

477
00:31:50,162 --> 00:31:51,842
He's like, you're not going to get that, man.

478
00:31:51,842 --> 00:31:55,142
Like you're, you're too energetic.

479
00:31:55,142 --> 00:31:55,882
You're lying to yourself.

480
00:31:55,882 --> 00:32:02,082
You need, you need to be fed with, you know, um, with challenges and, be able to overcome
them.

481
00:32:02,082 --> 00:32:07,350
And so I think ultimately, you know, reflecting on what he said, knowing me,

482
00:32:07,350 --> 00:32:15,716
I'm like, maybe it's not calmness, but maybe it's just, um, I would say consistency,
right?

483
00:32:15,716 --> 00:32:30,128
Consistency in how I show up for everybody and every day, how people show up for me and
having that drive and confidence that, yeah, every day looks a little different, but that,

484
00:32:30,128 --> 00:32:33,730
energy, that enthusiasm is always there.

485
00:32:33,730 --> 00:32:37,370
Because I think we get a routine and we're like, yeah, I have everything.

486
00:32:37,370 --> 00:32:38,674
I have this special business.

487
00:32:38,674 --> 00:32:42,630
have, you know, people that love me, but am I showing up for them?

488
00:32:42,630 --> 00:32:44,029
Is that energy there?

489
00:32:44,029 --> 00:32:45,830
Am I just burnt out?

490
00:32:45,830 --> 00:32:55,459
And so that consistency, you know, comes into where, okay, I have to say no to some things
because I won't be able to show up in that energy and provide that for my businesses, my

491
00:32:55,459 --> 00:32:58,291
relationships, uh and for myself, right?

492
00:32:58,291 --> 00:33:01,844
So I think what I really want is consistency.

493
00:33:01,934 --> 00:33:13,003
um When you don't get the reciprocity back of you're saying about showing up for people
and making an impact in their life, when you don't get that reciprocity in return, what's

494
00:33:13,003 --> 00:33:15,645
the current, how does the current sky handle that?

495
00:33:15,645 --> 00:33:16,926
What do you do with it?

496
00:33:17,218 --> 00:33:18,779
Yeah, it's hard.

497
00:33:18,779 --> 00:33:21,930
uh, it's always that investing in me.

498
00:33:21,930 --> 00:33:25,545
I, know, I just slowly, you know, let them fade.

499
00:33:25,545 --> 00:33:31,910
I'm like, you know, they're asking me for things and, and always asking, asking, asking
and never reciprocating that.

500
00:33:31,910 --> 00:33:36,534
I'm like, I'm not going to respond to your, your calls or text messages as frequently.

501
00:33:36,574 --> 00:33:45,954
I tend to, as a person who I think is wired to always respond and be there for people, uh,
I'm always like, oh, I, I'm on a call or I'm.

502
00:33:45,954 --> 00:33:48,395
doing another task and someone's calling me, I pick it up.

503
00:33:48,395 --> 00:33:53,225
I need to keep my phone, do not disturb and then look and see, okay, is this something
that's actually urgent?

504
00:33:53,225 --> 00:33:56,608
this something that someone actually deserves my time?

505
00:33:56,608 --> 00:34:02,681
Because I think as a young person, you're so willing to give out your time and that's one
of your most valuable assets.

506
00:34:02,681 --> 00:34:09,373
uh And giving to people that don't reciprocate is not gonna last.

507
00:34:09,373 --> 00:34:15,903
So that's something where I'm slowly building those boundaries and saying, hey,

508
00:34:15,903 --> 00:34:16,905
You're not showing up for me.

509
00:34:16,905 --> 00:34:18,337
It's okay.

510
00:34:18,337 --> 00:34:24,788
Maybe we'll cross paths and you decide to, you know, uh, pour into me and then we can, we
can figure it out.

511
00:34:24,788 --> 00:34:28,253
But right now I don't have the capacity for you.

512
00:34:28,398 --> 00:34:31,080
Um, isn't that something that's tough?

