Author: Franz Malten Buemann

Hemp cultivation is a taboo subject in the United States, particularly in non-white communities.
Not only are there access barriers to non-white communities learning about hemp cultivation, there’s a strong negative stigma associated with Black people and hemp (or cannabis), part of the generations-long ‘war on drugs’ in the United States.
Damian Fagon, the founder of Gulleybean, wants to change the script, sharing hemp cultivation knowledge so more people, especially Black and Brown people, can access the multi-billion dollar opportunity of hemp.
Featuring insights from Buffer’s Small Business, Big Lessons podcast episode eight and the accompanying unpublished interview, Damian shared his journey from hemp farmer, to teacher, to business accelerator leader, and the economics behind why he focuses so hard on encouraging people to become hemp farmers.
Damian Fagon, Founder of GullybeanFinding farming and facing challenges
After years in the Peace Corps in Guatemala and a few more in Washington, DC at the State Department, Damian Fagon wanted a change.
Instead of focusing exclusively on diplomacy, he wanted to work in economic development. This shift brought him to New York City, where he did his Masters of Public Administration at Columbia’s School for International and Public Affairs (SIPA). While there, he said he balanced business education with policy work, explicitly focusing on learning how he might help farmers get better yields from their crops. His goal was to return to Guatemala and other South American countries to help economic development through farming.
Damian realized that while the medical cannabis market is fairly large (around $5 billion in the United States), it pales in comparison to other types of crop farming. However, the possibility for hemp plants, he said, have multiple other use cases from textiles to plastic alternatives. But there’s one key problem: the war on drugs.
“The problem with the crop and with the genetics we have access to, is that the United States spent the last 80 years with a federal ban on studying and growing the hemp crop,” said Damian.
After graduating from Columbia, Damian found investors in Philadelphia who would back him in a hemp farming operation in rural South Carolina. Unfortunately, the crop failed and Damian returned to New York City.
Determined to figure things out, Damian spent a lot of time – and money – learning the ropes of hemp farming from consultants in states that had legalized recreational cannabis. As he flew around and paid consultants, he couldn’t help notice how gatekept this knowledge truly was.
“The people who’ve had access to growing cannabis own farms and they own land, and they live in communities that have very traditional agricultural roots,” said Damian. “And only 2% of farmers nationally are Black, and so the disparities that already existed in agriculture and land access are just being amplified in the cannabis space.”
After learning more about hemp and cannabis farming, he set up shop in the Hudson Valley in New York. Unfortunately, though, he had to deal with significant challenges around fitting in as a non-white person (and immigrant to town) in a region that’s majority white and settled for generations.
“I’m not saying that all the people in these communities are racist, but they don’t have a lot of experience in diverse conversation, diverse engagements,” said Damian. “There’s not a lot of immigrants moving out there either. So, that challenge is very real and very, very personal.”
From farming to business incubation
After successfully navigating hemp farming in the Hudson Valley, Damian wanted to leverage his knowledge to have a wider economic impact for Black and Brown people in urban areas.
First, he started teaching at Medgar Evers College, a historically Black college (HBCU) in Brooklyn. He not only taught the agricultural tools of farming, but also brought in the business side, especially the opportunity in hemp and cannabis cultivation.
“I’ll be teaching horticulture, but a lot of it will be a larger discussion on the supply chain business opportunities in cannabis so that people can actually see it the way it exists in other states and identify places where they can position themselves to make money [or] start a business,” said Damian.
Second, he started working on a much larger project in the Bronx: a hemp business incubator.
“The idea with that project specifically is to create a facility and an environment wherein interested people in the Bronx – entrepreneurs, formerly incarcerated people who formerly grew cannabis in the basements of public housing in the Bronx and were arrested for it – those people can access our facility, rent equipment and launch their own cannabis businesses,” said Damian.
The goals of this incubator, said Damian, are three-fold:
1. Micro-cultivation pods: These pods will allow people to rent equipment and space to start growing hemp legally on a micro-scale.
“The facility will be designed in a way where growers, particularly first time growers from the city, from the Bronx, [can] pursue a micro business license,” said Damian.
2. Cannabis and hemp education: Spreading knowledge of hemp farming, the economic opportunity behind it, and the job opportunities for people who don’t want to start a business right away. This arm, said Damian, will be run by a nonprofit organization set up by Damian and his team.
“They have a lot of experience working with marginalized communities, formerly incarcerated, formerly homeless, particularly young people, helping them get jobs in high demand industries,” said Damian.
3. A business within the incubator: Damian said this part is still being fleshed out, but he wants to see the incubator run its own hemp cultivation business so it has an active revenue stream to fund other activities.
“I do want that facility to have its own business that can make it self-sustaining,” said Damian. “There will obviously be a level of profit sharing with those who come in and utilize the spaces to start their businesses, to pay for the overhead, but I don’t want to start something that is reliant on continuous funding and sponsorship from donors and corporate sponsors.”
A global impact waiting to be recognized
There are so many possibilities for hemp and cannabis, whether medicinal or industrial, beyond recreational use. And Damian sees this potential as a massive way to uplift historically impoverished nations.
“I saw that crop as potentially transformative for the global south, specifically West Africa, Caribbean, Latin America, Southeast Asia; some of these regions that are perfectly suited for cannabis commercial cultivation, and I wanted to learn how to grow the crop,” said Damian.
Thinking about the reason why he landed on hemp farming as his means of economic development, he ties it back to his family and his passion. Even the name gullybean, for example, came from a crop his father still farms in his native Jamaica.
“I fell in love with farming through Gullybean,” said Damian. “… With adult-use cannabis legalization in New York, there has never been a better opportunity if you’re interested in inclusive economic development [and] generating wealth in low-income communities… there’s never been a better time to be focused on the cannabis market.”

