My Mushroom Journey

[Lowell Brillante]

In January of this year I was laid off from my job as an executive podcast producer for WebMD. Before that I was a senior producer at iheart and on the organizing committee for their union efforts.

In January I was blindsided by a round of layoffs. I had a bit of money from home equity so I decided to go all in on a hobby I had... growing mushrooms. 

At this point most people ask me what kind of mushrooms? Psilocybin or "magic mushrooms" are still a schedule 1 substance in the US (illegal af) and will be for a while but that's a different discussion.

My plan was to sell "gourmet" mushrooms. Gourmet is basically the word we use to refer to food mushrooms. 

So I spent the past 10 months learning how to grow mushrooms and developing something I'm really proud of. A mushroom grow kit anyone can do at home. 

The major problem I'm experiencing is that I spent all my soul and most of my money developing and learning how to produce a product that's ready to ship and now I need to pivot to marketing... a struggle I'm sure many will be familiar with. 

There's such a beautifully diverse group of people in this group I figured maybe there's someone that knows someone that might lead to something. 

Please forgive the shameful plug of my first product.

It's a Pink Oyster Mushroom Grow Kit. A clear container of mushroom mycelium that grows mushrooms on your countertop... or desk.

Pink oysters are gourmet. These ones pictured went right into a pan with a little oil and salt right after this. They're really tasty with a mild umami flavor and a meaty texture. They make a particularly great gift for kids but are fun for all ages.

I went with the grow kit because I think it really triggers an interest in people to learn more about growing mushrooms. Mushrooms are fascinating. They're our planet's way of converting waste into food. The ability to grow them feels like a mild superpower. 

Another thing I love is that there's so much more to understand about them. There's several that we cannot grow on purpose in any meaningful way. We have to find them in nature, like morels, chicken of the woods and chanterelles. There's many, many, many more discoveries left.

Anyway if you're interested here's a link to the website.. I'll have blue oysters back in stock in a week and I'll be adding lion's mane soon as well.

And if you have any mushroom related subjects you want to chat about hit me up!

Lowell