Laurie Parfitt’s Post

Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself For far too long, I underestimated the power of LinkedIn, but today I’m changing that. I wanted to take a moment to reintroduce myself and share more about my journey and the work I’m deeply passionate about. Some of you may know me as the founder of MiCannaPros, a private Facebook group I launched about six years ago, focusing on Michigan's licensed cannabis market. This isn’t just another cannabis group—it has become one of the most dynamic and interactive business communities in the Michigan cannabis space across all social platforms. With nearly 10,000 engaged members and steady, organic growth, it’s been incredible to watch this network evolve. If you'd like to join the group, the link is attached! https://lnkd.in/gRA-BrWR From MiCannaPros, I developed a groundbreaking event concept called Meet. Connect. Puff., designed to facilitate connections between cannabis buyers and sellers. What started as a modest gathering in May 2022, with 13 vendor partners and around 150 attendees, has grown into a cornerstone of the Michigan cannabis industry. Our 7th event in October 2024 was a testament to that growth, featuring 45 vendor partners (35 brands and 10 ancillary businesses), over 100 retailers representing 400+ stores across the state (roughly 40% of the industry), and 600 attendees building meaningful relationships. And now, we’re taking things to the next level: MiCannaPros is heading to Las Vegas! On Wednesday, December 4, during MJBizCon, we’ll be hosting our first event outside of Michigan—a high-energy after-party that brings our unique approach to cannabis networking to a national stage. For those who’ve known me longer, you may remember my previous career spanning 20+ years in commercial real estate retail brokerage here in Southeast Michigan. About two years ago, I joined NAI/Farbman, a full-service commercial real estate powerhouse and one of Michigan's most respected firms. My focus at Farbman? Leveraging my expertise to assist cannabis businesses with buying, selling, and optimizing their properties and assets. At the heart of it all is my unwavering love for the cannabis plant. It drives everything I do. From fostering vibrant business ecosystems to cultivating meaningful connections, my passion for relationship-building fuels my purpose and brings me immense fulfillment. If any of this resonates with you, let’s connect. Whether you’re in cannabis, commercial real estate, or both, I’d love to explore how we can collaborate or simply share insights. Here's to continued growth—together. 🌱 #CannabisNetwork #B2BEvents #CannabisRealEstate #MeetConnectPuff #MiCannaPros #CannabisProfessionals

1st TIME TO THE SHOW ME STATE Excited to be in Missouri this week for MJ Unpacked. George Jage, Kim Jage and Wendy Campbell put on one of the stronger national expos in the USA cannabis industry. Will be a good mix of cannabis operators, investors and asset-lite brands. David Cunic, UCS Advisors and LeafLink will be sponsoring the opening night mixer with us. We still see #Capital Management as the biggest domino for most cannabis businesses. DOPE CFO Certified Advisors is biased because we are exclusively on the finance side. But our business thesis is that most of Operations problems can be solved with proper access to capital Those who know how to manage capital are growing. Those who do not know how are stagnate or losing value in their business each year. We often hear “Once I get profitable, I’ll start to implement FP&A workflows.” Fundamentally we see that as backwards. Companies become profitable, and able to scale, once they implement FP&A workflows. And there are many professionals out there with experience in financial planning and analysis. Cannabis Industry Acquisitions and transition thought leaders I feel fortunate to learn from this week are below: Rosie Mattio, Joe Hodas, Chanda Macias, Shannon Vetto, CPA, Codi Peterson, Roy Bingham, Gina Austin, Alex Gray, John Mueller, John Pennington, Diana Roberts Coats, PhD, Jesce Horton, Kristofer Artz, Kurt Magstadt, Katrina Yolen, Jack Haddox, Rebecca Bronfein Raphael, Christian Blake, Nicole H., Dan Berman, Blythe Huestis, Bob P., Colin Kelley, Jeanne Mariani Sullivan, Colin W. Bell, Michael J. DiLegge, MSc, Maria McIntyre If you see Daniel McCarthy, CPA, CFE, MBA, M.Acc McCarthy or myself chumming it up stop us and say hello. We are always happy to make new friends. 

