Noemi Kis✨

Founder, CEO

Serial Entrepreneur / AI enthusiast / TEDx speaker

Hey there! 👋

I'm obsessed with helping non-techie founders like you build lean, profitable businesses (think team of 5 or less) using AI, smart automations, and social media that actually converts.

I built my seven-figure business with a small team and grew to 145K followers on LinkedIn plus 5K newsletter subscribers. Not by accident, but by figuring out what actually works.

Tomorrow's successful founders won't be grinding 80-hour weeks. They'll be the ones who learn to build with AI, automate the boring stuff, and find their people in the right corners of the internet.

That's what I share in my weekly newsletter "Entrepreneurial Mindset" - mindset, AI stuff, automation hacks, and the strategies that are working right now (not the stuff everyone else is talking about).

Join here: www.noemikis.com/newsletter

Brands & sponsorship inquiries: hello@noemikis.com

AquaQuote is a global digital marketplace for buying and selling industrial water treatment products in the aftermarket space.  Brands have an opportunity to digitize their catalog and offer their products to a wider audience, while end users can easily find and purchase products via a self-service dashboard.  We focus on fast and excellent customer service and sourcing products from the best suppliers with the shortest lead times. 

The fastest way to kill your career:

Act like you already know everything.

Top performers don’t do that.

They treat every interaction like a chance to level up.

They’re not afraid to be wrong, they WANT to be wrong.

Because every mistake is a shortcut to growth.

Here's what that actually looks like:

1/ Ask better questions:

→ Replace "I know" with "tell me more"
→ Collect perspectives like they're currency
→ Make every conversation a learning opportunity

2/ Document your failures:

→ Write what you thought vs. what was true
→ Review it monthly to spot your patterns
→ Turn mistakes into a personal playbook

3/ Seek uncomfortable feedback:

→ Ask someone: "What could I do better?"
→ Shut up, listen, and don't get defensive
→ Apply at least one piece within 48 hours

The people who rise fastest aren't the smartest in the room.

They're the ones humble enough to realize they're never done learning.

So if you're building something right now, ask yourself:

When's the last time you changed your mind about something important?

Because staying the same is comfortable.

But growth requires you to be wrong first.

And then be humble enough to learn how to get it right.

Found this valuable? Please reshare with your network! ♻️ 

And follow Noemi Kis✨ for daily growth tips!

Microbusiness Ideas / AI enthusiast / TEDx speaker

If they can't afford your value,

It’s not your job to give them a discount.

And I'm not talking about business.

I'm talking about life.

For years, I made myself smaller so others would feel comfortable.

→ Dimmed my wins so friends wouldn't feel bad
→ Downplayed my boundaries so people would stay
→ Apologized for taking up space

I thought that's what good people did.

Make everyone else feel okay, even if it cost me.

But after being burned multiple times by this mindset, here's what I've learned:

The right people don't need you to shrink.

They don't ask you to:

→ Be less ambitious so they feel better
→ Lower your standards so they can keep up
→ Discount your worth so they can afford you

Because real relationships aren't built on you being less.

They're built on mutual respect.

And to be honest, this shift changed everything for me.

I stopped explaining my choices.
I stopped justifying my boundaries.
I stopped making myself "easier" to love.

Because I realized:

If someone can't meet you where you are, that's information.

It's not your job to:

→ Convince them you're worth it
→ Prove your value over and over
→ Make yourself "affordable" emotionally

The people who belong in your life will rise to meet you.

They won't ask you to dim your light.

They'll bring sunglasses.

So if you're someone who's been shrinking...

Here's your permission to stop:

You don't owe anyone a smaller version of yourself.

Not your family.
Not your friends.
Not your partner.

Your only job is to be fully you.

And let the right people find you there.

The most underrated skill I’ve learned? 

Observing without judging.

Most of us walk through life with instant opinions about everything.

Someone's business model. Their choices. Their timeline.

We see 5% of the picture and form 100% of our conclusion.

I used to be the same until a mentor said to me:

“Judgment closes doors. Observation opens them.”

When you judge, you decide:

→ This is right or wrong
→ This will or won't work
→ They should or shouldn't do that

When you observe, you notice:

→ What's actually happening
→ What patterns are emerging
→ What you might be missing

There's a massive difference.

Judgment feels certain. Observation stays curious.

And to be honest, our need to judge comes from fear.

→ Fear of being wrong
→ Fear of looking naive
→ Fear of not having an opinion

We think strong opinions make us look smart.

But some of the smartest people I know are ones who say "I don't know yet" and mean it.

They watch longer.
They ask more questions.
They change their minds when new information comes in.

That is what true intelligence looks like in action.

So if you catch yourself rushing to judgment today...

Pause.

Watch for 10 more seconds.
Ask one more question.
Consider what you might be missing.

Because the world reveals itself to those who observe.

Not to those who already decided what they're looking at.

Found this valuable? Please reshare with your network! ♻️ 

And follow Noemi Kis✨ for daily growth tips!

My biggest fear used to be failing.

Now it's dying with my best work still inside me.

I spent most of my 20s procrastinating and “playing it safe.”

I had ideas I didn't launch.
Projects I didn't start.
Things I wanted to say but kept quiet.

I was always waiting for:

→ More experience
→ Better timing
→ Proof it would work

Then 10 years ago, something happened that changed everything.

I was sitting in an airport with my dad, waiting for our flight home.