513
00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:32,371
It's like, where do you put your time?

514
00:34:32,371 --> 00:34:37,666
That's what you're speaking to, but also on business with all these things pulling you,
um, staying focused.

515
00:34:38,267 --> 00:34:38,887
Yep.

516
00:34:38,887 --> 00:34:39,808
Um, what do you have?

517
00:34:39,808 --> 00:34:45,893
I'm assuming, uh, the professor who leads, you know, ICSB, I'm assuming he's still the
CEO.

518
00:34:45,893 --> 00:34:46,594
Yeah.

519
00:34:46,594 --> 00:34:47,454
Yep.

520
00:34:47,915 --> 00:34:49,437
I'm assuming he's a mentor.

521
00:34:49,437 --> 00:34:56,212
Have you intentionally searched for mentors or have they shown up in your life?

522
00:34:57,806 --> 00:35:01,806
think majority of them shown up, know, you interact with somebody.

523
00:35:01,865 --> 00:35:03,426
I like authenticity, right?

524
00:35:03,426 --> 00:35:13,586
Those mentorship programs that a lot of these, you know, schools or things do, where they
just pair you up randomly based on like some common industry insights don't usually work

525
00:35:13,586 --> 00:35:14,006
well.

526
00:35:14,006 --> 00:35:18,726
I think you need to have an authentic conversation where you don't have the, the angle in
mind.

527
00:35:18,726 --> 00:35:20,706
You're just, okay, I somebody.

528
00:35:20,766 --> 00:35:26,990
And that's when you develop this, this pure mentorship where, uh,

529
00:35:26,990 --> 00:35:28,950
They are excited to talk to you.

530
00:35:28,950 --> 00:35:30,570
They don't feel like it's work.

531
00:35:31,190 --> 00:35:37,970
You can joke around and have a nonprofessional, know, a nonbusiness relationship.

532
00:35:37,970 --> 00:35:40,090
It's, you know, a personable relationship.

533
00:35:40,590 --> 00:35:51,686
And, you know, for the most part, I think the people that consistently show up for me that
I see as, you know, mentors or role models, they all have come into my life in that way.

534
00:35:51,916 --> 00:35:52,766
Yeah.

535
00:35:52,887 --> 00:35:55,629
What's going to be your advice um right now?

536
00:35:55,629 --> 00:36:03,994
You're obviously in this spot with, know, ICSB, but you know, I there's probably a lot of
folks your age and younger, they're looking up to you because of the cannabis space and

537
00:36:03,994 --> 00:36:05,355
what you've built there.

538
00:36:05,355 --> 00:36:06,896
What's your advice?

539
00:36:07,757 --> 00:36:14,462
Not just being a big brother, but advice to your younger brothers and people around them
and even employees in your businesses.

540
00:36:14,462 --> 00:36:16,513
What's your advice to this next generation?

541
00:36:16,513 --> 00:36:21,346
It's the next generation really soon behind you um who want to build.

542
00:36:22,358 --> 00:36:24,446
And not just hustle.

543
00:36:25,174 --> 00:36:27,231
So what's the advice?

544
00:36:28,162 --> 00:36:36,707
I would say the, the, the, of the most things that people need to make sure they preserve
is their ability to critically think.

545
00:36:36,707 --> 00:36:39,208
I think a lot of people are on autopilot.

546
00:36:39,208 --> 00:36:41,009
They go with emotions.

547
00:36:41,009 --> 00:36:42,450
They go with the status quo.

548
00:36:42,450 --> 00:36:45,452
Let's, let's question it and, and quickly think about this thing.

549
00:36:45,452 --> 00:36:49,574
You know, everyone's using AI and things to answer simple questions.

550
00:36:49,574 --> 00:36:51,165
You're losing your, your tenacity.

551
00:36:51,165 --> 00:36:57,118
You're losing your, your ability to think on your feet and, and challenge, you know,
what's, what's happening, right?