Last week, I collected some feedback from users. They said that when they used their mobile phones to log on to the website, the experience was not good. They felt that the whole site was very disorganized, and they didn’t even know where to start using it. I am very sorry about it. I think I’m going to start optimizing the mobile interface next week, but before that, there’s a more urgent problem. I’m having some trouble with my website speed. I used nitropack to optimize the speed of my website. Before using PageSpeed Insights, the score measured by mobile was 19, PC was 39, after use, mobile was 31, PC was 56, but the score was not very ideal. Do you guys have any better suggestions?. Before: https://postimg.cc/hf6HkXXK After: https://postimg.cc/KKhdzBYC
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Writing an email can be a daunting task. It’s not the length of the content that makes it difficult, as opposed to other forms of long-form content, like blog posts. However, emails can be tough because they’re more personal, impactful, and tell a lot of things in a few words. Penning a heartfelt welcome email…
The post A Beginner’s Guide to Effective Email Templates appeared first on Benchmark Email.

At Buffer, we’re determined to help small business owners grow their brands on social media and beyond. As a result, we’ve come across so many companies doing incredible things. As we finish off this year, we wanted to share some of our favorites.Wondering how we chose them? We particularly admire brands that:

Have established a solid brand identity: The best brands ensure that everything from their products to their website and social content to their community engagement is consistent with an overarching brand strategy. This includes visuals like logos, packaging, and product photography, as well as the business’ values and voice. (Here’s our advice for creating your own impactful brand.)

Pursue a higher purpose: At Buffer, we love businesses that have a mission to positively contribute to their communities and the world in some way. As it turns out, consumers like this, too. One study shows customers are four times more likely to buy something from a mission-driven brand. The brands below all give back in some way, such as donating with each purchase, providing free education and job training, and elevating marginalized voices.

Maintain a strong social presence: Regular social media activity is key to becoming a top-of-mind brand, and these companies keep the great content coming. (We know creating consistent, high-quality content can be intimidating, so we put together some tips for doing so.)

If you’re looking to create a memorable brand and grow your business in 2022, take a cue from these 21 brands that have truly impressed us (in no particular order).
21 Small Business Brands We Love

1. The Peony Collective

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWOUATqgsW2/This woman-owned business aims to help female entrepreneurs hone their Instagram skills and grow their businesses. To that end, The Peony Collective’s Instagram account is full of inspiring advice that helps female founders push through tricky entrepreneurial times and stay focused on their goals.
2. Fréres Branchiaux

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CSK6DP9rCwv/Started and managed by three brothers, Fréres Branchiaux makes eco-friendly candles. They have a customer recycling program, donate 10% of profits to homeless shelters, and have a meaningful, joyful social presence.
3. Made with Local

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CU-tBW3pimK/This food provider sources ingredients from local farmers and partners with an organization that helps those with intellectual disabilities find employment. They also have some of the best food photography we’ve seen.
4. Askinosie Chocolate

