an innovative lighting company that developed the first LED lights that both increase yield and save energy.
Listen to the interview HERE or read it below
Announcer: CannabisRadio.com presents Grassroots Marketing on location. Featuring exclusive one on one interviews with those impacting and evolving the cannabis industry. We now take you on location to the 2018 NCIA Cannabis Business Summit, in San Jose, California.
F. Interviewer: Alright. We’re here on Cannabis Radio, at the NCIA Annual Cannabis Summit and Expo. We’re chatting with attendees, exhibitors, speakers, and everyone in- between.
F. Interviewer: Right now I’m sitting with Scynce President & COO Brent Perkins, as well as CEO Steve Adams, from the company as well. Hey guys, how’s it going?
Brent: Good!
Steve: Good! How are you?
F. Interviewer: Good, good! Thank you for joining me today. So tell me a little bit, Brent, about what Scynce does for the cannabis industry.
Brent: Sure. And our name’s a little confusing and hard to pronounce. It’s Scynce with a Y instead of an IE, because we’re about the science of yield. We have kind of a tongue in cheek go-to-market strategy right now, which is “LEDs don’t work.” There’s a been a stigma out there that LEDs can work great in clone and veg, but people don’t trust them to flower. Not 100% yet. And that’s what we’re here to change. That’s what we’re here to show the world, that the technology is finally at a point, and with some of the patented pieces we’ve brought to the table, that LEDs can and do work.
F. Interviewer: Great. So cannabis is actually pushing a lot technology, and science, and sophistication that I think other industries haven’t gotten to. But we’ve forced ourselves into taking it the extra mile, in addition to having federal prohibition hanging over our heads.
Brent: I know.
F. Interviewer: Tell me more about your experience with working in an industry that is still … We don’t have all the regulations figured out. We’re pivoting left and right every day to try to keep up. What’s that like for you?
Brent: It’s been interesting, especially coming from outside of the cannabis industry.
It’s most difficult, I think, that when you have a face-to-face, honest conversation and you try to conduct business the way it’s been done in other industries. A lot of times things fall flat on their face, because … not that people are being unscrupulous, it’s just that they’re operating and trying to survive within the rules and regulations of their state. It just really changes the landscape for how you conduct business.
F. Interviewer: It does, yeah. So NCIA’s … National Cannabis Industry Association, has been around going on eight years now. Our pillars are advocacy, education and community. Obviously we’re seeing a lot of education and community here at the conference. But the advocacy part is also … It kinda happens behind the scenes, behind closed doors. And in a lot of ways, as far as the federal lobbying goes, it’s also important for the business owners to stay active as well. Are you and more clients talking about why it’s important to go talk with your local regulators? Are you having those conversations and getting to know them, and telling them what your struggles are?
Brent: Absolutely. We’re lucky to be in a state that’s got a lot of support. We spend time not only within our state, but we operate in all states that have legalized cannabis in some form or another. The thing I love about this industry, is that everybody’s so friendly. Everybody works together. Even if I can’t support, or help out, or bring business and monetize something with another company, we make friends. We band together, and we bring that support to the table. I just love that about this industry, and we absolutely do our part.
F. Interviewer: On that note, what is most important to you about being a member of NCIA?
Brent: For me, I think it comes down to one word, which is community. And it plays off what I just said a minute ago, but this feels like a family. This, NCIA, brings us together in a communal way, where we do all band together and we support each other. It’s not … There’s no infighting, we’re not throwing people under the rug. We’re here to make this industry work, and NCIA helps do that.
F. Interviewer: What have both of you seen today on the expo floor? Are you meeting a lot of great people? Tell me about what your experience has been like today.
Steve: It’s busy. There’s an air of optimism, it seems like everybody’s walking around, talking about the future. “No, We’re gonna do this, we’re gonna do that. Here’s what I wanna do.” Even if it’s not something they need from us, it’s just … if you look around here it’s packed. Canada’s a huge opportunity for everybody. Obviously this is a business-to-business show, so the Canadian legalization is a breath of fresh air for everybody. Hopefully it will continue to flow South. People are excited about the future. This administration, love it or hate it, there’s an optimism that, “Hey, maybe something will happen.” I’d just say it’s very optimistic.
