We recently connected with Colette Berube and have shared our conversation below.

Colette, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

I think when people are talking about the cannabis industry, most people (rightfully so) are focused on legalization, lowering taxes, and getting people out of prison. I know these are important topics, and honestly, if these things don’t get figured out sooner rather than later, who knows what will happen to our industry? That being said, I do feel people forget about the people who are currently working in the industry. Especially the ones deemed essential during COVID.Our Budtenders, delivery drivers, farm workers, trimmers, and brand ambassadors are the ones on the ground.They are the ones who either deal directly with the plant or the patient/customer.I want to be honest without being condescending towards companies. Let’s get real: these job positions don’t pay a living wage. Even with tips, most aren’t hitting 35–40,000 a year.I believe we all know that no one can live on that alone.But these positions are so valuable and important for the survival of our industry. That is why I wanted to offer a solution for these humans. I want to be a place where people can come and ask for financial assistance in their time of need. According to CNBC “57% of adults said they could not afford a $1,000 emergency expense.” That is a high number, and I want to Sist3rdope to be the answer for the worker bees of the cannabis Industry.

Colette, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Absolutely, my name is Colette, I am the President and Founder of Sist3rdope. Sist3rdope is a Cannabis Worker Solution Fund. We are a non-profit that aims to provide emergency/life event funds to the worker bees of the cannabis industry. I started out in the cannabis industry as a delivery driver, then moved to budtender, brand ambassador, sales rep, and now brand manager for the company Weekenders.I have visited over 200 dispensaries across California.I have known for a while that helping people is one of my purposes on Earth.I just wasn’t sure what or how that looked. After traveling and talking to hundreds of budtenders and seeing a common theme amongst them, I knew Sist3rdope was where I wanted to start.I see Sist3rdope as an energy, a community of like-minded individuals supporting each other.I want to uplift the cannabis community and show we can work together to achieve our goals.I have this tremendous need to give back to a community that has welcomed me in with open arms. I have met some of my favorite people in cannabis.My goals for Sist3rdope are to host fundraising events and partner with brands/companies to promote our message. I want to start an online smoke shop where all the proceeds go to the fund.I am open to all ideas and people who feel connected to our message.Sist3rdope could potentially help people in all states that offer legal cannabis.This is our fundraising year, and hope to start writing checks by 2025. I am just getting started.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I feel like I have pivoted a million times.I think learning to pivot and not be scared of change is why I have come so far in knowing what I want to do with my life.From the time I was 6 years old, I knew I wanted to be on Broadway.I was adamant this was going to happen all the way up until I was 23/24.I went to theater school and trained my whole life. I was in competitive dance and auditioned every chance I got. Then something happened after graduating from school. I started having panic attacks during auditions. I mean, I would go to sing, and nothing would come out. I would stand there in front of a group of people and go mute. I have embarrassed myself in front of way too many people because of this. I tried to work through it, but by the time I was 27 I felt like it was time to move on. Musical theater had broken my heart, and I was lost. I chose to go back to school. I went to school for sociology and fell in love. I became obsessed with learning all things sociology. This is when I figured out that helping people and advocating for those in need fuel my fire.Switching from musical theater to sociology was a pivotal moment for me.It felt like I was giving up on my childhood dream.I have told so many people that I was going to be on Broadway, but I felt stupid giving up on it. It took me about 5 years to forgive musical theater for breaking my heart. It wasn’t until COVID hit and I was deeply depressed that I found her again. I now let musical theater live in my inner child and use her for inspiration and play. I love to sing and dance. I will always love to sing and dance; just because I won’t be making a living out of it doesn’t mean it doesn’t hold a very important role in my day-to-day life. Finding ways to enjoy life is important for overall mental health.Knowing when to pivot is important. Just because something doesn’t work out how you see it doesn’t mean there isn’t something even better coming along.If I hadn’t pivoted to sociology, I wouldn’t have found cannabis.I know now that cannabis is where I am supposed to be, but if I hadn’t let go of something that wasn’t serving me, I wouldn’t have been open to receiving new passions.I am not going to wait to long to pivot next time when something isn’t good for me. Taking a chance on yourself is the only way to grow and move forward.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

There are two books I highly (pun intended) recommend when it comes to personal development and inspiration. First, “You Are A bad Ass” by Jen Sincero and secondly, “Untammed” by Glennon Doyle. Both of these books gave me the courage to go after my dreams.I listened to both of these books on audio, and the authors are the readers. It really gets you in the zone when you are listening to the authors.Finding books, music, and movies that motivate and inspire you really helps keep you going. Knowing that everything happens in divine timing is key. If you start seeing “failures” as lessons, you’re going to be able to maintain a more positive outlook.Something I repeat to myself when I am feeling depressed is that “I have gotten through harder days, harder times; I can get through today.” Then the next day comes, and I usually feel a bit better. Feelings come and go; working through and feeling your feelings is what is going to keep you going.Don’t give up on yourself.You are important.

Contact Info:

• Website: Sist3rdope.org
• Instagram: @Sist3rdope
• Linkedin: Linkedin.com/Sist3rdope

Image Credits
Those are all my photos.