We might have mentioned it a time or two, but here at GRAV, we love our dogs. There are always at least a couple pups around the office, ready to hop on the table during a meeting or help someone finish their lunch. Recently, though, we got an inside look at a company that might be even more obsessed with dogs than we are. DopeBoo.com is an online headshop with a mascot that’s close to the founder, Dean’s heart. Dean appointed his English Bulldog, Boo, as the face of the company, and a sketch of Boo’s face can be seen front and center in the brand’s logo. We had a chat with Dean about customer service, Boo the Bulldog, and everything else that makes DopeBoo.com such a special place to shop. Check out the highlights of our interview below!
Introduce yourself, including your position and a brief description of what you do.
Hi, I’m Dean, and I’m the co-founder of online headshop DopeBoo.com. While no two days are the same, I’m typically focused on marketing and general operations.Are there any key team members you’d like to give a shoutout?
Gina leads our world-class customer support team. As far as we’re concerned, taking care of our customers is the most important thing we do. George is the other co-founder and while he also wears a lot of hats, he spends the majority of his time on optimizing our platform.When did DopeBoo open for business?
DopeBoo.com started in February of 2017, but our official launch as a full-fledged online headshop was 4/20 or April 20, 2017.Tell us about the bulldog mascot.
That’s Boo, my English Bulldog. He’s the best! Boo is laid back, loyal, and super friendly. He can also be picky. My business partner George uses the word “dope” for things that are cool. We wanted people to associate DopeBoo with being this cool, curated, dependable, friendly, and just all-around best online headshop.
What made you want to work in the cannabis accessory space?
As enthusiasts ourselves, we were taken aback at the unwarranted stigma associated with the category. We also felt the experience at a traditional brick and mortar headshop left a lot to be desired. From an entrepreneurial perspective, we knew we could deliver a superior experience as an online headshop by combining increased transparency and curation of the best products from large brands to independent artists, as well as providing in-depth product information and reviews in a format that shoppers could easily digest. We were also committed to offering unmatched convenience, security, and privacy, and delivering the best customer support available.Had you ever operated a website before? What other work history helped inform the DopeBoo business model?
Yes. I’ve done venture-backed tech start-ups for 20+ years, and these have ranged from computer games, consumer electronics, enterprise infrastructure, and consumer internet. George and I worked at a large consumer internet company prior to founding DopeBoo.com.Describe DopeBoo’s growth from Day 1 to now.
Starting out, particularly in a category that does not allow advertising, was no easy task. In other words, for anyone thinking about quitting your day job to put up an online headshop, if you build it … they do NOT come. That said, we’ve enjoyed relatively remarkable, steady progress since inception with annualized triple-digit growth that’s exceeded our plan.Are there any exciting developments on the horizon for DopeBoo in 2019?
We’ve definitely got a few tricks up our sleeves. But at the end of the day, as an online headshop we are only as good as the products our strategic vendor partners release each year.
What do you like about GRAV and GRAV products?
As a consumer, I was always impressed with GRAV products and their reputation. Upon entering the industry, it became abundantly clear that GRAV was the brand to watch because of its unrivaled innovation, design, quality, functionality, and value. I’m far more impressed with GRAV now as a business partner.What do you think your customers like about GRAV?
In the spirit of transparency, customer reviews are published right under each product in the store. With GRAV, customers typically rave about build-quality, airflow, and the aesthetic - which pretty much covers all the bases! The bottom line is our customers love GRAV. You can see everything on the DopeBoo Reviews page.What is one GRAV piece every smoker should have?
GRAV’s GRAV® Helix™ Classic Hand Pipe is a must have for any collection. It’s not too big or small, it’s very portable, and the delivery is unmatched by traditional pipes or any vaporizer. Two thumbs up!What sets DopeBoo apart from other online retailers, especially online headshops?
We entered this business because we knew we could differentiate from brick and mortar headshops. We also thought we could do better than the small handful of online headshops operating at that time. Most online headshops today are trying to be all things to all people as retailers, drop shippers, brands, wholesalers, merchant service providers, etc. Our sole focus is on ensuring that DopeBoo.com is the best online headshop, and we think that’s an advantage.What 3 words describe the experience of shopping on DopeBoo?
Quality - Every piece in the store is tested and selected, so there are no wrong choices!Simple - We show you everything you need to know and nothing you don’t, so it’s easy to find the right piece.
Friendly - From our customer service to our customer policies, we always have our customers’ backs.
What is your favorite part of what you do?
The industry evolves on a daily basis, and each day represents both new opportunities and challenges. Aside from working with all the great people across the cannabis ecosystem, as a life-long entrepreneur that constant evolution is what makes me jump out of bed.What is one thing everyone reading this should know about DopeBoo?
Our motto is that “the customer is always right”. Aside from getting the exact product you want every time, your complete satisfaction is guaranteed with DopeBoo. Period.Anything we missed?
We think GRAV is a dope company.Well we think DopeBoo is pretty grav-y - we mean groovy. We’d like to give a big thank you to Dean for taking the time to talk with us, and for sending us gorgeous pictures of Boo, the legend himself. GRAV’s so lucky to get to work with awesome people and pups like the ones over at DopeBoo, and we can’t wait for future collaborations with such a dope store.
Have you ever ordered anything from DopeBoo.com? Tell us about it in the comments below!