And I just... broke down.

My dad looked at me with concern: "Are you okay?"

And that's when it all came out.

"I don't want to go back," I said through tears. "I have nothing to go back for."

The truth was:

I'd been sitting on a business idea for 2 years.
I had a plan written out in a notebook I kept hidden.
I knew exactly what I wanted to build.

But I was too scared to start.

→ What if I failed?
→ What if people thought I was naive?
→ What if I wasted money and embarrassed myself?

So I stayed in a job I hated, telling myself I'd start "when I was ready."

My dad didn't say much that day.

But later, on the plane, I asked myself one question:
"What's the worst that could happen if I tried?"

I listed everything:

Losing money. Looking stupid. Failing publicly.

Then I asked: "And what's the worst that happens if I don't?"

I couldn't answer. Because I already knew.

I'd spend the rest of my life wondering "what if."

That airport conversation became my wake-up call.

6 months later, I gave myself an ultimatum: When my contract ended, I would never get another job.

I had 6 months to build something of my own.

And here's what I realized: The things I was afraid of were all temporary.

→ Failing? You recover.
→ Looking stupid? People forget.
→ Losing money? You earn it back.

But dying with your best work still inside you 
That's permanent.

In 100 years, no one will remember if I failed.
But I would've known if I never tried.

So I stopped waiting for permission, confidence, or the "right time."

I started building.

10 years later, I've failed more times than I can count.

But I've never cried in an airport again, paralyzed by my own fear.

Because I finally understood:

In 100 years, everyone you know will be gone.

So go do the thing you're afraid of.

Because one day you'll run out of time to try.

One of the hardest truth to accept:

You can't grow new leaves while holding onto dead ones.

But we try anyway.

We hold onto the job that stopped fulfilling us years ago.

The relationship that's been over in every way except officially.

The version of ourselves we've outgrown but can't seem to let go of.

And we wonder why nothing new is growing.

I came across this quote in a book the other day and it stuck with me.

Because trees are perhaps the best teachers of letting go.

Every fall, they shed everything they spent months building.

They stand there, bare and exposed, through the coldest months of the year.

And they don't panic about whether they'll grow again.

They just trust the process.

We've lost that trust somewhere along the way.

We think holding on means we're strong. That letting go means we've failed.

So we grip tighter to things that are already gone.

And then we're surprised when nothing new can take root.

But here’s something I’ve learnt over the years:

Letting go isn't loss. It's just preparation.

You can't build the next chapter while you're still clinging to the last one.
You can't become who you're meant to be while holding onto who you were.

So if you're in a season right now where everything feels like it's falling apart...

Maybe it's not falling apart.
Maybe it's just falling away.

Making room for what's trying to grow next.

Let go of the dead leaves.

Because better days don't come by holding onto what's dead.

They come when you finally let go.

Found this valuable? Please reshare with your network!♻️ 

And follow Noemi Kis✨ for daily growth tips!

The only person who can save you?

The version of yourself who's had enough.

Here's what I’ve seen most people do when they're stuck:

→ Wait for the right moment 
→ Hope for better conditions 
→ Pray someone notices their struggle

And nothing changes.

Because change doesn't come from hope. It comes from hitting your limit.

That moment when you look at your life and think: "I'm done living like this."

Not tomorrow. Not next month. Not when things settle down. Right now.

That's the version of yourself that saves you.

The one who's tired of:

→ The same excuses 
→ The same patterns 
→ The same results

And decides to do something different.

I was in a similar position 10 years ago. Here’s exactly how I flipped my life around:

1. Audit your daily patterns

Write down everything you do for 3 days.

Then ask: "Is this moving me forward or keeping me stuck?"

Most people are shocked by how much time they waste waiting for change instead of creating it.

2. Identify your non-negotiables

Pick 3 things you'll do every day, no matter what.

→ One for your body 
→ One for your skill 
→ One for your goals 

Make them so small you can't fail. Then do them until they're automatic.

3. Eliminate one drain

Find the biggest energy drain in your life right now.

The toxic relationship. 
The time-wasting habit. 
The commitment that serves nothing.

Cut it. Not gradually. Not "when the time is right." This week.

4. Create proof

Do one thing today that proves you're serious.

Send the email you've been avoiding. 
Post the content you're scared to share. 
Make the call that terrifies you.

Most of the successful people I know have figured this out:

You need to stop looking around for someone to save you.

The hero you're waiting for is the version of you that's done making excuses.

Wake them up.

Found this valuable? Please reshare with your network! ♻️

And follow Noemi Kis✨ for daily growth tips!

Every idea has three audiences.

And only one of them ends up successful.

When you start building something, you'll notice three groups form around you.

1. The critics show up first.

They'll point out every flaw, every risk, every reason it won't work.

"That's been done before."
"The timing isn't right."
"You should really think this through."

They sound experienced. They sound smart.
But they're not building anything themselves.

2. Then come the talkers.

They love your idea. They're genuinely excited about it.

"This is great, we should collaborate."
"I've been thinking about something similar."
"Let me know how it goes."

And they mean it in the moment. But weeks pass. Months pass. And nothing actually happens.

3. The doers are different.

They're the smallest group, but they're the ones who matter. They don't just cheer you on from the sidelines. They actually move.

→ They test what you're building
→ They give you honest feedback
→ They share it without being asked

And here's what I've learned:

You can't convert critics into doers.
You can't turn talkers into builders.