552
00:36:57,118 --> 00:36:57,768
Like.

553
00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:01,652
Whoever controls the narrative and certain things, you go with that.

554
00:37:01,652 --> 00:37:05,333
No, let's, let's look back and see how we can change the injury on this head.

555
00:37:05,333 --> 00:37:06,304
That's how you innovate.

556
00:37:06,304 --> 00:37:14,378
Uh, you know, the creative disruption that happens a lot of times in these different
industries, you have to be able to, to react to that.

557
00:37:14,378 --> 00:37:24,532
And so, you know, I see, you know, peers and people younger than me, they're like, okay, I
see this person doing this and they have the roadmap and, and I'm going to follow it.

558
00:37:25,006 --> 00:37:29,346
that you don't know enough about that person or how they got there for you to copy them.

559
00:37:29,346 --> 00:37:34,026
You need to question and understand because everyone's path is different.

560
00:37:34,026 --> 00:37:37,206
And so I always, I always like to ask why.

561
00:37:37,206 --> 00:37:44,106
And, and, and, know, probably you think when I was little, I'm always asking why I was the
kid, you know, I was a dinosaur kid and asking why this happened.

562
00:37:44,106 --> 00:37:46,486
And, and I thought I was going to do engineering in high school.

563
00:37:46,486 --> 00:37:49,086
So I was like trying to figure that out and why things were built.

564
00:37:49,086 --> 00:37:54,894
And that curiosity I think is, is, you know, might be dwindling because everyone's just.

565
00:37:54,894 --> 00:37:59,887
um Again, just going with the flow and I'm like, no, let's step back.

566
00:37:59,887 --> 00:38:02,169
Let's ask how they get there.

567
00:38:02,169 --> 00:38:03,520
Why do get there?

568
00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:05,501
Is this something I really even like?

569
00:38:05,501 --> 00:38:09,293
What's my motivation for pursuing this career or pursuing this hustle?

570
00:38:09,293 --> 00:38:11,765
Am I just trying to make money?

571
00:38:11,765 --> 00:38:12,645
No.

572
00:38:12,766 --> 00:38:14,987
What's the number one goal you have?

573
00:38:14,987 --> 00:38:19,880
And getting to that question and that answer is what I would say young people need to
figure out.

574
00:38:19,918 --> 00:38:20,918
Hmm.

575
00:38:20,918 --> 00:38:25,858
Do you think there's many other future adventures in entrepreneurship for you?

576
00:38:25,858 --> 00:38:29,338
Do you think, cause who knows the opportunities are going to come your way?

577
00:38:29,338 --> 00:38:30,878
Do you think there's many or no?

578
00:38:30,878 --> 00:38:31,998
You took a big deep breath.

579
00:38:31,998 --> 00:38:35,142
You kind of, you kind of post it up a little bit.

580
00:38:35,402 --> 00:38:39,515
Yeah, no, it's, it's building on each other, right?

581
00:38:39,515 --> 00:38:44,728
Like I mentioned before, the opportunity train, I'm always, I take the Amtrak a lot, so
I'm always ready to jump on the train.

582
00:38:45,609 --> 00:38:48,021
and I'm always thinking what's next.

583
00:38:48,021 --> 00:38:49,742
What's, what's sustainable?

584
00:38:49,742 --> 00:38:58,738
What's the, you know, future of what our legacy wants to be as Primo or HTCG or ICSB.

585
00:38:58,738 --> 00:38:59,939
How am I leaving impact?

586
00:38:59,939 --> 00:39:05,102
And, and so if it comes through entrepreneurship, we're just building on what we're doing.

587
00:39:05,102 --> 00:39:07,122
You know, that's what I'm going to pursue.

588
00:39:07,222 --> 00:39:16,282
And, you know, I have some ideas and things in the works with, some team members and we're
trying to do some, some things in tech, uh, related to your retail.

589
00:39:16,282 --> 00:39:17,882
And that's exciting for me.

590
00:39:17,882 --> 00:39:21,862
I always like to think again, against the status quo.

591
00:39:21,862 --> 00:39:26,042
Everyone in the, you know, the cannabis industry is very much about brick and mortar.

592
00:39:26,042 --> 00:39:31,242
Let's look at how we're going to, you know, do things virtually e-commerce, those
opportunities there.

593
00:39:31,242 --> 00:39:33,702
So I'm always going to have an entrepreneurial mindset.

594
00:39:33,702 --> 00:39:35,202
think that's in my DNA.

595
00:39:35,299 --> 00:39:41,578
Uh, and I'm always excited to, to pursue what I see as the next big thing.

596
00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:44,764
Well, we got a big thing going on right now that's called AI.

597
00:39:44,764 --> 00:39:46,275
Yeah.

598
00:39:46,776 --> 00:39:47,988
What are you, what are you doing there?

599
00:39:47,988 --> 00:39:49,270
Are you, are you in the space?

600
00:39:49,270 --> 00:39:50,221
Is your mind on it?

601
00:39:50,221 --> 00:39:52,845
Are you digging in like millions and billions of people?

602
00:39:52,845 --> 00:39:54,216
What do you think about it?

603
00:39:54,498 --> 00:39:58,421
Yeah, it's definitely a tool that I interact with every day.

604
00:39:58,421 --> 00:40:05,926
ah I try to understand it, be, you know, in the news about it, understand what's coming up
and what's not, you what's being used.

605
00:40:05,926 --> 00:40:16,834
ah I'm not as involved, I guess, in like developing AI or anything, but we see it be
implemented and how the education around it for a lot of small business owners of ICSB ah

606
00:40:16,834 --> 00:40:18,235
can be demystified, right?

607
00:40:18,235 --> 00:40:23,328
People just think of the language models that people use with ChatChainBT and...

608
00:40:23,470 --> 00:40:27,952
Claude, but there's more automation and things that go with it.

609
00:40:27,972 --> 00:40:38,136
did a discussion in Seoul in July about how digitalization is affecting uh education and
startups.

610
00:40:38,476 --> 00:40:42,003
And a big thing about people is they're using AI for personal branding.

611
00:40:42,003 --> 00:40:45,819
They're using AI for building their business card and understanding who they are.

612
00:40:45,819 --> 00:40:46,379
Right.

613
00:40:46,379 --> 00:40:53,420
You can leverage AI to make yourself more human and authentic by putting yourself out
there.

614
00:40:53,420 --> 00:41:01,653
talking to people, having workshops, explaining, know, uh what you do and who you are.

615
00:41:01,653 --> 00:41:15,119
Because again, I think this wave of technology and the focus on automation has given
people maybe the wrong idea about what the path forward is.

616
00:41:15,119 --> 00:41:22,584
uh Again, I think it's community and uh we say human centered entrepreneurship, where
we're looking towards

617
00:41:22,584 --> 00:41:29,681
the employees and the interactions they have with the customers and not just looking at
how can we be super efficient.

618
00:41:29,681 --> 00:41:38,491
Let's look at the touch of the old, you know, mom and pop shops where people are
remembering your name and talking to you and not treating you as a number.

619
00:41:38,491 --> 00:41:45,888
And so that's the piece where I say, let's use AI to bring that back and not get lost in
just automating everything.

620
00:41:46,124 --> 00:41:46,934
Hmm.

621
00:41:47,136 --> 00:41:49,641
So you mentioned you ride the Amtrak a lot.

622
00:41:49,641 --> 00:41:51,614
Yeah.

623
00:41:51,614 --> 00:41:55,410
What's the most fascinating thing that you've learned from riding the Amtrak?

624
00:41:56,512 --> 00:41:57,003
Yeah.

625
00:41:57,003 --> 00:42:04,129
Um, honestly, I think it's the, this is funny.

626
00:42:04,129 --> 00:42:11,315
They, so I go from New Haven to Jersey, from New York to, uh, DC a lot.

