How a small health food business made $500,000 in a MONTH selling rare mushrooms that improve your sleep and skin
- A Melbourne man has made almost $500,000 in a month thanks to Netflix
- Justin Snyder is the founder of rare mushroom specialist Forest Super Foods
- Business has boomed since the Fantastic Fungi documentary aired on August 1
- Mr Snyder says demand grew by a staggering 660 per cent in just one month
- His three employees have been ‘working around the clock’ to fulfil global orders
A man who started selling supplements out of his spare bedroom nine years ago has raked in almost $500,000 in the space of a month thanks to a ‘magical and mystical’ Netflix documentary.
Justin Snyder is the founder of Forest Super Foods, a small Melbourne-based organic health food brand that specialises in rare mushrooms grown in Australia.
It’s a niche product popular among herbalists and naturopaths, but ever since Fantastic Fungi aired on Netflix on August 1, business has boomed – and then some.
Mr Snyder saw sales surge by a staggering 660 per cent year-on-year, racking up global sales of $482,000 all thanks to interest in the Brie Larson-narrated film which details the healing powers of medicinal mushrooms.
Justin Snyder (right) is the founder of Forest Super Foods, a small Melbourne-based organic health food brand that specialises in rare mushrooms grown in Australia (left)
The founder and his two part-time employees have been working ‘around the clock’ to fulfil orders which continue to come hard and fast from across the world.
‘It’s crazy that we were able to [do it] considering I’m the only full-time worker supported by two part time staff – we literally had to work night and day for the whole month,’ Mr Snyder told Daily Mail Australia.
His story is all the more impressive given ‘100 per cent of sales’ were made through the company’s website with virtually no advertising.
The brand’s bread and butter are Lion’s Mane, Reishi and Turkey Tail mushrooms, all grown Down Under and freeze-dried rather than sprayed, which preserves their nutritional value and makes them superior to processed alternatives grown in China.
Mr Snyder is still digesting his extraordinary success.
‘I couldn’t be prouder of our small team, and a big thank you to the people at Netflix for shining an important light on the power of these rare mushrooms,’ he said.
The brand’s bread and butter are Lion’s Mane, Reishi (pictured) and Turkey Tail mushrooms, all grown Down Under and freeze-dried rather than sprayed, which preserves nutritional value
But the ‘Netflix effect’ is not the only reason behind the company’s recent fortunes.
The pandemic-led trend towards health and holistic living saw Forest Super Foods sales rise from under $70k for the January to March 2020 quarter, to more than $300,000 by the October to December 2020 quarter.
Takings had already escalated to $524,000 by this year’s April to June quarter before the brand enjoyed its bumper month in August.
Forest Super Foods enjoys a 4.9 out of 5 star customer rating, with many calling the mushrooms a ‘life-changing miracle’ that has transformed their skin, sleep, and mental outlook.
Customers have called the mushrooms (pictured) a ‘life-changing miracle’ that has transformed their skin, sleep, and mental outlook
It’s a source of immense pride for Mr Snyder, who has persevered for almost a decade and never gave up on his dream.
‘I started my business back in 2012 from my spare bedroom in Melbourne. Back then there were only one or two sellers of Super Foods in Australia, but I just knew it was going to be a huge industry,’ he recalled.
‘I stuck at it knowing that one day people will appreciate the amazing health benefits contained in these natural foods. After all, who doesn’t want to improve their health using just natural foods?’
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