Thank you for sharing this distraction with me. What started out as a full blown idea and vision for a new and exciting project has succumbed to the world and was joyfully blasted into oblivion.

I have survived my entire life by using wisdom and conviction to make decisions alongside help from God.

I love the CPG world and I will continue to seek out opportunities and share my stories but for now the vision I had for a VC Syndicate is no longer.

I am THIRSTY NO MORE. I have had my fill.

I do believe that I am a master of distraction and this idea was just that. A full blown brand and concept built with tenacity and vigor but I am in no position to do these things. I wanted to prove that a dude in the middle of Michigan can get a seat at the table and tbh, this journey put me at the table with folks worth billions of dollars but ultimately, that’s all I was searching for.

Pure validation. Trying to please my inner-child and create a safety net for him.

5 years ago I took out a $500k SBA loan to save all my cafe’s and now that my entire business has gone away, I’m still left holding the bag and making that payment every single month. I have to PRIORITIZE my life around that.

Thank you for wanting to join me and for your support. I wish you all the best.

You can reach me at: andrew@populacecoffee.com if you’d like to stay connected or you can text me (989) 327-4007

Andrew, OUT.
Godspeed friends.

From there, he reframes what he wants to pass down—not a portfolio to be lived up to, but a way of being to be lived out. For the Hepners, that looks like persistence, not quitting on your dreams when the path is hard, loving family and neighbors deeply, and caring for people who can’t care for themselves. He talks about responsible financial stewardship (like life insurance and not leaving a mess of debt) as a baseline, not the ultimate goal, because a life with no need to try or struggle can become a life with no purpose. This episode invites listeners to loosen their grip on the idea of “legacy” and focus instead on living a present, meaningful life that shapes their kids and grandkids through stories, values, and everyday actions—not just what’s written on a building or left in a will.

He shares how he uses gratitude and faith to reset his perspective, starting from the simplest possible baseline: “be grateful you’re not on fire,” then working outward to things like a warm car in a Michigan winter, a home, work, and the freedoms many of us forget we have. From there, Andrew invites listeners to take 5–10 minutes to list everything they’re thankful for and notice how the list keeps growing once it starts. This episode is a reminder that when you feel stuck in the gutter, you don’t need a perfect morning routine or a perfect life—you just need one small, honest moment of gratitude to begin climbing back out.

Generosity is one of those quiet forces that can change both a life and a city, often in ways no one else ever sees. Acts like buying gloves for kids who are freezing on their way to school or slipping a no-strings-attached $100 bill into the hands of someone struggling do something powerful inside the giver as well as the receiver. Research keeps confirming what the soul already knows: when you give freely, your brain lights up with “feel good” chemicals, stress drops, and your sense of meaning and connection goes up. That “rush” you feel walking back to the car after giving is not imagined; studies show generosity consistently boosts happiness and emotional well-being in a way that often lasts long after the moment has passed. It is one of the rare decisions that makes the world softer for someone else and simultaneously strengthens something deep in you.

I want to challenge you. The challenge is simple and uncomfortable: if you have some margin, take a small piece of it and put it directly into another human’s hands. That might look like carrying a folded $100 bill until you sense the right moment… maybe outside a gas station, in a grocery line, at a bus stop. Then looking that person in the eye and saying, “This is for you. No strings attached. You are loved.” The goal is not content, credit, or a story to tell later; it is obedience to that nudge and a willingness to feel the awkwardness and do it anyway. Even one intentional act like this can flip the script on your day and, for the person on the receiving end, may quietly rewrite what they believe is possible about kindness in the world.

Generosity is an act of intention that I push myself on as often as I can. There is no better feeling… I am convinced of this. I want you to experience it too if it’s been a long time or if you’ve never experienced it at all.

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Favorite cpg brands right now

Verve Coffee -exceptional coffee!

CASSAVIDA - Bolivian Crunchy Cheese Bites

Algae Cooking Club Roasted Garlic Oil

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Cost of Goods Soul Podcast

I have been baring my soul in a truly different way than you might be used to. (almost) Every morning I post an unfiltered podcast about a variety of topics. They range from coffee to parenting to being overly vulnerable.

