Community Highlights: Meet Drew Punjabi of Kip Morrison and Associates

Today we’d like to introduce you to Drew Punjabi.

Hi Drew, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am a Los Angeles based, up and coming music artist, former professional beach volleyball player, and the current Marketing Director of Kip Morrison and Associates, a national cannabis and lifestyle public relations and marketing firm that has handled notable brands like: Lowell Smokes, Henry’s Original, MedMen, Foria, Raw Garden, Platinum Vape, Absolute Xtracts, 22Red, Dr. Greenthumb’s, SC Labs, and more.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, my upbringing was marked by ingenuity, hardship, and compassion after my father died unexpectedly. After a slew of successes in volleyball, followed by challenges in academia, I dropped out of college and moved west to Los Angeles without ever having visited the city and with a little more than a thousand dollars to my name.

A chance meeting with Kip Morrison and Associates evolved into me creating an entire digital marketing department for the firm, where I work as a go-to-market strategist, brand manager, creative director, and master connector. I’ve built cannabis brands’ social media following into the tens of thousands during the prohibition era (shutting down of cannabis handles), secured account verification, expanded regional brands into multi-state enterprises, and developed brand identities from the ground up.

Finally, under the moniker YEUX (French for eyes), I am telling my story from under-privileged mid-western kid to mover and shaker in the City of Angels through music. With the help of industry stalwarts like Rush Davis, Aidan Carroll, and Tyler Scott, my first singles expect to drop in 2021.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Hell naw. Whether it was the death of my father, my mother’s health battles, or my struggles with academia, my hardships began at a young age. Thankfully, ignorance was my savior, and for the most part, I was unaware of the gravity of the challenges I had growing up. As I got more knowledge of what existed outside of my environment, it drastically changed my perspective on my relationship with myself, others, and my business. Once I began focusing on everything that COULD be, I found myself no longer beholden to the circumstances of my upbringing. I decided to leave Kansas City and move to Los Angeles in my early twenties. I moved there with whatever I could fit in my car, $1000 in cash, and the hope of building a brand new life in a city I hadn’t ever visited.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Kip Morrison and Associates?
Kip Morrison and Associates delivers a top-notch experience and expertise to drive measurable results for each of our clients. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, KMA is one of the few PR agencies with over 30 years of successful reach in the industry. We have emerged as a leader in shining the spotlight on the country’s best-known cannabis products and brands securing top-tier media placements for our clients.

Being one of the most talented and experienced boutique PR firms in the industry, we have a track record of shaping strategy, driving exposure and business value for our clients. KMA sharply defines your story using creative approaches to both making news that generates maximum media coverage and engaging consumers where they least expect it. Our experience and results are unparalleled.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I wouldn’t refer to it as luck. Anything that I have created for myself or others has come from an authentic and intentional place. I am a firm believer in controlling your perspective, keeping your vibration high, and being open to things happening WHEN they are supposed to. Keeping that mentality consistently (although I am not perfect, I have plenty of bad days where I question myself, my talent, etc.) has proven to always bring me business success. We only have room for so much and when one thing exits, it’s just making space for something that is better suited for me, even if it’s not clear at that moment.

Contact Info:

• Email: drew@kmacannabis.com
• Website: www.kmacannabis.com
• Instagram: @ihearyeux
• Other: @kma_agency