Maestro is an operator-led advisory firm built from live dispensary experience and execution discipline.
Michael Kochekian’s background in cannabis retail spans more than a decade of leadership across multiple markets — not theory, not consulting frameworks. The numbers below shape every Maestro engagement.
10+
Years in Cannabis & Retail Operations
3
Markets — Multi-State Operating Experience
~1,000
Daily Customers at Peak Operations
100%
Operator-Led — Not Consultant-Driven
Maestro was created for cannabis retailers that need more than outside opinions. The firm helps owners build structure, strengthen systems, and execute with consistency.
Maestro is the structured expression of more than ten years of dispensary operating experience across three markets. Founder Michael Kochekian led one of the highest-volume stores in Massachusetts and built systems across operations, loyalty, menu strategy, pricing, staffing, events, compliance-aware execution, and revenue growth.
Because the same operating problems repeat across cannabis retail — fragmented systems, inconsistent management cadence, weak measurement, margin pressure, inventory issues, and unclear leadership expectations. Maestro turns that reality into a disciplined advisory model.
Maestro’s work is shaped by a set of beliefs about what makes cannabis retail durable — and what makes it brittle. These shape who we work with, how we engage, and what we deliver.
Discipline scales. Improvisation doesn’t.
Operations either install systems early or burn cash later. There is no middle path. The work is structural by design.
The operator must own the result.
Maestro installs structure, but ownership executes. No system survives a passive leadership team — discipline has to transfer.
Activity isn’t margin quality.
Busy stores can still be undisciplined. The work is about installing measurable outcomes — not motion, not optics, not what looks good on a dashboard.
Selective beats scalable.
We work with operators who want operating truth, not validation. Selectivity protects quality on both sides — ours and theirs.
Three structural differences distinguish Maestro from typical cannabis consulting — differences that show up in how the work feels, not just how it’s described.
Built from live retail experience, not abstract frameworks. We've run the stores we now help others install.
The deliverable is a measurable operating change, not a report. Discipline transfers to the operator's team — that's the point.
Limited engagements per quarter to protect quality on both sides. Misalignment is acceptable to surface — and we surface it.
Michael’s leadership was described as the “gold standard” for a General Manager and Retail Operations Director.
— Zahara Ownership
Michael strengthened operations across multiple locations, improving sales, structure, pricing, retention, and vendor strategy. His work drove measurable gains across both adult-use and medical programs.
— Perpetual Brands
Start with clarity. Build with discipline.