Ryan Dymond, President & COO of FIKA Company - Building Trust, Hospitality-Led Cannabis Retail, and Leading Through Hyper-Growth

In this powerful episode of The People Playbook, Jason Taylor sits down with Ryan Dymond, President & COO of FIKA Company – one of Canada’s fastest-growing cannabis retail organizations with over 237 locations.

Ryan brings 25+ years of hospitality experience into the cannabis space and reveals how he’s flipped the traditional retail script: leading with genuine human connection instead of transactions, treating every guest interaction like a hospitality experience, and building a decentralized, trust-first culture that scales.

You’ll hear raw insights on:

• Why hospitality principles create deeper loyalty than discounts ever could
• How to shift from “manager” to “coach” with young frontline leaders
• The biggest mistakes leaders make during acquisitions (and how empathy prevents cultural disasters)
• Staying grounded and humble when everything is moving at lightning speed
• Why trust deposits/withdrawals and radical authenticity are non-negotiable

If you’re leading (or building) a high-growth team and believe culture eats strategy for breakfast, this conversation is pure gold. Ryan proves that people-first leadership isn’t just nice-to-have – it’s the ultimate competitive advantage.