How Sami Bundlez turned a normal grow into a proprietary powerhouse

Part of what makes competition so difficult in today’s legal landscape is that it takes a lot more than just a quality product to attract consumers. While in the age of medicine many growers didn’t even brand their products, let alone design eye-catching packaging, today it’s essential for any producer who wants to see their consumer again, let alone create consistency.

With large acreage dropping the price per pound with each harvest, the growers’ only hope of competing against the money people is to develop a brand that will make a name for itself. One that consumers come after and ask not to buy just because it’s available. While there are many brands that have figured out how to create a cult following that is building demand for their products in states that are still banned, few are as active as Seven Leaves.

You might not guess as you can find imitations of their Mylars in almost every head shop across the country, but Seven Leaves hasn’t always been the visible Hyphy brand it is today. In fact, they’ve been cultivating outstanding flowers since 2008, but it wasn’t until the end of 2017 that the brand received its modern facelift. This facelift, as well as the curation of many varieties that the market is currently looking for, such as Zruntz, is not least thanks to the efforts of Sami Bundlez.

Meet Sami

Originally from Yonkers, but moved to Sacramento at a young age, Sami has directed the plant since childhood. After being caught with weed for the first time in 1995, a year before the plant was medical legalized, Sami fondly recalls the experience.

“I got caught with weed at school – a lot of it too – and it was crazy, brother, because the guard there said, ‘Don’t worry. That shit will be legalized next year; just don’t fool around. ‘”, said Sami. “And it actually became legal, and then my parents stopped tripping over me and weeds. But I was never really attached to it; Grass has always played a role because I’ve always made music. “

It was the music that built his network. Between rapping with friends and attending shows with Bay Area legend Jacka, who was one of Sami’s best friends before his tragic death, Bundlez built relationships with many key players across Northern California. He attributes a large part of his network and understanding to Jacka, which at the time even threw him down a few verses for his own projects.

“That grass shit and this music shit go hand in hand. I’ve always wanted to do that, ”Sami told me. “[Jacka] Had fucked with us for a long time, brother, when we got called before going to shows like, ‘Hey, I’m performing here, I want you all to come with me.’ That’s how we built the face. “

Courtesy Seven Leaves

Bundle up

“From then on I got around to giving concerts. We brought everyone out – from Future to Uzi, Post Malone, Belly – and brought everyone to Sacramento. I just kept working with the weed shit like I was building my brand – the Sami Bundlez brand. Every time someone came to Sac they said, ‘Call Bundlez.’

“I know I have a bit of fire-fighting weed, and I branded myself as, you know, that guy,” he added. “The name stands for itself. People have always approached me, but we haven’t branded it on T-shirts or packaging – nothing like that yet; it was all just an idea. Zkittlez’s Fieldz was actually like, ‘Bro, you should start your own shit – just do it!’ But it was funny because once he said it, so many other people came up and said, ‘Yo, you should do this.’ “

Realizing that he now had the network and know-how to not only procure the products the market wanted, but also to put them in the right hands, Sami began to plan his legal game.

“My boy [Brian Khem] calls me and he says, ‘Yo Bundlez, you know, I work for a company that has a significant number of lamps. And I think if you came here it would be something you know that you could do here. “

While the deal certainly didn’t come about overnight, that company was Seven Leaves, and Brian was on something …

Courtesy Seven Leaves

The next level: seven sheets

Seven Leaves was founded in Sacramento nearly a decade ago by Mike B, Tyler Kerns, and Gary. Since a cultivation facility was already doing solid work thanks to Brian’s know-how, Sami was able to see a plan from their first meeting.

“I gave [Brian] a list of the genetics I needed. I gave him a list of who I wanted to work with and what I wanted to do, and we made progress. ”Sami related. “I brought [former NBA athlete] Matt Barnes up, and the first thing we ever did was the Matt Barnes prerolls. That’s how it all started. “

More than just attention, Sami quickly realized that Seven Leaves needed a real brand voice and some genetic help to transcend. His efforts can be felt directly in the brand’s aesthetic. From the colors to the names, Sami planned everything. At some point there was even a discussion about a complete rebranding and running with a new name.

