Today we’d like to introduce you to Cass Stewart

Hi Cass, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I was a long time real estate agent with a passion for cannabis. I had unique insights on the benefits of cannabis and had seen it help friends first hand. When real estate crashed in 2010, I was forced to look for alternate sources of income. At that time medical cannabis was starting to boom in California and I could see the writing was on the wall for other places as well. I have a good reputation of being honest and trustworthy and decided to dive head first into the emerging cannabis industry. I started providing cannabis to medical patients and it really opened my eyes to how much it was helping them.

I started one of the first cannabis dispensaries in Seattle- The Apothecary on Capitol Hill. I was almost instantly thrust front and center with news and magazine interviews. I’ve always stayed true to the culture and respected the plant, and I think this has helped me greatly in the long run. I’ve also tried to integrate honesty, ethics, and taking care of people in my career. When push came to shove, I’ve always been willing to put people in front of profits, and was always ready to take a little out of my pocket to put it into someone else’s. I feel this practice also helped me quite a bit.

I had an opportunity to be an early partner for the Wille Nelson brand in WA state, and took on the role of buyer and business development manager, putting me more in the front of this emerging industry. To state it plainly, once you’re seen smoking a joint with Willie Nelson and talking about brand development, most of the naysayers fell away. This ultimately led to many other opportunities, helping launch a few stores and brands in Washington. I’ve also developed a niche for licensing celebrity brands in various states and countries. I’m currently working with Cheech and Chong, and having a lot of fun doing so!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

As with any brand new industry, there have certainly been plenty of growing pains and challenges to overcome. Early on every market player was still feeling things out, which led to some bad deals on all ends of the supply chain. And of course retailers and producers alike have had to deal with resolving the conflicts inherent in marketing a product that has historically thrived in a countercultural space. I’ve certainly been a witness to many organizations trying to navigate that new marketing territory, both in places I’ve observed as well as those I’ve worked with.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

I would say what defines my professional life most is striving for authenticity. Since the early days of the industry I have always consistently championed for companies to spend time and effort building up a relationship with the core consumer base. Embracing well-known facets of the culture that has already existed alongside cannabis, whether in packaging volumes, new strain names, marketing imagery, etc, is key to building and maintaining this relationship. I’ve found that leaning into these aspects of the culture has always yielded success for organizations in our industry.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?

My advice to any who are just getting their feet wet in the industry would be to keep an eye on your personal vision. As a relatively new sector that’s still growing rapidly, there’s plenty of room for any kinds of ideas people can come up with. I’m sure some of the best haven’t been seen yet, so keep refining and expanding your thoughts on things that maybe aren’t getting as much exposure in the market right now. You might be tapped into the next big trend.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Breakingbrands.com
• Instagram: Breaking_Brands-llc