Julie drinks shrooms 🍄‍🟫 🤔

Have you heard of mushroom coffee? Julie recently tested the new (to her) Ryze mushroom coffee subscription and shares her experience with Renae on this podcast episode. We LOVE trying subscriptions to experience the good, the bad and ugly...so we can all learn from other brands!

For those more interested in Ryze mushroom coffee, its loaded with adaptogenic mushrooms, delivering calmer energy, sharper focus, and immune support for a balanced body and clear mind.  All with less than half the caffeine of normal coffee.

Get 10% off your first Ryze order
(affiliate link)

Transcript

Renae: 0:22

Welcome to subscription box basics, the podcast. I am Renae Gonzalez, your marketing coach here at subscription box basics. And I am here with our head coach, Julie ball. And today we are doing another fun episode. We have done a couple episodes before where we break down a couple of subscription boxes or subscription. Items that we are currently subscribed to and we are doing that today also So I am really excited because I know a few episodes ago. We talked about Oats overnight and that was something I haven't tried before but julie had and today we're doing another one of those and it's again I'm telling you the marketing on these these subscriptions. It's something that I've seen over and over again, but I have not tried. So I am excited to and we're talking about Ryze superfoods and specifically, Julie, you're going to tell us a couple of the products that you're using and subscribing to. But let's dive in.

Julie: 1:25

Yes, absolutely. So This is, if you're watching the video, this is Ryze Mushroom Coffee. So that's what I have tried. So it's a replenishment subscription. And the coffee is a, it's kind of like a coffee alternative. And it's got six different mushrooms in it that have different properties. So some are supposed to help you have Calm energy instead of like jittery energy that you'd get from coffee. Some are supposed to help you have a sharper focus or improve your immune system or your gut health. And so those are all things that my husband and I are interested in from a health perspective. And so I finally caved. I don't know if you get as many ads for mushroom coffee as I do and there's Probably three or four really good brands out there. Yeah.

Renae: 2:14

Yeah. It's, it's funny too, because when we decide these podcasts topics or these subscriptions, you'll just come to me or I'll just come to you and be like, I'm trying this. So it's not like we talked about it for months or planned, but it's something that every time you bring one up, I'm like, Oh, I'm getting ads for those too. So they, they target us. And before we're even, before we even are letting our note, our phones know we're interested. So I, I have, like you said, we've been targeted for a couple ones, but this is one where just the other day I got another ad and I'm like, man, I need to cave.

Julie: 2:45

Yeah, and it's good. So, the mushroom coffee, the flavor's okay. I'm using Ryze. It's R Y Z E. And the flavor's okay, but I'm still getting used to it. It's a little bit earthier than what I would expect. But here's the thing. you can mix it with your own coffee. You can mix it with honey, with cinnamon, with almond milk. And you want to know how I know all that stuff? There's a Facebook group for it. So this is one of the things that we are finding, Renae and I are finding that all of these subscriptions that we try even if they're a replenishment food service, like mushroom coffee, they all have Facebook groups for their customers. And those Facebook groups are used not necessarily for customer service, like that's not what these are for. They're for other customers to connect with each other and share their experience. And so they know that this isn't, I mean this is mushroom coffee, it's not going to taste like a frappuccino. But, by putting people together in a Facebook group, it's allowing the newbies, like me, I'm new to this, to get Recipes and advice from the people who've been using this for a year or two years who have really seen the benefits and can speak to the benefits, you know, their health benefits, but also like how to prepare it because you can drink it cold. You can drink it warm you. And so there's all these different ways. And plus they have. A couple other products. They have a creamer, a a matcha, and then they just came out with mushroom gummies. And so they used that Facebook group to help launch that email and Facebook group, basically to launch the new product.

