Vien sits down with Beck Rouke Mooney, Director of Sales and Operations at Supernaturals New York, a Hudson Valley micro business. Beck shares her unconventional journey from being a middle school English teacher and published young adult author to leading operations at a cannabis company. The conversation explores how her husband's serious illness introduced her to cannabis as medicine, leading to a deep expertise in the plant. Beck discusses the unique experience of New York's Cannabis Grower Showcases, which allowed direct customer interaction and shaped their product line based on real feedback. She reveals the challenges and advantages of being a small 10-person team competing against multi-state operators with massive budgets, emphasizing how authenticity and relationship-building drive their success. Beck also candidly discusses their experience switching away from Flourish Software and why they came back, highlighting the importance of strong customer support in the cannabis industry. The episode covers navigating New York's evolving regulations, the transition from BioTrack to Metrc, and how Supernaturals maintains quality while scaling operations across New York's diverse markets from NYC to Buffalo.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) Customer-Driven Product Innovation Through Direct Feedback
• (00:01:33) From English Teacher to Cannabis Operations Director
• (00:02:56) Navigating Uncertainty in State Cannabis Programs
• (00:05:03) Building a Micro Business in New York's Evolving Market
• (00:10:01) Cannabis Grower Showcases: Direct-to-Consumer Insights
• (00:13:22) Hudson Valley's Small Business Cannabis Community
• (00:22:14) Breaking Into NYC: Authenticity Over Marketing Budget
• (00:24:00) Why Small Operators Should Rethink Dispensary Popups
• (00:27:09) New York's Transition from BioTrack to Metrc
• (00:28:01) Why We Left Our Software Provider and Returned to Flourish
• (00:29:23) The Critical Role of Support for Small Cannabis Operations
• (00:36:49) Cannabis as Essential Medicine: A Personal Journey
• (00:41:07) Connect with Supernaturals NY

Links and Resources:

• Supernaturals NY Website
• Flourish Software
• Brian Weber on LinkedIn

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to How to Flourish in Cannabis? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube to leave us a review!

Join Vien as he sits down with Ben Wiener and Stacey Shurgin, the dynamic duo behind Hudson Valley Jane, one of New York's pioneering micro cannabis businesses. Ben, a former legacy grower turned general contractor, and Stacey, a real estate developer who discovered cannabis for wellness, share their incredible journey of building a fully vertically integrated operation in just 14 months. From navigating OCM's early regulatory chaos to creating two distinct brands—Bougie Ben for flower and Valley Jane for edibles—they reveal the reality of competing as a small craft cultivator against corporate cannabis. Learn about their farm-to-table philosophy, innovative products like King Palm pre-rolls and Lotus flower cones, and why they believe micro businesses represent the future of artisanal, transparent cannabis. This conversation goes deep into the challenges of compliance, the importance of knowing your grower, and what it truly takes to flourish in New York's evolving cannabis landscape.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) - From Illegal Warehouse to Legal Pioneer: Ben's Cannabis Origin Story
• (00:01:00) - The Power Duo Forms: How Ben & Stacey's Partnership Was Born
• (00:03:00) - Cannabis as Medicine: Stacey's Personal Wellness Transformation
• (00:06:00) - Two Brands, One Vision: The Hudson Valley Jane Business Model Explained
• (00:09:00) - Product Innovation Breakdown: Why King Palm & Lotus Cones Are Game-Changers
• (00:12:00) - David vs. Goliath: How Micro Businesses Compete Against Corporate Cannabis
• (00:15:00) - Speed to Market Mastery: Building a Compliant Facility in Record Time
• (00:20:00) - Surviving OCM's Growing Pains: Real Talk on NY's Regulatory Chaos
• (00:26:00) - The Vertical Integration Playbook: Managing Cultivation, Wholesale & Retail Simultaneously
• (00:32:00) - The Art of Growing: Why 50 Hand-Watered Plants Beat 500 Automated Ones

Links and Resources:

• Hudson Valley Jane Website: hudsonvalleyjane.com
• Instagram: @hudsonvalleyjane
• Email: info@hudsonvalleyjane.com
• Vien Trinh on LinkedIn
• Flourish Software

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to How to Flourish in Cannabis? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube to leave us a review!

For cannabis operators, brand leaders, and revenue teams, this episode gets practical about building a resilient business in volatile markets. Vien and Sabrina Naomi Wheeler unpack why AR and cash‑flow risk cripple California operators, how New York’s early credit protections change incentives, and what it takes to scale lean without bloating headcount. Sabrina compares CA vs. NY demand patterns, flags real Metrc bottlenecks that stall inventory, and draws a clear line between compliance tasks and the operational stack required to run the business. She also shares how Greenhouse Agency (HAUS) gives founders sales, trade marketing, and demo coverage on a shared-services model. The conversation closes with Sabrina’s personal connection to the plant and why mission matters when the market gets tough.

Key Takeaways - Might be worth using for SEO

1. California vs. New York are fundamentally different markets. New York is earlier with more upside, California is mature but challenged by AR and taxes.
2. Cash flow and AR risk can sink even strong brands. Not getting paid on time cascades through the entire supply chain.
3. New York instituted credit protections early, a meaningful step that could prevent CA‑style failures.
4. Consumer preference differs: CA leans indica. NY leans sativa, with more professional, function‑driven buyers.
5. Track‑and‑trace (Metrc) is compliance, not operations. Operators still need real ERP to run the business efficiently.
6. Agency model helps brands share sales, trade marketing, and demo resources to scale lean

Chapters

• 00:00:00 — Introduction: The challenges of getting paid in cannabis
• 00:00:48 — Meet the guest: Sabrina Naomi Wheeler
• 00:01:17 — Sabrina’s journey in the cannabis industry
• 00:03:20 — California vs. New York markets
• 00:08:04 — Greenhouse Agency’s role
• 00:10:24 — Running operations efficiently
• 00:19:17 — Personal insights and cultural connections
• 00:22:01 — Contact info and final thoughts
• 00:22:47 — When did you fall in love with cannabis?

Links and Resources:

• Sabrina on Instagram
• Sabrina on LinkedIn
• Green Haus Agency
• Vien Trinh on LinkedIn
• Flourish Software

We’re glad you joined us for this week’s conversation. To learn more about Flourish Software’s full suite of seed-to-sale solutions, shoot us a DM. Be sure to subscribe to our Flourishin' in Cannabis Newsletter and connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and