Kaihen, the blog writer at Woody Nelson, recently sat down with Kayla Zadow from Prairie and Luna to speak about her experience in cannabis, and what its like building a space for women in the industry. Read on to check out the interview.
Some of the transcription may have been altered slightly for clarity or length.
K: So what's your experience or history in the cannabis industry?
K: I did consume pre-legalization, so I had experience within cannabis originally.
I graduated university with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology in 2020. First wave of COVID [had me] unexpectedly moved back to Pembroke, and I found my way back to the Ottawa Valley. My best friend had applied and was going to be working with Quinn and Jenna. And there just really weren’t that many jobs within my field that were popping up that inspired or interested me. I was working as a recreational programmer for a long-term care facility. It was fulfilling and I loved it so much, but I was still feeling like there was more that I wanted to do
I was 21. So like, very fresh; lots of dreams, lots of aspiration. [I thought] this was a great opportunity to work with my best friend. I was very interested in exploring that job. I started out very entry level, just a budtender, and I was working part time - maybe a couple nights a week to help them out. I was there for maybe five months, and Quinn and Jenna offered me a full-time position. They saw so much value and potential within me. It was just so nice to be seen by people.
I valued their input. I wanted to work with these ladies. I jumped into marketing and social media, then flash forward a couple more months - my best friend who's my co-marketing and social media manager - she went on maternity leave. So I took on even more roles within the business.
That's the one thing I love about the cannabis industry. I'm someone who likes to keep learning. I call it my treasure, like all my collections. Like squirreling away all my interests and qualifications. I love that it allows me to fulfill all of those facets of my interests. It always feels like it's something new and challenging to keep building and growing in myself.
I'm the marketing and project manager of the store, but I've also been given the ability and the space to really come into my own creative free will with the store through social media posts. Also bi-weekly newsletters, that we're now putting out for the store.
I find that all of my roles stem from the main goal of creating a community within Prairie and Luna. More than just providing a service and goods to our customers, but rather a full experience that they can feel good about - where they feel safe and seen and welcome. It's a testament to all of the women that I work with; how much effort they put into creating a safe and a welcoming space. It just exudes out of them and it really just makes it such a lovely place.
There are always these days where there's not as impactful of a conversation, or when you're behind the scenes and I'm looking at my computer all day. But then an amazing experience happens and you chat with someone about how the store or the plant has completely changed their life. And it's like, this is why I'm doing this. This is why I'm here. My goal within this next year is finding a way to cultivate that [feeling] and share that through a virtual space.
K: I feel like, at least in my experience, there's a perception that cannabis is a male dominated industry. What has been your experience with that?
K: It's a stereotype for a reason, right? You go to conferences, or I would say like even the early days of consuming, it was always the older guys that had the connections.
It's not unheard of or uncommon for me to be working at the shop and to be questioned if I even consume cannabis just because of my appearance. Like that brushing off of expertise, or just having these assumptions made of you based off of the way you look.
There are a lot of women that I interact with within the industry, and it's amazing. We are a completely woman run team. We are owned by Quinn and Jenna, and then the seven of us ladies that are on the team. Then within my connections within the industry too.
I'm sure there's a lot of factors within it, but a lot of the brands and the reps I interact with are women within the industry. They’re the ones I’ve done a lot of collaboration work with. Which is amazing because there's importance in having people within anything that have a shared experience and knowledge. And to have those leaders and role model models to look up to, to share their experiences and how they navigate through them.
I am the youngest on our team of all the ladies that I work with, and for the most part, I would say the people that I interact with within the industry. I find I typically go in with a learning, open minded [attitude]. I feel really lucky that I’ve had the chance to connect with so many women within so many different roles within the industry. I think many women relate to having mixed relationships with other women. Having such a close-knit work environment where we share days and grief and losses - the whole life experience is such a privilege.
I can't imagine not working with women. It's so important to me. But that being said, there're so many dudes that I really love working with too. It's those guys that we're able to have those open conversations with and that aren't uncomfortable with being like, ‘this is totally a dude focused industry.’ And like, let's make space for everyone to hold a place at the table. I hope that we continue to see an increase in women leadership and women's voices being heard within conversations. There's so much that we can gain from that.
We're a women led and focused cannabis dispensary. We're a very welcoming and open space for everybody. But [we have] a specific aesthetic that's leaning towards women because of the lack of representation within cannabis accessories.
But I would say, larger than 50% of our customer base are men. Often times, they'll come in and they're like, ‘oh, I have to tell my wife about your store.’ And we're like, yes, please. We would love your wife to come and visit us. We can't wait to meet her.
K: You’ve already touched on it a little, but what’s your experience with sexism within the industry? What does that look like? How do you navigate that space? How do you challenge it?
K: As a woman, it's not uncommon to experience that from a young age. I think we all have our own tools that we automatically fall back on when those experiences happen to us. Within our space at Prairie and Luna, the main thing that gives most of us empowerment and that grounding feeling is that we know at the end of the day, we are backed by our owners, Quinn and Jenna. We’re all a team, right? If there’s ever an instance where there's some type of uncomfortable conversation happening, we have each other's backs.
I never feel as though I'm having a conversation with a customer on my own. There's been times where we had to contact brands to inform them that the representatives coming into our stores, as a direct reflection of their brand, are not representing them in the way that we think they would like to be. We respect our staff. We protect them too, and won't subject them to having those types of interactions.