The energy you spend trying to convince skeptics or waiting for "interested" people to follow through is energy wasted.

The only strategy that works is finding the doers early and building with them.

Because critics will always find something to criticize. Talkers will always have another conversation.

But doers help you win.

They become your first customers, your biggest advocates, your real supporters.

So if you're building something right now, pay attention to who's actually doing something with what you're creating.

Not who's watching.
Not who's talking about watching.
Who's doing.

That's your real audience.

And honestly, that's the only audience that matters.

Found this valuable? Please reshare with your network!♻️ 

And follow Noemi Kis✨ for daily growth tips!

You've spent 3 months planning.

Successful people spent 20 minutes building.

Action creates clarity. Planning creates comfort.

They research. They plan. They wait for the "right time."

→ The book that's been "planned" for 3 years
→ The perfect website no customer has seen
→ The post waiting to feel "ready enough"

It feels like progress. But it's just procrastination.

And there’s something I’ve learnt after 15 yrs in business:

Thinking about doing something for 20 hours teaches you nothing.

Doing it for 20 minutes teaches you everything.

Because action creates clarity.

→ You learn what actually works
→ You see what people really want
→ You discover the problems you can’t see

The overthinking phase feels safe. No one can criticize what doesn't exist yet.

But safety isn't the goal. Progress is. And progress only happens when you move.

Here's what 20 minutes with Gamma can actually do:

→ Turn that business idea into a pitch deck
→ Transform that blog post into a visual story
→ Create that client proposal you've been "getting to" for 2 weeks

Because the people who win aren't the ones with the best plans.

They're the ones that started before they felt ready.

So if you've been stuck in the planning phase...

What would happen if you gave yourself 20 minutes?

Just 20 minutes to start the thing you've been overthinking.

Not to finish it. Not to perfect it. Just to begin.

Because the gap between thinking and doing?

That's where dreams go to die.

Close the gap.

Try Gamma. Give yourself 20 minutes.

Watch how it’s done: https://lnkd.in/gSWbh-vx

See what you can build when you stop planning and start doing.

Brand partnership • Microbusiness Ideas / AI enthusiast / TEDx speaker

You're asking for directions from people who are lost themselves.

And wondering why you keep ending up in the same place.

Here's the pattern most people fall into:

→ They want to start a business, so they ask their 9-5 friends

→ They want to scale, so they ask people stuck at $100K

→ They want freedom, so they ask the burned-out "successful" ones

The advice sounds good. It feels safe. But it's coming from someone who's never been where you're trying to go.

They'll tell you to:

→ "Get a steady job first"
→ "Wait until you're more experienced"
→ "Don't take that risk"

Because it's all they know.

I made the same mistake for years and stayed stuck in a job I hated.

That’s when I learned the truth about advice:

– Most people give advice based on their fears, not your potential
– Good intentions don't equal good guidance
– The loudest voices are often from people who never tried


You can't get to $1M by asking someone who's never made it past $100K.

You can't build freedom by listening to people who work 80-hour weeks.

You can't create something new by following people stuck in the old.

So before you take anyone's advice, ask yourself:

Have they actually done what I'm trying to do?

Not talked about it. Not theorized about it. Actually done it.

Because the best directions come from people who've already made the journey.

Everyone else is just guessing.

And you don't build your dreams on someone else's guesses.

Found this valuable? Please reshare with your network! ♻️ 

And follow Noemi Kis✨ for daily growth tips!

I used to have a goal to hit $10M revenue.

Then I deleted it.

For years, that number lived in my business plan, my pitch decks, my annual reviews.

The number that would finally prove:

→ I'd made it
→ I was a real CEO
→ I belonged in the rooms I was in

But here's what nobody tells you about chasing revenue targets:

The goalpost keeps moving.

Hit $1M? Now you need $5M.
Hit $5M? Now you need $10M.
Hit $10M? Now you need to be a unicorn.

It never ends. And to be honest, I was exhausted.

I was making decisions I didn't believe in, all for a number that someone else decided mattered.

In 2021, I sat down and asked myself a different question:

"What do I actually want my life to look like?"

Not my revenue. Not my team size.

My actual life.

The answer was simple:

→ Wake up without anxiety
→ Take weekends completely off
→ Fund new projects without outside money
→ Never miss my family’s important events
→ Build things I'm proud of, not things that scale

And surprisingly, none of that required $10M.

It required less, really good margins, and a business model I loved.

So I deleted the revenue goal.

And I replaced it with this:

– Does this decision give me more freedom or less?
– Does this opportunity energize me or drain me?
– Will I regret saying yes to this in 6 months?

Today, I don’t make $10M but I have:

→ Profit margins that fund my passion projects
→ A small team that I can trust fully
→ Time to think, create, and actually live

So if you're killing yourself for a number that someone else told you matters...

Ask yourself: What am I actually building toward?

Because maybe the goal isn't bigger.
Maybe the goal is better.

Found this valuable? Please reshare with your network! ♻️ 

And follow Noemi Kis✨ for daily growth tips!

Most people spend 3 hours making presentations that no one remembers.

I spend 5 minutes.

Because I automated the boring part.

Here's the thing about getting ahead in your career:

It's not about working harder. It's about creating unfair advantages.