Is Mj bizcon juice worth the squeeze in 2024? MJBizCon is a cornerstone event in the cannabis industry, drawing a diverse crowd of professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, legacy figures and advocates. It has always been a hub for networking opportunities, showcasing the latest innovations, discussing industry trends and the parties can be truly next level in Sin City. With the Green Wave rolling to the east and south we are seeing new markets emerge and develop - I’m looking at you New Jersey and Minnesota. In that same breath of air we are seeing the bottom floors fall out in other markets exposing a basement we didn’t even know existed. Depending on where you are in the space you could be eagar to build your empire or jaded by all the curve balls, red tape and even a grey cloud of debt. So, let’s be honest. This event is hard when margins are razor thin or when you haven’t even made your first sale. Travel expenses, accommodation, and the price of admission can be outrageously high. But for some folks it’s a non negotiable and despite any challenges you gotta be there. So, who will I see there this year? Who is opting out this go round? And most importantly, Why????

SNDL Inc. CEO Zachary George recently had a very informative long-form Q&A session with Pablo Zuanic. I strongly suggest anyone who's new to SNDL check it out (Perhaps new people from Skymint Cannabis, Parallel, Surterra Wellness, NETA (New England Treatment Access, LLC), or GoodBlend wanting to learn more). I've done my best to type up a transcript of the Q&A, because the audio version on Twitter/X may not be available long-term, many people aren't able to access that recording because they don't have an account there, and the closed captions are almost never accurate there or on Youtube, unfortunately. This should make it easier for anyone who wants to read along or who finds it easier to share quotes without having to type them yourself, as well as provide a searchable place for quick reference. https://lnkd.in/gSUiBzwg Here's a taste of some of the informative quotes: "It's a great point. You know, we've repeatedly made sure that our quarterly press releases include mention that we have not raised cash through equity offerings since July of 2021. You know, we believe in earning the right to take risk. We believe that the disciplined deployment of capital is one of the best ways that we can earn the trust of our investors in the marketplace. And, so, we are really focused on intelligent and disciplined, you know, deployment of our existing cash balances and we are also expecting that capital base - or that unrestricted cash - to actually grow with some of the credit exposure we have amortizing or being monetized back to us, you know, over the next 12-24 months." "Absolutely, and look, just as a preface here, we're commercial partners with most of the top operators both upstream and downstream in Canada. So, those commercial relationships are really critical to us, whether it's on a B2B basis, or whether we are distributors of their brands and products. So, I don't want to overstate this, or sort of spike the football, but I would ask the question: When you look across the landscape and you look at some of the acquisitions that have occurred in the space, you know, who has more to show for their M&A activity at the end of the day? And, I think, when you look at the last three years for us where, clearly, most of our revenue growth, which, as of year-end, you know, our compounded annual growth rate of revenue was over 120%. That has come largely through acquisitions, but this isn't a case where we acquired market share which then collapsed on us, so to speak. These are real operating businesses. Clearly, in Canada right now, retail is a great place to be. It's garnering superior economics relative to where upstream operators are sitting." Thank you to everyone who checks it out! #MSOS #Florida #Michigan #medical #cannabis #cannabisindustry

Let’s Go

🚀 Something phenomenal is going to take place in Minnesota over the next 12-36 months. 🚀 If the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) stays on track, the state will bring in ~$100M in its first year in sales; then before we know it, we will do a $100M in half the year; and then a $100M in a quarter soon after!! 🤯 The demand potential tends to be HUGE when the market opens up, BUT high demand potential does not mean profitable growth unless the OCM & the operators [have or can] quickly develop the necessary capabilities to meet that demand. Capabilities such as farms/grow houses, warehousing, testing labs, retail storefronts, logistics and omni-channel enablement platforms… all just to sell a bunch of Eighths (top selling SKUs) 😂. In all seriousness, this is an opportunity you want to stay tuned in on regardless of your profession or your consumption preferences. So, join us at Twin Cities Startup Week (TCSW), where you will hear insights directly from leaders looking to be licensed in areas above & beyond. See you there :) Registration link in the comments.

