After battling chronic gut issues since childhood and cycling through a bunch of traditional medicine, Schaper found relief through functional mushrooms and never looked back. She teamed up with a co-founder to create SuperMush, a line of sugar-free mushroom-based gummies, mints, and mouth sprays that promote energy, focus, and relaxation.
But as the company has grown, so has the stress. “The irony is we’re creating a mental health brand,” Schaper said, “and the attempt to maintain our own mental health through the process of building and scaling a CPG company is pretty wild.”
Schaper recently appeared on Entrepreneur Therapy, presented by Amazon Business, to talk with Dr. Drew and Kim Perell about what keeps her up at night—and how to protect her peace while scaling a wellness brand in a highly competitive space.
Related: The Wellness Industry Is Now Richer Than Big Pharma and Sports
The first problem? Finding balance between the creative side she loves and the operational demands of a startup trying to grow fast. “We’ve now had to shift completely into like operations spreadsheet mode,” she said. “It’s been dominating our time.”
Perell suggested that it might be time to consider hiring someone whose strength is in backend operations. “That person will be a game changer in your business,” she told Schaper. “It may mean giving something up, but it will allow you to do your best work.”
Dr. Drew honed in on Schaper’s stress level. “You gloss it over with that beautiful smile,” he told her, “but it’s going to catch up with you.” He encouraged her to find a real way to relieve the pressure—whether that’s boxing, therapy, or talking to a close friend.
Schaper agreed that the emotional ups and downs of entrepreneurship can be discouraging, especially when the grind doesn’t always lead to immediate results. “I could work 80 hours a week and get zero investment checks,” she said. “Then the next week, I work three hours and get a million dollars.”
But she left the session with a new perspective. “I love what they shared,” she said. “And I have some good, clear takeaways.”
Entrepreneur Therapy is presented by Amazon Business. Smart business buying starts with Amazon Business. Learn more.
Related: ‘You Need Support:’ Honest Advice for a Founder Trying to Do It All Alone
This story originally appeared on Entrepreneur