And I found the best one:

You’re drowning in post-meeting work. Every Zoom call meant hours of:

→ Transcribing key points
→ Creating presentation decks
→ Formatting everything perfectly
→ Sending follow-ups that proved I was "on it"

Then I discovered the highest-leverage automation:

I connected two simple tools with Zapier:

Zapier - the automation platform that connects everything
Gamma - creates beautiful presentations instantly
Zoom - where all my important conversations are stored

Here's why this combination is genius:

The best insights already exist.

- Your brilliant strategy discussion.
- Your client's feedback.
- Your team's decisions.

All trapped in meeting recordings.

But when you connect where data lives to where it needs to be, magic happens.

Now after every important call:

→ Zapier automatically detects my Zoom recording
→ Sends it to Gamma
→ Gamma analyzes the entire conversation
→ Creates a professional deck with key insights

5 minutes. Zero manual work.

What this actually means for your career:

- You can present complex things simply
- You follow up after every meeting
- You show up like an executive leader

While everyone else is still formatting slides, you're already thinking three moves ahead.

That's how you create opportunities.

You can find it at https://lnkd.in/g_AgBGhA

#zapierpartner #gammapartner

Most startup advice is for 22-year-olds who can code.

I'm 40. I run a 7 fig business serving clients like SpaceX and P&G.  

In a tiny niche for water filtration.

5 hours a week. 3 people. 

Let me show you how a microbusiness works:

Let’s take a traditional business: A pet store

Profitable one-person niches for pets:

→ Travel kits for RV pets ($7K/month)
→ Anxiety gear for rescue dogs ($6K/month)
→ Joint supplements for senior bulldogs ($10K/month)
→ Booking systems for mobile dog groomers ($3K/month)

Each one can be built by non-technical founders using AI tools.

Go so specific that customers think "this was made FOR ME."

Here’s are the options:

→ Freelancer: Income ceiling = hours
→ SaaS & startups: Fast growth, scale, exit.
→ Corporate: Security dependent on the job market.
→ Small business: Employees, overhead, broad market.

This is how I define a microbusiness:

- One person or small team
- $50K-$1M annual revenue
- 10-40 hours/week
- Uses AI + no-code tools
- You specialize

Just a profitable business you own.

This works today but didn’t 5 years ago, because you can:

- Run a business on $100/mo tools
- Build with no code AI and automate
- Find customers in online niche groups

I spent 20 hours documenting 5,000 of these ideas.

Filtered for: profitable, one-person, solvable with AI, serving customers who actually pay.

What’s stopping you isn’t the idea: It’s this:

→ Which niche should I pick?
→ I can't code" (Claude/Cursor/Replit can)
→ I'm already working 50 hours
→ Sounds too good to be true (Fair - that's why I'm showing you my actual business)

You solve a problem so specific that clients gladly pay 10x for someone who finally understands.

That's why I am launching a newsletter:

Every week you’ll get:

→ One ready-to-launch microbusiness (built with Cursor/Zapier)
→ The exact customer niches to target
→ Week 1 execution plan (DM scripts, landing page copy)

Not a course. Not "learn to code."

Just: here's the idea, the AI template setup, here's who to sell: now go.

Want the 5,000 profitable niches right now? It’s free when you join my newsletter.  

Get it here: https://lnkd.in/g4BK_8n9

This is how you build career insurance and freedom.

Share this to your network ♻️

P.S. Comment "niche" below, or repost and I'll DM you a bonus, the entire database inside a custom GPT. (have to be connected)

Last week, it took me 3 hours to screen 231 resumes.

Today it took 30 seconds per resume.

Most founders I know are drowning in resumes.

So I built a Zapier Agent that evaluates resumes instantly from my browser.

I tested it on a pile of resumes yesterday.

The agent caught things I would've missed:
- A developer with the exact stack we use (buried on page 2)
- Red flags in employment gaps I glossed over
- Pattern matching across similar successful hires

But here's my favorite part:

It doesn't just say yes or no.

It explains WHY.

"Strong candidate - has 3 years in our exact tech stack, shows progression in responsibilities, and their side project demonstrates self-learning."

Or:

"Pass - lacks hands-on experience despite certifications, no evidence of building real products."

This is NOT about replacing human judgment.

It's about getting to human judgment faster.

This is how modern founders should hire.

Not by reading 200 generic resumes.

But by building agents that instantly surface the right people.

Curious to try it out? Try Zapier agents here: https://lnkd.in/gQwBEtTy

#ZapierPartner

Seth Yakatan

Raising & Selling 📈 $1B+ Raised 💰 22 Companies Sold 🤝

Are you struggling to communicate your vision to the capital gatekeepers?

Are you exploring selling your business but don’t know anything about:
✘ Due diligence
✘ Term sheets
✘ Earnouts

Friend, you're lucky you found me...

I'm Seth Yakatan.

I have 30-odd years experience as a corporate finance professional.

My specialties are:
💰 Raising money
🤝 Selling companies

And I’m f**king good at it.

I’ve raised over $1B and sold 22 businesses.

My career has mostly been supporting small-cap and major corporations seeking capital to grow, or
to find strategic acquirers.

Most of these companies are in: 
— biotech
— cannabis
— pharmaceuticals
— DTC consumer goods

I’ve been on boards, taken companies public, gone up against multinational corporations, raised from VC and PE funds.

All of it. 
Many times over.
Whatever your problem is, I’ve seen it before.

But let me level with you:

What I REALLY love is helping people to get to the finish line.

Talking to entrepreneurs excites me.

