When people talk about retail disruption, they usually focus on pricing, scale, or e-commerce. But in this episode, we get specific about the thing most operators miss: how hospitality turns a “routine run” into a real experience—and why that matters even more as new categories like hemp THC explode.

Jake and Duffy sit down with Jon Halper, CEO and owner of Top 10 Liquors, to unpack the playbook behind one of the most innovative independent beverage retailers in the country. From competing head-to-head with Total Wine to building a 150,000+ member loyalty engine, Jon breaks down what it takes to scale service, design promotions that create credibility, and lead through the messy reality of regulation—especially as hemp THC beverages reshape consumer behavior.

If you care about modern retail strategy, experiential merchandising, or where alcohol, hemp, and cannabis collide next, this one’s for you.

Topics Covered:

• How an “outsider” perspective helped Top 10 out-innovate legacy liquor retail
• Building a service culture that scales (and why short lines aren’t the goal)
• The loyalty + club pricing model behind 150,000+ members
• Sunday Specials and the difference between a promotion and a brand-killer
• Why THC beverages took off—and why most customers still haven’t tried them
• The compliance + education playbook for selling hemp THC responsibly
• What AI can (and can’t) replace in the in-store experience
• Why hemp, cannabis, and alcohol should compete and collaborate

About Our Guest:
Jon Halper is the CEO and owner of Top 10 Liquors, a Minnesota-based retailer that’s grown from four stores to 15 (with more on the way). With a background spanning corporate law, retail operations, merchandising, and leadership, Jon has built Top 10 into a modern “adult beverage store” known for customer experience, smart pricing strategy, and early leadership in hemp-derived THC beverages.

Links & References:

• Top 10 Liquors

What can cannabis learn from luxury fashion retail? Melissa Hanson, VP of Operations at Flowhub, brings decades of experience leading teams at Michael Kors and scaling cannabis retail at MedMen and Sunburn. Now at Flowhub, she’s focused on helping dispensaries operate smarter, smoother, and more profitably.

In this conversation, Melissa explains why true retail excellence comes down to people, process, and purpose—not hype. She shares her philosophy on clienteling, building technology that empowers budtenders, and the importance of data-driven decision making in a fast-changing regulatory landscape.

Whether you’re an operator, brand, or tech partner, this episode offers practical insights into creating cannabis retail experiences that last.

Topics Covered

• Lessons cannabis can borrow from luxury fashion retail
• Clienteling vs. loyalty programs in dispensaries
• How Flowhub’s tools support budtenders and operators
• The pitfalls of chasing “shiny objects” in product strategy
• Compliance complexity and adapting to shifting regulations
• Upselling, promotions, and smarter inventory decisions
• The role of empathy and culture inside Flowhub’s team
• E-commerce and pre-ordering as game-changers for cannabis retail
• Balancing open APIs with seamless all-in-one solutions
• The future: data-driven operators and lighter regulatory burdens

About Our Guest

Melissa Hanson is the Vice President of Operations at Flowhub. She has led 500-person retail teams at Michael Kors, launched cannabis delivery operations at MedMen, scaled vertically integrated retail in Florida, and now helps dispensaries run smarter with technology that empowers their staff and streamlines compliance.

Links & References

• Flowhub: https://flowhub.com
  
  

In cannabis, fast growth used to be the story. Now? It’s all about staying power. In this episode, we sit down with Patrick Rea—investor, mentor, and co-founder of Canopy Boulder—to unpack what staying power actually looks like in a volatile, still-maturing space.

Jake and Duffy trace Patrick’s journey from the natural products industry to building one of cannabis’ first accelerators, to his current role managing Poseidon's $50M growth fund. Along the way, they explore what great founders have in common, why operators need to design for profitability over flash, and how smart use of AI and networks can unlock real value for cannabis businesses.

If you’re raising capital, investing in cannabis, or wondering how to future-proof your business for the next wave of federal reform—this one’s for you.

Topics Covered:

• Green flags (and red ones) in a great investor pitch
• Why brands are the future—but not the present—of cannabis
• What federal rescheduling actually means for operators
• How Poseidon’s team evaluates modern dispensary opportunities
• The role of AI in lean startup operations
• Community as capital: lessons from Arcview and Canopy Boulder
• How founders can prepare for the “Friday at 5pm” moment

About Our Guest:
Patrick Rea is the Managing Director of the Poseidon Garden Fund and co-founder of Canopy Boulder, one of the earliest and most prolific cannabis accelerators. With a background in natural products and wellness, Patrick has brought analytical rigor and deep consumer insight to early-stage cannabis investing, backing over 115 companies in the space. He currently leads Poseidon’s efforts to support capital-efficient, growth-ready cannabis businesses across the U.S.

Links & References:

• Poseidon
• Canopy Boulder