Our space is safe for our customers, but our space is safe ultimately for our staff. The space we want to cultivate within the store needs to reflect that. The people that choose to come into our store need to respect that. We do our best to educate and create that welcoming and open space with people.
Keeping an open mind is also very important. A lot of times people will come into our space and they're chronically ill. Individuals that are in a chronic level of pain aren't always the most kind. Someone might come in really hot and fast and trying. We have many meetings as a team, coaching each other on our importance as budtenders, but also as managers within our space trying to take control over those conversations, calming down the breath, calming down my speech, and hoping that they will in fact mirror that kind of reaction as well. Almost like a gentle parenting, if you will.
Often times, you meet someone with kindness and friendliness, and they have a really hard time being grouchy back to you. By the end of the interaction, they feel heard and seen and leave in a better mindset. That being said, we have a no tolerance policy for any type of discrimination or any levels of assault within our store.
On a day-to-day, that empathetic ability and capacity can shift as well. That's the value in having so many people within my team that I can count on. If it's a day where my cup isn’t full, then I've got someone who can swoop in and be like, ‘hey, seems like we’re having a hard conversation today. Let's go sit down and chat it out.’
The uniqueness of Prairie and Luna is that we have such a large regular base within our store. We've created relationships with our customers. I know the name of like 80% of the customers that come through our door. There's that level of rapport. We are very open to the fact that we are a welcome space for all individuals. We have diversity within the staff on team and in our customer base. Like, we host drag shows. We don’t hide that. Even if people directly align with that, they still shop in our store and they're still respectful.
I think that's the only way that you start those conversations, right? Having someone come into the store and like, learn for the first time what BIPOC means. It's a pivotal moment in that person's life. Then maybe they go home and hang out with their friends and talk about something they just learned. I don't think it necessarily comes from like those big, crazy, fighting conversations. I think it really does happen in those tiny, maybe insignificant moments to me. But to someone [who doesn’t often have] that type of conversation, it’s gunna stick with them and hopefully make a change in their life in some kind of way.
K: What do you think prevents women from getting into the cannabis space?
K: Speaking for myself, I flip back and forth between trying to stay humble and having imposter syndrome. Like, wondering: do I know enough of what my craft is to be talking about it and educating other people? Am I well versed enough in it? Maybe something with it being more of a male dominated space, I worried that maybe there wasn't a place for me within it.
Also, the stigma surrounding having [cannabis] as a career and the judgement surrounding it. Like people saying “when are you going to get a real job?” There are already stereotypical roles and careers that women are expected to fall into. Even if we're comparing it pre-legalization, there’s still a stereotype of it being guys. It's never really a woman drug dealer that you picture.
I can see that being a huge barrier. Speaking for myself, when I'm looking for a job, I'm looking for people that I feel safe with and want to work with. That's not always something that everyone can keep in mind when they're looking for a job. But if you're looking in the industry and you see a job where it's only men, that can feel a little bit intimidating. Do I want to be the only woman?
If I didn't have the opportunity that I did meeting Quinn and Jenna at the beginning, would I have stayed in the industry as long as I have? I don't know. I felt like I could continue to progress my career and I had people that included and saw me. I think that's the make or break for so many people with jobs. Am I feeling like my value is being appreciated? Are my ideas being credited or am I just getting pushed off to the side? For myself, a huge thing that's important to me is that I feel like I'm contributing to just more than myself.
I hope we see more women within the industry sharing about themselves. I get it; it's hard for myself to do. I'm doing it for a brand so close to myself that sometimes it feels like you're talking about yourself, or you're bragging. I think we need to throw that out the window and just be like, if you're a woman in the industry and you're killing it, shout it out and tell other ladies. Get people excited about it. Hopefully, having more of those conversations and opening up that accessibility will just make people want to join in.
About Kayla Zadow
Hi, I’m Kayla—though my close friends call me Kay!
As the Project Manager at Prairie and Luna Cannabis Co., I wear a lot of hats, but at the core of everything I do is a passion for creating a space where people feel good and empowered. I absolutely love my job (maybe a little too much sometimes!), but I think that's what makes Prairie and Luna so special. Having worked at larger organizations in the past, what truly sets this place apart is the dedication and excitement our team brings to everything we do—both for our customers and each other. There’s a direct line from the love and care Quinn and Jenna put into this business, and it shows in every team member.
In my role, I’m deeply involved in event management, which means organizing everything from community events to industry outreach. I love bringing people together to create memorable experiences. Whether it’s hosting pop-up events or curating unique gatherings, I’m all about creating connections that spark conversation. I also manage email marketing and content creation, writing newsletters, captions, and educational materials that keep our community informed. Along with Em, I play a major part in shaping our social media strategy, ensuring that we create a strong online presence and engage with our followers in meaningful ways.
Beyond the logistics and strategy, I’m passionate about educational content—whether that’s sharing tips and product knowledge in-store or writing blog posts and articles to help our customers make informed decisions.
I’m honored to represent Prairie and Luna, and even more so to represent Quinn and Jenna, who have become more than just bosses to me—they’re friends. I look forward to continuing to grow with this team and seeing where we can take this incredible space in the future. Personally, I hope to continue developing my skills in writing, photography, and event planning while constantly expanding my knowledge. My ultimate goal is to keep learning and sharing that knowledge with our amazing customers so that we can continue to serve them at the highest level possible.
