We had the good fortune of connecting with Darwin Millard and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Darwin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When you have been in the cannabis industry for as long as I have, you come to realize that your reputation is the only thing that matters, and being true to yourself and who you are are the only ways to succeed. I learned early on that people aren’t always who they say they are. When I started my own business in the cannabis industry as a consultant, it wasn’t planned; I didn’t know what I was doing or how I would accomplish it, but I knew the business practices of the entity I worked for at the time were bad and went against everything I stood for as a person.
So I quit. I took a “leap of faith”, to borrow a turn of phrase, and went out into the wilderness that was Colorado’s barely legal medical cannabis marketplace. As a mechanical engineer and lover of hash, I took my knowledge of process design and product manufacturing on the road and started a journey that allowed me to pursue my passion and travel the world working for some of the largest cannabis companies.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a mechanical engineer by training and when I graduated from college in 2008 I could have either chosen to go into designing and building slurry pumps for the fracking industry or dive head first into Colorado’s fledgling medical cannabis industry. 14 years later, I wouldn’t change anything for the world. I have been fortunate enough to travel the Earth in pursuit of my passion and meet and work alongside some of the most influential figures in the cannabis space.
This journey wasn’t without cost, though. I put everything aside and dedicated all that I am to get to where I am now. I quit two well-paying cannabis jobs outright due to quality and safety issues that the owners either were directly responsible for or knowingly did nothing about. I luckily have the most amazing parents who trusted me and allowed me to move back in with them until I got enough momentum as a cannabis consultant to leave the nest again.
What sets me apart from every other cannabis consultant out there, I tell you how it is. Too many consultants will tell you what you want to hear and are only out to take your money, but I’ll tell it to you straight. I have seen enough “brands” come and go to know that the cannabis industry is the easiest to get into but the hardest to stick with. I have built my reputation in the industry as an honest and reliable person with integrity and actual subject matter expertise.
Lately, I have been taking my energy and working on creating volunteer-driven consensus-based international standards through ASTM International Technical Committee D37 on Cannabis so that younger working professionals can take the same path that I did and pursue a legitimate carrier in cannabis without having to take as much of a risk.
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?
Hmm. Great question. I am more organic and don’t tend to plan things out but I would make sure my friend(s) got to see and do at least:
1. See an Avalanche, Broncos, Mammoth, or Rockies game (depending on the time of year and what they are into)
2. Go to Mt. Evens and bang out a 14ner (bucket list stuff)
3. Take a drive through the mountains with no destination in mind, just go, and maybe see some Aspen leaves turn yellow (if its fall)
4. Hit up Idaho Springs and eat at the original (and best) Beau Jo’s
5. Take the “short tour” at the Coors factory and get some cheap beer then go to Woody’s for the best woodfired pizza anywhere (yes that’s two pizza food stops but Colorado’s that good)
6. Go to LODOs and party!
7. Go to the slopes if its winter and crush some pow.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Nick Tanem – Owner/Fonder – Essential Extracts: Mentor. colleague, friend, and OG hashashin, Nick Tanem and I go back nearly 20 years in cannabis and worked alongside one another teaching the art of making hash. Nick is the owner and found of Essential Extracts a world-renowned cannabis solventless concentrates brand.
Lachlan Chang – Owner/Founder – Cannabinerd Consulting: Good friend and master of the witty comeback, Lachlan kept me sane during an extremely stressful transition. His knowledge of plant science and medicine makes him a force to be reckoned with.
Bob Morgan – ASTM International Staff Manager for D37 on Cannabis (2017-2020): Bob brought me into the fold at ASTM International Technical Committee D37 on Cannabis. His invaluable knowledge of the standards development process and understanding of the concerns of cannabis consumers, being one himself, allowed me to quickly navigate the process and pass that knowledge on to others.
Jeff Masonek – Former Business Partner: Jeff, helped me mature as a business operator and taught me my worth. Without him, I wouldn’t know how to value my time or protect myself from people who want to take advantage.
My parents, because without them, I wouldn’t have had the initial start-up capital necessary to follow my passion.
Website: thespockofcannabis.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespockofcannabis/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darwinmillard/
