The Brave Like Gabe Foundation’s Post

Also illustrates the security of belonging...

Finally feeling recovered from Hall of Flowers to the extent I can reflect on the event and share some takeaways. First and foremost- thank you to the organizers and city of Ventura for hosting. It was my first time and I really enjoyed Ventura. Some cities make weed feel unwelcome, cough cough Santa Rosa, but I felt welcomed in Ventura even while we were aggregiously blowing tree. There are factions apparent for those who have attended a few of these- people who know how to spend money v people who know how to hustle. The money people lack creativity, the hustlers don’t know any other way. It comes through in the booth presence, marketing collateral, and ultimately the product. Times running out for the money people to learn how to sell herb, cause the herb people are getting the sales/marketing dialed in! It’s obvious who’s here and for what reasons. At least for me, now that I’m learning how to move in CA (half the people are full of 💩, 40% won’t help till it’s convenient, 10% are legit) I can play the game much more effectively and without getting my feelings hurt or giving good intel to crap operators. There is a lane for advocacy and it’s a winning play…run right. I will continually look at 40 Tons Brand as innovators who find a way into every major event without spending an arm and a leg. They do it by partnering with companies who need a reason to be here besides making money. By essentially outsourcing their advocacy to 40Tons they’re able to have a presence, generate awareness, and effect change. Last up, and this one is self serving, but the art element at HoF was amazing! They dedicated an entire hall to art created by people incarcerated for cannabis with the proceeds going to Freedom Grow- an organization that raises and deposits funds for prisoner commissary accounts. I had a piece sell the first day so took a few liberties on day 2 when I saw an empty wall…and then sold some more art, made a live piece, and got to talk to a bunch of advocates about making art an even bigger part of the show in September. Check out the quick recap video, it doesn’t do the 3 days of chaos justice, but there are some cool people featured. Shout out Respect My Region for their 13 year anniversary party and kicking off the trip right! Big thanks and respect also go out to Eric Bello Chris G and Rama Mayo for running the show and coordinating the prisoner art exhibition. As always- thanks to Bloom Network for facilitating these excursions. Holler at me if you’re looking for sourcing, manufacturing, processing, and distro services. Bloom is located in Santa Cruz and serves the state of California’s licensed cannabis market.

Celebrate Smart & Save Big This July 4th! Fireworks, family, and fun! But don't let celebrating America's birthday blow your budget. Here are two easy ways to save: 1. Plan Potluck Perfection: Skip the expensive cookout and gather friends and family for a potluck. Assign dishes to keep costs down and enjoy a variety of delicious food. 2. Free Fun!  Look for free community events like parades, concerts, or fireworks displays. Pack a picnic basket and make a day of it! Bonus Tip: Take advantage of summer sales and stock up on snacks and drinks before the holiday rush. #SmartSavings Member FDIC

💛 Hey, Rice Business alums! Have you found one of the 50 golden tickets hidden in copies of our latest magazine? Check the back page to see if you're a winner. If you find a golden ticket, share a photo with it on social media using #RiceBizIs50 and tag our account to claim some exclusive Rice Business swag. #RiceBizIs50 #RiceBusiness #GoldenAnniversary #Winner #GoldenTicket

This week, Krispy Kreme donuts gave away a huge number of donuts, up to 6,000 per store for participating stores. It was to mark World Kindness Day, which is intended to encourage random acts of kindness. The chain does a lot of promotions where it gives people a free donut or a free donut and beverage--in fact it did just that for veterans two days earlier on Veteran's Day. But this time, customers got a box of a dozen donuts each. Since most of us can't eat 12 donuts in one day, the obvious solution was to people to share them--creating the kind of random acts of kindness that World Kindness Day is supposed to encourage. Plus, Krispy Kreme is now indelibly associated with World Kindness Day in the U.S. And, of course, a lot of people who might never have had a Krispy Kreme donut before tried one--in effect the chain was getting customers to hand out free samples on its behalf. I think this is both a generous and a genius move--what do you think? Inc. Magazine #krispykreme #retail #branding #worldkindnessday https://lnkd.in/gJPAr83f

