Managing Partner @ CannaBIZ Collects & CCA | 🌎 Travel | Innovative Disrupter | Helping companies collect their 💰

I’m driven by the challenge to build great businesses with great people to solve real problems. 

My career began in 2015 after being promoted to CEO of a vertically integrated cannabis company in Colorado, where I gained hands-on experience and deep insights into the industry.

Later, I co-founded a specialty child-resistant cannabis packaging business, where I served as CEO. In 2022, I sold my shares in the company, achieving a personal exit while the business continued operating independently.

Currently I’m the Founder & Managing Partner of CannaBIZ Collects, the nation’s first and leading cannabis-focused collection agency started in 2017. In this role, I work to support cannabis businesses in navigating the unique legal and financial challenges related to A/R and collections.

I’m also the founder of the Cannabiz Credit Association, the first trade credit group in the cannabis industry, where we provide tools for risk monitoring and credit assessments to help businesses make better financial decisions and manage risk effectively.

I earned a BBA in Finance from The University of Georgia, and today, I’m based in St. Petersburg, FL. I’m committed to exploring new opportunities, improving business practices in the industry, and mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking to make an impact.

Brett Gelfand

Big news. And big moves with the team over at Cannabiz Credit Association.

Founder @ CannaBIZ Collects & Cannabiz Credit Association (CCA) | Recovering unpaid 💰 and reducing credit risk for cannabis companies

View company: Cannabiz Credit Association

We’re excited to announce that TerrAscend has officially joined the Cannabiz Credit Association community!

TerrAscend is one of the leading vertically integrated cannabis operators in North America, with operations spanning multiple states and a reputation for disciplined growth.

Adding strong, established MSOs like TerrAscend to the CCA network continues to strengthen the quality of shared trade data across the industry. The more leading operators who participate, the more transparent and accountable cannabis credit becomes for everyone.

We’re proud to have them as part of the community.

#WelcomeMarijuanaVenture #CannabisMedia #CannabisIndustry #CannabisBusiness #CannabisInsights #CannabisCommunity #CCAMembers

I can’t tell you how many times we hear this:

“We were waiting to see what happened.”
“We thought they’d turn it around.”
“We didn’t want to strain the relationship.”

Then the company closes.
Or goes into receivership.
And suddenly they want to collect.

Here’s the hard truth most operators don’t understand:

Once a cannabis company shuts down or enters receivership, collectability is basically zero.

At that point:
 • Cash is gone
 • Inventory is liquidated
 • Secured creditors are first in line
 • Unsecured vendors are last

And if there’s no personal guarantee, you cannot just “go after the owner.”

An LLC or corporation exists specifically to shield personal assets.
No PG = no personal exposure.

That means:
You extended trade credit to a legal entity that no longer has assets.

Game over.

In cannabis, this happens more than in most industries because:
 • Thin margins
 • Regulatory volatility
 • Cash flow constraints
 • Overleveraged operators

Waiting until collapse is not a strategy. It’s hope.

The operators who consistently reduce bad debt do three things differently:
1. They monitor payment behavior early.
2. They tighten terms at first signs of distress.
3. They escalate before insolvency, not after.

Collections is about timing.

If you’re placing accounts only after a closure announcement, you’re not managing credit risk. You’re documenting a loss.

And in this industry, prevention will always outperform recovery.

The goal isn’t to collect from bankrupt companies.

The goal is to never let it get there.

The longer an invoice sits, the harder it is to collect.

If you’ve got anything 90+ days past due, this might help:

https://lnkd.in/eB8DArAa

We built a free demand letter generator. Takes 2 minutes and gives you a clean way to apply pressure before escalating.

Open article: Cannabis Demand Letter Generator | CannaBIZ Collects by cannabizcollects.com

Cannabis Demand Letter Generator | CannaBIZ Collects

“We already know who the good and bad payers are…”

We see this every day at Cannabiz Credit Association.

Then six months later they place $100,000+ in collections to CannaBIZ Collects.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Anecdotal memory is not a credit policy.

In cannabis, most credit decisions are still made based on:
- A rep’s personal experience
- Word of mouth
- “They’ve always paid us”
- A relationship from three years ago

That’s not risk management. That’s optimism disguised as familiarity.

And in a capital-constrained market, optimism is expensive.

