Marijuana Business Magazine January 2019

January 2019 | mjbizdaily.com 61 BACKSTORY Bradford had a 15-year career in recruiting and HR for main- stream companies such as Microsoft and The Walt Disney Co. before she pivoted to the cannabis industry and founded Vir- idian Staffing in 2013. Today, she heads the Human Resources Committee for the National Cannabis Industry Association. WHY TOWATCH Bradford knows firsthand that a lot of cannabis businesses are having a tough time recruiting the talent they need to compete in the burgeoning marijuana and industrial hemp industries— not to mention the ever-expanding ecosystem of ancillary firms that serve these companies. In addition to the United States, Viridian Staffing serves clients in Canada, Australia and several Asian and European countries—and Bradford is expecting even more demand for high-quality staff as the cannabis industry continues to expand in South America and beyond. Viridian also will continue to expand and refine its pro- fessional offerings for clients who are becoming increasingly aware of the need to pay close attention to national, state and local employment laws and HR best practices. – John Schroyer BEST BUSINESS ADVICE “Make sure you understand the employment laws for each and every state, county and municipality your company is operating in. Cannabis companies tend to be so focused on ensuring they’re compliant with all the relevant industry- specific regulations, they tend to overlook their jurisdiction’s employment laws until they get slapped with a fine by a regulator or an employment lawsuit.” Kara Bradford Co-founder and CEO, Viridian Staffing | Seattle Photo by Soliman Productions Women to Watch: Ancillary