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A curtain for a tablecloth and a pocket of courage—that’s how Courtney Anderson’s mushroom journey began. What followed is a rare blend of patient craft, community warmth, and customer-led innovation that transformed a flea market table into Mushroom Zen, a cozy apothecary in Aztec where the air smells like incense and conversations last as long as they need to.

We walk through the awakening that set it all in motion, the disciplined work of learning to grow mushrooms without cutting corners, and the partnership that makes it sustainable—Courtney’s intuition and customer care balanced by a behind-the-scenes co-founder who handles the grow and the paperwork grind. We talk microdosing for anxiety, PTSD, and building better habits; why locally grown, tested mushrooms matter in a market flooded with questionable imports; and how authentic listening can be a more powerful strategy than any ad spend.

The move from a busier Farmington location to a smaller space in Aztec seems counterintuitive until you hear the results: lower costs, stronger foot traffic, a richer sense of place, and a shop that doubles as a sanctuary. Courtney shares how product lines grew from customer requests, why she sometimes recommends riboflavin instead of selling a tincture, and what it takes to scale without losing soul—ultrasonic extraction, thoughtful wholesale partnerships, and a website that will help her spend more time in the lab while keeping local pickup and personal touch intact.

If you care about medicinal mushrooms, ethical sourcing, mental health, or the kind of business that treats people like neighbors, this conversation will stick. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves community-driven craft, and leave a review with the insight that hit you hardest.

Be sure to follow or subscribe! And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com

This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing).

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