TSC Talks! Michael Pedersen, Cannabis in Canada, Cannabis Update Podcast & More TSC Talks!

It was my pleasure to have Michael Pedersen is Host/Producer of Cannabis Update Podcast, Founder of Distinct Media as well as Station Manager of Multicultural Broadcasting Corporation, Inc. in Calgary Alberta. “Michael has worked in broadcasting and managed radio stations since 2005. Before radio, he worked in the Vancouver film industry as a post-production editor and location sound recordist. He has produced an estimated 7000 audio commercials for radio along with countless jingles, stingers, sonic brands and more. Distinct Media now produces radio commercials & audio for video for small to medium-sized businesses looking to get a "distinct" form of brand awareness in multiple markets across Canada & beyond.” He also is a husband and father of two young boys.

I appreciated Michael’s willingness to come on the podcast and share some pro-tips related to podcasting and marketing that have already proved helpful. He infuses his work with loads of enthusiasm, wit and genuine interest in all subject matter. It was a lot of fun to chat about common challenges in podcasting, experiences interviewing in the cannabis space as well as hear his thoughts on the state of the cannabis industry in Canada vs the US, and more.

The Cannabis Update Podcast is a podcast that gives leaders & organizations an opportunity to tell their stories and share information. Based on a long-form interview format, the podcast has featured countless industry leaders, giving them an opportunity to communicate their message in a timely and professional manner. This podcast falls under the umbrella of Distinct Media, which he also founded & currently directs.

Here's a quote from Michael discussing the podcast, “My day job is a general manager at a radio station in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. So, my background is in production. So naturally, podcasting is something that I liked originally like, I like listening to them. And when the cannabis whole, the whole business of cannabis in Canada started to evolve and grow, I saw a need for a podcast that sort of interviewed industry players. So with my production background, and with my interest in the cannabis space, I thought, well, this is perfect, why don't I just jump in and start so that's really why I started and I had friends who were investing in Cannabis Stocks in Canada. And when I looked into it, I thought, well, there's got to be a podcast out there, I can listen to where I can learn about the companies. And there wasn't, I thought, Oh, geez, I got it. I better do something here. So that's kind of like how I started, and the podcast has evolved over time. Now it's a little bit more culture and not always business. You know, some science I try really get into the individual, the personalities of the people in the space, so people get to know who's kind of steering the ship in these companies, you know, a little bit more than simply numbers and figures”
He talks about podcasting challenges and how he created Cannabis Media Collective to bring several podcasts together, “Why not create a place where all of us can produce and publish together so that if you subscribe to one thing, the cannabis media collective, every single day, you get a new podcast from a new producer? And you don't have to go around and have 50 subscriptions and try to read through them and all that. The only thing about it though, is it's a lot of work. And it's hard to monetize it, like anything. And yeah, it's hard to make money off it. So, you have to really like it has to be in your heart. You have to want to do this. And you have to write to make it work in your schedule. I have two little boys. So, I'm up at 5 am most days producing and editing and sending emails and all that because that's my time. I can't do it at your school time.”

He mentions challenges getting paid for his work and how he addresses this, “I’ll interview your multimillion-dollar CEO. I'm going to send...