A LIFE IN A DAY: Riel Roussopoulos: Head of Marketing: Breadstack

Riel Roussopoulos is a Canadian marketer and technologist with extensive experience driving growth in a variety of industries, including e-commerce, entertainment, real estate, fitness, and cannabis. He leverages his expertise in SEO, video production, copywriting, and e-commerce to assist companies in achieving online success. Roussopoulos’ approach begins with engaging customers and amplifying their success stories to create impactful marketing strategies.

Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, he has a long history of developing technology-driven marketing solutions for innovative companies. His career spans key roles including Chief Marketing Officer at Green Holdings, where he focused on the cannabis economy. As Marketing and Blockchain Project Advisor for Company Finder, he consulted on direct-to-consumer and blockchain projects internationally. He also served as VP of Marketing and e-commerce at Cannabis Wiki and held positions at Cova Software and Dabber, where he led marketing efforts for eCommerce solutions.

The HCN team invited Riel Roussopoulos to share a daily schedule, allowing us to delve into his day-to-day routine and professional insights. Through engaging conversation, he revealed his strategic approach to marketing and technology, along with personal stories that shape his work ethic. This shared experience gave us a deep understanding of Roussopoulos’ motivations and the innovative practices he employs to drive success.

What’s your morning routine, and what do you think about in the mornings?

RR: I am generally an early riser, waking up naturally around 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. Usually I go for a half-hour walk after I get up (or when the sun comes up, depending on the season). There is a nice trail (mud lake) near my house where I can take a hike for about 5 kilometers. Then I have a cup of coffee.

I love being in touch with nature, and the birds in my area are really tame. I get to hand feed chickadees, woodpeckers, and other birds every day, which I find very soothing. I try not to think about my work during this time, I just let my mind wander. Sometimes it’s about work stuff, other times it’s about my kids or more commonly just random thoughts about industries, business and what’s going on in the world.

What part of the world do you wake up in the morning, and what is it like where you live?

RR: After decades of living in Vancouver, I moved back east about 6 years ago to be closer to my aging parents. Now living in Ottawa, I have, frankly, found joy in rediscovering seasons like fall and winter. I have been surprised at how much I actually like living in Ottawa. It has the advantages of a large, culturally rich city while still being relatively small. A half-hour delay during rush hour is usually the most you’ll have to deal with in terms of traffic. Everyone’s lawn looks like a golf course, and the capital region is generally kept really neat, which is a pleasure.

Ottawa is also a bridge away from Quebec.  As someone who grew up in Montreal and speaks French, I enjoy having more access to French culture and food than I did when I lived on the West Coast.

Image: Riel Roussopoulos

What’s the first thing you do each day, and what do you eat and drink in the morning?

RR: I have a cup of coffee and then go for a walk. Typically, I don’t eat until the afternoon, intermittent fasting style (but I never give up my morning cup of joe). We make granola with lots of nuts and dates, so if I eat anything in the morning, it’s usually that.

How do you work and plan your day, what’s your job? 

RR: I am the Head of Marketing for Breadstack, a company that builds e-commerce websites for dispensaries. I work remotely, and my days are mostly spent writing and doing other creative stuff in the mornings. 

Breadstack headquarters in Vancouver, so the time difference allows me to be focused and productive in the mornings, while my afternoons are typically spent in meetings, both internal and external.

Do you exercise or meditate, and what do you think about when exercising, meditating?

RR: Yes and no. My morning walks are meant for exercise, stress management, and clearing my head. I don’t formally sit and meditate, but I leave room for unstructured time to reflect and be intentional about my decisions. 

What do you wear these days?

RR: I wear “athletic” outfits, LOL, like sweatshirts and hoodies most days, or jeans and staff shirts. I often shoot videos, so I wear a work shirt for logo visibility. Going out, I’m not much more creative. My wife and I ride our motorcycle almost daily, so riding gear is another fashion constant.

What’s for lunch and describe the rest of your day like up to dinner time? 

RR: Usually, I heat up leftovers or chili. My wife is an excellent cook and we have 3 kids still at home, so there’s always home-cooked goodness in the fridge.

RR: My afternoons are typically spent on Google Meet calls and interviewing clients and partners by recording videos in Riverside.

What are some thoughts you might have about your cannabis job–compared to previous jobs?

RR: I don’t really compare them very often. I’ve been involved and had people in my circle who were involved in the old BC Legacy Market. I knew people with “mortgage helpers” in their basements as far back as the late 90’s. While I haven’t always been in the cannabis space, it’s been such a part of my life that I never thought it was different, it’s just what it was.

What’s your evening routine like after work? What’s your commute like? 

RR: I work from home, so the hardest part of my day is deliberately ending it. In the evening, I smoke a joint and watch some videos on YouTube. Have dinner with my family. Often, I go for a ride with my wife.

When do you consume–during the day or at night?  

RR: I’m a wake-and-bake guy. I smoke daily, know my tolerance, and go-to strains for “day” and “night” weed; typically, sativa for daytime creativity. However, there are some nice indica varieties for the same purpose, so it’s more on a case-by-case basis.

What’s your bedtime routine, and what are your thoughts as you drift off to sleep? 

RR: I enjoy using Nano Drops in “mocktails”. They’ve replaced my evening glass of whiskey that I might have had when I was younger. I usually go to bed early, around 9 or 10. I watch a bit of the news, which tends to knock me out in the first 10 minutes or so…is how I drift off to sleep.

Highly Capitalized Network © 2024 Copyright HCN and Riel Roussopoulos the author. All rights reserved. HCN thanks Riel for sharing his Life In A Day and you can find him on LinkedIn by clicking this link here.