Five Captivating Questions With GrowHealthy Senior Director Of Marketing & Sales: Jeff Finnerty

INTERVIEWEE: Jeff Finnerty, Senior Director, Marketing & Sales for GrowHealthy

WB:Why cannabis? How did you discover the plant?

Jeff Finnerty=JF: I was drawn to transition my career into the Cannabis industry by witnessing the powerful possibilities of the plant and the people creating access to it. I have an immediate family member who has long suffered with the debilitating impacts of Fibromyalgia. For years she was unable to hold a job or enjoy the fruits of normal family and friendship activities due to pain and suffering from her illness. A couple of years ago as legislation made access to medical cannabis a reality, she began using the plant to help with her symptoms. The enhancement to her life has been stunning. She now holds a physically demanding job, while enjoying the ability to re-engage in relationships and activities that did not seem possible before. Since joining the industry, I hear stories like this every day from our patients, which continue to inspire and motivate me and my team to keep working to create greater access and awareness to this life changing plant.

WB: Tell me about your company? Six and twelve month goals? Obstacles? How do you anticipate removing the obstacles?

JF: At GrowHealthy, our mission is to help you live your best life. We deliver on that promise every day by providing the highest-quality, all-natural, cannabis-derived products to Florida’s medical cannabis patients. GrowHealthy is dedicated to helping patients live healthier, happier lives, through the production of premium-quality cannabis products, tailored for patients to provide relief and to promote holistic wellness.

What we have worked really hard to do over the past 6 months, is spend time truly understanding the market, the 330,000 patients in Florida and more than 2,500 physicians who are providing medical cannabis recommendations in the state. We’ve invested in researching what is important to them and where we can focus brand, product and program development that best benefits our patients, and our bottom line. Now armed with that information we have set out to continue to lean on our superior patient experience delivered by our patient care representatives in warm, approachable dispensaries. We will continue to focus on education, awareness and increasing access for our patients and always placing agriculture at the forefront of everything we do.

Our continuing conversation with our patients also has filled our innovation pipeline. One example of this is GrowHealthy’s recent launch of a high-grade line of RSO full-spectrum cannabis oil. The GrowHealthy full-spectrum RSO contains all components of cannabis: cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, chlorophyll and beneficial lipids for medical benefits. It is traditionally used in a concentrated oral form for generally sedative effects but can be used topically to heal skin lesions and have potential anti-cancerous properties.

GrowHealthy will continue to expand our brand and products to provide the greatest variety of modalities, strains and price points available to patients in the state of Florida. We continue to perfect the premium Master Grower Series™ line, crafted for reliable wellness and cultivated to offer patients exclusive access to small-batch, premium flowers crafted by gifted growers. We have also recently taken the same approach with our distillate products, launching Signature Blend Series cartridges. We have also worked to bring other effective, high quality cannabis products to the market at more friendly price points with lines like our Littles flower and the upcoming Frutful family of products.

GrowHealthy also recently launched our new GrowHealthy.com and completely new e-commerce user experience. Especially during these times dealing with the effects of COVID-19 on how we shop and interact, this was a giant leap forward for our patients and providing continued access to our medical products. Patients can now order for pick up or free statewide delivery, with the deepest information and insights on each product available anywhere. Each patient can view detailed descriptions, terpene profiles, THC and CBD content, as well as which symptoms each product is most effective for. It’s easy to use and provides visually pleasing and informative photography of all our products, that are displayed based on real time inventory levels in each store or delivery hub.

GrowHealthy looks toward geographic growth with multiple stores planned through the first half of 2020. Upcoming retail openings include locations in Clearwater/Largo and Cape Coral, to name a couple. We’re also excited to continue to offer free state-wide delivery for all patients with no minimum order cost.  Shortly we will start pilot testing an exciting new delivery model to increase the speed and efficiency we are able to service our delivery patients with.

WB: Who is your mentor? Do you smoke the plant? If so, indoor or outdoor grown? Wild soil? Biodynamic? Organic? Natural light?

JF: I do not personally smoke the plant, but I am fascinated by it, and all of the evolving formats we can produce it in for our customers. I’m equally excited by the growing number of symptoms our patients are finding relief from using our expanding line up of cannabis products and brands.

It would be incredibly difficult to point to a singular mentor that I have relied on in my career. I spent the first 16 years of my sales and marketing career at The Coca-Cola Company, and I always think back to an early conversation with one of my first mentors there. I had asked this 30-year veteran of the company about career development and what I should be considering next for myself – questions like should I leave to work towards advanced degrees or keep pursuing the next opportunity to advance at the company. I will never forget his response. He told me he had spent the last 30 years attending “Coca-Cola University”, that each day he had the opportunity (if he made it a personal priority) to learn from some of the world’s greatest marketers, people leaders and business luminaries right there at Coca-Cola. With his advice as a guiding light I can honestly tell you that I have had dozens of mentors. I seek to learn each day from not only the leaders I work for and with, but I have learned equally from the talented and passionate people that I am fortunate enough to have work for me as well.

WB: What is your favorite restaurant and where?  

JF: Sushi of Gari. It’s a small sushi restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. My wife and I frequented often when we first met.

WB: What is your passion? 

JF: People. I am passionate about understanding the needs and motivations of our patients, and helping them live happier, healthier lives. I enjoy building relationships with the people I work with, and those that work for me – helping them develop and realize personal and professional goals. I spend a lot of time away from work coaching youth sports in my community and seeing those kids grow and develop year after year is tremendously rewarding. Most importantly I am passionate about spending quality time with my wife Jennifer, and our three children Connor (12), Emma (10) and Ryan (7).