Simon Nankervis led some of the biggest names in retail - American Eagle, DSW, Aldo Canada - before joining The Source in Nevada. But it took a dressing down from a subordinate before he really started to understand cannabis consumers. “In this business, you impact people’s lives every single day,” he told Seed to CEO. In this episode, Simon shares what led to that epiphany, as well as: Why it’s important to immerse yourself in the cannabis business culture before making big changes. How cannabis and its consumers are different from other products and consumers. How to thrive in increasingly competitive relationships by building customers relationships. Tips to manage supply-chain squeezes, such as employing better analytics. Who is Simon Nankervis? Simon Nankervis became CEO of The Source, a vertically integrated cannabis business based in Nevada, in April 2020, a few months after becoming a consultant for the company during its restructuring. The Australia native started his career as a lawyer, then jumped into fashion retail, including C-suite appointments with American Eagle Outfitters, DSW and the Camuto Group. The wealthy Schottenstein family, which owns some of those businesses, is also an investor in The Source and asked Simon for advice on rebuilding the brand. He fell in love with the work, and the rest is history.