WNC's Rebrand, Hurricane Helene, Cannabis Legality, and Starting a Business with Mike & Meghan

Guests: Mike and Meghan, Co-owners of WNC (formerly WNC CBD)

 

Episode Highlights:

Rebrand Announcement: WNC is dropping "CBD" from their name to become simply "WNC," which will now stand for "World Needs Cannabis." They are also introducing a new logo, font, and packaging pattern.

Company Origins: Mike got into cannabis at age 11. The couple started WNC in 2019. Mike took an "Intro to Business" class at Central Piedmont Community College and had no formal business background; he learned by "Googling how to start a business in North Carolina."

Financing & Start-up: Mike took out a $10,000 personal loan to buy and resell CBD flower. For the first nine months, the business struggled, and Mike actually mailed in dissolution papers for the LLC, but the next day he called to keep it open

Mike's Past: Mike has a two-year associate's degree in automotive system technology and used to compete in the Pro-Am series of drifting, spending about $1,000 a weekend on tires.

Challenges & Setbacks: Meghan initially had internal doubts about being able to support them on her income alone, calling her husband a "drug dealer... a legal drug dealer." The business has faced issues with credit card processors and websites due to being a "high-risk" cannabis company. Shopify removed all their products with over 0.3% total THC overnight, forcing them to quickly build a new retail website on a different platform in two weeks.

The Big Break: The company's growth took off in the fall of 2022 with the introduction of high-THC, federally compliant hemp flower like 'Banana Mac' and 'Bordeaux,' which would sell out online in minutes. Their legal compliance was confirmed by attorney Rod Kight, who provided an eight-page opinion letter.

Team and Culture: WNC has 24 employees (with a 25th starting soon) , and they offer health benefits. Their employee culture is highly rated, with the team reporting 100% happiness in anonymous monthly surveys five months in a row

Hurricane Helene Relief: Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina (WNC) hard, bringing six months' worth of rain in 24 hours, causing "thousand-year flood" damage and hundreds of mudslides. Mike and Meghan were key in relief efforts, driving their van back and forth between Charlotte and Asheville to deliver aid, including water, gas, and medicine to neighbors and employees.

'Carolina Comeback' Strain: They launched the 'Carolina Comeback' strain as a fundraiser, with customers choosing the name. In 2024, they raised $18,000 for the Community Housing Coalition of Madison County, and 2025 proceeds are dedicated to Swannanoa.

 

Mission & Advocacy: They partner with several non-profits, including The Last Prisoner Project, to which they donate a portion of their 4/20 sales and proceeds from their "no one should be in prison for weed" t-shirt. They are also partnered with Building Bridges, Food Connections, and Blue Ridge Pride.

Marriage & Business: As a married couple running a high-pressure business, they use couples counseling and try to set boundaries, joking that WNC is "the other woman in our marriage."

Advice: Mike advises new entrepreneurs to "brace themselves," network, and "Don't give up. Keep trying." Mike's life advice: "Slow down, enjoy the little things... smell the roses." Meghan's favorite phrase: "There's a little bit of good in the worst of us, a little bit of bad in the best of us, but a little bit of both in the most of us."

Legacy: They want WNC to be a role model for other cannabis brands, known for quality, service, and using their platform for community involvement and advocacy

0:00 Intro: Listener Support, Doubters, and Sponsors 0:28 Big Announcement: WNC Rebranding 1:05 WNC Origin Story: Cannabis Introduction 1:33 Turning Passion into Business: Starting WNC 2:10 Mike's Background: Automotive & Drifting 3:00 Starting the Business: Loans, LLC, and First Products 4:10 Scaling Up: From Wholesale to Online Retail 4:58 Meghan's Role: Supporting the Business and Career 5:48 Business Challenges: Doubts and Being a "High-Risk" Industry 6:28 Setbacks: Losing Platforms and Building a New Website in Two Weeks 7:15 WNC Team and Employee Culture 8:15 Doubts and Starting Sooner 8:58 Cannabis Legality & Regulation: North Carolina and Nationwide 10:02 Advocacy and Community: The Last Prisoner Project 11:27 Hurricane Helene: Western North Carolina Disaster and Relief Efforts 14:15 The Carolina Comeback Strain Fundraiser 15:44 Post-Hurricane Challenges: Infrastructure and Wildfire 16:47 Living in North Carolina: The Appeal of Appalachia 18:25 Mike's Racing Ticket 18:56 What Sets WNC Apart: Quality and Community Involvement 20:25 The Moment WNC Scaled: THC Flower and Compliant Products 22:50 The Spraying Problem and Product Sourcing 24:00 Scaling Limitations 24:35 Smoky Mountain Hemp Co.