Interview with Papa & Barkley Founder and CEO, Adam Grossman

For Adam Grossman, founder and CEO of Papa & Barkley, relieving pain is personal. When Adam’s dad was struggling with chronic, debilitating back pain in 2015, Adam wanted to understand how to relieve it. Many traditional pharmaceutical products weren’t working, and out of desperation, Adam sent his dad to the hospital, where his condition worsened. And so, Adam found another way, utilizing the power of the cannabis plant. On my podcast, The Irresistible Factor, Adam and I discuss how he first created a cannabis “Pain Bomb” to help his dad. Cooking up a crockpot of coconut oil and cannabis from a college friend, Adam was able to make his dad a mixture that provided relief. His dad could finally get out of bed.“After a long career and a number of early ventures,” Adam told me, “what all coalesced in Papa & Barkley was a personal experience that clarified that this was a road I wanted to be on, and an emerging cannabis market that captured the attention of investors and the world.” There are two parts of Papa & Barkley’s business: The California-based brand is both a cannabis wellness company, best-known for its topicals and tinctures, and a CBD business, which allows them to target a larger market. That CBD business is critical, as Papa & Barkley face intense regulatory burdens, Adam said, making it difficult to run a profitable business in this market.But Adam is in this for the right reasons: “​​Our most key performance indicator, ‘lives-changed,’ is an actual variable that we can apply to this business.”Listen to The Irresistible Factor’s Interview with Adam Grossman, founder and CEO of Papa & Barkley.Here’s what you won’t want to miss from our conversation: 

• How luck, timing and a focus on high-quality products created through a natural, artisanal way, catapulted Papa & Barkley to success 
• Why business leaders should incorporate mindfulness and gratitude practices into their lives
• Where Adam draws inspiration to continue on his journey with Papa & Barkley, despite the restrictions that hinder its growth
• Why Adam decided to move the business to Eureka, CA, which has a special place in cannabis culture

Links mentioned in this episode: Papa & BarkleyAdam Grossman on LinkedIn