A Word From The Founder

Not too long ago, we were all knee-deep in the messiest times we've seen in ages. Stuck at home, waiting for what we thought was the plague to pass (spoiler alert: it wasn't even close). We were all wondering what the hell was going to happen - to our jobs, our lives, our families, and even to ourselves. It felt like uncharted waters, with 8 billion of us riding out the storm on this pale blue dot.

And let me tell you, when 8 billion souls go through something together, you can bet your ass it's going to leave a mark. You could practically feel the ground shake with the collective shift in how we viewed work, life, and the whole direction we're heading in.

Everyone started asking the same question:

Is This All There Is?

And that, my friends, is a big part of how HIP came to be.

Picture me, 29 years old, holed up in my parents' basement, cranking out yet another highlight reel for the sports gig I was stuck in. I had moved back home to ride out the pandemic storm and help my dad battle through cancer recovery. Let me tell you, all those feels hit me like a freight train.

My career as a video producer kicked off back in 2010. Nearly a decade of creating content (before it was trendy, mind you). I started in the trenches of nightclubs, graduated to amateur sports, and even scored a stint making documentaries for my college football team. But the allure of pro sports was always calling. After a brief detour in corporate video, I landed my dream gig as a producer/shooter at Canada's top sports broadcasting outfit. Before the world flipped upside down, I was in the thick of it, covering the Raptors' 2019 Championship run, rubbing shoulders with sports big shots, and editing content that blasted across TV and social media. Fast forward to the pandemic, and there I was, stuck in my basement up north, whipping up TikToks for a lame hockey show. Talk about a reality check.

But you know what? The silver lining (if there was one) was being around my folks a lot more. My dad was retired, and my mom could work from home. We're a tight-knit bunch, so being together during the chaos actually felt pretty cool. Every day was the same routine - wake up, grind out some soul-sucking content, and then pop upstairs to check in on Dad.

Now, my dad was also battling prostate cancer during this time. Diagnosed in August 2019, surgery in October 2019, and recovery stretching into the pandemic. Talk about stress, right? Global sickness meets a septuagenarian with a weakened immune system. It was a hellish ride, but it was ours.

Most mornings, he'd brew up some coffee (well, barley coffee to be exact) and sit as he munched on a muffin. Those mornings sparked the idea for HIP Alt. Coffee. Watching him sip on something he'd been drinking for decades got me thinking. I dove into the history of barley, stumbled upon Hippocrates, the stoics and Spartans love for the stuff, and boom - the light bulb went off.

Here's my dad, a true warrior, sipping on something warriors have been chugging for centuries. Battling his own war while the world went haywire around him. How many others were in the same boat? How many other warriors were out there, just doing what they had to do to stay sane and healthy in these wild times?

That's where HIP came to life.

HIP Alt. Coffee isn't just another coffee alternative; it's a nod to the warrior spirit in each of us. It's about finding those sparks of joy and connection, even in the midst of all this chaos. It's a reminder that even when the world feels upside down, there's inspiration and purpose in the simplest things.

So, with this newfound clarity and a whole lot of fire, I'm ready to dive headfirst into bringing HIP Alt. Coffee to life. It's more than just a brand; it's a symbol of resilience, the unbreakable spirit of humanity, and our ability to thrive no matter what life throws our way.

Is this all there is? Let's find out.