From a Colorado Industry Tour to Doubling Production in Oklahoma
Five Leaf Lab is a mother and son team running a CO2 cannabis extraction facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2018, after a state-wide vote to legalize medical marijuana, Catherine and Leon decided to become early adopters and entrepreneurs in the new market. Acknowledging a lack of industry experience, the twosome sought a consultant who could accommodate their needs to be educated quickly. They looked at the Colorado market and took a City Sessions “Industry Insider” tour with owner Goldie Solodar in August of that year.
During that visit, Goldie assisted in their exploration of several successful business models: extraction, dispensary, and cultivation. After the tour, the team hired Goldie as a consultant and advisor. Today, Five Leaf Lab has an in-house product line, and processes white label products for third-party companies in the greater Tulsa area. They are doubling production every six weeks, and are aiming to expand their product line into the state’s capital of Oklahoma City by the end of the year.
Brand Goals and Objectives
The Five Leaf Lab team had numerous goals for their first year of operation. Emerging as a leader in the Oklahoma cannabis market was at the top of their minds, and they knew they’d get there by applying expertise gained in Colorado. They would do this by choosing a business model that focused on versatility and scalability.
From this flexible business plan, they would design a facility with high-capacity equipment to produce quality extract and maximize output. The capabilities of this facility would allow them to expand beyond their own products into wholesale and whitelabel services – with the goal of penetrating the entire Oklahoma market. Finally, in order to create a brand that is recognized as quality to consumers, Five Leaf Lab would need introductions to pre-vetted industry contacts.
“With love and care, we pay attention to every small detail, striving to create the best CO2-extracted concentrates and infused products in Oklahoma.” – Leon Wunsch
Entering the Cannabis Industry: A Worthwhile Challenge
At the onset of their endeavor, Leon and Catherine were novices in the cannabis space and recognized the need for a fast-tracked education to get ahead. In an effort to mitigate trial and error, they needed a consultant who could guide them through different business models and expedite the startup process.
“We found City Sessions at the very beginning of our entrance into the cannabis industry. Their knowledge of all things cannabis was both inspiring and contagious. Goldie and her team set the tone for what an ongoing industry consulting relationship should be. We tap into their knowledge every step of the way, and would be lightyears behind where we are without them.”
– Leon Wunsch
Scope of Consulting Work
Goldie’s extensive cannabis industry knowledge enabled her to help Five Leaf Lab to craft a strategy and remove common roadblocks that would have traditionally resulted from trial and error. This support allowed Five Leaf Lab to make informed decisions, keep ahead of the curve, and shorten timelines to market penetration and revenue.
City Sessions advised in the writing of Five Leaf Lab’s business plan and strategy outline by conducting demographic and market research and leading discussions for facility design. Goldie then facilitated an introduction to a vetted instrument supplier that was chosen for scalability and quality. Once equipment was purchased, an operating plan was laid out for phased growth.
City Sessions also advised on product development – introducing the Five Leaf Lab team to vetted packaging options and helping with inventory planning. Finally, Goldie’s consulting work with Five Leaf Lab expanded to advising on B2B customer development. Promoting a customer-first strategy, she helped lay the foundation for expanding their wholesale and white label services.
Quick Results
Five Leaf Lab has seen accelerated timelines and a competitive advantage due to their close collaboration with City Sessions. After seven months into operations, the extraction lab is doubling output every six weeks. The company has projected breakeven at eight months into operations.
“There are so many decisions to make regarding equipment, vendors, staff, products, etc. – we needed to shorten our learning curve and Goldie delivered, big time. Her connections and insight were, and continue to be, so valuable. We are two years into our business cycle and we still utilize Goldie’s expertise and insight into the industry.” — Catherine Glock
Five Leaf & City Sessions: Future Plans
Goldie and City Sessions aim to continue their close advising relationship with Five Leaf Labs in the areas of staffing, logistics, product line expansion, and industry projection. Together they will be working to penetrate the entire Oklahoma market, add new product offerings, and manage scalability while maintaining profitability.
“We plan to continue our work with Goldie moving forward and every step of the way. From her feedback and pushing us to innovate, to cost-cutting and keeping expenses as low as possible, she is an invaluable resource for our business.” — Leon Wunsch
Let’s collaborate! Find out more about Goldie, and City Sessions’ consulting services for your business at our consulting page!