Kristin McFarland used the skills she developed working for Fortune 200 companies to create one of the leading marketing agencies in cannabis.
But her path from Point A to Point B was not without complications.
In 2018, McFarland left the corporate world to launch The Source Marketing Group. But in the early stages of the company, she was actually homeless, meaning she had to orchestrate a 40,000-person event in Denver while working from her friends’ couches. Just two years later, COVID wrecked the event sector upon which the company derived 80% of its revenue.
How was she able to persevere through the challenges and chaos? “Grit,” she says.
With the onset of COVID, she pivoted the company to focus entirely on digital marketing, providing consumer-facing brands in highly regulated industries — primarily beer and cannabis — with compliant tech tools to grow and, perhaps more importantly, retain their customer base. In addition to developing an award-winning marketing agency, McFarland also launched the Market Like A Badass podcast, which has aired more than 50 episodes, giving a wider audience to numerous professionals working in different facets of marketing.
McFarland is also a big believer in being a positive member of the community. In addition to supporting numerous Colorado events, she’s also provided mentorship to organizations such as the Detroit Cannabis Project and BIPOCann.
“We’ve done a lot to give back to the LGBTQ and social equity communities,” she says. “We want to make sure that we have social impact. Yes, we’re a marketing technology company that has served over a hundred retailers and brands, but that’s such a microscopic piece, because we really care about the impact of volunteering.”
Marijuana Venture’s 2026 40 under 40 feature was sponsored by MoonDust USA
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