Unconventional: A Memoir of Entrepreneurism, Politics, and Pot

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Unconventional: A Memoir of Entrepreneurism, Politics, And Pot by Jamie Andrea Garzot pleasantly surprised me in numerous ways. From the title, I, like most probably would, made my own assumptions about what the contents of this book would hold. With the words “pot” and “politics” in all caps, I was fully ready to embrace a novel of controversy. However, I was completely caught off guard by Garzot’s story. She is a woman who has achieved awe-invoking success, someone who has worked tirelessly to improve her community, an advocate for better government legislation, and did not even start her business because of the lucratively of the cannabis industry. To top things off, she does not even use recreational cannabis. Needless to say, my assumptions were thrown out the window after reading just a few chapters, realizing Garzot had a tale unlike no other.

Garzot breaks the stereotype of what a cannabis shop owner is often envisioned as. She is far from a disgruntled hippie who exclusively wears brightly colored bandanas and tie-dyed shirts. Garzot was a young professional, with a well-paying job at a gas and electricity company. After struggling deeply with insomnia, she was prescribed medical cannabis as a means to help her sleepless nights. No other sleep aide worked as cannabis did; Garzot became a believer in the medicinal qualities of marijuana and sought various storefronts to fulfill this need. However, she was met with stores that represented a certain lifestyle, one of excessive cannabis use with the all-popular “420”, something she personally could not resonate with. A spark went off for Garzot, as she knew she must not be the only one who would love a store focused not on a “stoner” lifestyle, but on one that embraced all customers.

With her love of customer service and sales, Garzot knew she could make this dream a reality. The story from here is incredible. Slowly but surely, she builds a cannabis empire, breaking barriers in her conservative city and making millions in the process. She describes her journey from finding the perfect storefront location to the tricky task of hiring the right employees. She touches on the vast security measures that have to be taken, the hardships of running a small business, and the inevitable law complications with owning a cannabis store. Overall, this book is the terrific and unique story of entrepreneurism that any reader interested in starting a business would enjoy.


Reviewed By:

Author Jamie Andrea Garzot
Star Count /5
Format Hard
Page Count 194 pages
Publisher Girl Friday Books
Publish Date 19-Apr-2022
ISBN 9781954854291
Bookshop.org Buy this Book
Issue December 2021
Category Biographies & Memoirs
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