SALES SAVANT | In a past life, Shuang Han worked for the Department of Defense and was a financial analyst for Lockheed Martin. Now, she’s focused on expanding sales of rolling papers and cannabis accessories — and has found the past decade to the be the most rewarding of her career.
As Blazy Susan’s vice president of sales, Shuang Han helped catapult the company from No. 6 to No. 2 in the smoking accessories/rolling papers category over the past 18 months.
But Han’s goals extend well beyond success at the dispensary level. She’s also looking continue growing the company’s footprint in smoke shops, as well as expanding into convenience stores and other retail categories.
“We’re a true CPG company, so we’re not plant-touching whatsoever,” she explains. “We’re nicotine and tobacco-free. That gives us more flexibility to be in a lot of different places on the retail side. So, for me, on a day-to-day basis, I’m looking at where Blazy Susan can grow strategically. Where does Blazy Susan need to be one year from now? Two years from now?”
With a background as a financial analyst at the Department of Defense and the aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, Han took somewhat of an unusual path into the cannabis industry. Those positions left her feeling trapped in an endless sea of spreadsheets. She wanted a career that was more people-based and saw her opportunity as Colorado’s recreational cannabis industry was taking shape in 2014. Her first venture into the space was selling cannabis-related ads for the Denver-based publication Westword.
“I think the big jump was honestly due to boredom,” she says. “I thought this would be a way more interesting opportunity than just staying within corporate America with a normal nine-to-five job situation.”
Since then, Han has spent more than a decade in cannabis, including stints at Ripple, Coda Signature and Canyon Cultivation. And though the industry has more than its share of challenges, boredom is no longer a problem.
“I have found that the last 10 years have been the most rewarding of my career,” Han says, “and I think it’s taught me so much about my abilities. … It’s only made me better, not only as a manager, but as a person, and helps move the industry forward as well.”
At Blazy Susan, she spends her days and weeks “living and breathing sales.”
“But I have a lot of fun with it,” she says. “I have a lot of flexibility with my position in terms of where we need to be, and it’s also very collaborative. I think it’s great to be connected with the team and see from an R&D perspective what we are bringing to the market, and how we get people excited about that.”
Outside of her work life, Han is an outdoor sports enthusiast. She’s an avid skier and cyclist
She’s a ride leader for a Boulder-based cycling shop and café called Cassiopeia, and she’s heavily involved in Ride or Die Collective, a cycling organization for women.
“Cycling has been a huge part of my life, and I want to bring that to the community to encourage more women cyclists,” she says.