Welcome – May 2020

Pssst. Hey there. It’s us, your pals at HQ. Is it safe to come out yet? It’s a weird question for us to be asking, we know, but keep in mind this is print media. It’s still late March where we are, but you’re reading this in May. That’s five weeks in the future for us and we have no idea what that looks like. Where we are, the world as we’ve known it seems to be hanging in the balance. Half the population is basically on house arrest while the global economy is on the verge of taking a siesta. 

We are hoping against hope that by the time this issue hits your mailbox, the world will be returning to some semblance of normal, that maybe we’ll all be wondering if we didn’t overreact just a little. We can hope. But whatever the scenario is in May of 2020, take heart. Remember that as Americans, we come from a long line of generations before us who stared into the abyss and laughed in the face of oblivion. It’s just what we do. 

So, chin up. Stay stocked and stay vigilant. You can weather this. You’re in the business of pleasure, of healing, and of aiding and abetting the pilgrims on their sacred journey. The world needs you now more than ever. 

Recent Articles

With Halloweentime upon us, ghosts and goblins all around the world are gearing up for the annual celebration of the macabre. Between dressing up in fun costumes and making caramel apples to taking our kids trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, there’s no shortage of things to do at the end of October; but did you know that some of the earliest traditions revolved around the use of incense and other herbal blends?
When I was in college, my sophomore year roommate, who went by Bear, had a two-foot-tall bong with a name. Green Lucy was a gorgeous emerald-colored masterpiece with thick, bulbous glass at the top, comfortable for ripping huge hits. It was a celebrity on our floor of the creative arts co-op where we lived. People would come from all over the house, and sometimes from other parts of campus, just to hang with Bear and get baked from Green Lucy.
Charlea came into the cannabis space as a journalist, covering Missouri’s fascinating cannabis landscape as it rapidly evolved. While reporting on the state’s medical marijuana vote, Charlea got to know a local physician who was equally passionate about legalizing medical use in the state.
Common business advice tends to view the 80:20 rule simplistically. Focus on the 80% of your store that drives profit, it says. Ignore the rest. That’s fine for the average folks. But what about those who want to boost the other 20%?
Before you've said a word, your shop is selling. The customer hasn’t touched a single product, and your staff hasn't even said hello. Your decor and layout have already done the talking, either pulling people in or pushing them away.
As VP of Operations at ATM Wholesaler and Elite Merchant Services, he’s picked up the baton from his father and CEO, Norman Koza, who passed it to him after founding this successful company over 25 years ago.