“I recently deleted it from Instagram again. I had about 4.1 million followers. My Snapchat was number two in the country, not just for marijuana, in general: it was Kylie Jenner, me and Cardi B. And then they deleted that too. But in terms of the sheer number online, my viewing time is about 70 million minutes of viewing time per month. So one day I got some of the biggest cannabis websites in a month, ”explains Thomas Araujo, also known as Dope As Yola, when asked what makes him (probably) the world’s most popular marijuana maker.
To understand how he got there, we have to go back a decade because, they say, it takes 10 years to become an overnight celebrity.
Real grinder
Thomas “fell in love” with Weeds at a very young age, although he advised people to wait until legal age in their respective jurisdictions to begin their cannabis journey. He remembers the first herbal attempt the day before the Raiders lost the Super Bowl to The Box.
“My relationship with Weed is a friend that never moved,” he says.
In 2012, at the age of 22, Thomas made his debut as Yola as a dope. He used to publish product reviews and other funny videos. “I was showing my face with weeds on Instagram before anyone else, so I got a huge follower.” Among the favorites of the fans was the entertainment of his famous movie scenes, but with cannabis buds.
At that time, he met John Custaldi, who traveled with him, joined him in a cannabis cup, and eventually became his business partner. John was already a fan of Thomas’ “Story Time” segment, which would become one of the most popular “story time” segments on the Internet, often gaining more than 1 million views each on YouTube alone.
“When I look back, I realize how foolish I am. And I think people can relate to it, “he said.” I have the largest cannabis audience in the world right now and it’s been 10 years, but it’s an organic follow-up. By … more than my fans: we’re like friends who haven’t met yet. “
Nowadays, Thomas does live streams, videos, podcasts and much more. He also recently started his own brand, The Dupest Shop.
Despite his busy schedule, he still smokes “a ton” of weeds every day – even though he smokes about half of it. “People always ask, ‘Why do you smoke so much?’ And I answer, ‘I haven’t had enough weeds all the time.’ However, my relationship with weeds is more mature nowadays, because I have so much to do, I am too busy to be lazy. During the day I just smoke a little and work; It’s a lot like drinking water or coffee. “
Contrary to popular belief, Thomas doesn’t think marijuana makes you lazy at all. And he thinks he’s living proof of that.
In his view, it is people who are lazy or lazy. Weeds will not make you lazy, but I can emphasize that feature if it is already part of your personality: “Weeds can be used as an excuse, but I will not do anything to you, it will not make you lazy. The stereotype I think people like to fall behind so they can get an excuse as to why their lives aren’t going exactly the way they are going … it’s not about smoking, it’s about caring and having a purpose. Weeds just have to be a friend and just be cool. That’s how I look. “
Dopest shop
Dopest Shop was born out of a desire to make safe cannabis products available in 50 states in the United States, partnering with Thomas and John Claudio Hand and starting selling HHC products – disposable vapors, vap cartridges, edibles, concentrates and pre-rolls.
“HHC is a naturally occurring cannabinoid found in marijuana that has a very similar effect to THC,” Claudio explained. However, unlike THC, HHC is federally approved because it is derived from flax, which was legalized through the passage of the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill. The brand is available in states and rural areas where THC is illegal. “
“Many people in a state where weeds are not legal say, ‘If only I could smoke what you smoke.’ HHC has allowed us to do this legally, ”added Thomas.
For the YouTube star, the partnership is like a match made in heaven. “We all play a perfect role and it links like a well-oiled machine. John creates the best hash in the world under a company called Hash House which I think. Claudio is very organized and professional, also he knows the CBD business inside out. And I brought the content here. “
Authenticity was the key to getting this project up and running within just one month of its launch. “Thomas has a huge, cult following, he never sells anything, he is very caring with everything. Previously, he was strictly making money from his clothing, “John said.” And I knew he could sell a lot of weeds. But he never did anything illegal. So we came up with the idea for HHC. “
“What I didn’t expect was that this would be so fast,” he continued. “The people of Thomas are great supporters, people. And until we come up with something out of the ordinary, then they have to re-think their position. “
Thomas has confirmed this. “I got paid for my first Something For weed content in 2019. So from 2012 to 2019, I was just poor and struggling. And I think it did better; My fans have really seen that I am not really getting paid. I’m making this content for free, I’m putting up 60 hours a week because I like it so much. And I think that’s what got us where we were. And then following the cult of people, ‘I know your whole story from beginning to end. I can see it online. ‘
According to Claudio, The Dupest Shop business received 7,000 to 13,000 daily sessions on Shopify over four months. And when a new drop is announced the number will be as high as 30,000 sessions per day. Although not all of these sessions are converted into sales, Claudio confirms that the brand’s conversion rate is in the top 1% of popular online retail platforms.
