Meet Linda Solana

We recently connected with Linda Solana and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Linda, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My parents were Cuban immigrants. They came to this country without a dime in their pocket. Growing up in a family with 3 sisters and my grandparents, was a struggled to put food on the table and clothes on our backs. Both my parents worked two jobs, and had very strong work ethics. I was working at the age of 14 years old and signed over my checks to my parents.
My life has been full of ups and downs. With every experience, from being sexually abused by a family member to living and surviving on my own with no one’s help, elevated me, made me stronger.

In 2014 I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I had just opened up my first business. A dog day care center. I survived and kept my business going. I still own my dog day care. Now I am opening up a cannabis dispensary. I have been struggling for 2 years through a very grueling process. I believe my journey is to help others, and that keeps me going no matter how much life throws at me…I will persevere. I have a mission.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

my goal in life was always to help, be of service, make ones life easier. I was a helper. The need for me to do this overcame all, I worked really hard in corporate, was an hr manager, but never was satisfied. My passion was always animals, they made me very happy, so I started walking dogs during my lunch hour. I was laid off in 2004 and I started my own dog walking business. I realized it wasn’t enough for them and they needed more. I started a small play date at one of my clients dogs with a group. This really benefited the dogs and I saw there was a need for this. The play groups got larger and I moved them to my home. After a couple of years I found a brick and mortar and that is where k9 nanni was born. I mentor with many trainers and realized I was a natural. I had open communication with dogs.
so I began training. In 2014 I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I had two major surgeries and was able to survive with the help of cannabis. Cannabis became my second passion. I have helped so many people get off of opioids by trying different types of cannabinoids. Once again, I was able to elevate and help more people.

Now I am opening up a dispensary in elmwood park, NJ that I have worked 2 years to get the town approvals and state approvals while paying rent to secure the location. We just got our final approval this month, and CannaVibes will be open in August. This has been a very difficult journey. When I believe in something I am all in.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I had a vast knowledge of animals, more so dogs and cannabis. I am a listener, I have an enormous amount of compassion for both humans and animals. If you really love something, believe in yourself. My journey has been a very difficult one, where I look back and wonder how I was strong enough to endure them. My experience in owning a business was small, but I knew I could learn. Never give up on your dreams, and don’t be afraid to work hard. Nothing comes easy. They describe me as a Go Getter. I am, but I push myself everyday to be better and I set goals for myself. Some much harder to achieve than other’s. But I find a way. You don’t need a lot of money, you need to start small and believe in yourself.

Dogs and Cannabis are a very big part of my life. I was able to achieve these goals because I believed in myself, and I never gave up. I keep up on the growing industries and am always reading and gaining knowledge to stay relevant. Loving what you do is the best thing you can do. Money was not the reason I choose either one of these industries. It was all knowledge and passion.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

My dog daycare is established. Trying to pass on the actual energy you need to give a dog a command and have them listen is hard to convey. That energy comes from within. So you need to get that point across. You can’t ask a dog to sit and sing it. You have to command it and be thorough. A dog will see your weakness and take over as leader.

I am a Latina woman. I am of social equity and live in a disadvantaged area. But there is no stopping me. Opening up a cannabis dispensary has been very challenging more so on the municipal level. I had to lobby the town that I have been approved for, for two years. I had to get them to change all their ordinances, and speaking at all meeting. Educating mayor and council on the benefits of cannabis. there is such a stigma still in existence even though we know its medicinal value. The federal government classifies cannabis on the same schedule as methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) That makes everything that much harder. We are getting closer to having cannabis rescheduled or de scheduled. So many layers to this industry, just as you see the light at the end of the tunnel, You realize it’s just another train coming at you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mycannvibes.com www.k9nanni.com
• Instagram: cannavibesnj k9 nanni
• Facebook: Canna Vibes k9nanni
• Linkedin: linda solana

Image Credits

Katherine Torres Alysson Cohen, Teckone