June Rawrrzone Spotlight - Respect my Region

What began as a clothing brand at Central Washington University between two friends evolved into a global media brand in just 15 years.

Respect My Region is the leading independent media platform that supports local artists, brands, and creatives who value community and culture. Since 2011, they have been elevating urban culture throughout the Pacific Northwest, eventually expanding to the West Coast and soon reaching the rest of the world. Mitch and Joey exemplify perseverance, demonstrating the importance of not giving up even when quitting seems like the only option. Their passion and dedication as both gatekeepers of urban culture but their dedication to proper journalism makes them the perfect candidate for our Rawrrzone Spotlight for June of 2026.

1) First off—welcome to the Rawrrzone! For those just tapping in, how would you describe Respect My Region in one sentence? Music, cannabis, and sports fans who love sharing culture with other people. 

2) What does “Respect My Region” really mean to you beyond the name? We just appreciate local culture more than most and love to bring respect to different regions through content. 

3) When people hear your content—music, cannabis, culture—what do you want them to feel immediately? We want them to feel some form of energy or passion for whatever we're showcasing. 

4) Respect My Region started as a clothing brand and evolved into a full media platform—what was the turning point that made you pivot into content and storytelling? Mitch and I might respond differently here but I'd have to say that the last few failures of our clothing brand paired with where the future of RMR was heading led to some tough conversations about building our brand and what it would take to be a clothing brand versus a media company. The convergence of those variable and then the growth and expansion of social media x the internet definitely led to where we're at today. 

5) How did growing up in your respective regions influence the voice and authenticity of the platform? Mitch was always about the Pacific Northwest. Paying homage to the proper individuals. The people who built the culture. That's been our foundation. I definitely was the voice for "local is everywhere" and expanding into other markets through music coverage. I grew up in Indianapolis, Houston, and then Renton/Kent, WA. Music from the East Coast and the South absolutely had to be part of what I covered. 

6) Joey, what inspired your journey into media, and how did you find your lane within Respect My Region? Music and events got me into media. Parties needed music and a photographer. I was a DJ at first and collaborated with RMR as my own DJ and production "company" back in 2011. I partnered with a photographer and we started shooting concerts, sports, and fashion.

7) What were some early challenges breaking into both the music and cannabis industries simultaneously? We didn't break into music at the same time as cannabis. Music was first. Cannabis was second. Challenges for both were similar because we make content and had to do quality and quantity to break into people's sphere of attention. Bringing our brand to life via events was challenging because of sponsorships, sales, event coordination, production, long hours, etc. To build something real you have to be digital and physical. 

8) You’ve covered hundreds of artists and events—what separates a moment from just another interview? Creating something with emotion. Could be funny, could be sad, could be celebratory, could be overcoming something. Sharing our struggles. Getting people to connect with that emotion creates moments in these interviews. 

9) How do you balance covering mainstream artists while still uplifting independent voices? Lately we've done a terrible job of that but we're actively looking to simply balance it out from a quantity meets quality standpoint. Our goal in June is to hit 8 local music articles in a month including 2 lists. 

10) What role does regional culture play in shaping the sound and stories you highlight? Regional culture defines the sound and stories we highlight. Our entire frame of mind is based on showcasing culture in ways that provide value to the locals in those areas. 

11) How important is community engagement when building a platform like yours? Community engagement is crucial to people caring about the brand. We align ourselves with the right people physically and do our best to highlight people, businesses, artists, with real stories. Engaging with the community through content is great, but we enjoy events and gathering and building with people more in person. 

12) Respect My Region has become a major voice in cannabis media—what drew you into that space? Back in 2016 and 2017 there just wasn't a voice that really showcased strains, brands, celebrity weed, rapper weed, and grows or manufacturing facilities. We hit the streets. We hit the grows. We wanted to travel and be part of the community as best we could. 

13) From your perspective, how has cannabis culture evolved since legalization began expanding across the U.S.?

It's evolved a ton and quite quickly too. People talk about the plant differently. More people have access. More people know more about it. General culture is normalizing cannabis. At the same time though, lots of people are still in jail or prison for cannabis. That needs to be fixed as soon as possible. 

14) What are some misconceptions about cannabis that media still gets wrong?

Media keeps showcasing the wrong people who don't actually represent the industry, culture, or patients. People that only care about their own business or themselves. Kim Rivers, Josh of Raw Papers, Seth Rogan, even Cheech & Chong. None of those people represent the culture today. They don't represent the legacy growers, the dispensary operators, or the budtenders, and certainly not the people trimming, stuffing joints, doing packaging, labels, compliance, etc. 

15) How do you approach responsible cannabis journalism while still celebrating the culture? By speaking from a place of science. We're bloggers and curators who write articles that showcase products, businesses, and brands who generally are guests on our podcasts too. If you're doing journalism for major publications like Forbes or other sites, the least you can do is feature brands and people who the culture and community actually have up-to-date respect for. 

16) Cannabis reform is still uneven across states—what changes do you want to see on a policy level? and how important is social equity in the cannabis industry, especially for communities impacted by past criminalization? We want to see lots of changes regarding cannabis prisoners and social equity. I personally would love to see healthcare including cannabis. I'd also love to see people be able to rent homes and get jobs without having to deal with cannabis stigma and laws that block them due to consumption.

17) What conversations around cannabis aren’t happening enough right now? - releasing more prisoners from jail or prison who are there due to cannabis

- studies surrounding cannabis and parenting

- social equity in Washington state

- safe and legal consumptions lounges  18) Respect My Region offers content creation, marketing, and influencer campaigns—how has media changed for brands in the digital era What separates good content from content that actually converts and builds community? and How do you stay ahead in a space where everyone is trying to be a media outlet? Respect My Region offers content creation, marketing, and influencer campaigns—how has media changed for brands in the digital era What separates good content from content that actually converts and builds community? and How do you stay ahead in a space where everyone is trying to be a media outlet?

Short form video with text and the right hook and timing is everything. There are so many nuances that go into good content that converts and builds community. Quality, quantity, proper messaging, format, and collaborations would be what I'd focus on. 

We focus on doing what we do well and being the best at that. Own your lane. Continue improving and being consistent at the other lanes only after crushing at what we own.

19) Respect My Region works across events, PR, and brand strategy—what’s the long-term vision for the company? What industries or spaces are you looking to expand into next? Continue building community, continue acquiring fans, growing viewership, expanding into more original shows and series in music and cannabis, and building out our sports vertical more.

21) What’s one moment where you felt like everything you built was worth it?

Have been surrounded by friends, family, and have felt appreciated for what we do numerous times. One specific moment early on was being up in the presidential suite of the Bellagio hotel back when we first got into cannabis. A more recent moment was when Abel and I were in New York in Astoria Park and we were blessed to be safely enjoying our cannabis in the beautiful weather, talking about the moves we're about to make and what our future looked like. 

22) If you could change one thing about the media industry today, what would it be? The general assumption that press coverage, journalism, content, shouldn't be paid for, and that writers, bloggers, journalists, whoever, should just do content for free.  23) What legacy do you want Respect My Region to leave behind?

I'd love for RMR to build a series of partnerships that make the company sustainably capable to provide a home for creators: writers, social media, podcasters, etc, to cover music, culture, sports, and other content. A place where students can learn and grow. A place where people who need to make $ can create opportunity for themselves. A brand that is deserving and capable of giving away scholarships and creating opportunities for people all over the world.