The operators who’ve been humble enough to adopt data-backed credit risk ratings have seen something very different:

- Reduced DSO
- Fewer surprise defaults
- More disciplined credit limits
- Faster approvals with less internal debate

Because they stopped relying on:

1. Traditional trade credit associations with long meetings and delayed decision-making or 2. Legacy credit bureaus or new credit risk startups with little to no meaningful cannabis payment data

And started leveraging real cannabis payment data built on over 10 years of credit and collections experience in the industry.

Cannabis is not CPG.
It’s not manufacturing.
It’s not distribution in any other vertical.

You cannot underwrite it with generic data.

The best operators don’t assume they “just know.”

They validate what they think with real data… and not just blind scoring/heresay they trust. 

That humility is what protects margins.

We see these credit mistakes every day in the cannabis industry, not because teams don’t care, but because structure is missing.

1. Extending credit without vetting - Trust isn’t credit data. Without visibility into payment behavior and existing trade debt, you’re guessing and guessing is expensive.
2. No written escalation process - If there’s no clear plan for 30, 60, or 90 days past due, invoices stall. Delay weakens leverage and signals tolerance.
3. Waiting too long to act - The longer an invoice sits unpaid, the harder it is to recover. Early action protects both cash flow and relationships.
4. Confusing loyalty with risk tolerance - Familiar partners can still be high risk. Longevity doesn’t cancel financial reality.

In cannabis, credit discipline isn’t aggressive. It’s necessary. Good intentions don’t pay invoices.

Want to spot risk earlier? Cannabis-specific credit data makes the difference. 

#CannabisBusiness #CannabisFinance #TradeCredit #AccountsReceivable #CannabisCredit #CashFlowManagement #CannabisOperators #RiskManagement

Credit Mistakes - CannaBIZ Collects

When we started building CCA, the first thing we did was call the traditional credit bureaus. We assumed they already had cannabis credit data. They had few trade lines. Almost no verified payment history.

So we built the reporting network ourselves. And built a tech-forward SaaS platform specific to cannabis, with hundreds of CRB companies contributing real payment data. 

The only source of truth to know who pays and who doesn't.

When we first started building the CCA, we did what anyone would do.
We called the “normal” credit bureaus.

We asked about cannabis data. Trade lines. Payment history. Risk scoring.

And the answer was always some version of the same thing:
 “It’s limited.”
 “It is hard to collect.”
 “It’s difficult to verify back to companies.”

The reality is simple. For decades, cannabis operated in the shadows. Cash businesses. No traditional banking. No consistent reporting. A lot of legitimate operators, but very little structured credit data.

So, of course, the files were thin.

Instead of accepting that, we decided to build what didn’t exist.

We worked directly with D&B analysts. We partnered with operators. We built reporting pipelines. We standardized how trade data gets captured. And we kept going until the picture started to look real.

Today, the CCA captures payment and trade data from more than 200 companies nationwide.

Not guesses. Not vibes. Actual reported performance.

That’s how you build the most comprehensive credit bureau in cannabis.
Because this industry may have started in the black market, but its future runs on transparency, accountability, and real credit data.

And someone had to do the hard work to capture it.

To know more about how CCA works, visit us at - https://lnkd.in/gG58eey6

#CannabisIndustry #CannabisBusiness #CannabisFinance #CannabisCredit #TradeCredit
#CreditRisk #CreditData #ARManagement #AccountsReceivable

CCA is the strongest source of credit data and insights to know whose who in cannabis.

Our Michigan data set is getting stronger every day with leading operators and CRBs actively reporting verified trade lines.

If you’re in Michigan and feel a Facebook group or he says/she says is a better credit process… I’d love to challenge you and get a demo set up with our team. 

It’s time to move this industry forward together.

We’re excited to announce that Northwoods Cannabis has officially joined the Cannabiz Credit Association community!

Northwoods Cultivation is a mission-driven cannabis grower in Michigan focused on premium flower, clean cultivation practices, and thoughtful genetics. With a commitment to sustainable growing and careful attention to plant health at every stage, they produce consistent, high-quality cannabis that resonates with both patients and adult-use consumers alike.

Their craft-focused approach and dedication to excellence make them a valued new member of the CCA network.

We’re proud to welcome their passion, leadership, and commitment to quality.

#WelcomeNorthwoods #CannabisCultivation #PremiumCannabis #CraftCannabis #CannabisIndustry #CannabisBusiness #CCAMembers

I had someone say to me the other day “is CCA just another trade association?”

It’s not.

And that confusion actually highlights the problem CCA was built to solve.

For years, cannabis companies have managed credit the old way:

An employee or sales rep reviewing spreadsheets.
Limited information about new customers.
Phone calls to peers asking, “Do you know if this company pays?”

