Meet Emily Riehl. National Sales Manager at Greentone.
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Tell us about your career in cannabis. 

I started in retail. Back on October 17th of 2018 (Wow, that was only 3 years ago! It seems like forever in some ways as the we’ve made such big strides since then) I was one of the first budtenders in Alberta working in one of the original 17 licensed stores.

I’d been using cannabis for years, and you could probably say I’m a little bit of a cannabis snob.  Working in retail was an amazing experience and eye opening. I realized that there are so many different types of people using cannabis. That my preferences weren’t everyone's.  Every type of person was walking through the doors of the store - each one with their own needs and preferences. I learned to listen. To listen to what the customer was looking for. To listen to their wants, needs, motivations and desires. 

There were always opportunities to ‘educate’ those who were unsure and wanted to learn more, but it’s not all about ‘education’ –it’s more about listening, and inspiring, and helping the shopper navigate all these new brands and the many different formats and cultivars. 

Cannabis aficionados like me don’t have a corner on this market – cannabis is for everyone, for their own reasons. Some just want high THC and don’t care about lineage. Some want to geek out with me on terpenes, others are newbies who want to try something that you don’t need to inhale. They all deserve to be heard, respected, and helped. 

After a few years working in cannabis retail, I started working for one of the large LP’s as a National Sales Manager. Eventually I left that LP when this great opportunity to work with the Greentone team came up. 

Tell us about your experience at Greentone 

Greentone is a great place to work. You can feel it in the culture every day. We’re an independent company with an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on doing it right.  As a team we give each other the freedom to succeed. I’m working with some of the best people in the business; making great products and building amazing brands.  

The consumer, in the end, is our boss. I feel that a lot of cannabis companies just don’t understand this. At Greentone it’s at our heart. We constantly strive to surprise and delight consumers in everything we do.  

Also at our heart is the drive to be a partner with the retailers that carry our brands. We are constantly working to create disruptive ideas that influence shopper behaviour and inspire buying momentum in their stores and to help make shopping easier and more rewarding for consumers.

What impressed me on joining was the diversity of the team. We also have a great balance of men and women which is the way it should be.  Finally, I was attracted to how Greentone built the hybrid-greenhouse specifically for cannabis but also with environmental impact in mind. 

What does ‘La Vie en Vert’ mean to you?

For me La Vie En Vert means to be the reason people feel welcomed, seen, heard, valued, and supported. Green is generous, relaxing, and balancing. Our team truly showcases these qualities daily and I am proud to be part of it.