Renae: 4:30

I just, as I'm looking on their social media, I saw the gummies and then I also saw their matcha, which reminded me, and now I'm going rogue on this episode. And I'm going to talk about another brand because I, without even realizing it, when we started to talk about Ryze, I, I am subscribed to peak life. No, not to Ryze to, to peak life, P I Q U E. And they have a matcha. That I sub in same very similar to Ryze I'm sure where it's a powder. I it replenishes They're great at their email marketing, but something cool They do too. They also have a coffee and they have a million other ones and Something you could purchase is the Sampler where when I first got the matcha,'cause I was trying to get off coffee, I'm back on it, but I was like, oh, I'll try the matcha and I'll, I'll get that subscription. And then I also got the sampler where it was 12 different of their powders and in the one size little sampler packet so I've tried a few of those, including their coffee. Which was really good, but it, but again, it goes back to Ryze and it goes back to oats overnight and just anything in the subscription industry where it's making your life easier because one is replenishing it. So it's sending it if you need it, but two, you're able to try things if you want, and then you're also able to like cut down on your time and just make it easier because it's right there for you. So I also have a morning subscription that I didn't even remember till we started to record. That's so

Julie: 5:58

funny. I love the idea of the sampler. That is such a brilliant idea. It's funny, I've always said about like coffee shops, about tea places, the brick and mortar ones, they should offer flights. you can go to a brewery and get a flight? You can basically get to taste four to six different types of beer, and then usually, You're like, that's the one I like. So that's the one I'm going to buy. So why don't coffee shops do that? Why don't tea shops do that? Where you can have a flight of the different flavors and then you know what to buy. It's that kind of like try it before you buy it concept. Absolutely.

Renae: 6:34

And, I remember. You could do the coupon code. So it was essentially their free gift was the sampler. So it was really, really cool. So I am still working my way through it, but the ones that I've tried. Again, it's like making my list of what I'll then repurchase or purchase for the first time. Cause I was able to try a sampler, but yeah, brick and mortar stores need to do

Julie: 6:54

that too. Yes. So If you hadn't listened to the episode where we talked about Oats Overnight, go back a few and listen to that one. We talk about how Oats Overnight gives their customers a free sample of a flavor in development. And then the customers then get to help give feedback on it. So Oats Overnight can decide if they want to release that flavor, tweak the formula some more, or just ditch it all together. And so, go back and listen to that episode if you haven't already. But, okay, so, back to Ryze we always talk about offers, about how an offer is what makes somebody subscribe. Sometimes offers can be coupon codes. Sometimes they can be gift with purchases, which are my favorite. And I feel like Ryze kind of didn't have the best offer, even though I did buy it. I got free shipping which is great, and I got a free wooden spoon to mix my coffee, and then I got a free magnet. Gonna be honest, I tossed the magnet. Wasn't a great design for me or in our family, and it just It was super flimsy, and so they could have really just saved that money. But, I use this little wooden spoon. I have it here, if you're watching the YouTube video. I have it here, and it has their little logo on it. And I do use it to stir. But the problem is, this is not the serving size of the powder that you put in. And so I see that in the Facebook group a lot, that the customers are getting confused. Because you're supposed, one serving of the mushroom coffee is, you put one tablespoon into eight to ten ounces of water. Or you can mix it with other things, milk, almond milk. I mix mine with half of my own coffee and The problem with making this spoon their offer is people are inaccurately creating their coffee drink. And so I think that that should be fixed. I think that if they're going to give spoons, they give the stirring spoon and also like the serving size. The one reason they give you the spoon is because if your drink sits, the sediment, the powder can start to kind of sink to the bottom. And so they recommend that you stir it before you drink it every time. Well, my friend Brandy also, wanted to try mushroom coffee. And I said, I'll try Ryze, you try Everyday Dose. So she tried Everyday Dose. They sent a frother, like a little coffee frother, as their gift with purchase. Which is brilliant because when I use the frother for mine, I didn't get one as a freebie. I had to go buy mine on Amazon. When I use that, the experience is so much better because it's this, there's no sediment that it's really, really mixed well. And so I think Everyday Dose did better with the offer. Of course, it's going to be more expensive, but it would have given me a better user experience to actually prepare the product in a way that it's supposed to be prepared.

Renae: 9:56

And I wonder longevity wise, if their customers stick around a little longer because they're having a better experience. And so that upfront cost may cost them more to send that, but they might be over time retaining customers a little longer because their experience is a little better.

