Pillars of Competitive Advantage: Beverage Guru Wields Brand Building Powers in Cannabis

<span data-contrast="auto">Joe Bayern wants to make Curaleaf the “first truly national cannabis company in the U.S.” and with operations in 23 states, Curaleaf is getting there. </span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">What did it take? </span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <span data-contrast="auto">Bayern leveraged decades of experience in the beverage sector and other industries. Once at Curaleaf, he executed, taking it from 2,000 employees when he joined in 2019 to 5,500 today. </span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Key insights he’s learned along the way include: </span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p> <ul> <li data-leveltext="-" data-font="Calibri" data-listid="1" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="617" data-aria-level="1"> <span data-contrast="auto">Don’t underestimate the amount of change and the pace of the industry; be ready to make decisions very quickly.</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="-" data-font="Calibri" data-listid="1" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="617" data-aria-level="1"> <span data-contrast="auto">Maintain a start-up mindset.</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="-" data-font="Calibri" data-listid="1" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="617" data-aria-level="1"> <span data-contrast="auto">The greatest opportunities in cannabis are with brands.</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></li> </ul> <ul> <li data-leveltext="-" data-font="Calibri" data-listid="1" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="617" data-aria-level="1"> <span data-contrast="auto">Create competitive advantage by investing in research and development to create great bra