Grid110 Founder Story: High Tide Tours
Alert 🚨! We are starting a new series entitled “Grid110 Founder Stories” to showcase the unique stories, voices, and ideas within the Grid110 community.
One lesson that will absolutely stick with me from my Grid110 experience is don’t be afraid to fail! I think it’s one of the most important things to give yourself permission to do: fail hard and fail fast.
First up (w/a humble brag) is our most recent Idea to Prototype (I2P) pitch night winners, Joy and DeJanae from High Tide Tours!
High Tide Tours is changing up the cannabis space in LA by curating elevated experiences where tour-goers can learn about cannabis alongside hikes, meditation, and yoga.
They entered Grid110 having hosted a couple of tours, but were seeking additional guidance and feedback. The Grid110 I2P experience helped them clarify important facets of their business: from customer discovery, market validation to value proposition. Overall, they credit the experience for surrounding them with a community of supporters and champions along the way and furthering their growth as founders. Biggest lesson - they learned to not “be afraid to fail. It’s one of the most important things to give yourself permission to do: fail hard and fail fast.”
Follow High Tide Tours across all their social media platforms @HighTideToursLA! Their next tour is Saturday, April 20th. Roll with them!
Full Transcript:
What is your venture? How do you seek to change the world?
We curate elevated experiences of Los Angeles whereby tour-goers can learn about cannabis alongside hikes, meditation, and yoga. We seek to change the world by encouraging conscious consumption and inspiring people to lead better, healthier lives.
What prompted you to start your venture? Where did the idea come from?
DeJanae: On an early morning hike up Runyon Canyon, Joy and I had the idea to create a safe, judgment-free environment for people to explore and enjoy the many health benefits of cannabis. Joy had a successful cannabis events company and I had just got certified as a cannabis educator. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to marry our talents with our enthusiasm for cannabis.
What’s special and advantageous about being in LA (if applicable, DTLA) for you and your venture?
Joy: Now that Los Angeles legalized adult-use for cannabis it was necessary to curate an experience that tied together the weed, wellness and weather LA is known for.
DeJanae: LA is my home. It’s my backyard. It’s my playground. Growing up here has allotted me the privilege of being apart of the cannabis culture — having had a mom who grew the plant and a dad who sold it — and given me access to a health-conscious lifestyle that’s almost unique to Los Angeles. High Tide Tours allows people to get a glimpse of LA through my eyes, and I get to share that experience with them.
As you think back to your Grid110 experience, what are the 1–2 lessons or takeaways that still stick out to you?
Joy: Customer Discovery. Always find proof in your concept by talking to those who you intend to use your product or service. Your business idea will evolve. Let it happen naturally, don’t be so married to the idea that you can’t adapt to the necessary changes to be successful.
DeJanae: One lesson that will absolutely stick with me from my Grid110 experience is don’t be afraid to fail! I think it’s one of the most important things to give yourself permission to do: fail hard and fail fast. Understanding that no one is successful on the first try, or even the hundredth, helps me to have tough skin. The second would be to really, really know your customer and learn what it is they want, need and essentially the psychographics of our consumer base.
Considering what Grid110 provides and offers, what has been the most impactful to you as a founder and business? How has the Grid110 experience influenced your entrepreneurial journey?
Joy: The community that Grid110 offers to its founders has been very impactful to my journey. To be able to share ideas, get feedback and support not only from the fellow businesses in our cohort but also with the past founders from Grid110.
DeJanae: Grid110 not only helped validate my business idea, it taught me how to think bigger. It absolutely expanded my knowledge about funding options, exposed me to ways to communicate my idea with clarity and identify markers of success as a startup. I’m a first-time entrepreneur, and this opportunity gave me a community and resources that will continue to push my entrepreneurial journey forward.
Fun Questions
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Joy: Growing up, I wanted to be a model. More specifically, a Victoria Secret Angel. I never grew past 5'3 so my dreams never actualized.
DeJanae: When I was growing up I wanted to be a choreographer, then an actor, and then a photographer. Ha!
If you were a superhero, what would be your superpower? Your super weakness?
Joy: If I was a superhero my superpower would be teleportation! My super weakness, dessert.
DeJanae: My superpower would be the ability to eliminate suffering. My super weakness would be pickles. Lol, I hate pickles.
About Grid110
Grid110 provides mentoring & key resources for early-stage entrepreneurs in underserved regions. We support early stage companies by connecting them to office space, mentors, and important resources during the most critical phase of their business life-cycle through education programs. Apply by February 1st for our Spring 2019 programs! Apply HERE!
