At 21, most of us think fearlessness means certainty.
Envisioning boldness looks like confidence without doubt, risk without hesitation, and clarity without second-guessing.
For the women shaping today’s regulated cannabis industry, it looks very different.
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Across the United States, women leaders in cannabis are helping define what a maturing industry looks like. For them, fearlessness isn’t the absence of fear. It’s the decision to move anyway, with preparation, with discipline, and sometimes with trembling hands.
That perspective led to a simple question: What would you tell your 21-year-old self about being fearless in business?
What followed wasn’t a celebration of risk, but a blueprint for resilience and success.
Ann Torrez, Executive Director of the Arizona Dispensaries Association (ADA), would tell her younger self that unpredictability is not a warning sign; it’s often the beginning of impact.
“If I could speak to my 21-year-old self, I’d tell her that fearlessness in business isn’t about having no fear, it’s about following your passion even when the path isn’t predictable.
From my early wireless technology to nonprofit fundraising with the American Diabetes Association and Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, and now the cannabis industry, every chapter prepares you to step into emerging spaces and lead with purpose. Don’t wait for an industry to feel safe. The uncomfortable spaces are often where the greatest growth and impact happen.”
Attorney Laura Bianchi, Co-founding Partner of Bianchi & Brandt, approaches fearlessness with precision.
“Fearlessness in business isn’t about being impulsive or pretending you’re not afraid. It’s about being prepared and moving forward despite that fear.
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Stop waiting to feel ready. You won’t. The doubt doesn’t disappear, and the path is never perfectly lit. Do the work. Make the effort. Ask the questions. When your confidence is built on discipline and preparation, it’s steady, not performative. And that kind of confidence lasts.
Don’t confuse fearlessness with speed. The strongest leaders aren’t impulsive; they’re intentional. Longevity matters more than momentum. What looks like risk is often just preparation meeting opportunity. When you’ve done the work, you can move decisively, not because you’re reckless, but because you’re clear. Fearless in business isn’t chaos. It’s clarity. And clarity, over time, is what builds something that endures.”
Caroline Riggs, VP of Marketing and Retail at Copperstate Farms and Sol Flower Dispensaries, sees fear as noise.
“If I could sit down with my 21-year-old self, full of big ideas, zero real scars yet, and that mix of excitement and quiet terror about jumping into business, I’d keep it direct and practical. Fearlessness isn’t about having no fear; it’s about acting anyway and understanding that fear is mostly noise. Here’s what I’d hammer home:
Fear of failure is the biggest lie you tell yourself. At 21, failure feels like the end of the world: losing money, looking stupid, burning bridges. Truth is, almost every real success story is built on a graveyard of failures. The people who win big aren’t fearless; they just treat failure as tuition. Start small experiments now so the stakes feel lower. Blow up a side project? Cool, you learned something expensive but cheap compared to waiting until you’re 35 with a mortgage.
Say yes first, figure it out later. Opportunities rarely come when you’re “ready.” The scariest doors are the ones that open to things you’ve never done before. Say yes to the pitch, the partnership, the crazy idea, then scramble to learn. Most regret comes from the shots you didn’t take, not the ones that missed. (Richard Branson basically built an empire on this: say yes, then learn how.)
Take big risks while the downside is still small. Right now, your life has almost no obligations, no huge loans, no team depending on your paycheck. Use that freedom. Elon Musk basically says the same: go bold now because later responsibilities pile up and risk gets heavier. Bet on yourself hard while the only person who can get hurt is you.
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Build momentum over perfection. Waiting to feel fearless is a trap. Action creates confidence, not the other way around. Ship ugly versions, talk to strangers, ask for help, fail publicly. Momentum beats motivation every time.
Bottom line: Being fearless in business isn’t a personality trait; it’s a decision you make repeatedly. At 21, you’re in the sweet spot where time is on your side, and consequences are still elastic. Don’t waste it playing small out of fear. The version of you in 10–15 years will thank you for every uncomfortable step you took now.”
Sarah Walker-McLaughlin, MS, RD, Co-founder and VP of Products and R&D at Melt-To-Make, draws from her background as a high-level endurance athlete.