But in my experience, entrepreneurs are mostly s**t at raising capital and selling companies.

** They just don’t understand investors **

And that’s where I come in.

Together, we workshop: 
✔ Your pitch
✔ Your deck
✔ Your strategy 

And help you raise the capital to GROW and SELL your business.

If you need this help—and almost every business does—send me a DM.

Like, now.

Don't lose another potential investor or acquirer with the wrong pitch.

Seth ✌️

Co-Founder

Merchant Bank / Advisory / Family Office

While politicians are arguing about hemp, Kratom is being sold as a “natural wellness supplement.”

But let’s STOP pretending.

This is NOT chamomile tea.

This is NOT “plant-based stress relief.”

This is an unregulated opioid analogue with street-corner quality control.

And it’s ending up in gas stations, smoke shops, and TikTok “self-care” feeds.


>> Whats Happening?

Kratom is being sold everywhere with little to no restrictions.

And, IMO, it is DANGEROUS.

It contains mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, compounds that we know:

→ Bind to mu-opioid receptors
→ Produce opioid-like euphoria and sedation

And it creates tolerance and withdrawal patterns basically indistinguishable from low-grade opioid dependence.

California’s Department of Public Health just issued a formal advisory (NR25-016) warning that:

Kratom products are ILLEGAL to manufacture and sell in the state.

Claims about pain, anxiety, or withdrawal treatment are unproven.

And that multiple fatal overdoses have already been linked to kratom in Los Angeles County

This is not “maybe dangerous.”…this is DOCUMENTED harm.


>> Why This Matters?

OxyContin addiction didn’t start because people wanted to get high.

It started because people were in pain, desperate & were told something was safe and “less addictive.”

We have seen this movie before and I know exactly how it plays out.

Kratom is unregulated, inconsistently dosed and frequently adulterated.

And marketed using the same language pattern that launched the opioid epidemic:

“Natural”, “Safer than pharmaceuticals”, “Helps with withdrawal”

The result is people self-dosing their way straight into dependency.

Not because they’re reckless.

But because the product is designed to look harmless.

And the supply chain knows exactly what it’s doing....


>> What Am I Watching?

The pattern is repeating: 

Normalization via wellness marketing (“It’s just a plant.”)

Distribution concentrated in deregulated retail (Vape shops, convenience stores, social media DMs.)

Dependence masked as “daily routine" (Users don’t realize they’re sick until they stop.)

Regulators reacting only after deaths accumulate.

If we wait for “more data,” we are doing nothing more than running the Purdue Pharma playbook in slow motion.

This is not a supplement it’s an unregulated opioid with branding.

Kratom should not be sold.
Kratom should not be normalized.
Kratom should not be framed as “self-care.”
Kratom should be STOPPED.

When you want to push the boundary, what do you do?

TRY HARDER.
 
So I am honored to announce my latest collaboration with Fat Nugs Magazine x Seth Yakatan: A New Live Industry Series

>>> WHAT ?
I'm teaming up with Fat Nugs Magazine to launch a brand-new live discussion series spotlighting cannabis products and brands. 
 
And to start we're tackling pre-rolls - a category whose growth cannot be denied.

>>> WHO ?
Andrew Wells
Cesar Angobaldo
Courtney Zalewski
Fernando Bent-Mullings
Mei-Ling Campbell
Timeka Drew
Catherine Sidman
Luna Stower, MAT, CG ✨

>>> WHEN ? 

The series kicks off with its first episode Thursday, November 20th at 11AM EST/ 8AM PST.

FNM Presents: Voices of the Plant w/ Seth Yakatan
Preroll Edition 
Business. Culture. Community.

 
Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/geV4jVmy 

& MARK YOU CALENDARS for Thursday, November 20th at 11AM EST/ 8AM PST.

You want your 15 minutes of fame?

Then find me and my man Lance C. Lambert ✓ in VEGAS....

My friends at Fat Nugs Magazine have made the questionable decision of giving me a camera and a microphone (LOOK OUT!!!)

Fat Nugs Magazine  x PufCreativ event, Light Up Las Vegas, is going to be 🔥 

Me + Lance, badass activations, the food, infused beverages, live art, live music from John Shute's band, Bubala, the Faces of Cannabis, and I GOT A MIC!!!

Fat Nugs Magazine
John Shute, MBA
PufCreativ

Well folks, I have to admit that I was WRONG… I know, SHOCKER 😱

About 3 months ago I put up a post on AYR Wellness.

I said RIP…

But suddenly, AYR has come back from the dead…

Last week AYR Wellness Inc. announced that it was going to initiate CCAA proceedings. 


>> What's Happening?

On November 17, core assets of AYR’s subsidiaries will be transitioned to a newly formed acquisition vehicle (NewCo) owned by certain AYR senior note holders.

Basically this means that the lenders are going to run the company to try to get a recovery.

This is the same thing we’ve seen with several other companies…


>> Why is it Relevant?

1. Note trend
2. See #1

Just another case of investors taking the keys and trying to operate…


>> What Am I Watching?

This is about the fourth version of this flavor, will see if it tastes any different.

This industry has now become an SOP for the ‘equitization of debt and operate’ strategy…

Grabbing popcorn….

Hit the Debt Wall Jokes in the comments please.

Getting pumped for earnings season ???

WELL I AM...

Talking about Q2 a while back with the squad from 

The Dales Report

How do you think that that Q3 is going to look ???

