Sep 25

What Cannabis Can Learn From the Beverage Business | Jeff Stum

What makes someone try a cannabis drink—and what brings them back? Jeff Stum, co-founder of Hectare's, joins the Joint Efforts Podcast for a conversation about building a beverage brand, understanding the customer, and finding a place for cannabis drinks in Southern culture. From product ideas to the experience people actually want, this episode explores the decisions behind the brand and the challenge of turning curiosity into a lasting connection. Subscribe for more conversations with the people shaping cannabis culture across the Southeast. What do you think makes a brand earn a second try? Tell us in the comments. GUEST Jeff Stum — Hectare's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-stum-0ab17181 JOINT EFFORTS PODCAST Studio support: LabCanna. [Confirm episode-specific credit before publishing.] #JointEffortsPodcast #SouthernCulture #Entrepreneurship

Sep 18

From Future Thieves to Nashville's "Friendly Neighborhood Hat Guy" | Gianni Gibson

Musician, creative, and hat shaper Gianni Gibson joins the Joint Efforts Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about music, Nashville, cannabis, fashion, mental health, and continually reinventing yourself without losing who you are. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Gianni grew up surrounded by music and entertainment before studying music in Pasadena and building his own career behind the drums. Eventually, he left California and took a chance on Nashville. After visiting the city for a weekend, Gianni made the move with little more than a duffel bag and a pillow, landed a job at Jimmy John's, and started delivering sandwiches around downtown on a skateboard because he didn't own a bike. That leap eventually led him to Future Thieves and years of creating and performing music. Gianni shares one especially powerful story about learning that a Future Thieves song had reached someone during one of the darkest moments of his life — an experience that helped shape Gianni's belief that artists and people with influence have a responsibility to put something positive back into the world. But music is only one chapter. Gianni talks about stepping into fashion and retail, learning the business side of creativity, working his way into leadership, and eventually becoming obsessed with shaping cowboy and fashion hats. What began by watching Nashville hatmaker Jacob Hillenbrand work eventually turned into another creative craft and Gianni becoming what he jokingly calls the "friendly neighborhood hat guy." He also opens up about returning to the drums after stepping away for more than a year, why he now spends hours playing simply because he loves it again, and why enjoying the process matters more than racing toward some imaginary finish line. The conversation moves through social media, mental health, cannabis, alcohol, LA culture, Nashville, creativity, success, and Gianni's larger philosophy of trying to leave people with a little more hope, curiosity, and happiness than they had before. Or, as a message Gianni wrote on his drum pad as a teenager put it: "Live the greatest story you've ever told." New episodes dropping regularly — stay tapped in. Subscribe to the Joint Efforts Podcast for weekly conversations on cannabis culture, cultivation, and the voices shaping the industry in the Southeast! Sign-up for our email list below to get discount codes from our sponsors and our newsletter. https://shorturl.at/q0NAB Brands that we trust: LabCanna Instagram @labcanna - image / labcanna (image) @heighten.cannabis - image / heighten.cannabis (image) @tennecbd - image / tennecbd (image) @lc.east - image / lc.east (image) @harvest_labcanna - image / harvest_labcanna (image) LabCanna Website - https://labcanna.com BBxLG Instagram: @BBxLG2.0 - image / bbxlg2.0 (image) Terp Chaser Club Instagram: @TerpChasersClub - image / terpchasersclub (image) Terp Chaser Club Website - https://Terpchasersclub.com Terp Chaser Club YouTube - ‪@TerpChasersClub‬ #JointEffortsPodcast #Nashville #Tennessee #Southeast #Cannabis #Legal #Hemp #Lifestyle

