Unconventional: A Memoir of Entrepreneurism, Politics, and Pot

by Jamie Andrea Garzot, Lori Ajax (Foreword by)

Overview

2022 Grand Prize Finalist for The Eric Hoffer Award

2022 NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite 

2022 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite 

2022 First Horizon Award Finalist 

2022 International Book Award Finalist: Nonfiction Cross-Genre 

An inspirational story about taking a chance, following your vision, and thriving in one of the US’s wildest emerging industries, 2022 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite Unconventional profiles Jamie Andrea Garzot’s journey as one of California’s legal cannabis industry pioneers.

Jamie Andrea Garzot was one of the least likely people to become a cannabis entrepreneur, advocate, and industry pioneer. She had no business background. She was not involved in politics. She had only a four-figure capital investment to start with. And, surprisingly, she had very limited experience with cannabis products. So how did Garzot find herself at the forefront of California’s cannabis movement?

In this inspirational memoir, Garzot describes her trajectory from a cannabis retail rookie navigating an unregulated market to a cannabis authority. During her time in the industry, she developed a wildly successful line of artisanal edibles, managed $12 million a year in all-cash sales, and became an advocate for cannabis legislation at the state capitol—all of which led to an eventual acquisition by High Times, one of the most recognized names in the industry. From office intrigues, personal crises, and shifting regulations to teamwork, innovation, and community leadership, Garzot, with good-natured humor, shares how thinking creatively, planning ahead, and forming connections in the most unlikely places contributed to her success in a continually shifting business landscape.

Unconventional is the story of an industry in its wild heyday, the inner workings of local and state government and cannabis’s dicey road to regulation, and the seismic changes in the way cannabis was distributed and sold. But it is also the story of one woman’s tenacious spirit and all the lessons she learned the hard way—by refusing to give power to fear, taking risks, building community in a volatile environment, and listening to what people wanted—and how staying true to her vision paid off every step of the way.

Anyone who has ever dreamed of following their gut and reinventing their life will be inspired by Garzot’s unusual and unconventional journey.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781954854291
Publisher:	Girl Friday Books
Publication date:	04/19/2022
Pages:	193
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.73(d)

About the Author

An inspirational story about taking a chance, following your vision, and thriving in one of the US’s wildest emerging industries, Unconventional profiles Jamie Andrea Garzot’s journey as one of California’s legal cannabis industry pioneers.

From office intrigues, personal crises, and shifting regulations to teamwork, innovation, and community leadership, Garzot holds nothing back in this business memoir. Learn how Garzot tuned out the naysayers—including her own business partner—kept her eyes on her vision, and refused to give power to all the things that could go wrong. In this memoir, Garzot tells how creative thinking, planning ahead, and forming connections in the most unlikely places contributed to her success in a continually shifting business landscape. With good-natured humor, Garzot unabashedly shares the challenges, mistakes, and lessons learned as she built her business from a four-figure capital investment into a two-store, eight-figure machine garnering the attention of and eventual acquisition by High Times, one of the biggest names in cannabis.

Anyone who has ever dreamed of following their gut and reinventing their life will be inspired by Garzot’s unusual and adventurous journey.

Table of Contents

Foreword Lori Ajax ix

Introduction xi

That Road 1

Insomnia 3

The Vision 10

The Green Lights 15

Finding My Voice 19

Legal Cannabis 101 26

The Accidental Expert 31

The Wild West 37

The Cops 46

The Motherless Daughter 50

The Husband 58

Edibles and Algebra 67

Small-Town Politics 76

The Three Little Piggies … and the Big Bad Wolf 81

Church, Jameson, and Laughter 88

The Capitol 91

The IRS 101

That Assemblymember 107

Crazy Is as Crazy Does 111

Synergy 119

Outreach, Sexual Reproduction, and Lube 128

The Cash 136

The Team 146

Greed 158

Epilogue 166

Afterword Jim Wood 171

Acknowledgments 175

About the Author 179

Editorial Reviews

*A 2022 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite* 

 

“An engaging and illuminating insider’s portrait of a cutting-edge industry.” —Kirkus Reviews 

“Scores of inspirational, entrepreneurial memoirs are appealing, but few are quite so riveting as this title.” —The US Review of Books

“Garzot’s vibrant and concise tone makes Unconventional such an exciting read—besides being poignant, informative, and thorough.” —San Francisco Book Review, star rating: 5/5 

“Jamie Andrea Garzot takes her readers on an insightful and intriguing journey through her life, loves, and experiences. Her honesty, good humor, and intelligence shine through this amazing book . . . Hats off to Garzot and her remarkable story.” —Chick Lit Café 

“Interesting, thoughtful, and full of verve . . . Garzot shares insightful life lessons beyond business and cannabis.” —David S. McCuan, PhD, professor and chair, Department of Political Science, Sonoma State University 

“Filled with fun, passion, and brilliance, Garzot is an excellent storyteller and inspiration to all others, especially women, who want to take their lives by the reins and do a complete one-eighty.” —The BookLife Prize 

“Jamie’s pioneering career is a gripping, enthralling, and inspiring testament to American entrepreneurship.” —Dr. James Richardson, anthropologist and bestselling author of Ramping Your Brand  

“[Garzot] is a woman who has achieved awe-invoking success, someone who has worked tirelessly to improve her community, and an advocate for better government legislation.” —Manhattan Book Review, star rating: 4/5

“I want to call Unconventional a guide for anyone opening a small business . . . I want to call it a motivator for entrepreneurs . . . I want to call it an uplifting and encouraging testament to the power of positive thinking . . . After much rumination I’ve decided this is a book about life and about taking it on without apology or self-defeat . . . An enjoyable read!” —Steve Gibson, talk radio host, Mornings on KQMS 

“Unconventional: A Memoir of Entrepreneurism, Politics, and Pot is recommended not just for California collections (though it will be of particular interest and importance to these), but to anyone who would absorb a business and social issues examination that peppers personal observation with political, legal, and social analysis. Its lively presentation and consideration of a myriad of interests and issues do a fine job of exploring all sides of the pot issue and its adaptation into mainstream society, cemented by one plucky female entrepreneur’s vision and drive to achieve business success in a blossoming, changing, often controversial environment.” —D. Donovan, senior reviewer, the Midwest Book Review 

“Garzot lays bare the inner workings and challenges involved in today’s cannabis industry, how it’s evolved from a largely unregulated and illegal enterprise into the multimillion-dollar mainstream business it is today.” —Ron Ramswick, bookseller, IOBA 

"It is raw, honest and unexpected..." - Lori Ajax, Bureau of Cannabis Control 2016-2020, California's first 'Cannabis Czar'

From the Publisher