Hit me in the Comments....

and thank you Shadd Dales + Anthony Varrell

BIG SCANDAL in NY this past month…

Omnium Health just found out the hard way that renting your license isn’t the same as running a business.


>> What’s Happening?

NY state says Omnium was renting out warehouse space to unlicensed operators and then moving products through its own distribution channels.

The regulators are moving to yank Omnium Health’s permits and hit them with 7-figure fines, and recall $10M worth of product.


>> Why is This Important?

This is the first major enforcement under the state’s new crackdown.

It signals a shift from “we’re building the market” to “we’re cleaning it up.”

And now the fallout is real:

Multi-million dollar recall.
Permanent ban on participation.
Dozens of brands hurt.


>> What Am I Watching?

I have called out that New York’s cannabis roll out experiment has been chaos from DAY ONE.

Slow licensing, illegal stores on every block, and bureaucrats chasing their tails.

But this move finally shows they’re willing to go after the suits, not just the bodegas.

It’s a warning shot.

Maybe, just maybe New York will clean up its act?

You enjoy your freedom ?

Then thank a VETERAN...

I am honored that members of my family have proudly served to ensure that my butt can. go get a burger fries and a coke...

Lets give it up for a REAL AMERICAN HERO...

Evan Hunt

Evan is a:

— Decorated 20-year veteran and combat aviator
— Community and business leader
— Texas family man
and has NO AGENDA other than his SERVICE !

He's running for U.S. Congress in Texas as a Democrat. 

He's taking on MAGA extremism and wants to recapture the House in 2026.

You can donate to help his cause here: https://lnkd.in/gQana6Wu

Who keeps me bullish?

Wyld & Aaron Morris

In ANY other industry, THAT'S A ROLL-UP PLATFORM.

General Catalyst (CALL ME)

Thanks to the gents From the Weeds to the Clouds - Michael Krefman + Michael Peterson

Do you have a functioning company?

i.e. Are you generating CASH FLOW??

Then consider yourself SUCCESSFUL, because you are in the MINORITY
in c@nnabis.

So what advice do I give you....???

Well with 5 companies over $150M in revenue in receivership...

1. STAY IN IT
2. STAY IN IT
3. STAY IN IT!!!

And thanks to my friend Scott Greiper for moderating a great panel....

The 5 Stages of Grief: Cannabis Edition


Stage 1: Denial

For everyone: The initial shock and disbelief that loss has occurred, acting as a buffer against overwhelming emotions.

For us: The initial shock that prices are NOT going to stay high forever and act as a buffer against the mountain of debt raised.


Stage 2: Anger

For everyone: A natural reaction to loss, where one may feel frustration, resentment, or rage at the situation.

For us: Manifests in yelling at A/R collections, city counsel meetings, boardrooms, or in the comments on LinkedIn.


Stage 3: Bargaining

For everyone: Negotiate with fate or a higher power to undo the loss, often involving phrases like "If only..." or "What if...".

For us: “Well I can just SELL the license, not pay taxes, not pay suppliers, vendors, employees or investors and get my creditors to amend and extend, plus FEDERAL HAS TO come soon, right??”


Stage 4: Depression

For everyone: Feelings of sadness, despair, and hopelessness set in as the reality of the loss becomes clearer.

For us: This market SUCKS, this industry SUCKS, these people SUCK, this government SUCKS. 


Stage 5: Acceptance

For everyone: Reach a point where the loss is acknowledged and understood, and one begins to adapt to the new reality.

For us: Lower prices, market volatility, hope for “catalysts” and a maybe we never get a Federal “save”.

Plus, all this s**t I’m eating is making my stomach stronger!

Did this resonate with anyone??

Hit those comments.

Want to see me in a SUIT???

Well if you are Inside the Beltway today there is a CHANCE...

You'll find me in my clown suit, all dressed up for my crew at IgniteIt Cannabis.

See you today in the District for my photo opp.

Use my link and get in at a discount: https://lnkd.in/e45zHKrW

I Failed As An Odds Maker
And almost got run out of Vegas as a result !!!

What I Thought ??? 
I used to believe I could predict things. 
I thought outcomes were logical: 
Markets mature THEN prices stabilize 
Regulators see tax revenue AND regulation eases 
Consumers migrate to legal markets WHILE illicit fades 
Capital flows to efficiency LETTING good operators win 
None of that happened.

What I Learned ??? 
Regulation became politics: NOT economics 
Taxation became punishment: NOT policy 
Consumers followed availability: NOT governance 
And capital flowed to the loudest or biggest: NOT the best
So, I tried to be an odds maker and failed..

What Did I Learn ??? 
The cannabis and hemp space is not a market it's a game of unlocks: 
Access unlocks: Who can sell where 
Distribution unlocks: Who gets shelf space 
On-Premise unlocks: Who gets to shape consumer behavior 
Regulatory unlocks: Which side of the line you operate on

The people who win are not the ones with the best products
They're the ones with the best positioning when the unlock happens
I wasn’t wrong about the demand…I was wrong about the sequencing

So I failed as an odds maker, and changed my lens 

I stopped predicting when something will change 
I started positioning for what happens when it does 

I don’t need to guess the date Congress wakes up 
I just need to be on the board when they do
You don’t have to be an oddsmaker… 
You just have to be aligned when the unlock hits. 
And that’s a game I like my odds in.

Today I give THANKS...

