We recently connected with Alex Basaldua and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Alex thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you ever seen (or implemented) a really awesome way to show a client you appreciate them
The best thing I have been able to do to show our clients that we appreciate them is constantly delivering on ROI (return on investment) on all events they sponsor as well as throwing an event centered around them. Trap Culture has been known throughout the valley here in Arizona for throwing the best cannabis events. We do that for the community and to help end the stigma on cannabis. But we have started to do events specifically just for our industry friends. We reach out to all the cannabis companies and cannabis related companies to join us for a free night of networking and team building, We have been blessed to be able to collaborate with Scottsdale Nights to throw our Industry Bash events at clubs like Cake Nightclub and Riot House. This events allows everyone in the industry to come together and not worry about having to cater to potential customers from dispensaries but allows them to let loose and relax, it allows them to actually have a chance to talk to the friends they have made here in the industry and possibly make new ones with tons of possibilities without having to rush back to a booth and enjoy an event themselves. After throwing this event our team has gotten nothing back but positivity and gratitude for the services we provide to our clients as well as the community we serve.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m Alex Basaldua, the project coordinator for Trap Culture. We are the premier cannabis event company here in Arizona. We throw a range of different cannabis events throughout the valley all delivering a different experience for each event. From throwing events at Golf Land Sunsplash like Cannafest, food truck festivals like Mangia Ganja, or a nightclub experience with CrossFaded and as of recent our exclusive invite only Industry Bash we throw with Scottsdale Nights, we aim to end the stigma on cannabis and look to bridge the gap between the cannabis community and the rest of society.
As far as myself I’m a California transplant from Alhambra California. For people who don’t know it, its on the border of East Los Angles (El Serino) and Pasadena. I came to Arizona looking to better my life and go to school after a few run ins with the law, I came out to the valley to go to school for motorcycle mechanics thinking it was a passion to work on motors with my hands. But after being in the valley for a decade I found my true calling, Cannabis, it had already saved my life from addiction from hard drugs and I looked to finally get into something I had a real passion for, So I quit my job and took a $7 pay cut just to get my foot in the door. I became a budtender at Curaleaf making $12.50 an hour. It was rough but I got to learn so much. I learned how cannabis really works with the human body. I also learned in depth about a lot of brands here in the state which allowed me to advance in the industry at a fast rate. I showed interest in marketing while as a retail lead at Ponderosa Glendale when the new Operations Director took me under his wing and stared giving me more and more tasks like scheduling educationals for the staff and creating our coupons and discount codes as well as giving me the task of integrating our menus with leafly and dutchie programs as well as creating their entire marketing ambassador program. All of this allowed me to take what I’ve learned and apply it to my new endeavor here with Trap Culture. I’ve been here since 2022 and I haven’t had a better job.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
What I really think helped me build my reputation within my market is authenticity. In this industry you learn very quickly who’s real and who’s not. You can sense and feel the fake smiles, you can feel the “your not important enough” vibes when you talk to certain people. And in Arizona, unfortunately this industry and community can seem like high school all over again, it’s very clicky. So being able to remain true to who I am as a person, what I say and how I approach people are all important. There is no better feeling then walking into a networking event and seeing everyone that you have worked to build relationships with see you and great you with open arms and a joint.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients has been Instagram and other industry related events. Keeping an eye on mainstream social media pages related to your industry is vital to know whos is coming out and what they provide. Social media has turned into the main way to market that hits all demographics. So following key pages on social media can defiantly help you gain new clients. There has been countless times I have reached out to new prospective clientele on Instagram and I have gained them as a client as well as developed relationships with them. Also getting out of the office and attending other industry related events can show you who is out there and what they are trying to do so you can try and offer them what they are looking for, this has been the BEST way to gain new clients for myself because you not only see what they are doing first hand but a lot of the times you get the meet the person you need to talked to face to face and that’s always better than cold calling or trying to make an introduction through email.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.trapcultureaz.com
- Instagram: @ajbas22 / @trapculture.az
- Facebook: @trappculture
- Twitter: @trapcultureaz
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrapCultureAZ
