Fitness trainer gets off the corporate treadmill to thrive in Arkansas’ cannabis industry

<p><span data-contrast="auto">Arkansas wasn’t on many people’s radars a few years ago when it came to cannabis legalization. But since legal sales started there in May 2019, Arkansas has proven to be a robust market, albeit with its challenges. One canna-entrepreneur making a go at it is Matt Shansky, who was climbing the corporate latter in the fitness space when his family queried him about breaking into the industry. Before long, he was converting a barn in Bentonville, which became The Releaf Center, the dispensary that Shansky runs today. In this episode of Seed to CEO, Shansky will talk about:</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p> <ul> <li><span data-contrast="auto">How he and his team educated themselves about this new industry</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Why he and his team chose to pursue retail business instead of a cultivation or manufacturing business</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Choosing the right location for your store</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">How to compete against MSOs.</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></li> <li><span data-contrast="auto">Serving a rural community</span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}">  <strong>Who is Matt Shansky?</strong></span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Matt Shansky is a cofounder and CEO of The Releaf Center, a medical cannabis dispensary in Bentonville, Arkansas, near the Missouri and Oklahoma borders. A personal trainer by prof