Hi Earthrise community,
Adam here. I'm writing this with a big cup of Stellar Mind beside me, taking five minutes to breathe during what has become one of the biggest weeks of the year for us.
This is actually our first official Founder Update.
I’ve wanted to do something like this for a while (a real behind-the-scenes look at what’s happening at Earthrise) and the final push came from my mate Robbie over at Runly. He sends incredible founder updates to his community, and after reading his latest one, I thought, you know what? Earthrise needs this too.
(And seriously: if you’re a runner, go check out Runly. Robbie’s building something special.)
Black Friday Week launched yesterday, and like every year, it’s a rollercoaster you can never fully prepare for. You think you’re ready, then the site goes live, and suddenly you’re in the thick of it. Notifications pinging nonstop, customers asking questions, first-time buyers discovering us… chaotic, overwhelming and genuinely exciting all at once.
This entire year has been an education in the ebbs and flows of running a small business in 2025. Some days I feel like we’re building a rocket ship. Other days I’m knee-deep in spreadsheets trying to figure out stock timing, freight, cash flow, and what fresh algorithmic nightmare Meta will throw at us next. But we keep pushing!!!
And we’ve got something big coming.
We’ve secretly been developing a new product for December, and I can’t reveal much yet, but it’s warm, rich, sweet and very Earthrise. One of those “why didn’t we do this earlier?” products. You’ll see soon.
Behind the scenes, we’ve also been growing in a very real, non-glamorous, founder-way. We’ve started bringing on people to help us, with fulfilment, content, customer care etc. It’s been one of the best decisions we’ve made. For the first time Earthrise feels less like a scramble and more like a small, mighty team who believe in what we’re doing.
We’re also opening up wholesale properly. Seeing Earthrise stocked in new places like cafes and small retailers... has been surreal. Every time I see our bags on a shelf, I get that weird mix of disbelief and pride. And there’s more coming next year.
Sustainability has been another big focus for us. We’re upgrading our shipping packaging to more environmentally friendly materials, recyclable, sturdier and less wasteful. It costs more, but it’s the right thing to do, and we’re committed to making Earthrise as responsible as possible from end to end.
One moment that really stuck with me happened last week. A customer messaged us wanting to understand where our ingredients came from, how we tested them and whether everything was validated with Australian certifications. Not in a demanding way... in a caring way. They wanted to make sure what he was consuming was safe and genuinely what we say it is.
We went back and forth, and I explained everything: our suppliers, our certifications, our batch testing, our quality control. At the end he said:
“Thanks for taking the time.”
That honestly hit me. Because that’s exactly how we see it too. We don’t cut corners. Every ingredient is tested. Our suppliers are vetted. Our products meet Australian standards. Your trust means everything.
On top of all this, we’ve been exploring investment options for the first time. Not to “hyper-scale” or play the startup game, but to give Earthrise stability!! Marketing in 2025 is tough, especially for small Aussie brands.
Thanks for supporting a small team with a big goal.
Big things coming in December.
Happy sipping!
Adam
Co-Founder, Earthrise
