I’ve been an unpaid,
unofficial brand
ambassador for weed
in general since 2005 😏🍃💨.
So when I got the chance to create a legal cannabis brand from the ground up in 2015, I. Was. STOKED. And then when I got my dream job with a (briefly) independent Chicago weed company in 2019, I. Was. Freakin’ ECSTATIC, okay?
My Role
Director of Content + Creative at Grassroots | Dispensaries: Herbology + Windy City | Maye CBD
What we made
Brand Identities | OOH | Packaging | Social | Interior + Exterior Signage | Dotcom | Experiential | Sales Materials | SCHWAG!| Marketing + Quarterly Programs + Concepts
We
Justine Boney: Director of Marketing | Jason Castillo: Senior Art Director | Jillian Solarczyk : ACD | Matt Frierdich: ACD | Nusaibah El-Omari: Designer | Raheem Uqdah: Digital Marketing Manager | Shelley Saffrin - Content + Compliance Manager | Freelance Angels + Motherfreakin’ Pros: Troy Burrows, Stuart Confer, Will Benham, Seth McWhorter.
What I made
Budgets and estimates | Process Flows | Sell In + Vision Decks | Brand Books + Guidelines | So Many Org Charts | BRIEFS, all caps | Editorial and Marketing Calendars | Hiring Reqs
What I did
⚖️ Established briefing + legal review systems
📅 Created and championed quarterly marketing calendars
🌐 Moved us from a swag-first mindset to an integrated campaign machine
🥊 Fought for resources + hires + equipment
🛫 Traveled non-stop, whew!
🤹🏽 Put on my producer hat a lot
🐛 Adjusted to my first in-house, non-agency gig
🐶 Was reminded that time at startups should be counted in dog years
🖊️ Also CD’d of course — pushing for better craft + creative
Before Illinois opened the state for recreational, Windy City Dispensary needed an update. One that paid homage to the iconic symbols of the city 🌃.
First, a before 👆
Now, the after 👇
Want to hear more about Greenhouse, Herbology or Maye?
Say hey! I also led branding workshops to create the cannabis brand now known as Dosist — a once-in-a-lifetime project worth talking about.
Need a palate cleanser instead?
Check out 🍺 Miller High Life or 🍇 Wellory.