Jason Santos has been a serial self-employed freelancer for the last 15 years. After working a few years in TV production—2002 Winter Olympics, Weakest Link, American Idol—he started his own mortgage company. In 2008, he moved into Real Estate, paying cash for homes, fixing them up and turning them around for a profit. But the cannabis industry came calling and he launched BurnTV, an intersection of cannabis, lifestyle, comedy, and music content. Santos believes in emerging markets that are both fresh and powerful, and, well, the cannabis space is both.
“I decided to bring my marketing and business background to the cannabis industry initially to create a small consulting residual income so I could invest more capital into Real Estate,” he noted. “However, just a few months in the industry proved to be much more important than I had anticipated and my career arc changed permanently.”
“When I was a teenager, my dad had a famous quote hanging on his wall. It said: ‘There are 3 types of people in this world. 1. Those that make things happen. 2. Those that watch things happen. 3. Those who wonder what happened. Which one are you?’ Then he would say, ‘Always be number 1, and never anything else.’ And that pushes me to this day.”
A Day in the Life
“Everyday always starts with an early breakfast to fuel me up for busy days. This is followed by going over my schedule and any morning emails that need my attention. From there I spend most the day in meetings or on calls. As we gear up for the official full launch, things are really busy and I am involved in all areas of the company right now: branding, content development and production, strategic partnerships, acquiring content and content partners, business development, capital raising, sales, events, merchandising, app development, etc.”
Business
“Honestly, business has been great. As word has spread, the response and interest has been overwhelmingly positive and exciting from not only the cannabis industry but from mainstream brands, outlets, companies, consumers, investors, etc. We have built some great relationships with other great media brands in music, comedy, and action sports.”
Doing Your Job Well Means…
“First and foremost, building the right team. It’s imperative for any CEO to have a team capable of supporting them, their vision, and executing their plan. If you can’t assemble the right team, then even the best ideas can, and often will, fail. Secondly, a Win-Win mentality. I am a big “win-win” guy and believe the best relationships are built on mutual benefit. Third, having fun and just loving what I do.”
Philosophy
“Somewhere early in life I came across a quote that stayed with me all these years: ‘If you are the smartest guy at the table then you are at the wrong table.’ I am a strong believer that nothing is more important than the people around you.”
Trends
“Branding, branding, branding. Cannabis has been a long suppressed and underground market where stereotypes were king. Used to be just a few years ago that packaging and brand names were scarce and highly risky given the state of legalization. Edibles and flower were sold in ziplock bags and cheap containers with a cheap address label sticker on them with the name of the product. Now, with the advancement of legalization and increased mainstream acceptance, lots of money has been flowing into the industry creating an influx of new products, new growers, etc.”
“I live on the beach in Los Angeles, so when I am not working I am most often outside relaxing with my girl, our 3 dogs, and friends out on the beach or patio.”
Motivation
“When I was a teenager, my dad had a famous quote hanging on his wall above his desk. It said: ‘There are 3 types of people in this world. 1. Those that make things happen. 2. Those that watch things happen. 3. Those who wonder what happened. Which one are you?’ Then he would say, ‘Always be number 1, and never anything else.’ And that pushes me to this day to always be someone who goes out and makes his own way, to go after the things I want in life. Also, there is no opportunity without risk, so you can’t be scared away from something you believe in and can’t be afraid to fail when pursuing opportunity. Be bold, but don’t be dumb.”
The First Time you Consumed Cannabis…
“I was with 2 friends in High School my senior year, Chuck and Rick. I think it was the first time for both me and Rick. Chuck made a pipe out of a beer can. I remember trying it for the first time and thinking, What’s the big deal? Then it started to kick in and we couldn’t stop laughing and wound up having a blast. The best part was waking up and I didn’t have a hangover!”
