Principles in Productivity

In an industry like cannabis, with its many distractions and colorful characters, it takes effective daily habits to survive and thrive in business.

CULTUREB2B reached out to successful professionals in the cannabis industry and asked them to talk about their daily routines. From daily habits to coffee and exercise, highly productive business professionals in the cannabis industry tell all.

“Not having a routine is my daily practice. This industry changes constantly and so the people who run it need to as well.”

While having a strict schedule may work for some entrepreneurs, Jeremy Heidl, co-founder of O.penVAPE, finds comfort in avoiding the same schedule day in and day out. As he travels around 200 days each year, Heidl still makes time every day to maintain some normalcy by connecting with his wife and children in the morning. “Not having a routine is my daily practice. This industry changes constantly and so the people who run it need to as well,” Heidl told CULTURE. “Instead of doing the same things every day, I try to just practice some simple life skills that make me a better leader, father, husband and friend.”

While daily habits fluctuated between each industry professional we interviewed, exercise stood out as an important habit to many. Todd Winter, cannabis industry attorney at Winter LLP, shared how exercise is paramount to his energy and success. “Prior to the last two years, I worked out an average five days per week at CrossFit Vibe in Orange County, [California] where I’m a part-owner. Since the passage of the MCRSA, however, it has been very difficult to find any time to exercise,” Winter said. “Now that local and state laws are getting more defined and coming online, I’m finding more opportunity to exercise again. The change in my productivity, for the positive, has been dramatic.”

Kristi Knoblich, Chief Operations Officer of Kiva Confections, also finds exercise to be one of her secrets to productivity. “I have to exercise regularly or people will see me slowly turn into a monster. As of late, I’m trying to think of it as daily stress management instead of exercise and that seems to motivate me to do more of it,” Knoblich said. “With the long days of summer it’s the most rejuvenating experience to get up early with the sun and take in some nature. Exercise is as important as sleep for me, helping me reset, focus and feel like myself.” Additionally, Martin Lee, Director of Project CBD also attributes his productivity to regular exercise. “Exercise almost daily is very key,” Lee said. “I usually exercise in the late afternoon or early evening when I’m not traveling.”

Matt Bodenchuk, co-founder, The Toker Poker starts his days with “Coffee, coffee and more coffee.” After he wakes up, Bodenchuk takes time to have coffee with his wife and kids before heading out to the office. “My mornings are my chance to briefly spend some time with my family, which generally puts a smile on my face,” Bodenchuk said. “Once I arrive at the office, my mornings are my only chance to dictate my workday, so I generally jump right on my emails.”

Heidl of Open.VAPE also attributes much of his productivity to remaining grateful and positive. “What’s the point of living if we aren’t as happy as humanly possible?” Heidl asked. Toker Poker’s Bodenchuk also finds the value in optimism in the workplace. “Walking into your workplace with a positive attitude, ready to tackle the day helps me,” Bodenchuk said. “There are a lot of bumps in the road when running your own business, and being able to embrace problems or difficult tasks with an optimistic perspective is one of the primary reasons why we have had success.”

While exercise, coffee and positivity are all important attributes, it’s interesting to see how cannabis plays different roles in each of these cannabis business professionals’ lives. Most shared that they consume cannabis solely in the evening, while others shared that they consume cannabis all throughout the day and into the night. Regardless of daily habits, it’s clear that there is no single way to find success.