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVTObYqJutR/Askinosie wants to make the best craft chocolate in the world. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. On Instagram, they provide followers with a behind-the-scenes look at their farming and direct trade practices, in addition to showing how they give back to communities around the world with Chocolate University.
5. Paynter Jacket Co

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWn4y-kIf0V/Paynter’s founders are adamant about not producing any more waste. That’s why, despite increasingly high demand (which they achieved by building in public) they only release a limited number of jackets four times a year and recycle the leftover fabric and water used to make them.
6. Partake

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVnknicNAQa/Partake offers delicious snacks every child can enjoy because they don’t contain the top eight food allergens, GMOs, or preservatives. Through their partnership with the Food Equality Initiative, Partake also helps ensure families in need have access to healthy food.
7. Hiki

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CUFoMm5rzoe/This personal care company helps people address their sweat. In addition to partnering with Sad Girls Club and Sad Boys Club in an effort to destigmatize mental health, Hiki makes sure to infuse positive mental health messaging throughout their social media feeds.
8. Omsom

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CR1qG3bsX0E/By bringing delicious and authentic Southeast Asian and East Asian flavors to every kitchen, the Vietnamese-American sisters who started Omson are elevating and celebrating Asian American communities. And their bright, bold branding, which pops out on their packaging and all over their Instagram account, makes trying these flavor packets even harder to resist.
9. Wonderpuff

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CM7FPxJn3dv/The Morins started Wonderpuff during a period of heightened social unrest in the U.S. They wanted to lead with love and bring more joy (and glitter) to the world. Wonderpuff’s platform also aims to promote and support others, specifically Black, Muslim, and female voices.
10. KANKAN

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVv6y8sIbvx/KANKAN puts soap (and other personal hygiene products) in a can in the hopes that their refillable model will help reduce the use of single-use plastics in the world. Almost as inspiring as this mission: the beautifully designed Instagram grid.
11. Bed Threads

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRw7TxKBQ9P/All we can say is, wow. Bed Threads has one of the most breathtakingly beautiful social media feeds we’ve ever come across.
12. Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CW6OEhvrXRL/The owners of this bookstore and cafe wanted to create a space for underserved communities. Their social media is the perfect combination of promoting books, their community, and the causes they’re passionate about (and coffee, too, of course).
13. Kido

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWIyofALO9y/This children’s boutique focuses on making kids of all colors, abilities, cultures, and backgrounds feel like they belong. Their events, like story time and dance classes, allow parents and kids from all over the world to connect in a safe space.
14. Sh*t That I Knit

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKWf9AZjSwF/Their products are warm, cozy, and look good. They’re handmade by working moms in Peru, and the company donates “Knit Kits” to young adults going through cancer treatment.
15. Ground Up Nut Butters

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWUKL67P5r5/Each adorably packed nut butter is made by a womxn overcoming adversity. Ground Up provides a six- to nine-month employment training program to help them develop skills and move onto the next step in their job journey.
16. AfroPick

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CHOH5pvlT48/These beautifully-designed combs aren’t just a hair styling tool. They’re a symbol and celebration of Black stories, culture, and solidarity—and this is exactly what you can find on their social platforms, as well.
17. Kiramoon

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWizfwmBYS8/Kiramoon’s skincare products exclude harmful ingredients and help reduce the mental health stigma. A portion of every order is donated to a non-profit called Bring Change to Mind.
18. Jungalow

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTpiUUVprZ-/Purchasing home decor from Jungalow can add some joy and color to your life, as well as add new trees to the planet. (So far, the company has planted almost 77,000 trees!) Jungalow’s bold, colorful patterns and designs make them an instantly recognizable and unforgettable brand.
19. Red Bay Coffee
Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CW3xZwfLBsE/The founders of Red Bay Coffee are equally passionate about two things: high-quality coffee and radical inclusivity. In addition to making sure their farmers receive fair wages, they also focus on hiring people of color, those with disabilities, and the formerly incarcerated.
20. inkWELL Press

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CSW5BI2ldOY/inkWELL’s planners and accessories help people stay organized. The company also regularly donates their products to teachers, women’s shelters, and residential treatment centers.
21. Raven Reads

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CUunRHjL4vu/The books and gifts included in these boxes are created by Indigenous authors and entrepreneurs. The goal is to elevate Indigenous voices, cultures, and histories, both in the products they sell and the content they post online.
Want even more inspiration for growing your business in 2022? Check out the latest episode of Buffer’s Small Business, Big Lessons podcast.