• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • 5 DOUBLE-U’S
    • MASTHEAD
    • DISTRIBUTION
    • ADVERTISE
    • SUBMISSIONS
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

CURRENT STREET EDITION

DIG 23.02 – 1/28/21

CANNABIZ CORNER: ROB AND DANIELLE SMITH WILL HOLD YOUR HAND FROM SEED TO HARVEST

Written by ALEX BRANDON Posted November 5, 2017 Filed Under: COLUMNS, Talking Joints Memo

 

Rob and Danielle Smith are the co-founders of Atlas Plant Trainer, a customizable all-in-one system that both trains and supports growing plants from seedling to harvest, allowing for space optimization for all grow areas and styles and yield maximization of legal plant counts. With their business still in the startup phase, both currently handle all aspects of operations, from research and development to finances and sales. We tossed some questions their way for the Smiths to answer in tandem about Atlas. This is their story…

 

What inspired you to start your company?

We have been Maine medical marijuana caregivers for four years now. Rob performs the majority of the growing operations on his own. After getting frustrated with the current DIY solutions on the market such as bamboo stakes and trellis netting, he came up with an idea that he knew would help growers of all types. Night after night Rob would return home from the garden, talking enthusiastically about his idea and its potential until one late night when Danielle reached out to a local designer to begin what has now become the Atlas Plant Trainer journey.

 

What defines success for you and your company?

Our goal for Atlas Plant Trainer is to be the leader in the plant training and support category, nationally recognized throughout the entire gardening industry. While our current focus is on the cannabis industry, Atlas will be able to help gardeners with any type of plants including ornamental gardening, urban gardens, and so much more.

 

 

What was the biggest challenge you faced and how did you move past it?

The biggest challenge we’ve faced so far is a name change just prior to our crowdfunding launch through Indiegogo earlier this year. We were notified of the conflict by another company in the cannabis space. While our lawyers felt that we had a case to present, it was not worth wasting our valuable time and resources to go through a lengthy court proceeding. We made the decision to change the name of our product which at the time was a major challenge, given trademark laws and domain name availability. We are true believers that everything happens for a reason, and are much happier with our new name due to the elegance and strength it portrays.

 

What skill, characteristic, trait do you find most valuable to achieving success?

Persistence—not everyone is going to love what you are doing, and some may even be vocal about it.  Rejection is difficult and feels so much more personal when it’s your own business. Learning to graciously take feedback and turn it into an opportunity to improve yourself or your approach is one of the best ways to show your tenacity and drive, key skills for a successful entrepreneur.

 

What do you find is important in connecting with and inspiring others to follow your lead?

Learning before implementing. Before beginning this journey, we absorbed as much information as possible in the business areas we were not directly familiar with, and continue to do so on a daily basis. This includes podcasts, books, seminars, and articles written by others that have achieved success before us.

 

Given the demands of starting a business, how do you still find work-life balance?

This one is still sometimes a challenge. Working and living together makes it difficult to stop working when you are so passionate about what you’re doing, and that passion is shared with your spouse. Given this, we’ve made schedules that chunk out both family time and self-care time. By properly caring for ourselves with things like exercise, meditation, healthy eating, and a proper supplement regimen, it allows us to continue pushing our minds and bodies for what can be very long days.

 

What did you learn along the way that you wish someone had told you when you started?

Everything. Takes. Longer! Fortunately, this was advice that we were given from the start, but it’s incredibly important for any entrepreneur to know prior to jumping in head first. It has proven true time and time again for us, and anticipating delays in advance has allowed us to better prepare for any hiccups along the road.

 

Sign up for our free cannabis newsletter at talkingjointsmemo.com to stay on top of all things green in New England.

ALEX BRANDON
More from author
  • ALEX BRANDON
    https://digboston.com/author/alex-brandon/
    CANNABIZ CORNER: HOW ROBERT BARISH MADE IT EASIER TO BUY BONGS IN THE 'BURBS
  • ALEX BRANDON
    https://digboston.com/author/alex-brandon/
    CANNABIS JANICE: ON A MISSION TO REDUCE PAIN AND EDUCATE
  • ALEX BRANDON
    https://digboston.com/author/alex-brandon/
    HIGH ART: MICHAEL KERWIN'S JOURNEY THROUGH EPILEPSY, CANNABIS, AND CREATIVITY
  • ALEX BRANDON
    https://digboston.com/author/alex-brandon/
    CANNABIZ CORNER: BETH WATERFALL'S DEPARTURE FROM 'NORMAL CAREER LIFE'

Filed Under: COLUMNS, Talking Joints Memo Tagged With: Atlas Plant Trainer, cannabis, DIY, growing, homegrow

WHAT’S NEW

Himachal-Pradesh-6-by-CIAT-International-Center-for-Tropical-Agriculture-is-licensed-with-CC-BY-SA-2.0

CONNECTING THE DOTS: FROM THE INDIAN FARMERS’ UPRISING TO THE EFFECT NEOLIBERALISM HAS HAD GLOBALLY

GUEST OPINION: TPS HOLDERS DESERVE PERMANENT PROTECTION

GUEST OPINION: TPS HOLDERS DESERVE PERMANENT PROTECTION

STATE WIRE: NEW MASS PESTICIDE RULES MADE TO PROTECT POLLINATORS

STATE WIRE: NEW MASS PESTICIDE RULES MADE TO PROTECT POLLINATORS

Gov. Charlie Baker announces an educator vaccine program Wednesday in a WCVB screen capture.

