We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Liz Rodrigo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Liz below.

Liz, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

My business partner and I were having dinner and sharing stories of going to dispensaries for the first time. We had both felt a bit overwhelmed, lost amongst the vocabulary we didn’t understand and didn’t feel there was a brand that really pulled us in as women. Being marketers by trade, we immediately felt there was an opportunity to do something about it. So we set out to create what became CaliLily – a premium cannabis edibles brand that’s purpose is to serve the female consumer. Our mission is to provide a brand that attracts women, creates an emotional connection and allows her to confidently explore cannabis and make it a part of her lifestyle. Part of doing that is bringing a high quality gummy to life in a really luxurious way – taste, experience, packaging – so she doesn’t feel the need to apologize for it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I came to the cannabis industry from the world of wine, I had been working in marketing for different wine companies for about 8 years. I decided to make the leap to cannabis for a few reasons. One being the market opportunity I described in the last question, and one being very personal. When I was a teenager, my mother went through a horrible battle with breast cancer. Towards the end, cannabis was really the only thing that brought her some comfort. I always remembered that and now, over 20 years later, it provides me with a lot of passion to make this plant more accessible, and approachable.

At CaliLily, we offer three occasion oriented cannabis infused fruit chews. Our gummies are made with solventless live rosin that’s made in house by our manufacturer. Each is strain specific – and farm specific! We offer all those details on our website. Additionally, each product features minor cannabinoids. With a focus on transparency and sustainability, we are proud to be all natural and vegan.

We’re unique for a few different reasons. One, we’re one of few solventless live rosin edibles on the market that also offers minor cannabinoids in a lower dose, while being strain and farm specific. Second, we’re focused on the female consumer and creating space for her to add cannabis as an ingredient in her lifestyle. Third, our elegant packaging creates a new category in the market for luxury edibles.

I’m so proud of the reaction we’re getting from consumers. People are resonating with our mission and the products! Everything from the packaging and branding to the taste/texture/mouthfeel of the gummies themselves to the experience and how it makes you feel. Consumers seem to truly understand what we’re trying to do and are responding with a lot of love.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Many times while we were developing CaliLily, we were told how great our idea was but that the market was really tough. Specifically, I remember one woman well known and respected in the industry, went into great detail about how the odds were stacked against me and that she didn’t see us succeeding. This was my first conversation with her and I had been following her since I started looking into cannabis. This was really tough to hear and discouraging but I knew I couldn’t let it in too deep. Yes, she knew the industry well but she didn’t know me. She didn’t know what I’m capable of. I told her in that moment that I appreciated her sharing her knowledge and experience with me but that I had to maintain a positive outlook and that I’m more persistent than she might think. I chose to maintain a positive tone with her but inside it fueled my fire. I look forward to the day when she’s toasting me to my success!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think two key things have helped us build our reputation in this industry/market. First, the quality of our product. From the packaging to the product inside – everything has a focus on quality and the consumer experience.

Second is the way we conduct ourselves. Being new to cannabis, it was really important to me to build my network quickly. I went to every networking event that crossed my path and really tried to put myself out there to meet people. I also stay humble, knowing that almost everyone I meet has more experience than me in cannabis and I have so much to learn from them. By maintaining that perspective and truly focusing on building meaningful relationships, I think I’m creating a positive presence with those I meet.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.calililycanna.com
• Instagram: calilily_hq
• Linkedin: CaliLily
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits

Affinity Creative