This week’s Trailblazer is Kathleen Greb, President and Founder of CannTerp, the top source for online terpene sales with 100% natural, non-GMO, organic, food-grade products.
Questions with a Cannabis Industry Trailblazer
When did you first become involved in the cannabis industry and why?
I first became interested as the legal market began to develop, this proved to be the perfect occasion to integrate my passion of aromatherapy. There were some challenges in the cannabis industry with product quality, brand differentiation and strain classification. This allowed a unique opportunity to begin working with retail stores and educating staff/customers about the entourage effect, the power of terpenes and how significant of a role they play in the overall consumption experience. We aim to be a steward of education regarding the value of terpenes. It is our desire to see a new classicisation of cannabis products, away from the generic ‘Indica’ and ‘Sativa’, and instead to be focused more on terpene dominance. CannTerp provides comprehensive terpene solutions to licensed producers, retailers, and individual consumers.
What makes your products so unique?
We have always been fascinated by the variety of tastes and scents that terpenes offer. More importantly, we value the effects that these aromas can confer. CannTerp has developed several unique terpene products to maximize these effects, such as: terpene candles, terpene infusion pearls, and terpene aromatherapy products. Our most popular product is the patent-pending terpene infusion pearl. These BudBooster pearls are saturated with pure terpenes, which infuse into dried cannabis flower. These products have received raving reviews and are the perfect product for a connoisseur looking to try something new, or a great gift idea for the holidays.
Our accessories allow customers to experience terpenes on their own, or in combination with cannabis to tailor their consumption experience. We assist cannabis retailers in setting up terpene bars, training staff, terpene sommelier kits, and helping to create an immersive and tailored customer experience, while also providing products that are proven basket builders. We provide licensed producers with GMP certified products to meet Canadian regulations.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced when working with cannabis companies/brands?
Since our products are brand new to the market, we must rely on retail staff to convey important terpene information to customers. The industry unfortunately experienced closure of stores and extremely high turnover rates with retail staff during the pandemic. In turn, it became very difficult to effectively educate budtenders and therefore convey information to customers.
The other major challenge is being able to directly connect with customers through special media, given that cannabis accessory brands like CannTerp are not able to advertise or effectively target new customers. We have been fortunate to rely on word of mouth from our fantastic customers to grow our brand.
What are the biggest challenges you have faced as a female founder within the cannabis accessory space?
I have had many interesting experiences a female founder in a male dominated industry. I would have to say the biggest challenges are being interrupted frequently by the same people or having someone ask to speak with ‘the real person in charge’, assuming I am not that person. In the end I try to become thankful for these experiences, as they allow me to continue learning and hopefully make a difference when it comes to the representation of gender roles in the industry.
Are there any other Trailblazers in the cannabis industry that you follow?
Yes absolutely, I am so thankful to have connected with many wonderful female-led communities in the cannabis industry. The amount of support, connection and encouragement is incredible to be a part of. Specifically, an inspiring person who has made a substantial impact on me is Ashleigh Brown, leader of SheCann: Empowering Canadian Women. This group is for educational purposes only. It is extremely inclusive and aims to help engage, inform, and empower on all topics involving cannabis. I have found the discussions and posts in that community to be extremely valuable.
What is one tip or piece of advice you would give to marketers looking to enter the cannabis industry?
The one tip I would give is that it truly is all about listening to customers. The aim is to delight them with the user experience, this encourages creative freedom and can take many forms. At the outset of the market, we saw several challenges the industry faced in connecting with customers, in uncovering and understanding their unmet needs. Therefore, as we began to build CannTerp we knew that to build a successful brand, it would require flexibility and thoughtful choices, with the customer at the centre.
We encourage anyone to reach out to us directly if there are questions or if you want to learn more about our awesome product line-up, and how we can support your customer engagement, retention, and unique offerings.
CannTerp is happy to offer any member of ADCANN’s community an exclusive discount of 10% off their entire purchase, by using code: ADCANN10 at checkout!
A big thank you to Kathleen from CannTerp for participating as this week’s Trailblazer! Stay tuned for another interview with a cannabis marketing Trailblazer next Thursday in the ADCANN blog.
