Exclusive Interview With Attune Founder Tony Huang
A new competitor has emerged in the industry of herb and medical practices. Due to the effectiveness of mushrooms and adaptogens in the human body after consumption, Tony Huang has sought to capitalize on it by bringing forth new products to be used in this new age of health-focused consumerism. His company Attune is starting to branch out his products in a new revolutionary and enterprising way.
In our in-depth interview with Attune’s founder, we learn about the man behind the brand, his company’s origins and how his products will affect your life in Attune.
Joseph Lehmann: All right, so your educational background is in kinesiology, and you spent several years working in both fitness and in the overall healthcare profession. How does one go about going from such a specific career sector and what inspired you to start Attune?
Tony Huang: So, I got my degree in kinesiology, an exercise science, primarily because I was already into health and fitness. As an undergrad, I chose the kinesiology program because I already had a passion for fitness and sports. I was always involved in athletics in high school, which I missed when I entered college. It was like my identity and an outlet for me to test myself physically.
Naturally, when you’re into fitness, you’re introduced to supplements. You hear all these stories of what some of these could do to your body. I went to Wal-Mart and bought the cheapest supplement there and added them workouts. After that I went to the supplement store more often as I got more comfortable. I tried out what worked and what didn’t and formed a sort of stack that worked for me.
A few years down the line, and a friend of mine and a founder of a magazine, he reached out to me for help on starting a supplement store. That’s how I got involved in the business and logistics side of things, which got me thinking, ‘Hey, why don’t I get involved in this sort of thing and grow a brand or something out of it like an extension of me and leave a legacy behind?
JL: What led you to discover this niche in the market that needed to be filled?
TH: So, mushrooms have always been a part of my life, even when I didn’t know it. My parents would introduce me to these herbal soups filled with adaptogens and herbs and a bunch of other stuff and they would say ‘drink this, it’s good for you.’ When the lockdown started, I got depressed and anxious about my future, so I went down this rabbit hole one night looking at mushrooms and fungi, while watching this documentary called Fantastic Fungi by Paul Staments, and I didn’t know there was so much more to mushrooms than I originally thought. The deeper I researched, I realized this is what my parents were giving me the entire time. It’s more commonly used in Eastern cultures than Western culture, so I thought maybe I’ll introduce it here with my company and let others know about the benefits.
JL: The baseline of your company centers around the use of mushrooms, more specifically adaptogens. Can you tell us what adaptogens are, and how they differ from other types of mushrooms?
TH: All mushrooms could be considered adaptogens, really. It could be an herb, a food, most commonly called in the health and wellness world a ‘superfood’. What it does is adapt to the needs of your body, say when you’re stressed with a big exam coming up or a big project or workload, there are certain hormones and biomarkers in your body that tell you you’re stressed, one of them called cortisol, for example. So, what adaptogens do is recognize the state of your body and reverse them back to a more neutral state.
JL: Many of our readers may have questions and/or concerns about the use of adaptogens mushrooms as having broader physical and mental health benefits. You might even say they might be skeptical of these claims. Could you explain to us the benefits of adaptogen mushrooms?
TH: I think there’s still a large learning curve within consumers. When you say ‘mushrooms’ they might think of psychedelic mushrooms. But they could be found regionally or in your backyard. These are functional mushrooms and are perfectly legal. We want people to do more research. While there is research being done on psychedelic mushrooms for mental disorders. Functional mushrooms on the other hand have more physiological health benefits.
JL: Currently, you have three mushroom extract products available for consumers to purchase. First is Cordyceps. Can you describe to us what Cordyceps are, plus what are the unique health benefits attached to this product?
TH: Cordyceps provide energy benefits, grown in the Himalayas that are completely rare and hard to cultivate. They feed off dead insects and get their nutrients, getting called the ‘zombie fungi’.
JL: Next, you have Lion’s Mane. What are the unique health benefits attached to that product?
TH: It’s my favorite to be honest. They’re called the ‘monkey head’ because they have this look when they’re dry, they have this icicle structure to them when they dry up, they’re very delicious. Their benefits are brain boosting with neutral growth factors helping out as we age by building new neurons in the brain. The powder should be taken every morning for cognitive protective mechanisms and for focus.
JL: Then, you have Turkey Tail. What are the unique health benefits attached to that one?
TH: It’s for immunity. In Japan, it’s prescribed by doctors to treat certain types of cancer by fighting off free radicals. A lot of berries do the same, but Turkey Tail can also help boost the immune system.
JL: With such a unique niche health product, how does one incorporate these products into their lives? Can they be mixed with food or drink? Provide us with some examples.
TH: They’re currently in powder form, making them very versatile. They could be used in smoothies, teas, coffee with some people even putting it in their pizza and pasta. In the future, I’m hoping to integrate these already all into a single mix product. I’m working on Lion’s Mane matcha right now.
JL: What roles do you see adaptogens mushrooms playing in this new era of climate awareness and widespread efforts to practice sustainability and reduce our carbon footprint?
TH: The way my mushrooms work may be to help compliment a vegan or plant-based lifestyle or even reduce meat consumption in general. It’s well known and established that eating meat harms the environment, with the amount of water used to create a burger. Hopefully, people could be persuaded to try out a more plant-based or alternative diet in the place of meat. I don’t think my mushroom will reduce the carbon footprint at a large scale, but I think mushrooms are being used in innovative ways that could be used in other things, like packaging and buildings that will have a more significant impact.
JL: Switching gears, now we want to take a minute to get into the business side of Attune. Can you tell us a little bit about your growth and expansion strategy for Attune within the next five-ten years?
TH: I haven’t planned that far ahead; I take things one step at a time. I don’t schedule things specifically, so I don’t have things set in stone. Right now, it’s just getting the brand name out and giving out samples. I have some partnerships lined up right now for boosting recognition, so it’s just more about getting products sold right now.
JL: Attune belongs to the supplement industry. In an industry full of products that promise to improve people’s physical and mental well-being, what makes your products special and stand out from the competition?
TH: My extract is not too different from every other brand. However, I am hoping to integrate the Metaverse into the brand right now as I believe going virtual is the future, as we’re already seeing different parts of the Metaverse being built right now. I think that will be my advantage right now, as I could interact with consumers. It’ll be easier than emailing them, flying out, or meeting at conventions, so people can help out right away. Additionally, I hope to create a community who are customers of the brand where one can interact with each other.
JL: Your website provides a window into the future with the future of expansion into more adaptogen mushroom and extract products. Can you tell us what some of those future products will be and when we can expect them to hit the market?
TH: I’m putting on a blend of a few ingredients forming into one mix so that customers won’t have to buy four or five together. Then perhaps there could be a line of clothing merchandise.
JL: In the competitive rough and tumble supplement industry, how will you measure the success of Attune beyond just sales? (Note: how have you made your mark on the industry?)
TH: It’s nice to be profitable I don’t think that means success; it is just a piece of it. I think success is about growing and looking back on what you’ve done and being proud of what you have built or how far you’ve come. I have benchmarks on where I want to be, like getting my stuff into retail, but there’s a conceptual understanding of where you want to be.
JL: What are the most important things that you want potential customers to know about Attune?
TH: I want them to know that it’s a product you can rely on, trust, and not be afraid of any negative connotations and connections when using mushrooms, since I know there’s a lot of fear and worry. I want to build a community that surrounds what we do, well-being, mental health, and make connections with one another.
Visit the website to explore and purchase Attune’s products.