STATE ADDS 400,000 EDUCATORS TO LIST FOR VACCINE

INBOX: JOHN BARROS LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR MAYOR OF BOSTON

INBOX: JOHN BARROS LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR MAYOR OF BOSTON

TRUMP GUY WINS THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY TO FILL DELEO’S SEAT

TRUMP GUY WINS THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY TO FILL DELEO’S SEAT

Primary Sidebar

HEMPIRE FREEDOM PACK 25% OFF

FEATURED EVENT

Most Popular

  • SPECIAL FEATURE ON THE MASS STATE POLICE: TROOPER WILSON’S WAR by CHRIS FARAONE
  • [UPDATE: WE GOT IT!] WHERE IS THE CONTRACT FOR MASSACHUSETTS’ VACCINE APPOINTMENT SOFTWARE? by POLINA WHITEHOUSE
  • MASS KEEPS TRYING TO BUILD A NEW WOMEN’S PRISON OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC VIEW by DAN ATKINSON
  • BOSTON LATIN ACADEMY GRADS FIGHT FOR REPRESENTATION IN ALUMNI GROUP by CHRIS FARAONE
  • WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH MASSACHUSETTS POLITICS AND VACCINATIONS? by ZACK HUFFMAN

READ CURRENT MEMBER EDITION

DIG Member 1.9 – 11/26/20

READ CURRENT STREET ISSUE

DIG 23.02 – 1/28/21

Footer

digbos

digbos
Virtual #event this #weekend. https://digboston.co Virtual #event this #weekend. https://digboston.com/zeitgeist-press-releasing-work-by-late-boston-poet-melinda-kweskin/ #reading #poetry #Boston #Massachusetts
Now, the singer and composer is aiming to take cen Now, the singer and composer is aiming to take center stage himself … https://digboston.com/video-mass-classical-musician-johan-lenox-works-with-hip-hops-top-stars/ #video #music #classical #hiphop #Massachusetts
This is my home. We don’t deserve to live in per This is my home. We don’t deserve to live in perpetual fear. https://digboston.com/guest-opinion-tps-holders-deserve-permanent-protection/ #opinion #immigration #TPS #politics #Boston #Massachusetts
“No one wants to live in a world where music is “No one wants to live in a world where music is created to please a cold-blooded algorithm.” https://buff.ly/2OmuqPR #surveillance #interview #politics #tecnology
Barros is the fifth mayoral candidate to enter the Barros is the fifth mayoral candidate to enter the race. https://buff.ly/3bj3EAW #politics #election #Boston #Massachusetts
Can a veteran of the Wisconsin Uprising and former Can a veteran of the Wisconsin Uprising and former Mass union leader rescue the IAFF? https://digboston.com/a-firefighter-election/ #labor #firefighter #union #election #opinion #WisconsinUprising #Massachusetts #national
New #report shows 1/6 of women in Mass prisons sen New #report shows 1/6 of women in Mass prisons sentenced to life without parole. https://digboston.com/commonwealth-committed-to-other-death-penalty/ #prison #prisoner #humanrights #criticism #Massachusetts
“The gratuitous militarization of police forces “The gratuitous militarization of police forces across the United States facilitated by this program has helped to turn these agencies into brutal weapons of repression.” https://digboston.com/inbox-group-calls-for-biden-to-abolish-police-militarization-program/ #police #reform #criticism #Massachusetts
It’s the second time in less than a year that pr It’s the second time in less than a year that progressives have been dealt a bitter defeat in a crowded primary race. https://digboston.com/trump-guy-wins-the-democratic-primary-to-fill-deleos-seat/ #politics #election #Democrats #primary #legislature #Winthrop #Revere  #Massachusetts #MAGA #herp #derp
As lawmakers consider Baker’s amendments to clim As lawmakers consider Baker’s amendments to climate bill, the fight for environmental justice continues. https://digboston.com/checking-in-on-the-commonwealths-comprehensive-climate-bill/ #politics #legislature #environment #activism #globalwarming #Massachusetts
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Submissions

Advertise

Privacy Policy

Customer Service

Distribution

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an e-mail blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: [email protected] To reach Editorial: [email protected] For internship opportunities: [email protected]