“They said, ‘You know, we want to try something new.’ But just to show them what I had to bring and what I could do, I thought, ‘Nah, we’re going to run with it’ – and we ran with it. I created the menu there that everyone knows. Blue slush, bon bons, VoVo, brain food.

“I’ve brought people with me who I’ve shouldered my entire life, like Zkittlez from Humboldt and Mendocino Counties.” He remembered fondly. “When Matt and I came on board, we made Seven Leaves a lifestyle brand – our lifestyle. We brought our lifestyle into this brand and then marketed it that way. “

Courtesy Seven Leaves

Live the lifestyle

For Sami, lifestyle brand is not just a funny marketing term. Sami really lives it. In his own words, here is the daily routine:

“The first thing I do in the morning is roll up a lemon slush and make coffee. Then I’ll take the blue slush, boom. After my workout, I smoke the brain food later in the day. Then, you know, I could roll up some vovo. And then, absolutely not before 9 p.m. because it really ruins my day, I’ll smoke the bon bons because that shit is the insomnia killer right there. This shit will blow your mind. “

“I followed the Jacka blueprint, the Bernese blueprint.” Sami explained. “I followed the guys that came before me who really did this shit. I take my hat off to these guys. We tried to deviate as much as possible so that we weren’t imitating anyone, but these are the people who inspired me to do whatever I wanted to do. “

While it is clear that Sami is happy to take credit for building the brand, he is quick to admit that he didn’t run into a broken vessel.

“My boy Brian is the guy who made everything possible, like the main breeder at Seven Leaves,” he explained. “I take my hat off to Mike and Tyler and Gary and everyone else involved with Seven Leaves. My boy Hansel. And Brian – this guy is like the green thumb of a green thumb, brother. His shit is literally why everyone is talking about Seven Leaves right now. You know what I mean? I just got in and put the shit on the speaker! “

Courtesy Seven Leaves

A rising tide

With more exposure and more consumers every day, the hype the brand has built, as well as the network Bundlez has built throughout its career, has given the brand more opportunities to collaborate and develop their place in the industry. Through an expanded partnership with the Terp Hogz / Zkittlez team, Seven Leaves has now co-branded some proprietary strains that Sami believes are some of the best ever grown.

“I think the Zkittlez phenomena and flavors they’ve been working on in the past five to ten years are going to be the next thing that will be talked about for the next fucking 10-15 years,” Sami says. “Everything else took its course, brother.”

But the collaborations don’t stop there. As the first of many co-brands with musicians, Seven Leaves released Wowzers, Belly’s handpicked personal strain, earlier this year. Bundlez could also mention that they are currently working on something with Cozmo.

“It’s like Coca-Cola, brother! In no way are we trying to compete or compare with anyone. We’re just here to let everyone know what we’re doing. Show them what we have and let them experience what we have on the market. “

Fan leaves

With new flavors and partnerships in development, Sami has now turned his eyes to expansion. Bundlez started a skate team and a street team on the east coast during COVID and has always prided itself on delivering the unexpected.

“I feel like we just have to address other shit; I don’t think we should just stay in that box, you know, that’s grass. ”He tells me,“ We’re working on making more merchandise. Different designs – not always just the logo or trying to make money quickly. We make skateboards. Everything we do should be educational – educational about lifestyle. You will get something different from it than just high. “

Talking to him makes it clear how excited he is about what he’s doing. He gets just as excited as I do when I open each of the different bags to sniff at them. For someone who has visibility across the industry despite the frustrations in the legal market, Bundlez remains grateful. Perhaps the best example of this, before I go, he asks me to add:

“I want to yell at the guys who helped me put all this shit together, really. And you know, our road teams everywhere. And everyone who fucks with us. Anyone who smoked and posted Seven Leaves. I would like to thank these people for anyone who has ever really taken the time and money to buy and try seven sheets of paper. Otherwise, as you know, call Jay Bape and Jigs and … shit, that’s pretty much it. “