Not everyone can do everything, but Justin and Greta Brandt are the power couple who come close. Justin Brandt is an attorney practicing law in the cannabis industry and a founding partner of Bianchi & Brandt, which is “the nation’s leading cannabis law firm.” He now assists clients locally, nationally and internationally with their cannabis law needs such as obtaining and understanding licenses. Greta Brandt began her career as a lawyer also in the cannabis industry but now works for a chain of dispensaries — The Flower Shop — as their president. She travels around the country managing locations in Arizona, Utah, New Jersey and “likely Florida.” Justin and Greta Brandt have been married for almost 10 years, and when they aren’t working in the Arizona cannabis sector, they are making time to spend with each other, their three kids — 3-years-old, 6-years-old and 8-years-old — and their two dogs. Az Business sat down with them to find out what’s next for the industry and how they do it all.
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Az Business: What sort of future do you see for the cannabis industry overall?
Justin Brandt: We could roll dice. Unfortunately, I don’t have a crystal ball, but a year in cannabis is really like seven years. I mean, we’re at the forefront of an industry that changes every day and is still relatively new with a lot of opportunity.
Greta BrandT:I would agree. And I would say from an operator standpoint, as Justin mentioned, this industry moves extremely fast and so you are constantly behind the game. What’s so fun and energizing in this industry is being able to produce products that would take years to bring to the market. You’re able to bring that to the market in relatively very short timelines. What that creates is innovation.
AB: What do you think it takes to be a power couple?
JB: She’s much more powerful than I am, I’ll tell you that much.
GB: We bring out the best in each other. We support each other. His success is my success and vice versa. So, truly wanting the best for each other really has fueled our growth within this industry and our ability to operate well in the industry.
AB: How do you find a work/life balance throughout your relationship?
JB: There’s just not enough time in the day, to be honest with you. We have three beautiful children. It’s a lot, but we enjoy it.
GB: I agree. Work/life balance is an absolute challenge. We work long hours, but our kids come first, and my marriage comes first. We prioritize that above all. But I really enjoy what I do, so it makes it fun.
AB: How do you work to keep a strong family dynamic?
GB: It’s not perfect, nowhere near perfect. What I have learned as a working parent is that I show up when I need to. I know what is important to my kids and what’s important to me, and I make sure that I’m there. We are raising our kids to understand what a strong household looks like with two working parents. They still receive the love and care that I would want them to have and that they need. It may look a little bit different for us, but we’re good with it. We love our jobs, and we love our kids.
JB: Couldn’t have said it better.
