From AI Automation to Mushroom Millions | Benjamin Bressington “The Mushroom Guy” on Building a No-Compromise Wellness Business

From AI Automation to Mushroom Millions | Benjamin Bressington “The Mushroom Guy” on Building a No-Compromise Wellness Business

Many entrepreneurs chase scale, automation, and shiny new systems—only to end up burned out, disconnected, and trapped in businesses they no longer enjoy. High stress, endless meetings, and bloated infrastructure quietly replace the freedom they set out to build.

Even highly skilled operators fall into this trap. Over-engineering, rushing scale, and listening to expensive “experts” can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and destroy momentum. Meanwhile, consumers are waking up to the limits of pharmaceuticals and demanding real, holistic solutions—but most businesses compromise on quality to chase margins.

In this episode, Jeff Kikel sits down with Ben “The Mushroom Guy,” a former AI automation and systems expert who walked away from Fortune-100 consulting to build a fast-growing mushroom-based wellness company from an RV. Ben shares how focusing on one mission, one product philosophy, and zero compromise on quality led to selling thousands of units in under 90 days. He breaks down his distributor-led growth model, how AI now reduces costs instead of inflating them, and why freedom comes from consistency, not chaos. This is a real-world lesson in building cash flow, impact, and a business that supports life—not the other way around.

Key Takeaways:

1. How Ben transitioned from AI automation and e-commerce into holistic wellness entrepreneurship
2. Why burnout often comes from scaling too fast, not too slow
3. The power of focusing on 10 sales per day instead of overwhelming revenue goals
4. Why “no fillers, no synthetics” became the company’s biggest competitive advantage
5. How subscription revenue creates momentum and predictable cash flow
6. Why giving away product samples can outperform aggressive sales tactics
7. The distributor “milk run” model and why local human connection still beats algorithms
8. How Ben avoided expensive software by building his own AI-powered CRM systems
9. Why consistency and stability outperform forced growth
10. How true freedom is created by choice, time control, and low pressure—not material excess

About the Guest:

Benjamin Bressington, founder of BareRemedy and the voice behind their 'Medicine Man' persona. After spending a decade advising Fortune 1000 companies on behavior design, Ben discovered the transformative power of medicinal mushrooms during his own health struggles.

Now he's on a mission to help 1 million people reclaim their health using nature's most powerful remedies. Through Bare Remedy, he creates innovative mushroom tinctures and adaptogenic gummies using ancient spagyric extraction methods that capture up to 100% of beneficial compounds – versus the industry standard of just 30-50%.

Links:

https://app.bareremedy.net/store/447447783e6b48f3bd78f109cacb9375

https://www.facebook.com/benjamin.bressington

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminbressington

Fast Five Questions:

1. If you woke up and your business was gone, you have $500, a laptop, a place to live, and food, what would you do first? “Create a killer offer and connect it to Facebook ads. Then rinse and repeat—shorten the customer acquisition cycle from 30 days to 7 days, to 3 days, to 24 hours. That’s exactly what I had to do last year when my merchant account got shut down overnight.”

1. What is the biggest mistake that you have made in business? “Thinking I needed to scale faster. I spent six figures trying to force scale, when consistency and stability would have produced better results with far less stress.”

1. What is a book that you would recommend? “The Obstacle Is the Way. Most entrepreneurs try to go around the hard thing instead of through it. Real progress comes from doing what’s uncomfortable—better.”

1. What is a tool that you use every day that you would recommend? “ChatGPT, Claude, and lovable.dev. AI isn’t the problem—lack of skill using it is. Mastering these tools is a massive competitive advantage.”

1. What is your definition of freedom? “Having the time to choose what I want to do—or not do. Go boating, hiking, ride my bike, spend time with my partner—without pressure. It’s not about stuff. It’s about peace and choice.”

About Jeff:

Jeff spent the early part of his career working for others. Jeff had started 5 businesses that failed before he had his first success. Since that time he has learned the principles of a successful business and has been able to build and grow multiple seven-figure businesses. Jeff lives in the Austin area and is actively working in his community and supporting the growth of small businesses. He is a board member of the Incubator.Edu program at Vista Ridge High School and is on the board of directors of the Leander Educational Excellence Foundation

Connect with the Freedom Nation podcast at https://freedom-nation-podcast.captivate.fm/

Connect with Jeff:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freedomnationpodcast/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffKikel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkikel/

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