627
00:42:11,315 --> 00:42:16,909
And so depending on what corridor you're on, they take forever to, to load the train.

628
00:42:16,909 --> 00:42:18,921
So in New York, they'll stay for 30 minutes.

629
00:42:18,921 --> 00:42:20,662
They'll switch the engines.

630
00:42:20,662 --> 00:42:23,044
I'm like, why am I sitting here for so long?

631
00:42:23,225 --> 00:42:25,292
And I think, um,

632
00:42:25,292 --> 00:42:26,983
The people that come on the train, it's a mix.

633
00:42:26,983 --> 00:42:29,145
It's, everyone takes the Amtrak surprisingly.

634
00:42:29,145 --> 00:42:33,649
You have students, have professors, you have business people.

635
00:42:33,649 --> 00:42:36,972
Depending on what time you're leaving, you'll get a different crowd.

636
00:42:36,972 --> 00:42:38,273
Sometimes it's very empty.

637
00:42:38,273 --> 00:42:44,969
So the Amtrak, you know, is a great place for me when I'm like, I'm going to have a
conversation with the person next to me.

638
00:42:44,969 --> 00:42:47,661
Let's learn about why they're here, where they're going.

639
00:42:47,802 --> 00:42:49,323
Just get some case studies.

640
00:42:49,323 --> 00:42:51,995
I've talked to people who are business owners and talked to students.

641
00:42:51,995 --> 00:42:53,006
I've talked to...

642
00:42:53,006 --> 00:42:56,466
people who are just grandmas that are just trying to get to Thanksgiving.

643
00:42:56,866 --> 00:43:01,926
So it's actually a great place to have a conversation because that person is stuck next to
you.

644
00:43:01,926 --> 00:43:08,646
And it's good to learn about, what's the pulse of like, what's happening around our area
and like, where are you into?

645
00:43:08,686 --> 00:43:17,990
So either I'm doing that or I'm locking in on my computer and multitasking, but it's
definitely an interesting place where you just learn from the people next to you.

646
00:43:18,028 --> 00:43:18,378
Yeah.

647
00:43:18,378 --> 00:43:22,281
Um, what do you look back?

648
00:43:22,452 --> 00:43:24,203
do you have, are you a business planner?

649
00:43:24,203 --> 00:43:27,832
Do you have a documented 2026 plan?

650
00:43:28,078 --> 00:43:30,298
I'm trying to develop one.

651
00:43:31,058 --> 00:43:39,098
Definitely trying to, know, SOPs are big center operating procedures, having those things
in place for your staff as you grow.

652
00:43:39,098 --> 00:43:41,498
You know, that's something that we refresh every year.

653
00:43:42,038 --> 00:43:45,878
Our roadmap, you know, we have a loose roadmap of where we want to be.

654
00:43:46,218 --> 00:43:48,818
But I would say you got to keep it flexible.

655
00:43:48,818 --> 00:43:53,198
I wouldn't stay strict with it because as we mentioned, things change all the time.

656
00:43:53,198 --> 00:43:54,998
You have to react to new problems.

657
00:43:54,998 --> 00:43:58,092
You have to react to new revelations.

658
00:43:58,092 --> 00:44:00,944
And so I am definitely a planner by heart and nature.

659
00:44:00,944 --> 00:44:12,440
I have to be because of all the things I do and knowing where I have to be, but uh staying
flexible and understanding that as we talked about earlier, be okay with plan B, be okay

660
00:44:12,440 --> 00:44:18,434
when things don't work out um and adaptive and have those things in place where I don't
know the old answers.

661
00:44:18,434 --> 00:44:20,265
Let me ask my people on the ground.

662
00:44:20,265 --> 00:44:24,308
Let me ask a peer in the industry for insight.

663
00:44:24,308 --> 00:44:25,548
Don't be afraid.

664
00:44:25,574 --> 00:44:29,956
to ask for help and that's where adding people who get stuck with a business plan.

