Unconventional

A Memoir of Entrepreneurism, Politics, and Pot

Jamie Andrea Garzot had no business training, no political ties, barely any money, and almost no experience with cannabis. Then she walked straight into one of the most chaotic, cash-fueled industries in California—and didn’t just survive it, she built a name in it.

In this memoir, she tracks her rise from rookie to operator, running $12 million a year in all-cash sales, launching a standout edibles line, and stepping into the political arena to fight for cannabis legislation. Legality was shaky, regulations were shifting, and nothing about the system was clean—but she learned fast, played hard, and stayed standing long enough to land an eight-figure acquisition by High Times.

Unconventional is a front-row look at the raw, unregulated days of cannabis—where money moved in duffel bags, rules changed overnight, and trust was currency. It’s also the story of a woman who took hits, made mistakes, and kept going anyway—building something real in a volatile world by trusting her instincts and refusing to back down.

Anyone who has ever dreamed of following their gut and reinventing their life will be inspired by Garzot’s unusual and unconventional journey.

AWARDS

2023 Readers’ Choice Book Award Finalist

https://www.readerschoicebookawards.com/adult/jamie-andrea-garzot/unconventional-a-memoir-of-entrepreneurism-politics-and-pot-

2023 IPPY (Independent Publisher Book Award) Bronze Medal Winner: Memoir, Celebrity/Political (Category 41)

https://ippyawards.com/blog/2023-medalists#35-65

2023 Page Turner Awards, Longlist Finalist, Book to Screenplay Adaptation

https://pageturnerawards.com/2023-book-adaptation-needed-longlist

2023 Page Turner Awards, Finalist: Best Book Cover Design

https://pageturnerawards.com/2023-best-book-cover-finalists

2022 The Eric Hoffer Award: Winner: Nonfiction E-Book

(follow the link, then search my last name; otherwise, you’ll lose 30 minutes of your life trying to find it)

https://www.hofferaward.com/Eric-Hoffer-Award-previous-winners.html

2022 The Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize Finalist

(a lengthy scroll to the bottom)

https://www.hofferaward.com/Eric-Hoffer-Award-grand-prize-short-list.html

2022 NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite

(follow the link, then search my last name as above)

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/team-1

2022 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite

(scroll a bit, and you’ll see it)

https://www.independentpressaward.com/2022distinguishedfavorites

2022 First Horizon Award Finalist

(another lengthy scroll to the bottom)

https://www.hofferaward.com/First-Horizon-Award-finalists.html

2022 International Book Award Finalist: Nonfiction Cross-Genre

https://internationalbookawards.com/aboutus/2022awardannouncement.html

“An engaging and illuminating insider’s portrait of a cutting-edge industry.”

Kirkus Reviews

Read more reviews
“Scores of inspirational, entrepreneurial memoirs are appealing, but few are quite so riveting as this title.”

The US Review of Books

Read more reviews
“Interesting, thoughtful, and full of verve…Garzot shares insightful life lessons beyond business and cannabis.”

David S. McCuan, PhD, professor and chair, Department of Political Science, Sonoma State University

Read more reviews
“Filled with fun, passion, and brilliance, Garzot is an excellent storyteller and inspiration to all others, especially women, who want to take their lives by the reins and do a complete one-eighty.”

The BookLife Prize

Read more reviews
“Jamie’s pioneering career is a gripping, enthralling, and inspiring testament to American entrepreneurship.”

Dr. James Richardson, anthropologist and bestselling author of Ramping Your Brand

Read more reviews
“[Garzot] is a woman who has achieved awe-invoking success, someone who has worked tirelessly to improve her community, and is an advocate for better government legislation.”

Manhattan Book Review, star rating: 4/5

Read more reviews
“Garzot lays bare the inner workings and challenges involved in today’s cannabis industry, how it’s evolved from a largely unregulated and illegal enterprise into the multimillion-dollar mainstream business it is today.”

