Unconventional

A Memoir of Entrepreneurism, Politics, and Pot

AWARDS

2023 Page Turner Awards, Longlist Finalist, Screenplay Adaptation
2023 Page Turner Awards, Finalist: Best Book Cover Design
2023 Readers’ Choice Book Award, Finalist
2023 IPPY (Independent Publisher Book Award) Bronze Medal Winner: Memoir, Celebrity/Political
2022 The Eric Hoffer Award: Winner: Nonfiction E-Book

2022 The Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize Finalist
2022 NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite
2022 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite
2022 First Horizon Award Finalist
2022 International Book Award Finalist: Nonfiction Cross-Genre

An inspirational story about taking a chance, following your vision, and thriving in one of the US’s wildest emerging industries, Unconventional profiles Jamie Andrea Garzot’s journey as one of California’s legal cannabis industry pioneers.

Jamie Andrea Garzot was one of the least likely people to become a cannabis entrepreneur, advocate, and industry pioneer. She had no business background. She was not involved in politics. She had only a four-figure capital investment to start with. And, surprisingly, she had very limited experience with cannabis products. So how did Garzot find herself at the forefront of California’s cannabis movement?

In this inspirational memoir, Garzot describes her trajectory from a cannabis retail rookie navigating an unregulated market to a cannabis authority. During her time in the industry, she developed a wildly successful line of artisanal edibles, managed $12 million a year in all-cash sales, and became an advocate for cannabis legislation at the state capitol—all of which led to an eventual acquisition by High Times, one of the most recognized names in the industry. From office intrigues, personal crises, and shifting regulations to teamwork, innovation, and community leadership, Garzot, with good-natured humor, shares how thinking creatively, planning ahead, and forming connections in the most unlikely places contributed to her success in a continually shifting business landscape.

Unconventional is the story of an industry in its wild heyday, the inner workings of local and state government and cannabis’s dicey road to regulation, and the seismic changes in the way cannabis was distributed and sold. But it is also the story of one woman’s tenacious spirit and all the lessons she learned the hard way—by refusing to give power to fear, taking risks, building community in a volatile environment, and listening to what people wanted—and how staying true to her vision paid off every step of the way.

Anyone who has ever dreamed of following their gut and reinventing their life will be inspired by Garzot’s unusual and unconventional journey.

ORDER TODAY

Also available from:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | IndieBound | Powell’s

For bulk orders, please fill out this form.

“An engaging and illuminating insider’s portrait of a cutting-edge industry.”

Kirkus Reviews

Read more reviews
“Scores of inspirational, entrepreneurial memoirs are appealing, but few are quite so riveting as this title.”

The US Review of Books

Read more reviews
“Interesting, thoughtful, and full of verve…Garzot shares insightful life lessons beyond business and cannabis.”

David S. McCuan, PhD, professor and chair, Department of Political Science, Sonoma State University

Read more reviews
“Filled with fun, passion, and brilliance, Garzot is an excellent storyteller and inspiration to all others, especially women, who want to take their lives by the reins and do a complete one-eighty.”

The BookLife Prize

Read more reviews
“Jamie’s pioneering career is a gripping, enthralling, and inspiring testament to American entrepreneurship.”

Dr. James Richardson, anthropologist and bestselling author of Ramping Your Brand

Read more reviews
“[Garzot] is a woman who has achieved awe-invoking success, someone who has worked tirelessly to improve her community, and is an advocate for better government legislation.”

Manhattan Book Review, star rating: 4/5

Read more reviews
“Garzot lays bare the inner workings and challenges involved in today’s cannabis industry, how it’s evolved from a largely unregulated and illegal enterprise into the multimillion-dollar mainstream business it is today.”

Ron Ramswick, bookseller, IOBA

Read more reviews

Book the author for your event

With eleven years of legal cannabis industry expertise, Jamie Andrea Garzot is one of California’s pioneers. She has boots-on-the-ground experience as a cannabis retailer, an appointed city official, and an industry advocate.

Jamie can speak on the following topics:

Breaking into an industry that may seem out of your expertise

Writing the “rules” as you live them

Developing creative solutions to challenges

Maintaining career focus when everything is rapidly changing

Growing a business without investor dollars

Building a chain of retail stores

People management and HR challenges

Building and motivating teams

Turning ideas into profit

Being female in a male-dominated industry

Pros and cons of cannabis taxation

Working across party lines and government agencies such as local lawmakers, police, and Federal guidelines

Advocating for an unregulated industry

Normalizing and legitimizing cannabis

Negotiating the sale of a business

Book Jamie for your event

Unconventional

A Memoir of Entrepreneurism, Politics, and Pot

An inspirational story about taking a chance, following your vision, and thriving in one of the US’s wildest emerging industries, Unconventional profiles Jamie Andrea Garzot’s journey as one of California’s legal cannabis industry pioneers.

“An engaging and illuminating insider’s portrait of a cutting-edge industry.”

“Scores of inspirational, entrepreneurial memoirs are appealing, but few are quite so riveting as this title.”

“Interesting, thoughtful, and full of verve…Garzot shares insightful life lessons beyond business and cannabis.”

“Filled with fun, passion, and brilliance, Garzot is an excellent storyteller and inspiration to all others, especially women, who want to take their lives by the reins and do a complete one-eighty.”

“Jamie’s pioneering career is a gripping, enthralling, and inspiring testament to American entrepreneurship.”

“[Garzot] is a woman who has achieved awe-invoking success, someone who has worked tirelessly to improve her community, and is an advocate for better government legislation.”

“Garzot lays bare the inner workings and challenges involved in today’s cannabis industry, how it’s evolved from a largely unregulated and illegal enterprise into the multimillion-dollar mainstream business it is today.”