Tero Isokauppila is the Founder and CEO of Four Sigmatic, an omnichannel CPG brand specializing in nutrient-dense foods like mushroom coffee and plant-based protein.
Founded in 2012, Four Sigmatic is predominantly bootstrapped with under 40 employees and has grown into a multiple 8-figure business.
In this episode, Tero tells the story of growing up on his family’s farm in Finland, where his grandparents brewed mushrooms during the Second World War when coffee beans were scarce. He learned to appreciate off-the-beaten-path ingredients—like Chaga—and leaned into that experience to share his Finnish traditions with an American market eager to explore healthier coffee alternatives.
You’ll hear the direct-to-consumer path he took to gain traction early on in the US market, his process for collecting real-time consumer feedback, and how he streamlined operations by outsourcing manufacturing and fulfillment.
Tweetables
“If in the beginning you don’t have conviction, it’s quite hard to succeed overall in any market. So, you’ve got to trailblaze a little bit in the beginning.” – Tero Isokauppila
“If you don’t believe, who will? Because if you don’t believe it, neither will your customers.” – Tero Isokauppila