Meet The PhysioGrowth Guys! Brian brings real-world experience of growing a mobile cash-only solo practice into a multi-site sports physical therapy clinic. He has built Evolution PT to 5 clinics through organic growth and acquisitions. He also has run the advertising for his company to fuel that growth. Brian is available every week in our PhysioGrowth mentorship group. Members will have direct access to Brian, allowing them to get specific questions answered by someone who has done it, and continues to do it. Brian had a vision to start PhysioGrowth when he asked a question in another mastermind group and was told that the answer was above the owner's pay-grade. He has a goal of giving good information to practice owners easily and in real time. Both PhysioGrowth owners run our own successful practices, so we don't need to keep you on the hook with massive up-front fees, or moving the goalposts if something doesn't work. If we provide value, you stay subscribed. Simple as that. #physiobiz #salesadvice #physioentrepreneur #physiopodcast #marketing #marketingadvice #businessadvice #physicaltherapystudent

Working in the #cannabis industry for several years has sparked plenty of curiosity and questions. While my expertise lies in Marketing, Advertising, E-Commerce, and Client Service, I often get asked questions that are outside my wheelhouse: • How do I apply for a #cannabislicense? • How do I open a retail #dispensary? • What’s required to build a full-scale grow facility? • Am I eligible for a merit-based license? • What kind of licenses are required? • How do I launch my own business in legal cannabis? Even at events like #hallofflowers or #luckyleafexpo, where most attendees are already in the industry, there is a lot of confusion. Business owners, #entrepreneurs, #investors, and dreamers have all shared their struggles with me. While I strive to be a resource, these aren’t questions I’ve been able to answer—until now. For anyone serious about entering the legal cannabis industry, I can’t think of a better resource than the team at #CatalystBC. They cut through the noise, misinformation, and complexities, securing 55+ licenses with a 96% success rate. Beyond licensing, they offer expert support in business strategy, facility design, financial planning, startup support, genetic development, and operational optimization across #cultivation, retail, extraction, distribution, and delivery. When the stakes are high, you need industry experts in your corner who walk the walk and not just talk the talk. If you're ready to go next level, I’m happy to introduce you to who I would consider a #dreamteam.

The team from Pancare Foundation's Par 5 Business Program had a cracking session this afternoon. The focus was on our progress in the development of #par5 #business #marketplace tools, reporting and governance processes that will ensure we stay ahead of the scale-up demands of the program. For this session, Doug Hawkins, Rebecca Adams, Brett Lever and myself were joined by a bit of a Pancare legend. Until recently Bob Crotty was the #managingdirector of Floorworld, and has been instrumental in the ongoing evolution of Pancare's business #partnership program. Bob remains highly involved as an Advisory Committee member for Par 5. Bob brings a vital injection of #creativity, objectivity, #lateralthinking and #commercial wisdom to Par 5 - and today was no exception. Elements of today's session will form the exciting building blocks of the next #evolution of what is already a highly #innovative program. We will always be listening, questioning, challenging and refining Par 5 with a single focus in mind: 👉 To enhance Par 5 #member value and drive business marketplace growth to deliver greater funding into #cancerreseach.

🌿 Insightful Conversations at Spiritleaf Scarborough 🌿 We’re excited to share a recent interview with Jasper Ly, owner of Spiritleaf Scarborough, hosted by Woody Nelson Inc. where they delve deep into the nuances of the cannabis industry and retail success. 🔗 Read the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/gFr_-rJr In a candid discussion with Walker Patton, the Chief Commercial Officer, they explored vital topics from personal development and vision to the intricate dynamics of managing a thriving cannabis retail business. He shares valuable insights on inventory management—a critical aspect of staying competitive in this fast-evolving sector. "Managing inventory turnover is without a doubt one of the most important elements of running a successful cannabis retail business." Whether you're a budding entrepreneur, a seasoned business owner, or a cannabis enthusiast, this interview offers perspectives that could resonate with anyone looking to navigate the complexities of the industry or build a personal brand. 🌱 Join the conversation below and let us know how these insights inspire your journey in the cannabis world. Your thoughts and experiences are what make our community stronger! #SpiritleafScarborough #CannabisIndustry #RetailSuccess #PersonalBrand #BusinessInsights