Pride Month Employee Feature: Ema Waggoner

Happy Pride Month from Evergreen Market!

If you haven’t heard (or noticed all the rainbows everywhere), June is pride month!

During these 30 days we’ve wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate the values that we hold dear all year long. Respect & community are parts of our mantra and we apply them to everybody. Who you love, where you’re from, what you identify as does not have any bearing on someone’s humanity. Love is love, and it is always the side we will choose to be on. We take great pride in that.

In honor of pride we’ve asked a few employees if they would be comfortable being featured. We have lots of passionate LGBTQ identifying employees that contribute to our success, for this first blog we are thrilled to feature Ema Waggoner of our Kirkland location, and one of our newly promoted assistant store managers!

How Ema found Evergreen

Ema’s pronouns are she/her/her’s and she came to us from Grants Pass, OR. She relocated in search of a faster pace and more acceptance with the same PNW feel. She decided on the Seattle area and while working for Dutch Bros Coffee, picked up a position as a budtender at Evergreen Market’s first store in North Renton near Skyway on Rainier Ave. When she chose to move and do a little starting over the question was really which of her passions would she follow— wine or weed? With plenty of barista experience that could lend itself to either industry, it was the appeal of being able to truly help people that nudged her to the 502 market. She says her perspective on being a cannabis employee is that “the journey for each individual is different. That’s what I’m passionate about, finding that individual’s perfect journey with cannabis.”

Ema’s Journey with the Market

Progressing quickly into an educator, Ema found that helping people was her true drive and calling to be a part of the industry. While chatting with her, Ema recalled a specific customer experience that exemplified the impact she makes on a day-to-day basis. “I was helping a customer who was looking for CBD products to help provide relief from discomfort due to chronic pain,  just finding her the right dosage.” Ema smiled real big, reflecting on the difference she made for this person. “She came back to me in tears and crying because we were able to give her something that provides the type of relief that didn’t effect her body in other ways negatively.” That truly describes Ema’s approach to cannabis; being a resource and a shining light is her forte`. Being of service is what she loves.

What is LOVE? 

When Ema was asked to define love, she beautifully said “I would say that love, first, is in so many different forms. It really depends on what human you’re talking to. What love, or many loves. It can be something experienced intimately or it can be between you and someone you see on the street and give them a warm smile. Even that can be love in it’s simplest forms.”

We love you Ema and couldn’t be happier to have your big, bright smile and non-stop good vibes on team Evergreen! Thank you for everything you contribute and each interaction you have with our customers. We know that you have them well taken care of and listened to.

 

Written by: Nikki Marangon & Elan Gratrix


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