Brent: There’s a lot of capitalism going on here today. It’s great.
F. Interviewer: What would you say to somebody who wants to get into the cannabis industry, but isn’t sure about it. Would you encourage them to check out this conference next year?
Steve: Oh sure! Come check out the conference. But start local. Go find your local cultivation. Go find your local dispensary, and go take a job there. One thing we hear constantly from other business owners in this space is, “We can’t find good people.” If you’re a good person and you wanna get into the industry, go take that entry-level job. Whether it’s management, HR, or just trimming plants. There’s opportunity for everybody. Start at the bottom and learn every aspect of it, and then that will help you figure out: Do you want to get into technology, people side of things, the administrative side of things? It doesn’t matter. But learn the industry first, because there is no industry, there is nothing like this. You can’t go do agricultural, you can’t go grow flowers, and think it’s going to cross over into cannabis. It’s so different from everything else out there.
Brent: On that note, here’s what’s special about this show, and why absolutely people should come check this out. There are holes in this industry that need to be filled. And the only way to find them, is to either go work in the industry or come to a show like this, and find out what people aren’t doing. There are gaps everywhere. We need these gaps filled as quickly as possible to become a viable industry that’s going to grow.
F. Interviewer: That’s good advice in life in general, is to find a pain point and alieve the pain. And then you’re a hero, right?
Brent: Exactly!
F. Interviewer: So what did you guys do before getting in the industry? Totally unrelated?
Steve: I’ve been into LED lighting for about 10 years. You know those big light bars you see on everybody’s cars, jeeps and off-road vehicles? We started that entire industry about a decade ago. I’ve been doing high-power, optically- controlled LEDs for about 10 years. Before that … It was just an accident I got into lighting. Before that I was just an airline pilot. I went from pilot, to automotive off-road lighting, and now we’re in horticulture cannabis lighting. If I’m going to work in an industry, I want it to be a fun industry. It doesn’t get much more fun than this.
Brent: And funny enough, we’ve been friends for … 30, about 30 years?
Steve: Correct.
Brent: And never worked together before. I spent the better part of the last decade in the medical device industry. I was building brands and running companies, and bringing technology to the next level. It was just the perfect marriage, to bring Steve’s LED experience and my brand-building experience, and running company experience. Mash the two together and we have a real offering for the cannabis industry. We get to bring something new and good.
F. Interviewer: Awesome! Well, it’s been a really exciting first day. Seeing the Keynote Fireside Chat with former Deputy Attorney James Cole, was mind blowing. Did either of you catch that today? Well, how can people find out more about you?
Brent: I think the easiest is to go to our website, which is Scynce LED. www.scynceLED.com
Steve: We’ve got blogs. We’ve got pictures of throwing lights in a pool. Our lights are a little different than everybody else’s, so there’s an educational portion. We encourage everybody to go check out Instagram, read the blogs, see the videos, and see what makes everything different.
F. Interviewer: Aside from coming to the Cannabis Business Expo and exhibiting, that’s obviously a great way to get involved in NCIA. What’s your favorite part about being a member of this 1,700-member company nationwide, growing a national organization? Brent: I feel like it’s a similar answer to what I’ve given you already, which is, this community. Everybody is here to support each other. If you’re bringing something novel, and good, and for the right reasons to this industry, this support network is like nothing else. It’s like walking into your best friend’s house, and his mom’s cooking you dinner, and it’s just this communal, awesome feel. I can’t explain it any better than that.
F. Interviewer: Biggest party I’ve ever been to.
Brent: Yeah and that’s what makes it so fun.
F. Interviewer: Yep. Hope you get to attend some of the after-conference parties tonight, as well. That’ll be good.
Steve: Of course.
F. Interviewer: Thank you guys again for joining us. I hope you have a great rest of your day, and thanks for sitting down with me today.
Steve: You bet!
Brent: Absolutely.
Steve: Thanks!
F. Interviewer: Cool! This has been another interview on NCIA’s Cannabis Industry Radio, here on the expo floor. Cannabis Business Summit and Expo.