By Andrei Edwards
“I’m not against marijuana; I just don’t like the lifestyle.”
That’s how my boss and mentor of 20 years in the New York City ad agency world responded, when I told her I was thinking of heading west. My dreams are usually partially formed, and often more focused on how to make it happen than a clearly defined picture of “it.” I knew I wanted out of the corporate ad world — running teams that pushed loaves of Velveeta, entry-level luxury cars, hummus (surprisingly America’s favorite snack food) with a paragraph-long list of ingredients, and sugary kids cereals had taken their toll. But without a fully-formed vision, I stayed silent about the “lifestyle” comment.
But for those who haven’t been exposed, the New York advertising world comes with its own lifestyle, and its own set of intoxicants. An endless stream of cocktails with clients, colleagues and subcontractors. And drugs that reduce, narrow and tightly focus your world, which keep you awake and somewhat productive — or at least outwardly engaged. But as any chemist will tell you, if you make your container smaller, the pressure increases.
My parents have lived in the Seattle area for 25 years (they migrated from the East Coast after my high school graduation), so the move had an element of tradition as well as change. New York City is about three times larger in area than Seattle, but has more than 10 times the population. And even with my previous visits, the increase in living space was staggering. After I shed the reflexive need to nudge people standing in line closer together, I could feel my lifespan lengthening. But I didn’t know anyone, and Seattle, for all its positive qualities, is far more insular than New York City. So for the first time I had a distinct dream of marketing a product I was passionate about, a highly experienced Welkin team, but no clear path of execution. I won’t bore you with the details that followed; they involve a lot of letter writing, farm visits, trade association involvement and relationship building. But fast-forward about a year. Welkin is working with premium sun-grower CannaSol Farms in Washington, and partner farms in Humboldt, California to create brands (the retailer and consumer experiences — not just the logo) which make it through the retail gauntlet, and resonate with the emerging premium consumer. These consumers are the key to survival and prosperity for those who don’t want a mass market “vendor” role. And in our work I’ve met an incredible range of farmers, retailers, bakers, scientists and others with their own stories, baggage and dreams. I’ve realized that THIS IS the dream — to have enjoyable work with an emotional and financial stake, to be part of a community forming an industry, and to be able to contribute meaningfully and effect change within that industry. The Tibetan Book of the Dead says waking in a dream gives you far more freedom and control than just following it. I couldn’t agree more.
Andrei Edwards leads Welkin Creative, a team of marketers and agricultural scientists that works with CannaSol Farms in Washington and partner farms in California to develop true premium brands — quality standards, standout packaging, sales and distribution processes, grassroots and paid media marketing — and of course, logos. He moved to Washington at the end of 2013 and hasn’t looked back. He can be reached at andrei.edwards@welkincreative.com.