Kayvan Khalatbari is a Denver entrepreneur who’s founded (among others) Sexpot Comedy, Sexy Pizza, Denver Relief, Denver Relief Consulting, and Birdy Magazine. He also ran for Denver City Council in 2015. Needless to say, this gave us plenty to talk about on this week’s show.

I was introduced to Kayvan Khalatbari by Jake Browne (from Ep. 75) because I had asked Jake to introduce me to a dispensary owner to talk with on the show. I didn’t know Jake was going to hook me up with the guy who’s not only in charge of the oldest dispensary in Denver, but a guy who sponsors so much of what makes Denver cool. Don’t believe me? Go to Sexpot Comedy and take a gander at how many shows they produce a month, or how many podcasts they sponsor. Or check out Birdy Magazine, where local voices and local art get a boss publication to show off in. It’s an entire empire of cool!

Behind the scenes of it all is Kayvan, working 90 hours a week chasing his dream. The thing you’re must struck by when you interact with Kayvan is how engaged he is with you. Whether we were talking about how the cannabis industry has changed and continues to evolve or how he perceives the Denver City Council has prioritized and addressed the city’s issues incorrectly, Kayvan is thoughtful, incisive, and thoroughly engaged. It’s energizing getting to talk with him, and my feeling is that he could converse with you intelligently about virtually any subject.

It’s fun to feature a story like this considering it all happened sort of spontaneously. Like me, he left an unsatisfying corporate job to work for himself. Unlike me, his exit unfolded in about 15 minutes instead of a year, and he suddenly found himself with an entirely new life. It’s an invigorating story in what turns out to be an incredibly dense episode of the show.

You can download this episode on iTunes, or stream it on Stitcher.

Check out our sponsor 4 Degre.es, and our producer Deft Communications.

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