Take a listen and let me know what you think - it’s available on spotify and here on substack:

SIMPLE; ISN’T THE WORLD?

Modern is the contradiction

That our lives aren’t based in fiction

Telling stories on floors in kitchens

With no regards to what we’re missing

Contrary to whom we’re kissing

To the stars on which we’re wishing

And the lives that we’re risking

Please Please O’ Please just listen

Let me show you the charm

That fell from the sky to form a yarn

And I knit with the fabric I made

So I could sleep with a blanket called outer space

No wonder your locks are delicate

Each strand you wear is artifice

My duty in life is to protect

The masterpiece by the architect

Fave Holiday Coffee!

Get your order in right away! This is a stunner of a coffee blend and you will be thrilled with the flavor and versatility of this coffee from VERVE!

Ultimate Holiday Guide

This is a guide from the one and only Snaxshot - enjoy scrolling and make sure you support one of these amazing brands!

Andrew contrasts this model with the old-school supply chain, where wholesale roasters capture most of the value and many café owners are now closing their doors as costs climb and community support thins. He makes a passionate case for democratizing coffee, diversifying revenue streams through things like subscriptions and online sales, and telling a clear, honest founder story instead of giving up quietly. This is part industry rant, part love letter to independent operators, and part open invitation: if you’re a coffee, bakery, or food-and-beverage owner hanging on by a thread, Andrew wants to brainstorm with you—not as a consultant, but as someone who refuses to quit on his own coffee story.

Does anyone else feel like an absolute waste of space and time when they are sick? Do you feel worthless? Do the seeds of doubt creep into your brain like they do mine? Do you think to your self that, “Hormozi doesn’t get sick, Zuck doesn’t get sick… why is my body failing me when I need to be working and producing?”

I don’t want to condone the self pity here but I know that I’m not alone in these types of thoughts and feelings when we are curled up into a ball or mouth breathing because our nasal pathways are completely congested.

I spent the last 3 days in this exact frame of mind with the same symptoms I described but what I’ve come to realize as I walked back through the fog of Dayquil and into the real world is that we have so much less control than we think we do. Our bodies can take us down at any moment.

Now don’t get me wrong, a really strong case of influenza doesn’t have the same weight as it might have had 100 years ago but it’s still a good reminder that we are at the mercy of our bodies and how we take care of them. Even with the cleanest food, the best morning routines, and all the journaling that you can muster can’t save you from the mixed virus cocktail that a house full of school aged kids can serve.

I wish you all nothing but health this season because without it we are nothing.

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Hot Toddy

The drink of lore. The drink that brings me back almost every time. I used to add a splash of whiskey but those days are over. I go the child route now but it’s still effective.

1 mug of hot water - if you’re using an electric kettle, set it to 195f
1oz maple syrup - this is to replace the whiskey or bourbon. Other recipes might call for honey
Take a full lemon and cut it in half. Juice half of the lemon into the water and maple syrup. Take the other half and slice a wheel and place it right on the top. Make sure it’s all stirred up and then enjoy.

I didn’t take a photo of this because I was in a state of delirium, however, it’s pretty straightforward so use your imagination as to what it might look like :)

Favorite brand of the week

My current favorite brand is an alternative milk company. Willa’s Organic Oat Milk.
I’m a huge fan of brands that try and disrupt categories that have recently been disrupted. Oat Milk is not new and honestly some might even say that it’s a thing of the past with the high glycemic index products and gummy binders essentially keeping most oat milks alive… but then comes Willa’s

After tasting and analyzing many alternative milk brands over the years, Willa’s does one thing better than all of them: TRANSPARENCY

They don’t claim to be more than what they are and what they are is, IMO, the healthiest and best tasting oat milk in the market.

They also have a fun kids-version of their product that is probably selling really well across all the channels they are in.

Keep an eye out for Willa’s to continue to make waves in this category.

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Are you an elder emo?

I found this band like 2 weeks ago and it restored my faith in the future generation of music. Make sure you give them a listen and enjoy as much as I have!

vulnerability corner

I need your help. Could you share this newsletter with someone? Make a post on linkedin or instagram with the link? Send it to a buddy?

