Elevate is the first brand that was completely my own. After Colorado legalized cannabis in 2012, I decided to use my skill set to create a product and brand that would elevate, if you will, the stereotypical “stoner” aesthetic that had dominated the culture for so long. I made it my mission to normalize cannabis consumption the best way I know how: by designing and manufacturing high-end cannabis accessories. Leaning on my background in wood manufacturing, I developed Elevate’s first generation of products and launched them on April 20, 2014.

My Involvement

Credits

• Ryan Lorenz — Original cofounder and initial investor
• Jordan Bryant — Helped create the initial branding
• Chad and Linda Zindrowski (Purr Glass) — First manufacturing partner
• Mike Holshue — Second partner and fournder of Unity Glass
• Chilton Brown — Helped with SEO and brand awareness

Initial Product Line

From Elevate’s inception, I aimed for a luxury vibe. I achieved this objective by manufacturing the products in-house using exotic woods, precious metals, and U.S.-made glass parts. However, the products came with high costs and prevented me from offering our products wholesale, so I decided to launch Elevate as a D2C brand.

Click thumbnails to see full size images

Initial Branding

I collaborated with my friend and graphic designer, Jordan Bryant, to develop this branding aesthetic. This original script logo was a perfect fit with Elevate’s luxury vibe.

The Early Days

Brand Evolution

After some time I found ways to bring Elevate’s costs down in order to sell the products wholesale. Entering the wholesale market meant Elevate would reach a wider range of customers—and that meant the brand needed to feel more approachable. With this in mind, I re-invisioned Elevate with a simpler, cleaner aesthetic. Later, Elevate would evolve to have a more moody vibe that still showcased the products’ quality materials and stylish appearance.

Website

I built three different iterations of Elevate’s website using two different platforms. The first two iterations were on a platform called the Maker System and the third was on Big Commerce. For the first and second iterations, I designed and built the front end myself with no templates. I photographed all of Elevate’s products myself and created videos to showcase the products’ features and functions. My efforts proved to be worth it: The version of the website (shown below) boasted an average 8% conversion rate.

Click thumbnails to see full web page

Product & Packaging

Elevate’s packaging evolved over the years and was often driven by the need to maximize resources. Still, I strove to maintain a cohesive, high-end brand aesthetic. When I sold the company to Humble & Fume, I finally had the opportunity to design new, more polished packaging, building on the resourcefulness that had guided me from the start.

Videos

The Dugout

The dugout quickly became Elevate’s most popular product — something I had not anticipated but was thrilled with nonetheless. To keep up with dugout demand, I continuously found ways produce more units faster, at a lower price, and without losing quality.

Dugout Testimonials

Skate Deck Dugout Collab

I collaborated with Derek Keenan, a friend who made products from old skateboards, to create this limited edition dugout made from reclaimed skateboard decks. People still contact me to this day asking when we’ll relase this again.

A Learning Experience

After a few years of running Elevate myself, I knew I needed help to start growing. At the suggestion of a friend, I applied for, and was accepted to, the Canopy Boulder business accelerator program. This time was profoundly educational. I met another entrepreneur, Mike Holshue, who joined forces with me to help take Elevate into its next phase. We worked together for a couple years before I sold the brand to Humble & Fume and was hired to work for their U.S. distributor, Windship Trading. With the resources of a larger, more established company, I was able to reinvent the brand again.

Click above video screentshot to play on YouTube

All In Many A Day’s Work

While running Elevate, I did it all, including making the products myself. I started out in my garage, where I finished, assembled, packaged, and shipped all products for several years. I also created the CAD and CAM files for the wood and metal pieces and fabricated the pieces myself, using a CNC machine at a local machinist shop. As Elevate grew, so did the shop space. Check out the various shops Elevate has had over the years.