It's that time of year again! Are you ready to boost your business and show off your food?! Join us for the 5th Annual 502 Black Eats Week and connect with a community that celebrates black-owned food businesses! Oct 6th-12th 🌟 Why Sign Up? Boost Your Visibility: Get your brand in front of thousands of local foodies eager to support black-owned businesses. (Possible) Increase Sales: Watch your sales as new customers discover and fall in love with your food. Community Connection: Join a powerful network of fellow black-owned businesses and foodies who share your passion. Marketing Power: Benefit from promotional efforts, including social media shoutouts, press coverage, and more. Celebrate Diversity: Show off your unique flavors and culinary creativity in an event that celebrates the rich diversity of our food scene.

Calling all Swag Seekers & Veteran Supporters! We're thrilled to announce the official launch of Lord of the Swag on LinkedIn! We're a passionate team, proudly Veteran-owned, with a mission to bring you: Top-notch Swag: We handpick the best quality and styles to make you look and feel amazing. Honesty is our Policy: We believe in transparency so you can shop with confidence (no hidden fees here!). Empowering Women: We feature many products designed to celebrate and uplift strong women like you! ♀️ Building a Community: We're all about fostering connections through inspiring content and experiences. But here's the coolest part: By sharing this post, you're directly supporting Veterans! Every purchase at Lord of the Swag gives back to our heroes. It takes just a few seconds to share, but it could make a world of difference for a small business like ours (and a Veteran in need). Plus, who knows? You might just discover your new favorite outfit or gift at lordoftheswag.com! Thanks for being awesome!

"Every year, the sisters, along with their supportive mom, Audresha Ricks, host a free event at the Swainsboro Splash Pad for the people of our community to enjoy a day in the sun with their children. During the event Kiy and Kay provide attendees with complimentary food and drinks from different vendors as well as a very informative program on epileptic and non-epileptic seizures and how to overcome them." Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3DRcIdI

"Every year, the sisters, along with their supportive mom, Audresha Ricks, host a free event at the Swainsboro Splash Pad for the people of our community to enjoy a day in the sun with their children. During the event Kiy and Kay provide attendees with complimentary food and drinks from different vendors as well as a very informative program on epileptic and non-epileptic seizures and how to overcome them." Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3DRcIdI

A week ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Precious Dreams Foundation Laughter and Lullabies gala. One thing that I love most about working in this space is the people that I get to meet, work with, support, amplify, and partner with to make an impact. Precious Dreams is an incredible organization that is so focused on the children and young people they serve. At the gala, it was evident that each person they serve matters. And that's amazing to witness. Earlier in my career, I needed to be on the ground, really seeing and feeling and being at the center of the impact. I'm so grateful for the opportunities I had to do that because it taught ME so much. But I think as time went on, I came to understand that perhaps, the work and the people I worked with were adding more value to me than I was adding to it. The organizations and the work had huge value and measurable impacts, and I don't want to diminish that. But, if I really believed in driving sustained impact (which I did and still do), I needed to step back from what was selfishly fulfilling and move into where I could add the most value. My strengths really sit at being a connector; bridging pathways between people, resources, expertise, technology, networks, and more. While it isn't always easy to accept (and sometimes my husband and I talk about going back to Mali, where I could work for a nonprofit while he opens back up his motorcycle garage), I now get the opportunity drive corporate impact strategy, and build programs and partnerships at scale, and create impact flywheels that transform how companies think about social responsibility, and amplify voices. And those are some pretty cool (and transformational) impacts to have. So here's a shout out to Precious Dreams and all of the other remarkable organizations doing the work, on the ground, day in and day out. It's heartbreaking and exhausting and tireless, but it matters, and it's the honor of a lifetime to be able to work with you.