Sep 11

L.A. Roots to Nashville Pizza: How Cannabis Inspires F.A.B. Pizza

Chef Afton Farnsworth of FAB Pizza joins the Joint Efforts Podcast for a conversation about Nashville food culture, cannabis-fueled creativity, entrepreneurship, fatherhood, and what it actually takes to build an independent food business. Afton breaks down how FAB grew from local pop-ups into a larger Nashville operation, why locally sourced ingredients matter to him, and how years in professional kitchens taught him to cook with instinct instead of blindly following a recipe. And then he drops one of the biggest lines of the episode: 90% of FAB's menu is inspired by cannabis use. Afton explains how cannabis has influenced his creativity in the kitchen, from developing unexpected pizza combinations to finding ways to make ingredients people think they hate suddenly work. The conversation also gets into the less glamorous side of entrepreneurship — pushing dough in the snow, building a business while raising kids, restaurant economics, Nashville's changing food scene, and why Afton says the reaction on someone's face when they love his food means more to him than chasing money. He also opens up about losing his father, reevaluating his relationship with alcohol, and learning where cannabis fits into his life as a chef, business owner, and parent. This one is food, weed, family, entrepreneurship, and Nashville culture all rolled into one. New episodes dropping regularly — stay tapped in. Subscribe to the Joint Efforts Podcast for weekly conversations on cannabis culture, cultivation, and the voices shaping the industry in the Southeast! Sign-up for our email list below to get discount codes from our sponsors and our newsletter. https://shorturl.at/q0NAB Brands that we trust: LabCanna Instagram @labcanna - image / labcanna (image) @heighten.cannabis - image / heighten.cannabis (image) @tennecbd - image / tennecbd (image) @lc.east - image / lc.east (image) @harvest_labcanna - image / harvest_labcanna (image) LabCanna Website - https://labcanna.com BBxLG Instagram: @BBxLG2.0 - image / bbxlg2.0 (image) Terp Chaser Club Instagram: @TerpChasersClub - image / terpchasersclub (image) Terp Chaser Club Website - https://Terpchasersclub.com Terp Chaser Club YouTube - ‪@TerpChasersClub‬ #JointEffortsPodcast #Nashville #Tennessee #Southeast #Cannabis #Legal #Hemp #Lifestyle

Sep 4

"Alcohol Is Outdated Technology" | Stephanie Styll of Killjoy

Stephanie Styll, founder of Nashville's Killjoy, joins the Joint Efforts Podcast for a conversation about alcohol, cannabis, entrepreneurship, and the rapidly changing way people choose to unwind. Stephanie shares how years of drinking eventually collided with motherhood, the pandemic, and her 40th birthday — when she decided she wasn't going into another decade living the same way. She quit alcohol completely, calling it one of the best decisions she has ever made. That decision eventually became Killjoy. But Stephanie makes an important distinction: Killjoy isn't just a store for sober people. Her bigger argument is that consumers now have better options than alcohol — from non-alcoholic beer and wine to kava, adaptogens, functional beverages, and low-dose THC. At one point she puts it bluntly: if every bar and restaurant offered quality low-dose THC cocktails and other alternatives, "alcohol would be out of business." The conversation gets into the growth of THC beverages, changing consumer habits, competing with massive retailers like Target and Costco as an independent shop, the uncertainty surrounding Tennessee hemp laws, and why education and curation have become such an important part of Killjoy's business. Stephanie also gives her perspective as a Nashville local on the corporate forces reshaping the city, the importance of supporting independent businesses, and why she doesn't want Nashville to become a generic "Disneyland for drunk tourists." This episode is about much more than quitting drinking. It's a conversation about cannabis, culture, entrepreneurship, community, and whether alcohol is beginning to look like outdated technology. New episodes dropping regularly — stay tapped in. Subscribe to the Joint Efforts Podcast for weekly conversations on cannabis culture, cultivation, and the voices shaping the industry in the Southeast! Sign-up for our email list below to get discount codes from our sponsors and our newsletter. https://shorturl.at/q0NAB Brands that we trust: LabCanna Instagram @labcanna - image / labcanna (image) @heighten.cannabis - image / heighten.cannabis (image) @tennecbd - image / tennecbd (image) @lc.east - image / lc.east (image) @harvest_labcanna - image / harvest_labcanna (image) LabCanna Website - https://labcanna.com BBxLG Instagram: @BBxLG2.0 - image / bbxlg2.0 (image) Terp Chaser Club Instagram: @TerpChasersClub - image / terpchasersclub (image) Terp Chaser Club Website - https://Terpchasersclub.com Terp Chaser Club YouTube - @TerpChasersClub #JointEffortsPodcast #Nashville #Tennessee #Southeast #Cannabis #Legal #Hemp #Lifestyle

