From Humble Beginnings to Global Success TERO ISOKAUPPILA AND HIS MUSHROOM-POWERED VISION
Challenges Along the Way Mushroom supplements have certainly evolved over the years. One of the most formidable obstacles for Isokauppila was raising awareness and changing the narrative surrounding mushrooms and fungi. Mycophobia, the fear of fungi, has been culturally deep-rooted in Americans for years. Not to mention, most people’s general understanding of fungi is that it will make you sick. Ironically, life-saving medical advancements like penicillin come from fungi. From a success standpoint, the industry went from people laughing at the idea of drinking mushroom coffee to worldwide acceptance of mushrooms. It also helps that platforms like Netflix saw the value in mushrooms enough to make a documentary about them, further spreading awareness of the oft-overlooked fungi. The Inspiration The need for more information and documentation on mushrooms inspired the creation of Four Sigmatic. Isokauppila recalls that no documents existed when he started experimenting with herbs and natural supplements, and customer service was terrible. Then, he realized there was no “real” mushroom health category in the U.S., only that people could boost their immune systems with mushrooms — nothing else. In that moment, Four Sigmatic emerged to fill the gap. The Future of Four Sigmatic Isokauppila attributes his success to his farm upbringing but is also grateful for the
From lion’s mane and chaga to shiitake and reishi, you’d be surprised at the traction these functional mushrooms are gaining in the wellness industry. Leading this “mushroom movement” is Four Sigmatic. A 13th-generation farmer, founder Tero Isokauppila is an innovative pioneer who has taken these natural ingredients and created a winning formula, blending old-world traditions with contemporary wellness necessities to build the No. 1 powerhouse in mushroom-based products. The Shroom Company Four Sigmatic is a wellness company specializing in products such as coffee, protein powders, and supplements fortified with mushrooms. “We started as a hard-to-understand brand ‘on shrooms,’ but now we’re doubling down on our true calling of delivering you mental performance and well-being,” Isokauppila proudly states on the company’s website. As you can imagine, a business reaching the multimillion-dollar level of success didn’t happen overnight, nor did it come easy. However, Isokauppila’s mark on the mushroom wellness industry was never a far-fetched dream. It’s safe to say it was destiny for the mushroom enthusiast.
Humble Beginnings and Running Success Growing up on a farm in Finland, Isokauppila enjoyed a childhood packed with mushrooms — he and his mother would forage for them when he was young, and he and a friend later won an innovation award for discovering a rare
experiences of living in different cities, meeting new people, focusing on what works, and refining that approach. Success can look like many things to different people, but Isokauppila is the perfect example of carving out your own path when no other path is there for you to take.
culinary mushroom while attending Tampere University. Additionally, Isokauppila credits his enhanced athletic performance as a semi-competitive runner to the Cordyceps mushrooms, which studies show improve tolerance to high-intensity exercise.
2 CraigHansonCPA.com
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