That I am not a Turkey...although some of you might beg to differ....

Thats it...

Happy Holidays !!!

And make sure you tell someone you love them today....

Here’s the big thing I learned from the hemp ban:

First, NO ONE has been louder than me about the coming “inflection.”

Well…maybe I’m the dumbest guy on the internet…

Let’s break down why:


>> The Good

The Farm Bill allowed for the ubiquitous distribution of these molecules.

Loophole/Grey Area/ Unintended consequence, I don’t care what you think about that.

Putting the MOLECULES on Main Street and in the mail was NOT the intent.

But guess what, the consumer chose….the MOLECULES. 


>> The Bad

Cannabis is demonized, marginalized and constrained.

Produce, manufacture and sell in limited silos in specific areas in selected states.

Want to purchase? Go to the crappiest part of town where they put airports, chop shops and strip clubs.

Banking? Forget it. Normalization? Sure as soon as there is a dispensary on Rodeo Drive.


>> The Ugly

Once the Farm Bill allowed for the democratization of cannabis to occur, the consumer made a clear choice.

THEY CHOSE THE MOLECULES.

In the mail, in grocery stores, in liquor stores, in big box retail.

When you put the MOLECULES in the normal consumer purchase cycle they CHOSE IT.

and then what happened? Retail adopted. 

And that SCARED THE SH$T OUTTA: 
— ALCOHOL
— BEVERAGE
— CPG
— TOBACCO
— PHARMA

End of the day whether its Hemp or THC we are talking about the same MOLECULES.

The public WANTS it. So let’s keep making that case and stay united.

When something that NEEDS to exist but doesn't, what do you do?

YOU CREATE IT.
 
So I am honored to announce my latest collaboration with Fat Nugs Magazine

A new series of LinkedIn Live sessions to educate, spotlight and discuss critical issues around PRODUCTS.

Why? 

Because Instagram is NOT a safe space and LinkedIn seems to have critical mass for OUR INDUSTY.
 
I'm teaming up with Fat Nugs Magazine to launch a brand-new live discussion series spotlighting cannabis products and brands. 

Expect we will amplify voices from every corner, deeply knowledgeable professionals to everyday consumers.

Episodes will stream across multiple platforms, giving an unfiltered look at the products, stories, and people behind them.
 
And to start we're tackling pre-rolls - a category whose growth cannot be denied.

Expect 8 panelists to break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of pre-rolls,

Panelists will also get the chance to sample prerolls LIVE, bringing real-time reactions and insights to the conversation.

This isn’t just another panel, it’s the start of an honest, wide-open dialogue about the products that define our industry.

The series kicks off with its first episode Thursday, November 20th at 11AM EST/ 8AM PST.

FNM Presents: Voices of the Plant w/ Seth Yakatan
Preroll Edition 

Business. Culture. Community.
Welcome to Voices of the Plant - the new Fat Nugs Magazine LinkedIn Live series that brings real conversations from the heart of cannabis.
 
Sign up here: https://bit.ly/3LpTDXd

& MARK YOU CALENDARS for Thursday, November 20th at 11AM EST/ 8AM PST.

You doing anything today??
 
Fat Nugs Magazine x Seth Yakatan present: The Plant Panel

We're hosting a new LinkedIn live with some of the sharpest minds working in cannabis.

Andrew Wells
Cesar Angobaldo
Courtney Zalewski
Fernando Bent-Mullings
Mei-Ling Campbell
Timeka Drew
Catherine Sidman
Luna Stower, MAT, CG ✨

TODAY: November 20th at 11AM EST/ 8AM PST.

FNM Presents: The Plant Panel w/ Seth Yakatan

Episode one is the Preroll Edition 

Business. Culture. Community.

Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/geV4jVmy

Believe it or not, I continue to hear from people that c@nnabis is NOT efficacious.

“Cannabis doesn’t really work for pain, sleep, or anxiety.”

I hear this from people who have:
— Never read a single clinical data table
— Never treated a patient
— Still think weed = teenagers + Bob Marley poster

Meanwhile, the SCIENCE is right there.


>> What’s Happening?

Recent clinical evaluations show consistent, measurable benefits:

Pain: 
→ Patients report statistically significant reductions about 0.5cm on a 10cm scale across populations. 
→ No placebo, that’s real analgesic effect at scale.

Sleep: 
→ Cannabis improves subjective sleep quality. 
→ If you’ve ever actually not slept, you know that you feel in the morning matters more than what your polysomnography printout says.

Anxiety: 
→ At appropriate dose and context, cannabinoids produce reliable anxiolytic effects, especially CBD.
→ THC requires respect and calibration yes. But to pretend it “doesn’t work” is just LAZY.

These effects are real, repeatable, clinically observed, and patient-reported across thousands of data points.

This is evidence!!!


>> Why Does This Matter?

There is a massive cultural blind spot around what counts as “meaningful efficacy.”

We are conditioned to think only in miracle outcomes:

— Erase all pain
— Cure insomnia
— Eliminate all anxiety

That’s not how real medicine works.

Real medicine is incremental improvement that accumulates into quality of life.

And cannabis delivers exactly that.


>> What Am I Watching?

The brands, operators, clinicians, and researchers who will win the next decade are the ones who:

1. Respect the evidence
2. Respect individual response and dosing
3. Position cannabis as a meaningful tool in the therapeutic toolkit
4. Communicate in clinical, human terms

Because here’s the TRUTH:

Cannabis works. It’s medicine. PERIOD.