665
00:44:29,956 --> 00:44:32,134
They're like, okay, I'm to follow this to the T.

666
00:44:32,134 --> 00:44:33,558
It has to work.

667
00:44:33,558 --> 00:44:36,380
No, can mess up.

668
00:44:36,380 --> 00:44:40,872
Let's ask for help and revise it and keep it as a living document.

669
00:44:41,486 --> 00:44:44,626
Um, we can sit here and talk forever, man, but you've got to get to life.

670
00:44:44,626 --> 00:44:49,026
You probably have an Amtrak leaving soon, but I want to, I want to wrap up with one here.

671
00:44:49,026 --> 00:44:53,946
What internationally, um, you've done a lot of travel recently with ICSB.

672
00:44:54,066 --> 00:45:00,806
Um, what are entrepreneurs, what's getting harder that, that it doesn't seem like we're
prepared for?

673
00:45:01,106 --> 00:45:01,906
there a category?

674
00:45:01,906 --> 00:45:07,078
there, is there one area that you're really seeing standing out that it's like, whoa, this
is really challenging right now.

675
00:45:07,822 --> 00:45:17,822
Yeah, I think a big piece that we're noticing is the great, like the wave of, I say the
gray wave of people retiring.

676
00:45:17,822 --> 00:45:26,582
And a lot of these businesses that have been, you know, held as staples in certain
communities need to have a successor.

677
00:45:26,582 --> 00:45:36,362
And a lot of these people don't have, you know, family that wants to take it over or they
don't know how to go about selling the company or having someone that's actually a

678
00:45:36,362 --> 00:45:37,622
involved owner.

679
00:45:37,766 --> 00:45:47,449
And there's going to be uh a gap, I think, with a lot of these legacy businesses that have
been there forever, that people are really, that really like, that are going to be

680
00:45:47,449 --> 00:45:53,520
transitioning to people that aren't experienced operating them or they just close up
because there's no one to take on the reins.

681
00:45:53,520 --> 00:46:00,982
so, especially in these communities, like in Japan, that their population's very much on
the older side.

682
00:46:00,982 --> 00:46:04,663
There's a lot of people, not enough young people to even take over these businesses.

683
00:46:04,663 --> 00:46:07,254
And so you'll see a lot of things that are

684
00:46:08,129 --> 00:46:13,250
independent mom and pop shops closed down and to get taken over by big corporations.

685
00:46:13,310 --> 00:46:23,930
And so there needs to be a understanding of that, a pathway for people to who are
interested in entrepreneurship, is something that a lot of MBAs are doing now is

686
00:46:23,930 --> 00:46:33,850
entrepreneurship through acquisition and having a marketplace for these companies that
have been around forever, really great, profitable, but maybe aren't super growth

687
00:46:33,850 --> 00:46:34,796
businesses.

688
00:46:34,796 --> 00:46:42,866
have someone come in and take over and understand it and continue that torch, that they
might not have someone to uh carry out for them.

689
00:46:43,239 --> 00:46:50,368
When you say MBAs are doing is that being taught while you're getting your MBA or they're
coming out of school and they're looking for those businesses to operate and run?

690
00:46:50,702 --> 00:47:01,142
And when I was doing it, I think it wasn't as, when I was doing my MBA, I don't think it
was as like on the radar, but now talking to people that were, I guess, graduating maybe

691
00:47:01,142 --> 00:47:06,962
more recently, 2024, 2025, they are now learning about this in class.

692
00:47:07,102 --> 00:47:17,322
Like people often go to like the big five, you know, consulting firms or they're trying to
do something to help businesses externally, but they're like, why not just take the money

693
00:47:17,322 --> 00:47:20,590
that I would be taking from one these firms.

694
00:47:20,590 --> 00:47:24,810
and reinvested into acquiring a business and running myself.

