Corey Dunson Keeps Rolling Forward with Bouqé
I was born and raised in south Georgia, but my family has lived in several states as well as overseas due to my Dad’s career. My grandfather was always an avid gardener and he grew a lot of his own food. His passion definitely influenced my interest in gardening and farming.
Growing up in different places, I had to learn to adapt to environments and figure out how to navigate different cultures and norms. Though adjusting to different places was challenging for me at first, I now realize that I was building a soft skill set that would serve me well later. Over time, it became easier and easier to adapt and I became more comfortable taking the initiative to form relationships and chart my own path. Being “the new kid” in so many places, I learned to be assertive without being aggressive which is a critical skill to have no matter what you pursue in life.
“Discovering cannabis as an alternate therapy made me consider whether there were other medicinal benefits to using cannabis.”
I was active in sports from middle school through college. While playing football at the collegiate level, I experienced concussions and a lot of physical trauma. At the time, Cannabis was the outlet that helped me manage my injuries. Discovering cannabis as an alternate therapy made me consider whether there were other medicinal benefits to using cannabis.
As I learned more about the plant, I realized I wanted to build a career in the cannabis industry, and that’s what inspired me to start Bouqé. Bouqé is a brand that focuses on making the flower the star of the Cannabis experience.
Working in the cannabis industry is like the living in the wild, wild west. When we started Bouqé, there were no standard guidelines, rules or regulations in place that you would typically see in other industries. There were a lot of unknowns that we had to figure out, and that remains true to this day.
“Bouqé is a brand that focuses on making the flower the star of the Cannabis experience.”
Bouqé is a reality today because of the hustle and hard work of our team to get footing in the ancillary product space and our efforts to get placement on retail shelves. As we gain our space on dispensary and headshop shelves, we know that we’re competing with a lot of other great brands, but that’s what makes the cannabis industry exciting.
Even with all of the challenges, my experience as a business owner has been a blessing. It prepared me for an industry that is very unique, with a culture that is unlike other industries, and I truly value the great people I’ve met through my work. It is incredibly satisfying to run into old friends, and even new acquaintances, who mention that they had already heard of Bouqé, sometimes before I get a chance to mention it or before they even know the extent of my involvement with the Brand. That kind of recognition shows how much we’ve grown, and I’m very grateful for that.
“Despite the challenges of being an entrepreneur, I am most grateful for my incredible allies and team who have supported me over the years…It’s hard to accomplish great feats by yourself, so I thank them for believing and buying into our Brand and our Mission.”
Before starting Bouqé, one of the most challenging obstacles was letting my friends and family know that I was entering the cannabis industry. I was concerned about their reaction to my interest in an industry that still carries a negative stigma and that still wasn’t socially acceptable. Despite the challenges of being an entrepreneur, I am most grateful for my incredible allies and team who have supported me over the years. The Bouqé team, Alexis Taylor, Kelli Buchanan, Cassandra Dunson, Jamaal Waiths, Victor Onukwuli, Cameron Dunson, Justin Featherston and Brett Dunson, have believed in our brand and mission since the start and it is because of them that Bouqe has thrived. It's hard to accomplish great feats by yourself, so I thank them for believing and buying into our Brand and our Mission.
The ally-ship and support I’ve received from Marijuana Matters and Curaleaf (special shout out to Khadijah Tribble, Victoria Dang, Dave Tart and Raheem Uqdah) has made all the difference, and helped put Bouqe on the map.
When I was younger, I was advised not to squander time. I don’t think I understood the significance of that advise because I believed that I had plenty of time to decide how and what to do with my life. Getting older, and particularly when I look back on my journey in the Cannabis industry, I can definitely see and understand the value of time (it’s limited and its fleeting), of timing (in order to have the highest impact or best outcome) and of being timely (being prompt and opportune). I wonder if my journey would have been different if I’d put more value into how I spent my time when I was younger? It’s funny the things you remember when you look back.
“I have come to know that failure is not futile, but it is a part of the process and that the faster and earlier that you fail, the faster you can course correct, thereby minimizing the impact and the cost.”
One piece of advice I would give all entrepreneurs as they get started is to move faster and bolder. When you are a new brand, sometimes it's easy to let the fear of the unknown influence the way you move and negotiate. I have come to know that failure is not futile, but it is a part of the process and that the faster and earlier that you fail, the faster you can course correct, thereby minimizing the impact and the cost.
We have BIG things planned for Bouqe in 2022. One of our big projects is the NCF Joint Rolling Contest and Tournament sponsored by Bouqé. Based on feedback from the 2021 festival, we’re expanding the contest to include tournament rounds in the weeks leading up to NCF and then a finals round on the day of the event. We can’t wait to see all of our friends and canna-fam at NCF 2022!