Karen Rossetti, DOMORRE's Chief Operating Officer and our Chief Marketing Officer, Crystal Childs have worked together for over ten years. If you ask them, they'll tell you they are “yin and yang.” We don't disagree; they compliment each other nicely. Where one lacks, the other shines and vice versa. It's why they work so well together. So, when Crystal made a call back in 2021 and asked Karen to join her on a few projects in the cannabis industry, she didn't hesitate to say yes.
THE BEGINNING
Crystal wasn't working in the cannabis industry very long at that point and overall, in Massachusetts, the cannabis industry for adult-use was still in its infancy stages. The first recreational dispensaries had just opened at the end of 2018, which was just a few years prior, and in 2021 it was still new to a lot of people. And, dare we say taboo to some? Crystal and Karen had been in marketing for 20 plus years, but neither one of them had experience marketing cannabis, but at the time, not many did.
So, like their true selves, they dived right in—head first. Learning every ounce (pun intended) of the business. Getting to understand the audience, the industry terms, the strict regulations, the products, consumption methods, etc. Several years later, it seems silly to think this was all new information that needed to be learned, but it was.
MAKING LIFELONG FRIENDS
Since then, they (and now us, too) have met the most amazing people from budtenders, to lab technicians and growers to digital marketers and more. Like the kick-ass CEO, Megan Dobro of SafeTiva Labs in Westfield, MA or the entire team at CannaPlanners led by the funny and oh-so-entertaining Will Read (if you're not following them on Instagram, you're missing out).
"We have made the best of friends during our time in cannabis," says Crystal. "This is a close-knit group. Everyone in the industry is kind, fun to work with and it's truly the greatest collection of people - and gosh are they creative!"
Both Karen and Crystal have been a part of some truly outstanding product launches across Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, and Michigan so it's understandable that they've had the opportunity to meet so many awesome individuals.
THE CHALLENGES
One thing is for sure, this industry is not all fun and games like some may think. It's still business and with any business, comes stress and lots of it. From strict regulations set forth that vary from state-to-state, to having your social profiles removed because that dirty little word "cannabis" was mistakenly mentioned. Marketing in this industry can be a challenge. But, if you know anything about our COO and CMO, that's where we thrive.
So today, between the amazing people and the unique challenges the industry faces, it's become our favorite industry to work with here at DOMORRE. The connections we all make, the places we get to go, and the things we accomplish are some of the best.
If you're in the cannabis industry and we haven't connected yet, please reach out!