Otherwise, what are you really here for? I appreciate your readership but honestly the more you share, the better the journey.

If you’re not getting anything out of this newsletter, let me know!
If you are, share it with someone :)

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Emerging Brands!

One of the best in the business and honestly, one of the most humble. I had the pleasure and privilege of finally meeting with Kelly this past week and it was a treat. The work she does in the CPG space is really incredible and she is so valuable. I can’t wait to see if there is a collab in our future :)

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I have grown more in the last 4 months than I had in the last 4 years. I don’t know what happened but the core of it has to do with my complete and utter lack of regard for what others think of me.

I spent a better part of my life caring so deeply about what other people thought about me. What I wore. What I believed in. What I thought about the president. What I thought about anything…

But then a lightbulb went off sometime in August. No one cares. You don’t care what I do or say or believe just like I don’t care about what you do or say or believe. We are all just ships passing. Life is a vapor vanishing.

I remember hearing the phrase, “life is short” all the time growing up and I always thought it was just a cliche but it’s an alarm bell if you allow it to be. How much time are we wasting staring at screens or at green grass fields where men play a game? How much of our lives are spent fulfilling the dreams of others with no mind for our own, except for the sadness we feel when we think about our unrealized dreams and goals.

Let’s agree together to take a step this week towards our dreams. Have a delicious coffee and write the first chapter of your book or point the camera and start finally making youtube videos. Start coaching your kids team.

Whatever it is… take the step. I’ll do it too.

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ORANGE HOLIDAY SYRUP

Take 4 or 5 oranges and peel them. After making this specific syrup, I would have tore the rinds into smaller chunks.

Put the rinds in a glass dish and completely cover them in about 1.5 cups of granulated cane sugar. Cover the dish air tight and place in the fridge for 24-36 hours.

I added this orange syrup to a batch of chocolate ganache I made and had several delicious orange-chocolate mochas.

Fruit syrups are really easy to make and a great way to preserve the natural fruit flavor and it’s a great solution to aging fruit in the fridge.

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FAVE CPG brands

1 - ROSEBUD ICE CREAM

2 - Projo Power Coffee

3 - SEEK Coffee

Feature of the Week

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Vulnerability

The devil tries to play on my ego
I’ve been here before
I know
to take it slow

The devil tries to play on my ego
it won’t last
but
it hurts my soul

The devil tries to play on my ego
I’m not as good
as I think I should
I’m not as smart
I’m fast and slow

No more
No wisdom
Only gold

HOTLINE

The SPV for HY.Q is still open. If you’re an accredited investor and interested, you can check it out here.

Thirsty Friends Coffee Club

As I closed out the first week of NOT owning Populace Coffee since I started it almost 16 years ago, I give a hat tip and a tearful nod to the first blend I ever created: ESPRESSO CLUTCH

You can still find it on the website and honestly, if you’re looking for a 100% solid blend to make drinks with, Clutch will not disappoint.

Featured Inspiration

I’ve been a massive fan of SNAXSHOT and have been for years. I’ll likely feature pieces of hers multiple times. This podcast episode is a perfect example of Andrea’s creative prowess and worth every minute.

Snaxshot

Hot Girls Can Sell Pickles

I first talked to Leah and Yasaman right before their Good Girl Snacks launch, it inspired me to write about the growing wave of GenZ founders in CPG. It’s been over a year since the piece was published and most brands featured in it have grown so much since…

Listen now

5 months ago · 15 likes · Snaxshot

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A morning reflection on why budgeting is really about peace, not punishment, what it means to actually enjoy the margin you worked so hard to create, and why Thirsty Friends is still grinding to fund HY.Q even when pre-revenue makes people nervous.

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Andrew shares why he refuses to let disagreement destroy relationships, why open-mindedness does not mean you have to change your convictions, and how seeking to understand people you disagree with can actually grow your character, your patience, and your joy. If you’ve ever felt exhausted by politics, online arguments, and echo chambers, this one is a reminder that the real work of being human is listening carefully, holding firm where it matters, and choosing not to act like a child when someone sees the world differently.

