Wisdom From The Women Leading The Cannabis Industry, With Autumn Shelton and Hanna Brand of Autumn Brands

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Don’t try to build a shiny object from the start. We have seen so many cannabis businesses lease huge farms or warehouses and spend millions to make them fancy and well beyond their current use/needs thinking they will expand into them one day. But they all went under because they ran out of money to actually run their business and pay themselves an income. Autumn Brands has been frugal from the start. We measure every dollar that we spend and bought cheaper versions of assets until we had the funds to invest in longer term assets.

As part of my series about “Wisdom From The Women Leading The Cannabis Industry” I had the pleasure of interviewing Autumn Shelton and Hanna Brand.

Hanna Brand — Chief Sales Officer, Partner, Autumn Brands

As CSO, Hanna oversees strategic planning, marketing, product development, packaging and sales. She led a team of 20 in the harvesting and packaging departments and has transitioned into a deeper focus of product development and sales. Hanna grew up on the family farm and learned best agricultural practices and sales from her Dad, Hans. Only a few years after graduating from Cal Poly with a degree in Environmental Horticultural Science, Hanna has proven herself to be a force in the cannabis industry.

Autumn Shelton — Chief Financial Officer and Partner, Autumn Brands

As CFO, Autumn oversees strategic planning, marketing, compliance, legal, human resources, and finance. Autumn has been successfully navigating the unchartered waters of California’s Prop 215 and the Regulated California Cannabis industry (Prop 64) since 2015 and is a sought-after panelist and public speaker on the nuts and bolts of operating a licensed California cannabis cultivation business. In 2021, under Autumn Shelton’s leadership as President of CARP Growers, the Cannabis Association for Responsible Producers concluded a year-long negotiation and reached a historic agreement between the CARP Growers and the Santa Barbara Coalition for Responsible Cannabis on a cooperative agreement for odor abatement.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to the cannabis industry?

Autumn Brands is a licensed California cannabis cultivator that is united by the vision of two families that own and operate it. The Brand family are 6th generation farmers originating back to Holland growing the world’s finest tulips. Autumn Brands namesake originates from its 4 owners, Autumn Shelton, Hans Brand, Johnny Brand and Hanna Brand. The farm originally grew numerous types of cut flowers including Gerbera Daisies, Lillys, Tulips and many other varieties, which allowed for a seamless transition to Cannabis in 2015 under the medical collective model and then to the regulated market in 2018. At that point, we decided to create a consumer packaged product and our Brand.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Well, there is never a dull moment in this industry. But, in all honesty, we found our dream job and the best partners we could ask for. There have been and continue to be many intense challenges along the way, but we wouldn’t give up this opportunity or business for anything. I have always been a believer and user of cannabis, but we never knew just how incredibly passionate we would become over this life changing plant.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When we first started we didn’t know whether to wet trim or dry trim and whether to machine or hand trim. Wet trimming provides for more weight, but you lose a lot of the terpene aroma. We didn’t know how important the aroma and hand trimming really was to the user experience so we focused on wet and machine trimming originally. It didn’t take long though to be convinced by our warehouse manager (aka my husband, Abe) at that time to switch over to dry and hand trimming. The best lesson we learned was quality over quantity is key to success!

Do you have a funny story about how someone you knew reacted when they first heard you were getting into the cannabis industry?

When we originally started it was in the medical marijuana collective model days. You didn’t tell anyone. Even though medical marijuana was legal in California and we had all the legal documents, the federal prosecution risk was still so high that anytime a helicopter came over, we would hold our breath. But once Prop 64 passed, we felt confident in our business and started sharing with family and friends. They were supportive and also very curious. There are a lot of unknowns because the recreational market is so new. But overall when we made the transition over to cannabis we felt the love and support of our friends and family. And we’re proud to be one of the first cannabis brands in California to have women in these types of leadership positions.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

One of our founders, Hans Brand, had a vision to unite us all. I was CFO for his cut flower business at the time. He had leased out some of his greenhouses to a medical marijuana collective and quickly saw the opportunity to switch over almost all the greenhouses. I have always been a supporter of Cannabis and had an entrepreneurial mind frame. I will never forget the fateful day, when my partner said, “why don’t we start something?” I immediately started drawing up business plans and ideas. His kids were going to be graduating from college a few years later and he wanted them to also be a part of this emerging industry. So the four of us joined forces and never looked back!