Julie: 10:13

A hundred percent. And that just, it's kind of like. I wish I could see their backend metrics to see, right? To see how long the average customer stays or like what their churn is on that first month, because it is going to be an acquired taste. You are going to most likely have to come up with a way to make it in a way that you like. So whether that's adding cinnamon or honey or whatever, but the fact is, if you don't use a frother, there's going to be sediment at the bottom of the drink. And it's like sludge by the time you get there.

Renae: 10:45

Yeah, you're doing it for your

Julie: 10:46

health, not

Renae: 10:47

because it tastes good. Yeah, you're like,

Julie: 10:48

oh, choking it down just because, okay, this is good for my health, this is good for my health, just drink it. But I actually, I'm probably two weeks into drinking it, and I have a little, I'm a little bit sensitive to food and drink, so I actually started with a half of a tablespoon, so I've sort of, worked my way into the full tablespoon just to make sure I didn't have any allergies or whatever. But I used a blender the first day because I didn't have my frother and that worked. So, you know, one of those little like ninja blenders that worked for me. But when I got the frother, it was just such a better experience. So I think that Ryze could improve that offer by removing the magnet and the wood, cute wooden spoon, and replacing it with a frother.

Renae: 11:31

Yeah.

Julie: 11:32

If you're listening, Ryze if you're listening. So let's talk a little bit more about the customer journey with Ryze because I think that's something they're doing really well. So one, I already told you about the Facebook group. What's cool about the Facebook group is there's a lot of people who feel a little bit lost in there and those people that have been using this for years come right in. They answer those questions. They tell them, you know, don't use the wooden spoon for measuring, you know, get a frother, do this, try this. And it's a great way to share recipes. I don't see Ryze team members in there or I haven't noticed who they are yet. But I do think they have this really great journey called How I Ryze and when you become a customer you get invited to be a part of this. Mindfulness service Basically, it's called how I Ryze and listen to this. It's an SMS which is text SMS based journaling this is free for a customer you go in And you tell them what time to text you and they text you every morning some sort of question, like a prompt that is either related to mindfulness or gratitude.

Renae: 12:45

And so they're

Julie: 12:46

helping you create this morning routine with your new mushroom coffee that's supposed to help you have calm energy and help you focus more. They're then infusing this really cool mindfulness practice via text. And I don't know, Renae, I don't know if you know this about me, but I hate journaling. Like this just never been my jam. I've. I, I do like gratitude journaling, like where I could list things or whatever, but I never just open up a blank page and just write about my thoughts. I am 14 days in now and I haven't missed a day of answering the prompt. Oh, that's

Renae: 13:23

amazing, right?

Julie: 13:24

So they I picked 9 a. m for my morning text and then 8 p. m As my evening reminder if I haven't Responded via, you just respond via text, and then it basically takes your text to a web based journal, and so you can see all your answers as like this digital journal, right?

Renae: 13:44

Okay, that, that alone might get me drinking some mushroom coffee. That's

Julie: 13:48

really cool. And so I love how they've created this How I Ryze and that's like their brand name. And so they're trying to help me create this morning routine that their brand is a part of, but it has so many ripple effects of goodness in my life.

Renae: 14:05

Absolutely. And more than just a subscription, we tell people all the time, like, you can't just be sending a box of stuff. And that is something Yes, they're paying for the text messaging service, but not I mean, they'd probably be paying that for marketing anyways, but this is really connecting one on one with you, establishing a routine and giving you your reminder. I'm going to sit down, make my coffee and reply to this text. So you're using their product every day. That's

Julie: 14:33

really cool. And then they're backing it up with emails from the founder every day too. And so I'll have to report back how, Long that email sequences, but it's basically so far. I've gotten an email a day from the founders that are talking about the benefits of mushrooms that are talking about the benefits of mindfulness, the benefits of gratitude. I mean, they're all in on the whole mindfulness experience. And in fact, if you go on their website, they share that. 1 percent of their profits go to a non profit called Mindfulness First, and that's an organization that goes into schools and help teach mindfulness and they help with I think it's like social and emotional trauma, like using mindfulness and gratitude to help work through that stuff. So it's. Really, you, I feel like they've really created an experience and the thing is the thing, you know what I mean? You know how so often we can create a company and have like 10 things But for them, it's it's mindfulness and They're gonna create that practice with the SMS based journaling the emails and the coffee that