It is month 12 of one of the wildest years of my life. A lot of change, a lot of blessing, and honestly, I am ready to turn the page. But here is the truth: a new year will not do the work for you. At midnight, only the date changes. Your life changes in the boring moments where you decide who you are.

It is in the split second where you either roll back under the covers or get out of bed. Where you either order Taco Bell or cook something better for your body. Where you either scroll, or read, or finally open that doc and start the book or the project you keep talking about.

You will always be able to find a reason to “start on Monday” or “start next year.” That urge never fully disappears. It did not vanish when I quit smoking or drinking. The gap between temptations just got longer. So do not wait for January 1st to become someone new.

Start with the next decision in front of you!

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Drink Recipe

I made a chocolate ganache at home this weekend and it was so easy. It reminded me that I can make anything if I just focus a little bit.

I just took 1 cup of heavy cream and brought it just before a boil and then turned the heat off.

I then added 3/4 cup of dark chocolate chips and stirred them into the hot heavy cream until it’s a creamy masterpiece.

Then take a simple syrup and add in about 3 oz and stir.

Add this to literally A N Y T H I N G - I usually add it to my cup and pull an espresso into it with a little bit of steamed milk for a deliciously rich mocha.

Enjoy!

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HOTTEST CPG brands right now… IMO

1 - GLONUTS

2 - LAUREL’S

3 - HY.Q

Live Streams!

Did you know that I started live streaming on YouTube, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and Instagram??

It’s a bit much but right now the objective is to create as much as possible and build. The best way I know how to do that with limited production experience and expertise is to stream and yap :)

I do my best to create some value but if you’re not following me on all of those channels, I would love it very much if you did!

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Soul Corner

Over inside the other day
you watched, I ran, we prayed

Over inside the other day
the shades flew fast
and our hands braced the weight of our bodies

Over inside the other day
I knew you’d never give in
I knew you’d lock up the doors
I knew you’d smile behind the whole entire shadow of a doubt

Over inside the other day

HOTLINE RINGING

The SPV we have open for HY.Q is still active and gaining some tracking. If you’re open to learning more as an accredited investor you can answer some questions here to gain access to the details!

Thirsty Friends Coffee Club

Now that I am not running Populace Coffee, I have turned into a ship without a captain. I already know all the good coffees brands and where to find them. I know which coffees are good, which are in season and what NOT to buy…

I have chosen to explore a new option this week and make a purchase that I normally wouldn’t make but I’m a big fan of the founder.

I chose to purchase a coffee from SEEK. I can’t vouch for it yet but once I give it a taste, I’ll report back!

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What I am reading today!

Express Checkout

Gift Guide: For the person who unironically wants the Bottega Veneta Jenga Set

We’re not here to judge the fact that someone in your life would earnestly add a $6,900 calf leather-bound Jenga set to their wish list. We’re simply here to help you navigate the treacherous waters of gifting to someone whose standards are terrifyingly…

Read more

5 months ago · 1 like · Express Checkout, Jenna Movsowitz, and Nate Rosen

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR!
Can you drop a like on this email or share it with a friend??

-Andrew

I am thankful for my family, my wife, my kids. I am also thankful for silence. As I have gotten older, that quiet space with my own thoughts has turned from something that used to make me spiral into a kind of superpower that helps me focus on what really matters.

This year has brought a lot of change. After 15 and a half years, I have officially stepped down as owner of Populace Coffee. I started that business in my early twenties, grew it to multiple cafes, dozens of wholesale partners, and over a million dollars a year in coffee sold.

I am deeply thankful for what Populace gave me: friendships, connections, lessons, and a new owner who will hopefully guide it for another 15 years and beyond. I am grateful for where my family is today and for the next chapter in front of us.

I hope you have a good Thanksgiving. I hope you find a moment of peace today, whether that is a quiet moment alone or a loud table with your favorite people.

Cheers, friends.

