Creator Spotlight - Michael Bostarr - Strategic Partner

What inspired you to create "Happy We Met," and how has your unique approach to connecting with people shaped your career?

Michael: All my life people have told me I'm a great networker, but I've never really seen it that way. I genuinely enjoy the process of meeting people, and have all my life. When I was printing my first ever business cards, I didn't have a logo so I just wrote "Happy We Met" with my information on the card. People began to assume my business was simply called "Happy We Met" and so I shifted the business' name. Also - ultimately that remains my main goal when working with clients or potential connections... I hope we both leave Happy We Met.

You've worked with numerous CEOs and business owners as a strategic advisor. Can you share a standout experience or lesson from these collaborations that significantly impacted you?

Michael: Honestly I think there are standout lessons from every role/client I've worked with over the years. One that comes to mind was my work at Kin Slips. The CEO would often say: slow is smooth; smooth is fast. As someone who often likes to keep things moving quickly, this quote provided me with great perspective about the importance of taking the time to execute well as opposed to rushing. It also reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from John Wooden - "If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over again?"

As someone deeply involved in cannabis advocacy and local politics, what motivated you to take on these roles, and how do you balance your professional and advocacy efforts?

Michael: I think that working in cannabis and advocacy efforts inherently go hand in hand. Choosing to work in cannabis means choosing to work in a highly regulated and highly stigmatized industry. Even by publicly stating you work in this industry is a form of activism in my opinion. Personally, I find it difficult to separate my professional and personal endeavors, so the balance has been natural for me. I enjoy the process of both helping individual businesses grow while also advocating for a more accessible cannabis market at large.

Launching the first-ever Meadowlands was described as one of your coolest projects. Could you talk about what made this project so special and any challenges you faced?

Michael: This project was special due to several uniquely aligned experiences and passions coming together for a job. My first job out of college was with UCLA UniCamp, where I served as the Program Director. I was responsible for managing 7 weeks of summer camp for nearly 500 UCLA student volunteers and over 1,000 campers. As I transitioned into cannabis, I began planning events and building my network. When I met with Hua from Meadow Team, he recognized my ability to organize events well and upon learning about my past work as a camp director he began sharing his vision for Meadowlands. I enjoyed bringing this groundbreaking event to life and providing a unique space for a cannabis conference. The main challenge the first year was "crossing the chasm" of sorts... we had to get enough people to show up to make the event worth the time and energy. In the end we ended up with over 400 participants in year one and an overwhelming positive response from the attendees.

Your professional journey spans various industries and roles. How has your background in Spanish and Linguistics from UCLA influenced your career trajectory and communication style?

Michael: As for career, I would say the degree left me completely open to any career choice... which has been both difficult and rewarding. I have found that having an academic experience on the process of learning a language as well as the rules of grammar and syntax gave me a unique lens of communication. Primarily, I speak Spanish confidently and fluidly to the point that people often ask where I'm from (my favorite compliment!), which allows me to relate quickly to Spanish speakers. Additionally, the process of learning a language forces you to understand the importance of clear communication as well as active listening. As such, I consider myself a strong communicator - both in written and in person settings. I encourage everyone to invest the time and energy to learn another language. Duolingo and Babel both make it tremendously accessible to learn a new language.

For those interested in your coaching services or strategic advice, where can they find more information, and how should they reach out to connect with you?

Michael: Connect with me on LinkedIn! Not only is that the easiest way for us to begin a conversation, but you can also check out my references and see what sort of content I share. Generally I try to apply a positive lens to business and self-help. Always enjoy meeting new people and try to be as positive a resource as possible to the community!