Meet Elevated Trading
Meet Cody Sandone, Founder & CEO of Elevated Trading
Why did you get into the hemp industry?
In 2019, I was introduced to the industry by a family friend, and we invested in a large outdoor farm in Southern Oregon. I was expecting a capital return, but the farmer was having trouble selling the material, so my brother and I stepped in to sell the material and recover our investment.
While moving thousands of pounds of CBD flower, we saw a huge gap in the supply chain between farmers and retailers and quickly knew we could fix this problem. At the time, the industry was heavily plagued with bad actors, inconsistent products, failed business dealings, and a lot of frustrated retailers left holding the bag…literally.
We formed Elevated Trading in January 2020 on a mission to elevate the supply chain and build a reliable, trusted bridge from the farm to the retailer. I left my corporate sales gig in Cybersecurity in September 2020 to pursue Elevated Trading full-time, and I haven’t looked back. This industry is incredibly exciting, and I’m glad to be a part of it.
What do you think are the main challenges within this industry?
I see two big challenges in this industry. Legislation and infighting.
In such a regulated industry, there is always an underlying concern of business impacting legislation that could make it impossible to operate with the hemp industry. We fully support sensible legislation around consumer safety and age restrictions, but the vast majority of legislation that’s been introduced is seemingly done out of ignorance or malice.
The second issue is the infighting within cannabis (both marijuana and hemp). The fact is that we’re all participating in the cannabis industry in different capacities. There’s room for everyone, but, surprisingly, the vast majority of negativity surrounding the hemp industry seems to be launched directly from the marijuana world. Everyone needs to stay in their lane and focus on their customers instead of fighting so hard against other businesses that are all promoting access to cannabis.
What is the most important advice that you would give individuals who are looking to get involved in this industry?
Most people underestimate this industry. I’m a capitalist and believe in competition so I welcome anyone to the industry, but the vast majority of folks entering the cannabis space seem to believe this is a quick way to make a lot of money. There is a blindness for a lot of business owners entering this space because they are so connected with the plant. Having passion for the plant is a great attribute, but you need some business chops to play in this arena.
This industry is exciting and lucrative, but you need to differentiate yourself and your product set if you’re going to enter at this stage of the game. There are too many copycat vendors and products, and the consumers are starting to get wiser about the quality they expect from their products. Biggest advice is to do extensive market research, figure out exactly where you want to play, and go all in on that particular domain. Don’t try to be everything to everyone…that’s not how you win.
What do you hope to see for the future of the hemp industry in Texas?
Texas has a booming hemp market today, and I hope to see us continue to flourish and lead the charge on how a robust, mature hemp market should be operating. There are a lot of companies in the Texas market operating with integrity and putting the consumer first.
Everyone deserves the freedom to choose what they consume, and I firmly believe that the hemp program in Texas is a testament to watching the consumers vote with their dollars. Hemp is a game changer for Texas residents, and I’m stoked to be a part of it.
As the industry matures in Texas, we’re continuing to see the level of products and integrity among brands really increase which is exciting and encouraging for us who’ve been operating in Texas for a long time.
How to Utilize Elevation Trading:
At Elevated Trading, we’ve always specialized in wholesale bulk flower products, and we’re hyper-focused on our customer’s success. We have a very high touch sales process that allows us to learn a lot about our customers and really formulate a partnership that drives real revenue and growth to their bottom line. We look forward to learning more about your business.
Find Elevated Trading online at www.elevatedtrading.com or call 972-373-4240 and mention Texas Hemp Reporter.
The Texas Hemp Coalition’s goal is to provide industry specific information to growers, processors and entities that are involved in the Texas Hemp Industry. We will serve as an advocacy, educational and networking liaison to reputable entities within the hemp industry. Visit www.texashempcoalition.org for more information.