Good morning, THIRSTY FRIENDS. I hope your week was great! I’ve got HY.Q on my mind. We’re tossing the dice on this next SPV. Does it feel risky? Of course it does. Building early-stage brands always does. But you do it because it’s worth the story, and every bite, every sip, every little gamble gets you closer to something authentic.

Check out HY.Q. Watch the videos. Hell, ask the hard questions. You owe it to yourself if you’re thinking about coming along for this ride. HY.Q has got me excited, and not in the polished, PR-ready way. Real excitement, gut-level.

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Gratitude Is the Antidote

Let’s set the deal aside for a minute. There’s something about looking back at your own track record and realizing you’ve been egotistical, driven, and selfish. It’s a hell of a thing. I chased what was next for too long, always devouring what was in front of me just to see what was around the next corner. When you’re wired like that, you miss the flavors of the moment. The chance to actually taste what you have and know who’s at your table.

These days I try to practice gratitude like it matters, every damn day. Some days I’m good at it, most days I’m not. There are mornings I feel lost, afternoons when I’m empty, and evenings that feel like someone shut the kitchen early and left me holding the bill. If you tell me you’ve got it all figured out, cheers. The rest of us are searching for magic. Gratitude helps. It’s the one thing that cuts through the fog, calms the demons, quiets the critic in your head.

What Wisdom Tastes Like

Had breakfast recently with some younger guys. You learn more in sticky diners over burnt coffee and eggs than anywhere else. We talked about gratitude and the way it pairs with maturity. The less you know, the more you think you deserve. The more you see, the more grateful you become. Wisdom isn’t an ingredient you get handed. It’s slow cooked by mistakes and false starts.

Gratitude for me isn’t just about stuff like a house or a car, or not getting scorched in a kitchen fire this morning. It’s about watching things fall apart and then seeing, eventually, how it saved me or led me somewhere better, or just made for a hell of a story later on.

Find peace in the domino effect. The late alarm, the missed subway, the extra wait, stuff that frustrates you but sometimes saves your ass. Control is a myth anyway. Adjust your habits, recalibrate your attitude, and do your best. The world’s going to spin its own way.

Personally, I’m a faith-based kind of man. God. Prayer. Silence. I swap stories with my wife about the next big decision and what it means. We measure everything, then jump. I know many don’t buy it, and that’s fine. The best meals are the ones with different opinions passed around the table. If your life’s working because you do it all yourself, respect. I’ve found more meaning trusting there’s something bigger guiding me.

No Perfection, Just Appetite and Allegiance

None of this means life’s perfect, it’s not and it never will be. Perfection was written up once. The rest of us cook with what we’ve got, and sometimes the recipe fails. You taste it, you learn, you move on. Gratitude grounds you when bitterness creeps in. It keeps you from numbing out when it all gets hard.

I’m grateful for the valleys I’ve walked through. For the scars. For the flavors I didn’t expect. HY.Q is next on the plate. Opportunity, risk, stories in the making.

Stay restless, stay grateful, stay thirsty. If HY.Q tempts you, the table’s open. Pull up a chair. Let me know.

-Andrew

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Hey friends… Thirsty Friends is what I should be saying here.

I wanted to share that HY.Q has now officially been launched on the Play Money platform for our accredited investors.

If you’re interested in learning more about it, you can respond here and I’ll share the link with you.

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Why I’m Excited about HY.Q

The HY.Q deal stands out as an extraordinary opportunity in the crowded and rapidly evolving hydration market. The brand’s exceptional founder (Rick M!) and team are driving a disruptive, culturally relevant product that boasts not only outstanding taste and beautiful packaging, but also an impressive, strategic distribution approach. What truly sets HY.Q apart is its rare combination of real market traction and authentic hype… qualities many brands aspire to but seldom realize.

With the Rick’s unique vision and energy creating palpable buzz, HY.Q appears poised for widespread cultural adoption, especially as it breaks into sports, gym, and athlete communities over the coming year. For early-stage and angel investors, the timing is optimal, as the brand’s current momentum signals that larger, institutional capital will soon follow. While success is never guaranteed, the convergence of product excellence, branding, and cultural-virality make this deal especially compelling to me!

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