Seal of approval
Another important aspect for Thomas and his partners is quality. “I want to include everyone in the things I approve of. For the past eight years, I’ve been reviewing detailed products in detail for all brands around the world, doing what you can think of. And now it’s for us, so I criticize it even harder. I want people to know exactly how I feel when I make a video about the product, ”he said.
In fact, whenever Thomas doesn’t fully understand Love A new product from The Dapest Shop, he has completely redesigned it.
This was also a major reason why they made HHC products, versus the more popular Delta-8-THC, another hemp-derived cannabinoid that has become extremely popular in the last year or two. Delta-8-THC products give you the feeling, the height they just don’t like. And consumers seem to agree.
Thomas explained, “When I got everything from Claudio, he gave us a detailed and extra detailed list of what was in each product, in each terpen. John Snob and I, so we went through them one by one and chose only the ones we loved. When I tried it, and I did 5000 mg THC video and deleted it for two days… I ate our 1400 mg dopest edible food and I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t process it. When I asked Claudio how he had brought me so high, he told me it was a proprietary blend, HHC, CBD and CBN. The reason you feel the effects is because they blend perfectly. So when I smoke this, it’s shocking to me. It’s this unexpected punch in the face; I don’t expect you to feel that way. “
For Claudio and John, the creative process is about the irresistible Thomas. “Thomas has been reviewing top-of-the-line marijuana products for a very, very long time. So, when we give him something and he says, ‘Wow, this is amazing,’ it makes us feel really good.” Assure.
Some good old referrals
Going back to light matters, Thomas reminds me of his best joint to smoke.
It was in Denver, Colorado. During a cannabis cup, one of his fans who drove all the way to meet him from San Francisco, California, shared a joint with a one-pound pot. It took 32 hours to smoke, but they did.
“We smoked this thing and walked downtown Denver and it was disgusting, really offensive, ”he said. “I think it was the wildest thing I’ve ever done, but also the most memorable.”
Also the experience of 40-gram joint smoking on camera was unforgettable. “I smoked everything without moving, I didn’t get up, I didn’t break the water. I only smoked for two and a half hours. And it was the most memorable thing since it was my start to YouTube. Was it taking people, ‘I’ve never seen anyone do that in my life.’ I have been coughing for weeks. But I still have that roach, I’m going to frame it in a shade box. “
Without hesitation, Yola moves on to the next question: If you could share a joint with someone dead or alive, who would it be?
Before answering the question in full, he answers: Adam Sandler and Chris Farley, his two favorite funny boys.
Thomas already had the opportunity to smoke with another of his idols, Tommy Chong.
“I had a lot of celebrities in the podcast smoking joints. My first big break was with Tommy Chong. I rolled a joint for Tommy Chong in 2015 for smoking, and I think it was the most memorable, just sitting there couldn’t believe it was the weed that brought me here. “
– If you could testify in front of Congress, why do you think we should be legitimate in America, what would you say?
– I think they kicked me out because it’s so blunt. But it always comes down to it, I’ve never had a fight with someone who was smoking in the joint. I’ve never seen pot fights, but I’ve seen bar fights. I’ve seen people shot and killed, drunk. I’ve never seen anyone smoke a bowl, “Let’s box.”
I think if everyone smokes collectively and forgets about religious beliefs and political beliefs and the law, I think a lot of people will change their outlook on life. And they [lawmakers] I’m not trying to hear it, so I’ll be kicked out of the building.
Look ahead
In the coming months, Thomas and his team will make a national tour to present the brand and expand it further, reach new customers and find the right partners.
“We want to try to include everyone, but on a more personal level. So the goal is to connect as many fans as we can with Thomas and then bring in more people to like the whole fan base. “
Dopest Shop will soon launch a subscription service This is a big bet for them. Fans like it, they sure.
“I’ve worked with all the major subscription box providers in America and I know, just from our retailers and our numbers, that the second time we set foot in that space, it’s going to be a completely different conversation. This is just the beginning, “concluded Thomas.” Dopest Shop is a community and it’s very busy. They let us know the decision. “