What Mushrooms Taught Me About Magic, Change Management & Transformation

At work, I’m known as The Mushroom Coffee Girl. Have been since 2016.

I’ve been with the same company for nearly a decade, and whenever the going got rough, my old boss used to say, “Please don’t quit…..long pause...unless the mushroom coffee company calls. That’s the only reason I’d let you go.”

She knew. Everyone knew, honestly, because I wouldn’t shut up about it. I was a walking shroomy fangirl and still am. I was even using Four Sigmatic’s Reishi Face Oil until it was discontinued and I'm known around the block for my famous mushroom martini!

But there’s something I want you to know about functional shrooms - their ability to adapt is kind of insane.

When I proclaim my love for shroom brew, the first thing people ask is: “What does mushroom coffee taste like?” And then: “Why should I care?”

Funny, because that’s the same sentiment I get during major change initiatives. “What is this change gonna taste like? Am I gonna like it? Or is it gonna be like the taste and feeling of burnt toast—tough to swallow but I have no other option because I’m late for work.”

For mushroom coffee, my answer is always the same: It tastes like mushrooms could save the world—and they probably saved my life.

Maybe that’s a dramatic non-answer, but my mother didn’t call me a diva for nothing.

Mushroom’s Ability To Adapt Sparked MY Transformation

In 2016, I began taking my health seriously but was completely overwhelmed with where to start. I was a walking anxiety attack made of high-fructose corn syrup and hummus. But the thing that was driving me insane was my lack of sleep. So, I made the decision to not give a shit about the gym or getting jacked and instead focused on how to improve my non-waking hours.

That decision led me to Shawn Stevenson’s Sleep Smarter, which led me to his podcast, which led me to… the magic that is functional fungi. Specifically, a company named Four Sigmatic.

I didn’t walk—I HUFFED IT—to their website and ordered every mushroom product I could find that Shawn claimed would support immune health and REM sleep. Their instant chaga coffee came in a tin can. Their slogan was The magic of mushrooms. HOW hipster. I was in love.

This new obsession with shrooms couldn’t have come at a better time. My anxiety, chronic fatigue, brain fog, phantom pains, and repeated illnesses were being fueled by poor sleep, unmanaged grief, and caffeine dependency that rivaled Lorelai Gilmore’s.

As someone who was starting her first "big girl job" while battling episodes of grief-brain, I needed more than energy.

I needed a new outlook on longevity and a massive life transformation. And mushrooms became my saving grace.

Meet the Adaptogens

The true catalyst for my healing journey was not only drinking the magic but learning what an adaptogen actually is.

Adaptogens are natural substances—plants and mushrooms—that help the body regulate stress, restore balance, and adapt to whatever chaos the world throws at you. Most people talk about "boosting" their immune system, but adaptogens aren’t really boosting. They are balancing.

Think of them like the self-regulating passenger princess. You're driving your RAV4, music blasting, and a Cybertr*ck swerves into your lane. Your adrenaline spikes. Your girlfriend reaches over, turns down the music, helps you take a deep breath. You both agree: those monstrosities shouldn't be street legal. You feel safer now.

That is the magic of adaptogens. Stay with me here. I just needed to work in an “I hate El0nM” joke to lighten the mood.

Adaptogens increase or decrease biological responses depending on the situation. They help your body return to homeostasis. They’re what we call immunomodulators. They help you adapt.

Why This Ancient Wisdom Still Works And Applies to More Than Just Health

Learning how functional mushrooms have been used for thousands of years made me feel like I was uncovering ancient, universal truths. The more you understand how trauma is stored in the body and how much stress we carry every day, especially in corporate life for those of us who are just too soft for it all, (hi, yes, it’s me) the more obvious it becomes: “Treating your body like a temple” isn’t just for hippies and Louis Litt. (Anyone remember Suits on USA?) It’s for anyone craving less stress and more enchantment.

Sliced bread wasn’t invented until 1928. Processed foods became widespread in the 1950s. But shrooms have been with us for millennia. Archaeological evidence shows they were used medicinally by ancient cultures in China, Egypt, and Mesoamerica. Our bodies know mushrooms biologically, energetically, ancestrally, and dare I say spiritually. Ask your gut lining if it knows white bread, corn, or soy THAT well. Spoiler: it doesn’t.

So what am I getting at here? There is a reason that mushrooms are considered one of the best ways you can transform your health and immunity. It’s not because they are NEW and trendy. It’s actually the opposite. They are deeply potent adaptogens that do the work slow and steady and ultra efficiently.

This is what mushrooms would say if they had a TedTalk on their approach to Corporate Transformation:

Transformation can’t be treated with glitz and glamour all the time. Highlights the rewards of the transformation process is key for building a compelling vision for people to step into, but it’s not enough to MAKE the change happen, nor sustain it.

Transformation shouldn’t be like pounding an espresso, it should be like sipping a tea, ritualistically, gently, mindfully.

We often mistake intensity for progress: urgent comms, elaborate trainings, colorful dashboards and executive decks, fast-paced development.

But real change should be treated like a healing ritual. It should evolve along-side its constituents and their current needs in real-time.

This doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be any discomfort, missteps, or frustrations. With any transformation there is transition, leaving behind something old and adapting to something brand new. Change is innately challenging but that’s all the more reason to handle it with immense care.

Humans have a proclivity for rushed change. We want the benefits immediately. But adding urgency and intensity to a process that is inherently emotionally complex and uncomfortable, makes it extremely difficult to sustain. Dare I say, it actually SLOWS progress when you try to move too fast.

The magic of mushrooms is that they don’t try to speed up health, rev your immunity or override your body’s natural rhythm. They gently support your biology’s natural ability to adapt and they are best in class for doing so.

So if YOU remember the magic of honoring the nervous system, emotional timelines, and humanity… you will be best in class at transformation.

Appendix:

My Mushroom Line Up (That You Can Drink)

In case you’re curious, these are my favorite mushrooms!

• Reishi – The queen of chill. Supports deep sleep, reduces sleep latency, regulates emotions, and hugs your immune system.

• Chaga – Antioxidant maniac. It has 15x more antioxidant power than wild blueberries. (Put that in your juice box, and suck it, blubs)

• Lion’s Mane – Brain fuel. Enhances focus and cognition, minus the jitters.

• Cordyceps – Nature’s pre-workout. Boosts endurance and lung capacity. I take it before Pilates and feel like workout Barbie with zero crash. A 2004 study in the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine found that Cordyceps improved VO₂ max and respiratory function in elderly individuals after just six weeks. I know of no such study on other trendy energy drinks.