AACE INTERVIEW: Charmaine Chua of STIIIZY
Charmaine Chua
“Sometimes, I miss the days of more predictable environments and being able to reference an archive of proven, repeatable strategies. That said, this is truly the wildest, toughest, and most exhilarating time of my career, and I wouldn't have it any other way.”
What a pleasure it is to have Charmaine Chua, SR VP of Sales for Stiiizy on AACE, her route to AACE took over a year and began with a dinner in West Hollywood with a fire-breather near our table. For over a year, I’ve heard about this wonderous unicorn that I needed to meet, with each suggestion I cried out “Well? When???!!”. Then Covid hit.
We met right after Los Angeles opened up again for indoor dining and we took advantage of that and of our mutual friend Brian Quigley being in town to organize our meeting. I sat at the dinner with two of the most accomplished and most humble people I’ve ever met, their years at a major Fortune 500 company were an insight into a world I’ve never experienced and I sat there absorbing each bit of information spilling over the appetizers and cocktails. Charmaine is a unicorn, she is part quiet genius and the rest is this ball of energy and out-of-the-box thinking that I now understand why we met, we both came from disparate areas to converge at this moment of the changing of the history of cannabis. I am honored to have Charmaine on AACE and I hope you enjoy her energy and insights as much as I do. - Ophelia Chong
How has your Asian upbringing helped you in your cannabis career?
I was raised by strict "tiger parents" who made me do some really interesting things when I was young, like read the encyclopedia for an hour a day. I think they were hoping their firstborn - me - would become some sort of prodigy but I quickly crushed their dreams. But their parenting style, which drove me nuts when I was younger, instilled a deep sense of discipline, focus, and endurance which I believe helps me now. I'm thankful and proud of my Asian upbringing, and even prouder that my Asian parents are unmoved by the negative stigma of cannabis that still lingers in parts of our community. My mom loves the attention she gets when she wears her STIIIZY shirt.
You were recruited directly from college and then immersed in a Fortune 500 culture for 15 years. What was the epiphany that convinced you to change your career path and leave that security and consistency and dive headfirst into the cannabis industry?
Looking back, I remember how excited I was to receive my job offer from STIIIZY, but unsure what to do with it. I was also in the middle of my MBA program, and upon asking my strategy professor what he thought I should do, he simply asked "what do you have to lose?" I thought hard about what he asked, and I realized it wasn't the pay or half-day Fridays I feared giving up. What I was most afraid of was the possibility of failing, and the utter discomfort (financially, mentally, etc.) I would feel as a result. Luckily, I came to my senses and realized that fear of failure would be the absolute worst reason to not accept the opportunity of a lifetime. So I made a choice that if I wanted to learn more, earn more, and simply be more, I had to play ball and I would give it everything I had. And I've never felt more alive than I do now.
Where do you see STIIIZY and the cannabis industry in five years?
In five years, I hope we've already legalized cannabis at the federal level, released those in prison for marijuana charges, expunged records, and made substantial progress in communities most affected by the war on drugs. I hope 280e is finally out of the picture for us, and that even the fattest of joints are as socially acceptable as the amount of mimosas my girlfriends and I can take down during brunch. STIIIZY will be one of the best, well-loved cannabis brands across multiple states, led by several leaders on my team now who have been promoted into these new roles. And none of us will ever forget where we started, and forever stay true to delivering "cannabis for the culture."
How does it feel to be writing the playbook for an emerging industry compared to working in an established industry?
Working in the cannabis industry in this moment feels like you're in the depths of an untouched jungle, machete in hand, trying to cut a path with limited visibility ahead, unsure of what might jump out at you. With each step, you eventually arrive at this moment where you think you've come up with the right strategy and play, only to realize that it is actually the exact opposite of what you should do, so all that's left is to pivot fast and execute faster. Sometimes, I miss the days of more predictable environments and being able to reference an archive of proven, repeatable strategies. That said, this is truly the wildest, toughest, and most exhilarating time of my career, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
What advice would you have for other Asian-Americans trying to enter the cannabis industry?
It's going to take a level of resilience, hustle, and grit that transcends any degrees or titles you may have earned. Work for a great leader and/or find a mentor who is experienced in the cannabis industry specifically. Cannabis has its own culture and history that must be respected and honored.
Lastly, how does a Tiger Child relax at the end of a very long day?
I absolutely love to unwind in a bubble bath with some Netflix, my STIIIZY pen, and some hot chocolate. Highly recommend! I always sleep so well right after.
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