In early 2018, David Halpert took a calculated business risk. Canada had not yet legalized cannabis but he still incorporated his trade publication, Cannabis Prospect Magazine. Beyond David’s foresight, the move was a culmination of his editing and sales work experience and his Centennial College education in publishing.
“You either want to be a publisher or you want to work for a publisher,” says David, who completed the Publishing - Book, Magazine and Electronic program in 2008 when it was called Book and Magazine Publishing. “The one thing I always wanted to do was be a publisher. I saw the writing on the wall with cannabis, and even though the industry wasn’t born yet and I was learning on the fly, I felt confident having a solid grounding in magazine. That wouldn’t have been possible without the program.”
David enrolled at Centennial College after completing a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. He says what stood out about the program was how comprehensive it was. Although the program has been updated since David graduated to include a more of a digital focus, it has always covered all relevant facets of publishing. The accelerated two-semester format also features a six-week field placement in the industry.
“The fact that the program had a field placement made it appealing,” he says. “I thought I would go into book publishing but because the program covers all areas, you get an opportunity to figure out what area you gravitate to. I did my field placement at Rogers Publishing and found that I gravitated to writing and editing at that time. The field placement also made you more attractive to employers, especially with the job market being what it was then, around the time of the financial crisis.”
Once he completed the program, David worked as a magazine editor for over a year and then moved into a Business Development Manager role at another magazine. There, he amassed almost seven years of sales experience. As 2018 rolled around, David knew he wanted more from his career — and felt ready to take the next step of being his own boss.
After incorporating Cannabis Prospect Magazine, he quietly worked on the publication, hoping cannabis would be legalized. In October 2018, it was.
“After my ah-ha moment that the cannabis industry would need a trade magazine, I knew I wanted to make a publication, content and design wise, that people would really want to read,” he says. “Trade magazines are sometimes seen as tedious, but with all the courses I took at Centennial College — from copywriting and design to sales and marketing — I’m able to do that. I use the skills I gained at Centennial literally every day, and I’m having a blast doing what I do.”
David’s readers are responding positively. In its fourth year, the magazine is published six times a year. It features articles, written by industry experts and advisors, which showcase the people and companies forging the cannabis industry. Cannabis Prospect Magazine is nationally distributed to 3,000 subscribes across Canada.
“We are having our best year revenue wise,” says David. “I have a business partner, but when it comes to the actual magazine, I run it by myself. I don’t think I could have done that without Centennial.”
Written By: Izabela Shubair