“At 21, I was a high-level endurance athlete. I thought fearlessness meant hiding your doubts and pushing through the physical pain. Eventually, I gave up my Olympic dreams to escape the daily pressure of potentially failing.
Now I know there’s another way to be fearless, so I would tell myself the following: Fearlessness isn’t about never feeling afraid. It’s about recognizing that doubt and fear are part of the process, and choosing to step forward anyway. It’s accepting setbacks as part of the journey. Embracing failure as a way to learn faster.
Getting back up the next day and trying again. There will be days you want to cry. Days you want to quit. But just like in sports, success in business comes from the daily discipline of showing up and doing your best even when winning feels impossible. And when you do win? Celebrate it. Then stay humble, because there’s always another race ahead.”
Cynthia Navis, Partner at RW Navis & Associates, frames discomfort as fuel.
“My 21-year-old self would be really proud of my networking skills and ability to put myself in uncomfortable situations.”
Kate O’Connor-Masse, Co-founder and CEO of the cannabis tech company, BatchNav, offers a reminder that can shift a trajectory in a single sentence.
It’s like Christopher Robin said to Winnie Pooh: “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” Why not you?!”
Jessica Ferranti, CEO and Founder of The Mycelia Group, adds another layer, intuition.
“My lifelong motto has always been, do the things that others won’t, to live the life that others don’t.”
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If I were to speak to my 21-year-old self about being fearless in business, I would teach myself much earlier on to continue moving with fearlessness, but to lean into my intuition far more strongly. Fear can be a powerful tool and protector, but it’s still an emotion. Stay fearless, but use that intuition to protect your worth, your value, and most importantly, your peace.”
Brooke Westfield, Founder of Women in Cannabis Expo, speaks to unpredictability and ownership.
“What I would tell my 21-year-old self about business is that nothing ever goes as planned; in fact, sometimes it turns out better than the vision I had in my mind. Learn to embrace failures as the best lessons to re-create and grow when something doesn’t go as planned.
No one will ever love your business as much as you, so make sure you love it hard in all the ways, including the good and the bad. And lastly, as you continue to grow your business year after year, be sure that you also plan out what a potential exit strategy looks like.”
Andrea Bagneschi, Chief of Staff at Story Cannabis, focuses on independence.
“I would tell her to build her own security, even if life looks stable, even if she feels safe. Create independence that no one can take away.”
Marvina Thomas, Founder of Fourtwenty Collections, leans into perseverance.
“Be fearless and stay strong. You are going to experience great victories and painful defeats along the way in your career. The most important thing you can do is to keep moving forward, keep walking. Never let fear stop you. Instead, let fear energize you to move forward with excellence despite any obstacle you may encounter. Stay strong, be prepared, and walk, walk, keep walking your way to success.”
Sara Gullickson, Founder and CEO of Cannabis Business Advisors, brings the conversation back to alignment.
“Your friendships, business partnerships, and romantic relationships will shape how much peace you experience in life. Do not force what is not aligned. At 21, explore, learn who you are, and most importantly, learn to love and financially support yourself. Independence creates power. When you do not need something, you choose it. And that changes everything.
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A partner with different values will not last. A boss unwilling to meet you halfway will discourage you. Friends who do not support you will leave you lonely. Choose wisely.”
Laurie Parfitt, Founder of LKP Impact, focuses on inner courage.
“I used to think I had to be perfect to be taken seriously, no mistakes, no stumbles, no messy learning curve. But real growth doesn’t come from playing it safe. It comes from getting in the arena, trying the hard thing, and being willing to fall on your face and learn fast.
That’s why I love industries like cannabis. This industry doesn’t reward perfection; it rewards the people who show up, take smart risks, build in real time, and keep going when it gets hard. I always come back to Brené Brown: ‘You can have courage or comfort, but you can’t have both at the same time.’ I want to live bravely, put myself out there, and build something amazing, even if it means getting my ass kicked along the way.”
In conclusion, across the cannabis industry, the advice from these women reveals that fearlessness isn’t certainty; it’s preparation, alignment, resilience, and the courage to keep moving.
*This article was submitted by an unpaid guest contributor. The opinions or statements within do not necessarily reflect those of GreenState or HNP. The author is solely responsible for the content.