• by Lisa Singer , Staff Writer, December 8, 2023

Behind the Scenes with Extasy James

Good Grades' Extasy James talks creating opportunities for black women, community building, and dancing with her daughter.

I've had the opportunity to connect with and learn from executives of major brands at MediaPost's Insider Summits. In the process I've discovered some truly impressive women -- not only for the work they do, but their stories behind the scenes. With Brand Insider: BTS, I get to pull back the curtain on some of the most influential women marketers as they talk about their path to success: the twists and turns, obstacles, inspirations and the valuable lessons learned along the way.

“I want her to know that it's a man's field, so being a woman in this industry is really empowering. I want to let her know that anything is possible…it's really a big deal as a woman, so I can teach my daughter and she could teach her daughter.” The industry is cannabis, and the big deal for Extasy James was making history as co-founder of the first woman-owned, licensed cannabis store in New York. She credits being a mom as her motivation and wanting to build a future for her daughter. In this episode of Brand Insider: BTS, Extasy acknowledges her responsibility for educating consumers about cannabis and hopes its legalization will help to break stereotypes. She also talks about opening doors for other women, the struggles she’s experienced as a black woman in business, and the incredible support she continues to receive from her family. You can watch the entire conversation here: