In this week’s episode of Earned, Conor Begley sits down with Shane Heath, Co-Founder & CEO of MUD/WTR—a powerful coffee alternative rooted in wellness. With a goal of tackling cultural norms around caffeine consumption, MUD/WTR has transformed the lives of many with their unique blend of functional mushrooms, cacao, and chai.
To start, Shane dives into his career path, beginning as a tech designer and then pivoting to being a brand founder on a quest to redefine wellness on an unconventional path. Shane delves into his story of lifestyle experimentation and business innovation, highlighting how MUD/WTR stands out with its bold branding and human-centered marketing approach. We learn about the brand's mission to challenge societal norms, its strategic expansion into retail, and how authentic collaborations with influencers who resonate with its holistic philosophy are truly beneficial. Switching gears, Shane explains how he envisions MUD/WTR as more than just a product—but a movement aimed at addressing broader societal challenges like caffeine dependency and mental health. To close the show, Shane gives his “hall of fame” book recommendations for the readers out there.
Check out highlights from the episode below, or or tune into the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen!
The following interview has been lightly edited for concision.
Conor Begley: Okay. So we've got the brand, it's founded, we've got a website, we've got a little viral with some of the content. What has been the process of scaling it up? After the initial start, what were some of the things that helped you grow as a business? What was your approach to building the company?
Shane Heath: So in the beginning I didn't have a ton of resources. I was working full-time. I was in a little bit of debt. You know, I was 29 years old, living in Venice Beach, and I put this site up knowing that if I wanted to pursue this full-time, I would have to crush it. It's not something that I could start and ease into. It's not a side project. I'd have to raise capital to be able to focus on this full time, and so that's what I set out to do.
I have a belief that to stand out, you have to find a way to zig where other people are zagging. Your biggest threat as a company—especially early on, but I think this is persistent throughout— is not competition, it's indifference. If customers are indifferent about who you are and what you're bringing to the table, that is the biggest threat to your success. You have to stand for something. You have to bring something strong to the table. You have to be courageous, because most likely to do that, you're going to have people hate on you, and you have a bunch of people love on you. You can't try to be liked by everyone or you'll be loved by no one. Some of the tactics, and they're interesting to call them tactics because I feel like it was an intuitive approach, but looking back, like the name in and of itself is somewhat polarizing. It's confronting and not something that you will forget. It's pretty hard to be indifferent about a drink called MUD/WTR.
Keep up with new episodes of Earned by following the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts, or if you prefer to watch these interviews, by subscribing to our YouTube channel.