Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen Stearman.
Hi Stephen, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up and went to college in Kentucky. I was a door-to-door salesman for four years before moving to Austin in 2014 to enroll in a graduate program in entrepreneurship. After getting my degree, I worked in tech sales and made the pivot to non-profit development work. In June of 2019, I started Elevate Holistics, a cannabis technology company, and growing that business to offer medical marijuana access to all those who need it is what continues to drive me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We’ve definitely had our ups and downs, particularly during Covid-19. Because Elevate is a telemedicine business, we experienced a surge in business, and that led us to believe that we could simultaneously roll out a new e-signature platform and increase our marketing spend. Unfortunately, we were too ambitious and what started as growth dropped off to the tune of 30% less in sales revenue over the course of just 30 days. With invoices piling up, I couldn’t afford to make payroll and almost drove the company to bankruptcy because we had failed to stick to a more modest budget. Every person connected to the company took a pay cut: staff, vendors, doctors, you name it. But we are very fortunate to have a highly committed team, and everyone stuck with us until things turned around, which took about two months. The experience of coming so close to losing everything was incredibly humbling and has stuck with me – particularly the lesson of always sticking to a budget!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Elevate Holistics?
Elevate Holistics is a telehealth platform focusing on getting people their medical marijuana cards and physician’s medical cannabis certifications/recommendations as simply and easily as possible. The vision was two-fold: increase accessibility to those in need and provide an easy to use platform for people who want the privacy of their own home. Today, Elevate Holistics operates in multiple states, has served thousands of HAPPY PATIENTS, and is innovating to provide doctors & patients a better medical marijuana evaluation experience. What sets us apart is being a telehealth provider for medical marijuana and our mission, which is to increase equity in the cannabis space.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, according to my mom, I was always on the move. It’s just not in my DNA to be still or alone, so being social was always my forté. There was always something going on in my world, and, whatever it was, I brought it to fruition — even as a middle or high schooler. This kind of drive and upbeat attitude never changed, and I find that I’m still in my element when I’m surrounded by the fast-paced nature of the cannabis industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elevate-holistics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevate.holistics/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevateholistics1/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBcUrZSvs76Vwfsx-8R0Ofg?view_as=subscriber
