Marijuana Business Magazine October 2018

each other or becoming impatient or angry, Rachael said. For example, Rachael had come up with a marketing campaign for the Memorial Day 2017 weekend, and her husband asked her a lot of questions that she had already worked out with a colleague at Verdes. “I didn’t think I needed to justify my decision to my husband,” she said. And Rachael remembers irritating Eric when she questioned why the ratio between indica and sativa on their shelves wasn’t what she had expected. Hire a Professional Counselor About a year ago, the Speegles hired Bob Sugar, a licensed mental health counselor and relationship therapist. Rachael got the counselor’s name from her hair stylist. “Hairdressers know everyone,” she joked.The coun- selor was so popular, the couple were on a six-month waiting list before they could see him.They also hired another counselor to work with their staff. One of the lessons the Speegles learned was to pose questions as a sign of curiosity rather than with an accusatory or skeptical tone, Rachael explained. Now, she said, the couple have changed the dynamics by phrasing the questions “in a way that doesn’t get the other person’s armor up.” Avoiding being confrontational can be as simple as saying, “I’m curious why you chose this species,” instead of asking “why” repeatedly, Rachael said. The couple also hold “premeetings” before huddling with the staff to make sure they are both on the same page. A premeeting can last anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. One recent premeeting involved discussing with the staff ways to improve the aesthetics of Verdes’ website. Rachael said she was unhappy with the website’s photographs, and Eric, who is more technically oriented, had good ideas on how photographs should be taken. Sailing as Stress Relief In 2014, Emily Paxhia moved across the country to join her brother Morgan in San Francisco to launch Poseidon Asset Management, a cannabis investment company with more than $35 million in assets. It was in the siblings’ DNA to work together.Their parents had started a real estate firm in Youngstown, New York, north of Buffalo. Both Morgan and Emily said they can’t recall butting heads or getting mad at each other at work. “Honestly, we have not made too many mistakes working with each other,” Emily said. Still, they have found ways not to make business all-consuming. One simple solution: “No phones near the table” when eating dinner with their spouses, Emily said. In addition, they both are health conscious and reduce their stress levels by running and walking their dogs. Emily also tries to practice yoga daily. Their favorite stress buster, however, is sailing together, often on San Fran- cisco Bay, according to Morgan. “We love getting out on the water as a family to get away from any computer or phone screens,”Morgan said. On the water, the siblings must moni- tor weather and wind conditions, as well as enjoy the breezes and spray, instead of obsessing over work. Sailing also provides a valuable lesson when dealing with stressful situations on the job. Siblings Morgan and Emily Paxhia launched Poseidon Asset Management, a cannabis investment company in California. Photos courtesy of Poseidon Asset Management Siblings Morgan and Emily Paxhia deal with stress by going sailing together. Photo courtesy of Morgan Paxhia 52 • Marijuana Business Magazine • October 2018