How Bay Smokes Scaled to Eight Figures Without Traditional Advertising With William Goodall

Minds of Ecommerce

William Goodall is the Founder of Bay Smokes, a national cannabis company specializing in high-quality smokable hemp products. Under his leadership, Bay Smokes has expanded its product line to include THC, CBD, Delta-8, and other plant-based medicines, gaining a significant following on social media platforms. William studied biomedical engineering at Arizona State University before leaving to pursue entrepreneurial ventures. His innovative approach to marketing and product development has positioned Bay Smokes as a prominent brand in the evolving cannabis industry.

In this episode…

How do you grow a brand when traditional marketing channels are off-limits? For companies in highly regulated industries, scaling without access to Meta Ads, Google, or standard influencer strategies can feel nearly impossible. What's the secret to building momentum — and maintaining it — when your best growth tools keep getting shut down?

William Goodall, an expert in social-first marketing strategies, uses his cannabis venture as a compelling case study for navigating and succeeding in a restrictive advertising environment. William began by creating viral, humorous video content and distributing it through meme pages during a time of lax social media moderation. When platforms cracked down and accounts were deleted, he pivoted — experimenting with new social trends, empowering team members to own acquisition channels, and forming profit-sharing partnerships with celebrities to access fresh audiences. William emphasizes the value of rapid testing, staying agile as rules shift, and the need for tight budget oversight when scaling rapidly.

In this episode of the Minds of Ecommerce podcast, Raphael Paulin-Daigle interviews William Goodall, Founder of Bay Smokes, about growing a cannabis brand without relying on traditional advertising. William explores alternative acquisition strategies, building "closed-loop" systems, and learning from marketing missteps. Tune in for insights on managing influencer partnerships, leveraging social trends, aligning team structure with growth, and keeping business partners motivated.