Maps Won’t Work Here: Seeing Beyond The Numbers
In any industry, there’s a fine line between seeing things as they are and seeing them as we imagine them to be. But in this place, where regulation, market trends, and consumer behavior constantly shift, that line isn’t just fine—it’s blurred like a watercolor in the rain. Success in this business requires logic, hard data, and a sharp eye for reality. Yet, it also demands imagination, the ability to envision possibilities where others see limitations, and to make connections hidden in the noise of a saturated market.
About Imagination…
A story by Norm McDonald
“Once I learned this truth, I began to see examples of it everywhere. A picture hung on the wall of our parlor. In it, a woman was taking a shirt from a clothesline. She had clothespins in her teeth, the wind was blowing, and a boy was tugging at her dress. She looked like she was in a hurry, and the whole scene gave me the sense that, just outside the frame, dark clouds were gathering.
But that wasn’t the reality—it was just paint. So I decided then and there to see the picture for what it really was. I stared at it long and hard, trying to see only the paint. But it was no use. My eyes insisted on seeing the lie. In fact, the longer I gazed, the more false details I began to imagine. The boy was crying, as if afraid, and the woman seemed weaker than I had first believed.
I finally gave up. I understood then that it takes a powerful imagination to see a thing for what it truly is.”
Standing Out
It’s a business, yes—but it’s also a show. This place is one of the few industries where creativity can thrive alongside commerce. You don’t just sell products; you create an experience. A dispensary can be anything—part wellness spa, part speakeasy, part haunted house, part space station. It’s a place where the rules of traditional retail bend to the imagination of the people running it. A well-curated product lineup is one thing, but the atmosphere, the branding, and the story—those are what keep people coming back.
