Marijuana Business Magazine - March 2018

Keep Employees in the Loop Regular, transparent communica- tion with employees is important, Power said. In quarterly newsletter communications to employees, she shares sales and patient numbers. In the competitive cannabis indus- try, some business owners worry about sharing numbers and having that information leaked, but employ- ees appreciate transparency, Power said. They like to know that business is steady and growing. The quarterly newsletters are also used to share guest speaking and conference schedules, policy updates, fun facts about new employees, work anniversaries and an outline of events for the next 90 days, she said. Invest in Their Futures Benefits and compensation are important to showing employees that you value their contributions to your business, Power said. The Giving Tree offers employees health insurance, a 3% matching 401(k) contribution and profit-sharing. For employees, Power empha- sizes the importance of saving for retirement. “Our job is to make sure their future is secure, so we match 3% in their 401(k)s – if you’re not putting money away, you’re losing money,” Power said. “We want them to think about their futures.” At the end of the year, the compa- ny’s retirement plan managers deposit a percentage of The Giving Tree’s annual profits into employees’ retire- ment accounts based on their hours worked and employment history. “We are where we are because of them,” Power said. “They help us build it, they deserve it.” Create a Culture of Giving Back Giving back to the community is also an important way Power con- nects her team to The Giving Tree’s vision and to each other. Fundraising and creating shared goals is an important part of the company’s culture. “In any company, having the right people makes all the difference,” Power said. “You have to have people who are interested in making a dif- ference in the company and in the community. We made sure that the people who work for us enjoy it and love it and feel like they’re a part of something bigger.” In 2017, The Giving Tree’s employ- ees raised more than $21,000 for Phoenix charities. They were the top fundraising team for the Take Steps for Crohn’s and Colitis walk, raised more than $9,000 for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K and raised more than $1,000 for a Phoenix domestic abuse shelter. The Giving Tree also worked with three other women-owned dispensa- ries to launch the Confident Woman campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence, as well as a Confi- dent Woman indica pre-roll, with 50% of product proceeds benefitting a local domestic abuse shelter. “I want people to work for The Giving Tree because they want to be a part of what we do and they believe in what we do, not because they’re just looking for a job,” Power said. “And I think that’s what we’ve created here.” ◆ Lilach Mazor Power, co-founder and managing director of Arizona’s The Giving Tree Wellness Center. Photo courtesy of The Giving Tree Wellness Center A look inside The Giving Tree Wellness Center dispensary in Phoenix. Photo courtesy of The Giving Tree Wellness Center March 2018 • Marijuana Business Magazine • 93