Traditional trade associations tried to solve this through meetings and informal information sharing about AR issues.

CCA took a different approach.

Cannabiz Credit Association is a technology platform. A SaaS solution for credit and AR management built specifically for the cannabis industry.

Instead of relying on conversations, CCA aggregates and analyzes real trade line data across the industry.

Today the platform includes:

• $2B+ in verified cannabis trade and collection data 
• Real payment performance across hundreds of active operators
• Collection outcomes from the largest cannabis debt dataset in the industry
• License matching with state regulatory databases
• Entity and license hierarchy mapping
• AI-assisted tools supporting underwriting and credit decisions

The result is simple.

Instead of a credit manager spending hours chasing information… CCA surfaces the insights instantly.

Members can quickly understand:

Who pays on time.
Who pays late.
Where risk may exist across multiple entities or licenses.
And how to manage AR exposure more effectively.

Trade associations facilitate conversations.

CCA delivers the data infrastructure and technology the cannabis credit market has been missing.

graphical user interface, application, website

This is the year the industry wakes up, to start taking proactive approach to credit/collection issues. And ‘know your customer’ before it’s too late.

We’re excited to announce that Heshies has officially joined the Cannabiz Credit Association community!

Heshies is a cannabis manufacturing and product development company specializing in white-labeling, contract manufacturing, and co-packing services for cannabis brands. Founded by the Heschong brothers, the company focuses on delivering high-quality pre-rolls, packaged flower, concentrates, and cartridges for partners across the market.

Producing millions of joints annually, Heshies helps brands bring products from concept to retail shelves with streamlined production, reliable sourcing, and scalable manufacturing solutions.

We’re proud to welcome their manufacturing expertise and commitment to product quality to the CCA community.

#WelcomeHeshies #CannabisManufacturing #WhiteLabelCannabis #CannabisProducts #CannabisIndustry #CannabisBusiness #CCAMembers

In 2015, I was owed over $500K.

My first job out of college, I was running a vertically integrated cannabis company in Colorado. Delivering from the mountains near Aspen to dispensaries all over the state.

Long drives. Expensive logistics. Half-days gone just to pick up cash.

So we did what made sense at the time... 
We extended terms.

Let dispensaries order more, pay later. 
It made the delivery model work. 

Revenue took off. 
On paper, everything looked great.

But we weren't winning.

Collecting that cash was a mess. 
No credit system. No reporting. No real consequences for not paying. 

Just constant follow-ups, excuses, and an AR report that kept growing.
I went looking for help. Collections firms. Credit data. Anything.

Nothing existed.

Cannabis businesses were invisible to traditional credit infrastructure. Not paying your vendors wasn't an exception... it was just normal.

So I built what didn't exist.

In 2017, I launched CannaBIZ Collects to help cannabis operators actually get paid.

In 2023, we launched the Cannabiz Credit Association. The first credit reporting and rating platform built specifically for this industry. More trade data than any major bureau combined.

Both companies came from the same hard lesson:
Extending terms without infrastructure behind it is a dangerous game.

If you're in cannabis and offering terms today... you already know exactly what I mean.

probably #1 reason I see companies struggling with cash flow and AR issues today. way too much reactivity. when proactive solutions exist... finally.

Most cannabis companies still operate in reactive mode.

A retailer places an order? Ship it.
They ask for terms? Sure.
Need a little higher limit? No problem.
Everybody gets a loan.

And when they eventually don’t pay… that’s when action happens. The emails start. The calls get tense. Then it ends up in collections through @Cannabiz Collects.

That’s the old playbook.

The new age operator looks very different.
They check credit before extending terms.
They decide how much to extend based on actual trade data.
 And if they’re already doing business, they monitor credit exposure over time.

Because companies can go south quickly in this market. A license change. A tax issue. A cash crunch. One bad quarter and suddenly everyone’s chasing the same dollars.

You don’t want to be the last to know.

Reactive businesses send accounts to collections.

Proactive businesses adjust limits before there’s a problem.

The industry is maturing. The question is whether your credit process is.

#CannabisIndustry #CannabisBusiness #CannabisFinance #CannabisCredit #TradeCredit #CreditRisk #AccountsReceivable #ARManagement #CashFlow #RiskManagement

Green Check

- Strategized and executed omnichannel marketing strategy. Managed paid and organic campaigns, creative direction & project budgets. 
- In-person experiential marketing representative. 
- Sales, product departmental coordination. Managed 3 external teams.
- Analytics and reporting on marketing efforts, spend, and ROI. 
- Managed and executed segmented email campaigns at top- and mid-funnel. Sent approximately 90,000 emails per quarter.

