About this conversation
Originally premiered: Sep 29, 2026 · Length: 52:45.
In Some Guys Talking Episode 24, hosts Brian Holler and Aaron Washington sit down with Grown Rogue founders Obie and Sarah Strickler for a conversation about building a cannabis company from Southern Oregon roots into a multistate operation without losing the passion, culture, craftsmanship, or people that made it possible.
Obie and Sarah share how their relationship with cannabis began, why they made the leap to formally build Grown Rogue, what they learned from trying to do too much too quickly, and why returning to flower as the core of the company became critical to its direction. Grown Rogue’s story begins in Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley, where Obie grew up around cannabis culture and began cultivating for consistent quality, while Sarah’s path included competitive basketball before cannabis became a defining part of their lives and eventually their business.
The conversation covers growth that requires more than chasing revenue: making products they believe in, maintaining standards as the company expands, and balancing financial and operational discipline with authentic cannabis culture. It also covers destigmatization through transparency and education, including inviting community members and business leaders into their facilities to see the sophistication behind regulated cultivation, and the challenge of bridging legacy cannabis culture with finance, accounting, public company requirements, and scalable business practices.
Watch the full episode
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKCWdvAZK2o
Learn more about Grown Rogue: https://www.grownrogue.com/
Topics covered
- Grown Rogue’s Southern Oregon roots
- Obie and Sarah’s paths into cannabis
- Why Grown Rogue refocused on flower
- Passion, discipline, and knowing what not to chase
- Community education and destigmatizing cannabis
- Bridging cannabis culture and business
- Expansion from Oregon to Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois, and Minnesota
- Building leaders and company culture
This overview was checked against the original publisher’s episode description. It is not a transcript; watch the recording for the full conversation.
About Some Guys Talking
Some Guys Talking is where cannabis industry veterans have candid, unfiltered conversations about the business, the culture, and where it is all headed. Hosted by Brian Holler (CRO of Beard Bros Pharms and Beard Bros Media) and Aaron Washington, on the Beard Bros Media Network. Catch every episode in the full playlist or listen on Spotify. Want Brian on your stage or podcast? Check out his Media and Speaking page.