Walker Patton, the Chief Commercial Officer at Woody Nelson, recently sat down with Clayton Armstrong, the owner of Good Nature Cannabis, and his friend Mike, to chat behind-the-scenes information about his approach to running a cannabis shop. Armstrong discusses inspirations, employees, community, customer service, living wages, and more.
A transcript of this interview has been adapted below. Some responses have been altered slightly for clarity or length.
What were you guys doing before cannabis and what inspired you to join the industry?
C: “I was a carpenter for a commercial contractor building dispensaries. When I met the owners of the dispensaries, it gave me a lot of inspiration to go into business. I had a built five of them at that point. I also came from retail. I was in construction and retail my whole life: retail on the downhill ski side of things. I loved it but was always going back to construction because of the money.
When I came back here, I met some very confident, amazing people, but I also met a lot of people that had no idea what they were getting into. I had a better grasp of what the industry was going to be and I knew I could do well. The bottom line is passion.
I've only been passionate about two things in my life: skiing and weed. Something you're passionate about, it's like you're not working, right?”
Good Nature is the only certified living wage dispensary in Ottawa. Why was this important to you and what impact has it had on your business?
C: “I wanted my team to be able to make a living doing something that they loved. I loved retail, but I just couldn't make a living at it. A lot of problems that retailers experience is because they don't pay their staff enough to live.
I think consumers care too. It's not just the employees that win and I think the customers are starting to vote with their dollars. If we all shopped at a living wage store, everyone would make a living wage. That's why I wanted to do it. I want everyone to be able to live doing what they love.”
M: “It comes from a place of love and a place of passion. When you have people who are making a living wage, they stay and they build relationships with the customers. Every time a customer comes in, they see a face that they recognize. When customers come in and say, ‘this is my store’, it’s the best feeling I've ever."
You're emphasizing the value of community over transactions. What does that mean in a practical sense and how does it affect the bottom line?
C: “The bottom line is, when you put the community first, the transactions follow. They’re going to come to you because you’ve built the trust. We have people that drive from 45 minutes away. They pass 40 weed stores to come to our store to for our curated menu.”
Would you walk us through your approach to building that menu?
C: “It was totally based on what we loved. Everyone is different and has different tastes. Each employee was able to add their input and unlike a large chain, we listen. They're the ones selling our cannabis, right? How can you have someone buying your weed in Calgary for someone here? They're going with an algorithm and it's a pay to play algorithm.
M: “We also keep a list of customer requests. Do you know about some kind of crazy weed that we don't know about?We’ll try to bring them in. When the customers come back on delivery day and they realize that you've brought it in, it blows their mind. Which is insane because I tell them that’s our job!"
What's the biggest challenge you face as an independent owner?
C: “The biggest challenge is the data deals. They can't beat us on service, and they can't beat us on price unless they get that data deal. There's a head office and there are too many stores that lose money. So, the only way is these stupid data deals.
When we first started, it was just selling weed. Then the corporate guys showed up and said: ‘we can't do incentives but we can do a data deal.”
Why is customer service so important to your business?
M: “How many times have you gone into a store and the cashier is talking on their phone or doing something on a computer and they don't even speak to you? Customer service, as a whole, is dead. So, in a market where everyone can sort of buy the same weed, how do you stand out? Customer service is number one.
Your menu is a big part of customer service too. You have to have something for everyone. The person that comes in and buys an ounce or the person that comes in and buys 1/2 gram joint every day, they both deserves to be treated well.Every single person that comes in is just as important as the last. It doesn't matter what walk of life they come from or what they're buying.”
What's it like trying to navigate regulations as a cannabis retailer in Ontario?
C: “You have to use them to your advantage. They're so poorly written and open for interpretation but you still have to navigate them.”
M: “We're in the legal cannabis industry so the days of breaking rules are over. Unfortunately, conforming to the rules is hard because it’s obvious the people who wrote them weren’t cannabis people. Hopefully there's going to be changes soon.”
What does the future of Good Nature Cannabis looks like?
C: “We're right on the cusp of opening new stores but we don't want to push it. We don't want another location just to have one. We want to make sure that it's going to be successful and be able to give everyone a living wage still. I would love to see every dispensary pay a living wage to their staff and to not be praised for paying people well.
We've got to be better to each other. Let's stop trying to step on each other to get to the top. Let's work together. Let's make this industry what it was supposed to be, which is a bunch of passionate people doing what they love.”
About Clayton Armstrong
Good Nature believes that buying cannabis should be more than just a transaction. It's about legal access to the plant, fostering community, and embracing a rich culture. Owner, Clayton Armstrong, lives less than 5 minutes from the store and couldn't be happier about building a business in his local community. He's supported by an incredible staff with passionate folks like Mike who are champions of a customer-centric approach. Together, they became Ottawa's first Living Wage Certified Dispensary and earned Ottawa's Dispensary of the Year in 2024.