Renae: 15:42

has the health benefits And I'm sure when their founders created the product and when they started to create this business, they were very passionate about it. Obviously, you have to be, but these are all things that when they were creating their business, they probably thought to do anyways and thought to be like their core values. They want to be more than mushroom coffee. They want to help people with their mindfulness. They want to give back. But they're doing that and they're making sure to use it in a way that we're again, talking about it on a podcast, but it's also brilliant marketing. They're letting people know about it and I'm on their social media and they're really good about educating people about the product. Cause it's, it's, it's different. It's people, people are used to drinking regular coffee. Why would I need to drink mushroom coffee? Why, what, how is this going to help me? So they're doing a really good job of having a lot of educational posts on their social media to. To help people learn about the benefits of it. And then also backing it up with testimonials. They have a lot of testimonials on their social media. So if you have something where you have to educate people about your box, it's a good reminder to look at a brand like Ryze and see how they're using it and what they're doing, because you need to educate people and tell them why they need to use your product, because it might be a little foreign to them, but it's, it's important to that. And, and. If you're passionate about it, it'll show through in your marketing.

Julie: 17:07

Yeah, I agree. And just to reiterate, these episodes that we're doing and we're talking about brands are not intended for you to go buy stuff. They're intended Nor are they

Renae: 17:18

sponsored at all in any way. No, nor are they sponsored. We

Julie: 17:20

randomly come up with them. Yes, exactly. They are intended to inspire you. We're trying to take a page out of the books of other big brands that either mistakes they're making or things that they're doing really well. So, if at the very least, go check out their social media and go check out their website. Join their email list to see how and draw inspiration from what they're doing.

Renae: 17:47

I think you and you and me for over seven years now have always joked that when we subscribe to something it's product research. So now we're just making that product research into podcast episodes.

Julie: 17:57

Exactly. Well, I hope you guys have been enjoying these. If there's any particular subscription or brand that you want us to try, let us know. I mean, I've, I just did this Oats Overnight. We did Ryze Coffee. My, one of the brands that I'm trying soon, we already subscribed, but we haven't gotten our first ones, is Factor Meals. I don't know if you've ever heard of those.

Renae: 18:18

I've seen those ads too. I haven't, I haven't tried them. I've done almost every other meal subscription. I've, I've done Home Chef. I've done, oh, so many. So we'll have to have a whole meal subscription one because I've, I have a lot of ones I've tried. Okay,

Julie: 18:32

good. Let's do that. I've only tried one or two years ago, but my family and I sat down the other day and I just said, I just, you know, they know I don't like to cook. And I just said, I just need a break from, from cooking and grocery shopping. And my husband and I said, well, let's, let's try one of these meal services. And as I was talking to a couple of friends about it, we narrowed it down to a few of them, but yeah, that's it. One of the ones, Factor, like, those are the ready made ones, and we're in a really, really busy season right now, and so we decided to try those. And so I've been taking notes about my customer journey, as I subscribed, and then as we get the first few boxes. We shall talk about it on a future podcast.

Renae: 19:13

Yeah, that we, I, I even have done grocery subscriptions too. So we've, we've got lots of subscriptions to talk about that we could learn from, but yeah, I'm excited to hear about that. Let's do it.

Julie: 19:24

We'll keep doing episodes like this as long as we keep getting good feedback on it. So let us know what you're thinking. Let us know if there's any brands that you have had an amazing experience because we'd love to share that with with our listeners. So we can all learn from it and implement some of that stuff in our own subscription boxes.

Renae: 19:42

All right. And that is this for this episode. We will talk to you guys soon. Have a good rest of your day and join us for our next episode. Bye. Bye.