Jul 3

Aftyn Behn on Pot for Potholes, Tennessee Politics & Cannabis Legalization

In this episode of the Joint Efforts Podcast, we sit down with Tennessee State Representative Aftyn Behn for a conversation about cannabis reform, Tennessee politics, public policy, and the future of legalization in the South. Aftyn has been one of the voices behind the Pot for Potholes Act, a proposal aimed at legalizing adult-use cannabis in Tennessee while directing tax revenue toward roads, infrastructure, and local communities. We talk about what it actually takes to move cannabis legislation through Tennessee, why the issue matters beyond the plant itself, how policy affects everyday people, and what the future could look like if the state chooses regulation over prohibition. This conversation covers cannabis, infrastructure, political strategy, public pressure, and the larger fight to modernize Tennessee's approach to cannabis policy. New episodes dropping regularly — stay tapped in. Subscribe to the Joint Efforts Podcast for weekly conversations on cannabis culture, cultivation, and the voices shaping the industry in the Southeast! Sign-up for our email list below to get discount codes from our sponsors and our newsletter. https://shorturl.at/q0NAB Brands that we trust: LabCanna -> Instagram @Labcanna @heighten.cannabis @tennecbd @lc.east @harvest_labcanna Website -> labcanna.com BBxLG -> Instagram @BBxLG Terp Chaser Club -> @terpchasersclub Website -> https://Terpchasersclub.com #JointEffortsPodcast #Nashville #Tennessee #Southeast #Cannabis #Legal #Hemp #Lifestyle

Jun 26

What Actually Makes High-Quality Flower? | Chris Kitos

In this episode of the Joint Efforts Podcast, we sit down with Chris Kitos for a conversation about cannabis, business, culture, and what it takes to build in an industry that is constantly changing. We get into Chris's background, his perspective on the current state of the market, the challenges facing operators and entrepreneurs, and the opportunities that still exist for people willing to adapt, stay consistent, and build with intention. This episode touches on cannabis culture, business development, community, and the mindset needed to keep moving forward in an evolving space. Subscribe to the Joint Efforts Podcast for weekly conversations on cannabis culture, cultivation, and the voices shaping the industry in the Southeast! Sign-up for our email list below to get discount codes from our sponsors and our newsletter. https://shorturl.at/q0NAB Brands that we trust: LabCanna -> Instagram @Labcanna @heighten.cannabis @tennecbd @lc.east @harvest_labcanna Website -> labcanna.com BBxLG -> Instagram @BBxLG Terp Chaser Club -> @terpchasersclub Website -> https://Terpchasersclub.com #JointEffortsPodcast #Nashville #Tennessee #Southeast #Cannabis #Legal #Hemp #Lifestyle

Jun 19

The Pot Cave Bust: A Retired DEA Agent Looks Back

In this episode of the Joint Efforts Podcast, we sit down with Joey Mundy, a retired DEA agent, for a candid conversation about cannabis, law enforcement, drug policy, and how public perception has changed over time. Joey brings a rare perspective to the table — someone who spent years inside federal drug enforcement and now has the opportunity to reflect on how the conversation around cannabis has evolved. We talk about the realities of enforcement, the impact of the War on Drugs, the difference between policy and public perception, and where things may be headed as more states continue to move toward legalization. This conversation gives listeners a chance to hear from someone who has seen the issue from a side that is not often part of cannabis media conversations. New episodes dropping regularly — stay tapped in. Subscribe to the Joint Efforts Podcast for weekly conversations on cannabis culture, cultivation, and the voices shaping the industry in the Southeast! Sign-up for our email list below to get discount codes from our sponsors and our newsletter. https://shorturl.at/q0NAB Brands that we trust: LabCanna -> Instagram @Labcanna @heighten.cannabis @tennecbd @lc.east @harvest_labcanna Website -> labcanna.com BBxLG -> Instagram @BBxLG Terp Chaser Club -> @terpchasersclub Website -> https://Terpchasersclub.com #JointEffortsPodcast #Nashville #Tennessee #Southeast #Cannabis #Legal #Hemp #Lifestyle

