We had the good fortune of connecting with Robert Ellis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was at a point in my career where I realized that there is no such thing as job security when you are working for someone else. Having made millions of dollars for different companies over the years, only to be let go once they felt I was no longer of “value” to them, pushed me to becoming my own boss.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?There are not many black owned cannabis brands operating in the space today, PAPER BAG$ is a brand that I created and started from a scratch. It took about a year and a half to come up with the design and packaging, which by first glance you would not think due to the simplicity of it. What sets me apart from most other brands in the market is that I handle all sales myself, which is unheard of in our space. Most cannabis companies have a team of 5 to 10 people covering the state, up to this point I have done it alone. I also oversee all marketing compaigns with the help of my brother Eric “Boogie” Ellis and our talented graphic designer Alex Martinez from AMStudios. 

Starting PB$ has been the most challenging mission I have undergone, when I first launched knew it would be an uphill battle because of my experience in sales and marketing for other cannabis brands but being a business owner, you learn a lot more on the day to day compared to being an employee of a company. The only way to overcome those challenges is by not giving up.

I’ve learned many lessons during this journey, the most important being is to always keep an even temperament. No No matter when things are going good or bad, it is important to stay calm and focused on your long term vision.

I want the world to know that I dedicated my life to this brand and continue to give it everything that I have to this day.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Bungalow at the Fairmont hotel on a Saturday afternoon is mandatory when I have friends come visit who are not from this area. Sunday we catch a couple basketball games of the Venice Basketball League. During the week I like to go to Redondo Pier and pick up some fresh oysters from “Quality Seafood”, I go during the week because it gets way to hectic on the weekends. Lastly take a trip up the coast, stop at Broad Street Oyster Company in Malibu, and grab a lobster roll or two.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The entire team at Loogaroo Logistics and their CEO Steven Cavarno.

Website: https://paperbagmob.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yungrobgoincrazy/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-ellis-iv-916808112/

Youtube: youtube.com/channel/UCokAwbZh3oAqRJfROFdexmA

Image Credits
Alex Martinez

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