Ron Ramswick, bookseller, IOBA

Read more reviews

Book the author for your event

With eleven years of legal cannabis industry expertise, Jamie Andrea Garzot is one of California’s pioneers. She has boots-on-the-ground experience as a cannabis retailer, an appointed city official, and an industry advocate.

Unconventional

A Memoir of Entrepreneurism, Politics, and Pot

AWARDS

“An engaging and illuminating insider’s portrait of a cutting-edge industry.”

“Scores of inspirational, entrepreneurial memoirs are appealing, but few are quite so riveting as this title.”

“Interesting, thoughtful, and full of verve…Garzot shares insightful life lessons beyond business and cannabis.”

“Filled with fun, passion, and brilliance, Garzot is an excellent storyteller and inspiration to all others, especially women, who want to take their lives by the reins and do a complete one-eighty.”

“Jamie’s pioneering career is a gripping, enthralling, and inspiring testament to American entrepreneurship.”

“[Garzot] is a woman who has achieved awe-invoking success, someone who has worked tirelessly to improve her community, and is an advocate for better government legislation.”

“Garzot lays bare the inner workings and challenges involved in today’s cannabis industry, how it’s evolved from a largely unregulated and illegal enterprise into the multimillion-dollar mainstream business it is today.”

Book the author for your event

With eleven years of legal cannabis industry expertise, Jamie Andrea Garzot is one of California’s pioneers. She has boots-on-the-ground experience as a cannabis retailer, an appointed city official, and an industry advocate.

Jamie can speak on the following topics:

Breaking into an industry that may seem out of your expertise

Writing the “rules” as you live them

Developing creative solutions to challenges

Maintaining career focus when everything is rapidly changing

Growing a business without investor dollars

Building a chain of retail stores

People management and HR challenges

Building and motivating teams

Turning ideas into profit

Being female in a male-dominated industry

Pros and cons of cannabis taxation

Working across party lines and government agencies such as local lawmakers, police, and Federal guidelines

Advocating for an unregulated industry

Normalizing and legitimizing cannabis

Negotiating the sale of a business

Unconventional

A Memoir of Entrepreneurism, Politics, and Pot

AWARDS

“An engaging and illuminating insider’s portrait of a cutting-edge industry.”

“Scores of inspirational, entrepreneurial memoirs are appealing, but few are quite so riveting as this title.”

“Interesting, thoughtful, and full of verve…Garzot shares insightful life lessons beyond business and cannabis.”

“Filled with fun, passion, and brilliance, Garzot is an excellent storyteller and inspiration to all others, especially women, who want to take their lives by the reins and do a complete one-eighty.”

“Jamie’s pioneering career is a gripping, enthralling, and inspiring testament to American entrepreneurship.”

“[Garzot] is a woman who has achieved awe-invoking success, someone who has worked tirelessly to improve her community, and is an advocate for better government legislation.”

“Garzot lays bare the inner workings and challenges involved in today’s cannabis industry, how it’s evolved from a largely unregulated and illegal enterprise into the multimillion-dollar mainstream business it is today.”

Book the author for your event

With eleven years of legal cannabis industry expertise, Jamie Andrea Garzot is one of California’s pioneers. She has boots-on-the-ground experience as a cannabis retailer, an appointed city official, and an industry advocate.

Jamie can speak on the following topics:

Breaking into an industry that may seem out of your expertise

Writing the “rules” as you live them

Developing creative solutions to challenges

Maintaining career focus when everything is rapidly changing

Growing a business without investor dollars

Building a chain of retail stores

People management and HR challenges

Building and motivating teams

Turning ideas into profit

Being female in a male-dominated industry

Pros and cons of cannabis taxation

Working across party lines and government agencies such as local lawmakers, police, and Federal guidelines

Advocating for an unregulated industry

Normalizing and legitimizing cannabis

Negotiating the sale of a business

Bio

Contact