CBD in SOHO: Kevin Harrington’s CBD/Hemp Advisory Panel and CBD Pop-Up Event

Kevin Harrington and his “AsSeenOnTV.pro” Team realize the CBD/Hemp explosion is no fad and thankfully, is here to stay and growing exponentially stronger every day. In order to support this growing industry, they have formed a CBD/Hemp Advisory Panel comprised of a prestigious group of leading CBD/hemp experts and “movers and shakers” from a wide range of industries, including:

• • • • • • • • • • • Jim Marty, CPA – CEO and Founder, Bridge West LLC
                    • Kelly Coughlin – President, Kismet Consumer Product Group
                    • Darwish Harper – President, Owner Merchant Consultants INC.
                    • Gerald Klein – Owner, GK Crop Insurance Agency LLC
                    • Amy McDougal, JD, CCEP – President/CEO, CLEAResources, LLC

We recently had the pleasure of attending the celebration of the newly formed CBD Panel and the AsSeenOnTV.pro CBD Market and Pop-Up Event, curated by White Label in SOHO. The setting was perfect – a very beautifully appointed and welcoming loft, aptly named The Space, complete with a flowing chocolate fondue fountain, curated hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and even a cotton-candy machine — all infused with CBD!

We were warmly greeted by Lisa Vrancken, EVP and Douglas Scott, CEO and Partner with Kevin Harrington in AsSeenOnTV.pro. Douglas provided the welcoming remarks and turned the evening over to the panelists, who joined a lively conversation about CBD and the growing industry. Approximately 20 CBD companies participated in the “Meet the Brands” experience and the Summer CBD Market. Lisa introduced us to Jim’s fellow panelists and the owners of the CBD brands. We were very excited to attend and participate and thoroughly enjoyed our conversations with the wonderful representatives of each CBD brand. To follow are a few take-aways that we would like to share:

• • • • • The passion that the CBD owners have for this industry is palpable!
        • Each owner told us “their story” and how and why they started their business and why they love doing what they do. They are all excited about their products and could not wait to tell me about them and share them with me and other fortunate attendees.
        • Although the origins of their businesses varied, many had common themes and many stemmed from personal experiences, including health and wellness issues. Many were unable to find healthy alternatives to health and wellness challenges and took it upon themselves to develop their own cures. We enjoyed learning about the people behind a brand, and really loved their heartfelt stories!
        • Each owner was interested in educating me, not selling me, on their products. Again, this demonstrates their passion and long-term commitment to this industry. There is so much to learn about CBD/hemp and it was really exciting and enjoyable to be surrounded by so many professionals with so much expertise and experience.
        • To learn more about their products, I asked them about their target markets and the most common answers were health and wellness conscious adults, and several had products in the pet category, which is a significant and fast-growing segment in the marketplace.
        • Branding was front and center, and nicely done in terms of packaging and promotions. The owners realize that in a sea of many CBD products, it is beneficial to differentiate themselves.

We also attended the AsSeenOnTV.pro CBD market the day following the VIP Reception and it was another great opportunity to continue our conversations, sample a few more CBD treats, and shop.

Damato shared another take-away, “With so many CBD products on the market, take your time to research them, educate yourself, and learn more about where and how they are made and distributed. Consider it a trial process as you sample the products and see how they work for you.”
She continued, “Consider what you are trying to improve, solve, or accomplish by taking a product. Then speak with the owners and ask about dosage and determine if their products could be a good fit. Give them feedback and tell them what you liked, and perhaps did not like. There are people behind the brands, and they want to hear from you!”

Marty commented, “Attending this event reminded me where the cannabis industry was ten years ago. These companies were all only two or three years old and most are still in start-up mode. They are very excited about their prospects for the future.”

Overall, attending the Kevin Harrington CBD Panel and the White Label CBD Market Event was an extremely positive experience. We look forward to participating again and sharing more stories about the Panel and the CBD brands!

 

This CannaBlog was written By Jim Marty  and Nancy Damato

Please contact Jim Marty at jmarty@bridgewestcpas.com if you have any questions or would like to learn more about entering the CBD/Hemp Industry.