Jun 12

What Actually Makes Great Flower? | Flow Gardens x Cutting Edge Solutions Joint Efforts Podcast S2E6

In this episode of the Joint Efforts Podcast, we sit down with Nick Shipley of Flow Gardens and Kevin Culver of Cutting Edge Solutions for a deep dive into cannabis cultivation, genetics, nutrients, terpenes, regional growing, and what actually separates good flower from great flower. Nick shares how he went from the tattoo industry to joining Flow Gardens full-time, building his path from trimmer to grow team member, and helping push one of the most respected craft cultivation brands in the region. Kevin brings his background in agribusiness, hydroponics, and nutrient systems to explain how the industry has evolved from early medical markets into modern terpene-focused cultivation. We get into pheno hunting, commercial grow room design, genetics, preventive maintenance, nutrient strategy, regional growing challenges, hash production, home cultivation, and why the future of cannabis may look a lot more like wine, craft beer, and local agriculture than people realize. This one is for growers, operators, cannabis nerds, connoisseurs, and anyone who wants to understand the craft behind the plant. Subscribe to the Joint Efforts Podcast for conversations on cannabis culture, cultivation, business, and the people shaping the industry. Follow Flow Gardens: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/flowgardens420_4.0/ Website https://flowgardens.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopg-IhMl3iZt1ic6I4hzbTw8ecGs6XshifOSWdsilj9DYrNuDAr Follow Cutting Edge Solutions: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cuttingedgesolutions/ Website https://www.cuttingedgesolutions.com/ Brands that we trust: LabCanna - Instagram https://www.instagram.com/labcanna/ Website - https://labcanna.com/ BBxLG Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bbxlg2.0/ Terp Chaser Club Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/terpchasersclub/ Website - https://terpchasersclub.com/ #JointEffortsPodcast #Nashville #Tennessee #Southeast #Cannabis #Legal #Hemp #Lifestyle Follow Joint Efforts Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jointeffortsmedia/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JointEffortsMedia

Joint Efforts Podcast

What Cannabis Can Learn From the Beverage Business | Jeff Stum

From Future Thieves to Nashville's "Friendly Neighborhood Hat Guy" | Gianni Gibson

L.A. Roots to Nashville Pizza: How Cannabis Inspires F.A.B. Pizza

"Alcohol Is Outdated Technology" | Stephanie Styll of Killjoy

Aftyn Behn on Pot for Potholes, Tennessee Politics & Cannabis Legalization

What Actually Makes High-Quality Flower? | Chris Kitos

The Pot Cave Bust: A Retired DEA Agent Looks Back

What Actually Makes Great Flower? | Flow Gardens x Cutting Edge Solutions Joint Efforts Podcast S2E6

About

Information

Joint Efforts Podcast

Episodes

What Cannabis Can Learn From the Beverage Business | Jeff Stum

From Future Thieves to Nashville's "Friendly Neighborhood Hat Guy" | Gianni Gibson

L.A. Roots to Nashville Pizza: How Cannabis Inspires F.A.B. Pizza

"Alcohol Is Outdated Technology" | Stephanie Styll of Killjoy

Aftyn Behn on Pot for Potholes, Tennessee Politics & Cannabis Legalization

What Actually Makes High-Quality Flower? | Chris Kitos

The Pot Cave Bust: A Retired DEA Agent Looks Back

What Actually Makes Great Flower? | Flow Gardens x Cutting Edge Solutions Joint Efforts Podcast S2E6

About

Information