So when someone dismisses cannabis because it’s not a miracle cure…

They’re telling you they don’t understand patients, medicine, or reality.

(and if you don’t know who is with me in the picture DO YOUR HOMEWORK)

So Ohio just issued a BAN on THC drinks, gummies, other hemp products…

Is this just another domino to fall in the ever changing Hemp landscape?

I’ve seen this movie before, pretty sure I now how it is going to end…

Alcohol lobby keeps making it RAIN!!


>> What’s Happening?

Ohio Gov. DeWine just dropped a 90-day ban on intoxicating hemp products — drinks, gummies, the whole lot.

The justification? Predictably it was to “protect the children…”

The reality is this is just another political move after months of legislative inaction.


>> Why It Matters?

Let’s be clear: This isn’t about safety. It’s about control.

Hemp beverages have been sitting on shelves for years — in gas stations, grocery stores, and yes, maybe even in a few PTA moms’ purses. 

But now they’re suddenly dangerous candy? Please.

What’s really happening is that regulators are scrambling because hemp is moving faster than their tax codes and licensing frameworks.

Meanwhile, the consumer is left wondering why they can buy 1.5L of vodka at Target but not a 5mg seltzer.


>> What Am I Watching?

I’m watching who profits from the pause. Follow the money and, more importantly, the LOBBYING.

Does this becomes a blueprint: ban first, regulate later? (n=2 Ohio and California?)

How do brands now pivot? On-premise and licensed retail just became the only legal outlets for 90 days.

I hate watching growth and innovation get punished for outpacing bureaucracy.

And Ohio just told every hemp company: “Thanks for the R&D, we’ll take it from here.”

So your cannabis company “got international distribution?”

Well….let’s look a little more closely here shall we:


THE REASON PEOPLE ARE RUNNING OVERSEAS

Domestic cannabis margins are garbage right now.

Wholesale prices down 40–70% in key markets in 24 months.

Effective tax rates north of 60% because 280E is the IRS’s medieval torture device.

45%+ of “multi-state operators” are over-levered and drowning in debt like college kids with their student loans.

So everyone says the same thing:

“We’ll just go international. Less competition. More upside. Cleaner markets.”

Yes. But also NO.

International IS an opportunity… it’s just not the one you think it is.


THE ACTUAL RISKS (THESE ARE NOT THEORIES)

Currency risk
— Mexico, Colombia, Israel, Thailand have all experienced 5–35% currency swings in the last 18 months. Your “15% margin” becomes a rounding error.

Political volatility
— Governments change & cannabis policy gets rewritten in the hallway on the way to the vote.

No brand memory
— Your U.S. brand means nothing to a consumer who has never seen THC sold legally… ever.

Supply Chain Reality
— “We have a distributor” ≠ you have distribution. You have a person with a PDF and enthusiasm. Ask anyone who has done cross-border THC/GMP transport.
The paperwork alone can send a grown adult into silent prayer.


SO WHEN DOES INTERNATIONAL WORK?

When you stop trying to export identity and start importing infrastructure.

The winners will be the ones who:

1. Partner with local operators who already own distribution
2. Don’t show up loud but show up boring
3. Aren’t dependent on the U.S. capital mood swings
4. Understand on-premise unlocks will take years, not quarters
5. Oh and you know…have a grown-up strategy!


WHEN DOES IT FAIL?

When you think: “We found a supplier and a buyer… we’re global now.”

No, you’re not.

You just created a customs liability and a future LinkedIn apology tour.

I am bullish on international markets. 

There is real opportunity.

But don’t confuse “different” risk with “less” risk.

International is not your lifeboat.

It’s a rope bridge in a windstorm.

Still walkable.

Just don’t do cartwheels on it….

Big revealing news NO ONE was talking about:

This entrenched strategic jumped form factor and doubled down on the industry.


>> What Happened? 

The Boston Beer Company is expanding its “beyond beer” play.

Its brand Emerald Hour is launching THC gummies in Canada. 

These vegan gummies contain 5 mg THC, and the product is hitting dispensaries in Ontario and Alberta.


>> Why Does This Matter?

This is major because Boston Beer is signaling serious commitment to cannabis AND NOT just beverages (well, after the Hemp ban…pffft).

They are leveraging Bev/Alc cred into a new category, attempting to transfer brand equity from “beer & seltzer” into THC edibles.

The REAL question: Are they poised to win, or is this just a land grab without the operational muscle of a cannabis native?


>> What Am I Watching?

Will Boston Beer ramp distribution quickly (600+ dispensaries for the beverages already) and build meaningful shelf-presence?

How will Boston Beer execute operationally: supply chain, compliance, packaging, vegan/clean-label positioning?

Will this move prompt other major beverage players to accelerate into cannabis edibles, or has Farm Bill repeal made everyone gun-shy??

Success will be visible when margin expands, repeat consumer behavior is high, and the brand becomes credible not just in beer.

If you’re playing the game, EYES WIDE OPEN…this is a flanking move worth tracking. 

If you’re counting on it to drive immediate growth or dominance, chill.

Either way we just moved to DEFCON 2… 

And if you needed any further examples that alcohol was Donald Ducked then here you go.

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The Battle

Noemi Kis✨

Seth Yakatan

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Noemi Kis✨'s LinkedIn Performance

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