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?

Yes, we recently launched our new branding and sustainable packaging which we feel like our fans would appreciate our new reusable tins for the pre-rolls and will be packaging all of the glass jars with compostable lids.

The bright new branding is in celebration of the California sun-grown, clean cannabis that exemplifies the powerful convergence of mountains, oceans and plants. The environment is a priority, from the new reusable tins for pre-rolls to the closed-loop watering system that ensures no water is wasted. Autumn Brands is dedicated to full-circle sustainability and is excited to be rolling out this new look to align with century old family farming practices that respect the ecosystem.

The new packaging for the Hybrid, Sativa, and Indica Strains has custom color gradients that correspond to the type of feelings one might get when using it:

• Sativa — Sativa strains are great for daytime use. The vibrant greens and yellows align with the sunrise and daytime, hopefully bringing brightness to the consumer’s day.
• Indica — Indica strains are great for rest, relaxation and sleep. The dark purple aligns with the sunset or evening time.
• Hybrid — Hybrids can be dominated by Indica or Sativa characteristics, or they may be very balanced. Most cannabis today is a type of hybrid marked as either Indica or Sativa dominant, rather than pure Indica or Sativa. Autumn Brands carries its Dutch heritage and balanced business practices with pride, represented by orange, AB’s primary brand color now balanced out with a shade of pink (Autumn’s favorite color).

“The bold colors help represent the feeling one might get when using the particular strain.”

Ok. Thank you for all that. Let’s now jump to the main core of our interview. Despite great progress that has been made we still have a lot more work to do to achieve gender parity in this industry. According to this report in Entrepreneur, less than 25 percent of cannabis businesses are run by women. In your opinion or experience, what 3 things can be done by a)individuals b)companies and/or c) society to support greater gender parity moving forward?

• Treating each other as equals.
• Supporting and uplifting our fellow cannabis founders — men and women
• Always stay true to your company vision and when something isn’t working, make small revisions so you can figure out exactly what needs to change.

Lastly, regardless of our gender, age, and color. Spreading factual information for our industry is essential. There are many health benefits to cannabis and has been deemed an essential plant based medicine.

You are a “Cannabis Insider”. If you had to advise someone about 5 non intuitive things one should know to succeed in the cannabis industry, what would you say? Can you please give a story or an example for each.

1. Don’t try to build a shiny object from the start. We have seen so many cannabis businesses lease huge farms or warehouses and spend millions to make them fancy and well beyond their current use/needs thinking they will expand into them one day. But they all went under because they ran out of money to actually run their business and pay themselves an income. Autumn Brands has been frugal from the start. We measure every dollar that we spend and bought cheaper versions of assets until we had the funds to invest in longer term assets.
2. Be ready to pivot everyday. This industry is still in its infancy. It literally changes every month, maybe even every week. You have to be ready daily to pivot and adapt to where the industry is shifting to, whether that’s in the ever changing regulations, packaging rules or consumer demand.
3. Leave your ego at the door. Along the way, we have mostly met wonderful people in the industry. But there have been a few ‘ego maniac’s’ that need a serious check. Growing and selling cannabis isn’t new, but when its done under regulations, taxation and on a greater commercial scale with consumer packaging its a whole new ballpark. Whether you have been growing cannabis, other agricultural crops or have been successful in other businesses, you need to leave your ego and set ways at the door and be open to the ‘new world of cannabis’.
4. Do your homework. Reach out to others that have been in the industry before you start a business. Really learn and understand the trials and tribulations that others have gone through, so you know what works and what doesn’t
5. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Being in this industry is not for the faint at heart. There are so many challenges that you will face in this industry. You need to be able to step over the small issues and mistakes, learn from them and continue to move forward.