695
00:47:24,810 --> 00:47:32,370
And so there's, there's definitely a nuance there because a lot of these businesses are
run by people that might not have this language and lingo of the MBA.

696
00:47:32,370 --> 00:47:34,210
They're, you know, small business owners.

697
00:47:34,210 --> 00:47:46,510
And so it's finding that bridge and be able to be the understanding of the intricacies and
the people in those places to help them, you know, carry on the torch.

698
00:47:46,510 --> 00:47:49,730
So there is a desire and I, you know, I have a friend who's

699
00:47:49,730 --> 00:47:53,834
That's his plan once he graduates is to do that.

700
00:47:54,056 --> 00:47:57,820
But there needs to be more systems for people to learn how to do that.

701
00:47:57,820 --> 00:47:59,762
Even for those who don't go to business school.

702
00:47:59,906 --> 00:48:00,426
Yep.

703
00:48:00,426 --> 00:48:00,986
I agree.

704
00:48:00,986 --> 00:48:02,668
Um, wow.

705
00:48:02,668 --> 00:48:03,668
All right.

706
00:48:03,949 --> 00:48:05,040
Sky banks is good.

707
00:48:05,040 --> 00:48:06,751
You got all these three big roles, man.

708
00:48:06,751 --> 00:48:14,471
The COO of, uh, this CSP, which is just awesome that you guys are out here doing this
international council for business.

709
00:48:14,471 --> 00:48:15,728
think it's going to benefit tremendously.

710
00:48:15,728 --> 00:48:16,558
You stick with it.

711
00:48:16,558 --> 00:48:19,981
I can see a decade or two or three ahead, how to shrink the world even more.

712
00:48:19,981 --> 00:48:22,052
Um, I think it's been really good, man.

713
00:48:22,052 --> 00:48:27,150
This role you're in that, your Hermantide consulting group, you're probably going to go
keep diving deeper into that.

714
00:48:27,150 --> 00:48:32,390
And then Primo cannabis, man, this is just a, you got a lot on your plate at 27 years old.

715
00:48:32,792 --> 00:48:33,705
Sure do.

716
00:48:34,030 --> 00:48:34,714
Does it feel like that?

717
00:48:34,714 --> 00:48:36,361
Do you feel the pressure?

718
00:48:36,846 --> 00:48:43,469
A little bit, you you have to show up for people and, and, know, sometimes I'm not as
great as a communicator.

719
00:48:43,469 --> 00:48:48,551
I had to disappear into the work and then come back and say, Hey, I need, you know,
another day to finish this.

720
00:48:48,732 --> 00:48:50,382
So, you know, I'm still learning.

721
00:48:50,382 --> 00:48:56,590
I'm still young, but in the end, that vision's there and that determination, I have to
stay up late and make it happen.

722
00:48:56,590 --> 00:48:57,426
We're going to make it happen.

723
00:48:57,426 --> 00:49:02,868
And I think every one of my teams across all companies understand that and know I'm
reliable.

724
00:49:03,276 --> 00:49:03,796
good man.

725
00:49:03,796 --> 00:49:04,807
love the tenacity.

726
00:49:04,807 --> 00:49:10,772
So what's the best place that you just go to your social media and guys I said, Scott's
SKYE but blanks.

727
00:49:10,772 --> 00:49:12,563
I mean, that's a pretty simple ass name.

728
00:49:12,563 --> 00:49:13,684
People can't forget this man.

729
00:49:13,684 --> 00:49:14,454
Sky blanks.

730
00:49:14,454 --> 00:49:19,688
Where's the one place that you can direct them to so they can find out everything about
all this stuff you're doing.

731
00:49:19,724 --> 00:49:27,890
Yeah, I think the easiest is looking up on LinkedIn, connect with me, send me a message
and love to learn more about you guys' journey and how we can help each other.

732
00:49:28,054 --> 00:49:34,364
Awesome, Hey, thanks for giving us the time here and cheers for your next train ride.

733
00:49:34,424 --> 00:49:35,358
Thank you.