1. What have you found most challenging as a leader of a small or medium enterprise?

As a leader of a small enterprise, the greatest challenge I've found is to find funding partners who share the vision and passion for my initiatives. My passion and belief in my initiatives enable me to work independently for success and to find like-minded support team members.

2. How did you become a leader of an SME? Can you please briefly tell the story?

It's my belief to be an SME, one must know as much as they can about the subject matter. I've always been committed to health equity, inclusion, and quality patient care. In 2017, recognizing that I needed to pivot from my traditional healthcare focus I saw a void in the burgeoning medical cannabis industry for a trusted resource of cannabis science. I dove into whatever informal education was available to be a SME and when a formal cannabis education program became available, I enrolled. May 2021 I will be one of the first in the world to have a Masters of Science in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics. My thought leadership has grown from U.S. state-based to international.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

For me to maintain a demanding schedule and live a balanced life, it requires proper sleep, nutrition and exercise. Opportunities to be silly and laugh are equally as important. I start my day at 6:30 am reviewing company finances, news outlets, a telephone call every morning with a close girlfriend, coffee and breakfast, a dog walk, graduate studies and then it's down to work, ending my day by 7 pm. Oftentimes, it's time to get back to graduate studies before lights out by 10:30 pm.

4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

To recognize that I cannot do it all myself nor do I know it all.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

There are too many! My current go-to resource for leadership guidance is the Harvard Business Review.

6. How do you build leadership capacity in an SME?

I carefully watch if team members act with initiative. If they do, I encourage it and reward it. If they do not, it's time for us to part company.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader of an SME so far?

I brought on a team member as an employee who was with me for just about one year. Revenue growth was not as I planned for so I had to let her go. She approached me a year later as a volunteer to work with me and support my company's growth and I've made her a promise to give her equity when one particular project hits a specific growth goal.