I like to keep an open state of mind and write about the world around me. These are my thoughts.

Superette, Your Thoughtful Neighbor with Mimi Lam

Jun 10, 2021

Summary:

Recorded on May 11, 2021 – Mimi shares with us her journey into the cannabis retail world, which is just forming and is akin to the wild west. Prioritizing the values of the company, she tries to bring an empathetic approach to everything she does, and it shows, as Superette continues to grow.

Time Stamps:

Intro – 0:01
Covid – 2:02
Business – 11:00
Personal – 33:02
City – 46:25
Rapid Fire – 1.04:05
Conclusion – 1.08:21
End – 1.11:03

Show Description:

Mimi is the co-founder of Superette, a cannabis retailer and lifestyle brand that opened their doors a couple years ago in Ottawa. Today there are 2 locations in Toronto, the original store in Ottawa with more along the way. Mimi is a founding member of the Ontario Policy Cannabis Council and is part of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s National Cannabis Working Group.

Superette has seen good success, even though the cannabis market has become saturated very quickly with many more stores to open next year. Mimi and her team thrive on working with the unknown because it’s the nature of the business at this stage.

The bricks and mortar experience is an important element of the experience. The Superette team actively prioritizes the values that the company was built upon. Being a thoughtful neighbour is part of their brand DNA, so they proudly use their platform to support local businesses and give back.

One of Mimi’s learnings from her first job is that your job is not defined by your job description. You can bring so much more to your position, if you just raise your hand and ask for more.

Her advice for other entrepreneurs is “if everything is urgent, nothing is important.”

She listens to her gut and tries to bring an empathetic approach to everything she does. The cannabis world is new and it’s being created and written as all the players learn the business.

One of the most memorable moments on her journey, that she will never forget, was the hour before opening their first store at 10am April 14, 2019. After putting all of their efforts in creating the brand and loving what was created, she did not know if anyone would come for the opening. Thankfully, they did, and they did well on the first day and have been doing well since.

Mimi entered the cannabis industry as it was forming. It is kind of like the wild west phase. Businesses sell products as the Government figures out regulations. Superette is excelling in this realm. Their goal is to be a household global brand where each location represents the community that it is located in. Exciting times for Superette and the cannabis industry!