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the cannabis industry?

I’m excited to see more female founders in this space, more education, less stigma and cannabis becoming more and more accessible to the world.

Can you share 3 things that most concern you about the industry? If you had the ability to implement 3 ways to reform or improve the industry, what would you suggest?

Running a medium-scale cannabis operation presents a variety of challenges for any commercial grower. Every aspect of cultivation requires strategic precision, from selecting the hardiest strains to keeping up with increasing demand for products. In a notoriously competitive market, many sellers rely on harsh chemicals and pesticides to speed the growth process and ensure a strong final product. Under the watchful eye of our Head Grower Johnny Brand, we far surpass federal and state regulatory standards, offering powerfully potent strains of clean, pesticide-free cannabis from a name customers trust for quality and consistency.

“You can wash your lettuce but not your weed” — the saying is a regular reminder that drives our team toward an uncompromising approach to clean, safe practices. While other growers may claim a “pesticide-free” process relying on neem and similar oils, Autumn Brands’ “no spray” policy means just that… and customers can look for the ladybug PURE stamp of approval as the gold standard in integrative growing techniques ensuring clean, pesticide-free cannabis products they can count on for quality and safety. The brand’s PURE guarantee marks a product that is:

● Pesticide-free, grown and nurtured by hand according to integrative, no-spray techniques that allow beneficial creatures like ladybugs to coexist peacefully

● User-first, always keeping the safety and experience of customers top-of-mind during every step of the process

● Responsibly-grown, using hydroponic methods and natural well water on a closed-loop system

● Eco-friendly, incorporating into the grow process earth elements like sustainably sourced coco noir fertilizer that keep the brand’s carbon footprint small

What are your thoughts about federal legalization of cannabis? If you could speak to your Senator, what would be your most persuasive argument regarding why they should or should not pursue federal legalization?

Federal legalization if done right could be very positive for the industry. It would open a lot of opportunity, allow business to actually be 100% treated as a legal business, but it can’t be overtaxed. The impact of 280e is detrimental, but the federal tax rate has to be under 5% or it’s the same effect as 280e for cultivators. Cannabis must be decriminalized at the federal level, allow states to continue to regulate independently but working together for interstate commerce, create well developed state funded social equity programs and keep the federal tax rate on cannabis to 1%.

Today, cigarettes are legal, but they are heavily regulated, highly taxed, and they are somewhat socially marginalized. Would you like cannabis to have a similar status to cigarettes or different? Can you explain?

Clearly, Cigarettes and Tobacco are very harmful to one’s health and don’t provide any health benefits. This is purely a vice that some people continue to enjoy at the known risks. Cannabis provides many health benefits and is medicine to many. However, it does have psychoactive properties, so its good that it’s regulated and age-limited to ensure it doesn’t affect our young minds. No one has ever overdosed or gotten cancer from smoking pot, but with manufactured product innovation, the levels of psychoactive properties are increasing, so it is important to keep those in check. Overtaxation works if you are trying to limit something harmful, but cannabis isn’t that and therefore shouldn’t be as highly taxed as it is.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are an excellent leader.” Dolly Parton

I feel so fortunate to be a part of an industry in its infancy and for everything I have learned along the way. I have had many mentors in my life that have guided me where I am today and I hope to continue to be a mentor and leader to others.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

We encourage all cannabis growers to stop using all pesticides and herbicides, including organics to ensure all cannabis that is grown is 100% safe for inhaling. You would be surprised at what you can accomplish when you create a balanced ecosystem beneficial to insects on your farm.

How can our readers follow you online?

• https://autumnbrands.com/
• https://twitter.com/autumnbrands/
• https://www.instagram.com/autumnbrands_/
• https://www.facebook.com/autumnbrands/

Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you only continued success!