Annie Holman has never been intimidated by any type of boys’ club. As a kid, she dressed androgynously and played competitive basketball “before it was cool for chicks to play ball,” as she put it in a Forbes interview. Because of this lifelong exposure to male-dominated spaces with a touch of her own brazenness, Annie says she’s never had a problem working with men in any industry. “I’m not afraid to march up to some guy in a suit and talk to him,” she says
Annie spent the first 30 years of her career working in digital marketing, but when one of her long-time customers won big at the 2015 Kentucky Derby, she approached Annie with a different business proposition. “This was when medical laws were still in place in California, and I was told to ‘go start a medical cannabis bakery,’” Annie recalls. “I told her, ‘I don’t bake, but okay!’” And so Derby Bakery was born in Sonoma County.
"Take 'I'm sorry' out of your vocabulary. It's really hard to do, but you need to stop apologizing."
In a time of rock-hard edibles that tasted like dirt, Derby Bakery quickly gained traction with its tasty, soft, bakery-style cookies and garnered recognition statewide. They won awards in multiple categories at the Emerald Cup and took the first and second-place prizes in the Edibles List–Best Of Awards. Derby Bakery’s edibles supported veterans and provided relief for very sick patients, which had a profound impact on Annie.
Then, in November 2016, Prop64 passed in California, legalizing recreational cannabis use in the state, and Annie sought to scaleup. She started as the CMO at The Galley in Santa Rosa, CA, a state of-the-art cannabis manufacturing and distribution facility. A few years later, Annie had to step up as CEO, learning on the job from mentors and the internet. “I had to Google what being a CEO meant,” Annie laughs. “It means do everything. ”Annie has always approached the world with this bold, figure it-out attitude, making her a natural leader and communicator. However, when she learned other women were struggling to push into the boys’ club of the cannabis industry, she decided to step in as a mentor.
When she spoke at the Women in Cannabis Expo—where she now sits on the board—she wanted to help other women in the industry be taken seriously. “We need more women in leadership positions,” she says. “Men don’t appreciate the things women do for business. Creative problem solving, nurturing, not ignoring emotions… it’s all so important.”
Her advice? “Take ‘I’m sorry’ out of your vocabulary. It’s really hard to do, but you need to stop apologizing.”
After a tumultuous few years as The Galley’s CEO with no help from theCOVID-19 pandemic, Annie exited her business and co-founded Fusion Strategies, a cannabis consulting company, with Landon Long. At Fusion, Annie combines her business acumen with deep industry knowledge, strategic insights, and project management to empower startups and growth stage companies to scale their operations, enter new markets, and build sustainable, profitable businesses.
Fusion offers facility and site services, product formalization, investment support, regulatory services, executive leadership, and marketing. “We don’t want people to step in the same potholes we did,” Annie says. “Now we know what they are, and we want to help other people avoid them. ”She even does some work outside of the cannabis industry, helping manufacturing facilities with efficiencies, compliance, and fractional marketing.
With Fusion Strategies and beyond, Annie continues to mentor women in the cannabis industry. One of her mentees was Liz Rodrigo, founder of CaliLily. Even though Annie is not a huge recreational cannabis user, she loves CaliLily’s gummies to help her sleep, and she especially loves helping other women leaders make their mark. Based out of Southern California, CaliLily seeks to empower women to live more beautifully balanced lives with their THC fruit chews. “They launched a really beautiful product,” Annie says proudly. “They’re going todo really well. ”Annie is now a certifiable veteran, having worked and thrived in the cannabis space for two decades–but she’s not slowing down.
In addition to her cannabis consulting work with Fusion Strategies, she has been working with Joint 4ces, an organization that supports retired veterans by teaching them to work on farms and providing them with job skills, mental health resources, and reentry assistance. She’s also working with the Cannabis Chamber of Commerce to unify the different state chambers throughout the country into one stronger organization, and she’s currently the Board President for the Sonoma County Cannabis Alliance for the second year running.
At every juncture, Annie has maintained her people-first, relationship-centric approach to business. “Building relationships is just the beginning,” she says. “Maintaining them is where the true skill lies.”
When asked about the biggest lessons she’s learned in her extensive career, she shows me a 10-point list, further showcasing her deep desire to help others along their personal and professional journeys. One bullet point in particular jumps out at me, highlighting an often-disparaged feminine trait: intuition. “Always listen to your gut,” she says. “Your intuition is one of your most powerful tools. When something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.” Other valuable lessons include learning how to say “no, ”knowing when to ask for help and pursuing values-aligned opportunities above high paying ones.
Like many people, she’s not sure what her future in the cannabis industry looks like. “I do feel like cannabis is shifting,” she says. “I don’t know what’s in store for us with the new administration.” However, in typical Annie fashion, she’s committed to riding it out, cultivating relationships, and helping people along the way.
"Men don’t appreciate the things women do for business. Creative problem-solving, nurturing, not ignoring emotions... it’s all so important."