Marketing Manager

MedMen

- Optimized computational value of loyalty program for national CRM, Loyalty strategies for ~2,000,000 shoppers visiting 32 dispensaries.
- Assisted in coordination between retail, purchasing and marketing to enhance CRM content. Handled partnership promotions in CA.
- Worked with designers to enhance digital and retail visual strategy to enhance customer engagement and drive sales.

Digital Marketing Specialist

Cirrus Social Club

Compliance and Community Relations Director 

House of Fuego

Co-Founder

Denver Pub Crawl

Marketing Director

Clear Cannabis Inc. 

- Content and social lead for The Clear brand MSO while launching new states and products from 2020 to 2021. 
- 1/2 of a 2 person marketing team who made WAVES while working with The Clear. 
- Managed CBD e-commerce blog and SEO. 
- Wrote, published, and organized product descriptions for online menus across states and dispensaries on various online b2c menu platforms.

Media Manager

Marketing Coordinator

Snooze an A.M. Eatery

- Managing digital guest sentiment and guest recovery for 41+ restaurants
- Copy writing, content creation, assisting with campaigns, and maintaining social media accounts
- Managing "catch-all" email for 41+ restaurants, developing SOP for guest sentiment
- Coordinating with influencers, professional partners, and community partners
- Fulfilling shipped and electronic gift card orders
- Administrative assistance

Marketing Associate

Power Crunch

- Facilitated in-person brand activations in and around Denver and Boulder
- Communicated product benefits and details to potential and dedicated consumers 
- Gave feedback on event performance to the corporate team in California
-Managed inventory and assets along with other Lifestyle Samplers

Brand Ambassador / Lifestyle Sampler

Roanoke College

Manager of Campus Activities Board

Event Planner for College Campus Activities Board

Edible Arrangements

Fruit Expert and Manager

🚀 Thanks for checking out my LinkedIn profile. I'm Nicole, and I'm seeking a full-time remote job! 

🌿 I have 4 years of cannabis industry marketing experience. My expertise extends to the CPG, Food and Beverage, and Hospitality sectors. I love focusing in on organic growth strategies and complex compliance challenges therein.

🎨 Some contract projects I've done include: crafting comprehensive, compliance-driven SOPs for Cirrus Social Club, spearheading multi-state events for Curaleaf's nonprofit, Rooted in Good, and helping develop a rebrand strategy for a B2B web3 company. In 2024, I've written 20+ SEO blogs in my spare time for various clients. 

🔥 During my time as co-founder at House of Fuego (2022 - 2023), I helped scale the social media agency. From there, I became a dedicated free agent, offering my clients the best of my expertise in compliant cannabis marketing, social media growth, and digital marketing strategy. My last roles were with MedMen and Green Check. I am currently freelancing as of November 2024! 

💡 Key skills I possess: strategic compliance research (not legal advice 😃), a wealth of multi-state and national cannabis industry experience, a willingness to dive into the details, and a robust nationwide network.

🤝 Collaboration is at the heart of my approach. Similarly, I closely study community leaders, tastemakers, algorithms, and trend forecasters to create effective marketing strategies. Both connections and insights allow me to consistently deliver outstanding results for my clients.

🌟 Notable achievements include: spearheading LinkedIn ad campaigns that generated 100 qualified peer reviews on critical cannabis research for a major NGO, which may shape future policymaking. Ghostwriting an article for Rolling Stone about D8 in 2022, and working with members of the Wu Tang family on multiple projects. 

🌱 Sustainability is embedded in my values. I proactively seek sustainable solutions, recognizing that our actions impact not just our businesses but the wider world. Systemic Intersectionality is more than a buzzword; it's a core belief that every project benefits from diverse perspectives. I take pride in my Environmental Studies degree from Roanoke College. 

🌠  I enjoy and look forward to continuing to craft holistic, intentional strategies with a team of brilliant change-makers just like me.

📬 Hit my line with questions about your marketing, or to get connected with me. Thanks for reading!

Nicole Sabilia

Hello? Yes. #LasVegas? 

I'm searching for your most passionate, ruthlessly precise executive assistant.

Will you please let her know I'm looking for her? 

Can you ask her to DM me?

Fabulous. 
Thank you. 
Talk soon. 

#ExecutiveAssistant #Hiring #DMme

Building with AI ⚡ Finance | Tech | Regulated Industries

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