You should know upfront,
this is not a love story.
this is not a love story.
- Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
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Act 1
The meet cute
Ah, the time before we were over-caffeinated...
we grew up as normal-ish kids who didn't need any more energy.
Once, in kindergarten, Brendan snuck out of class to try and beat the playground monkey bar record. He didn't beat it but he did complete a full lap around the building before he was caught by his teachers.
Amanda spent her summer vacations climbing the ranks of RuneScape until one of her virtual boyfriends killed her over a sack of iron ore. A child with a brutal sense of justice, Amanda restarted the game the next day and tracked him down within a week.
we grew up as normal-ish kids who didn't need any more energy.
Once, in kindergarten, Brendan snuck out of class to try and beat the playground monkey bar record. He didn't beat it but he did complete a full lap around the building before he was caught by his teachers.
Amanda spent her summer vacations climbing the ranks of RuneScape until one of her virtual boyfriends killed her over a sack of iron ore. A child with a brutal sense of justice, Amanda restarted the game the next day and tracked him down within a week.
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Peak wellness
(-ish)
(-ish)
We met on a nippy (lol) September day at the University of Pennsylvania and spent the next few years as college track & field teammates. Sports!
Here, we got close to becoming wellness gurus (although we do NOT endorse them). We lived like healthy robots: we ate well, slept well, and exercised twice a day. Against all odds, we were morning people. But it wouldn't last...
Here, we got close to becoming wellness gurus (although we do NOT endorse them). We lived like healthy robots: we ate well, slept well, and exercised twice a day. Against all odds, we were morning people. But it wouldn't last...
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The workplace romance
Next came the corporate world. Long hours, stressful deadlines, & big meetings meant we needed a new routine.
This is when we met ✨coffee✨ and it was love at first sight. We started drinking a ton of it. In the honeymoon phase, coffee felt very productive & grown-up. We were those "not before my morning coffee" people. Cringe, but true.
But we were also keeping a dirty little secret: since we were young, we've both had heart conditions that make drinking a ton of coffee, pretty dangerous.
This is when we met ✨coffee✨ and it was love at first sight. We started drinking a ton of it. In the honeymoon phase, coffee felt very productive & grown-up. We were those "not before my morning coffee" people. Cringe, but true.
But we were also keeping a dirty little secret: since we were young, we've both had heart conditions that make drinking a ton of coffee, pretty dangerous.
You're probably thinking,
"Then why the hell were you two drinking so much coffee?"
"Then why the hell were you two drinking so much coffee?"
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Act 2
The messy breakup
The messy breakup
Great question.
Our doctors asked us the same thing. More like yelled/asked.
The reality is, we knew coffee was bad for us, we just didn't think there was another option. We were desperate for something to help us stay productive (corporate worker bees), but it was clear it couldn't be coffee.
*Cue our wellness awakening*
...just kidding.
Our doctors asked us the same thing. More like yelled/asked.
The reality is, we knew coffee was bad for us, we just didn't think there was another option. We were desperate for something to help us stay productive (corporate worker bees), but it was clear it couldn't be coffee.
*Cue our wellness awakening*
...just kidding.
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Single and sad
The breakup with coffee was tough. We thought a lot about our ex. What we liked: the taste, the smell, the energy, the routine.
We also thought back on the bad times: the jitters and crashes... the ups-and-downs... the sprinting to the bathroom. 😬
All things considered, coffee was a bad ex. We thought we needed it to be at our best, but that wasn't true. Coffee was just a quick fix.
We also thought back on the bad times: the jitters and crashes... the ups-and-downs... the sprinting to the bathroom. 😬
All things considered, coffee was a bad ex. We thought we needed it to be at our best, but that wasn't true. Coffee was just a quick fix.
"I've been trying to cut back on coffee."
- Everyone we talked to
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Act 3
Ready to mingle
Ready to mingle
Turns out, we weren't alone. We kept hearing our friends say they weren't happy with their coffee routines, either.
So, we searched for something that:
- WOULD give us energy throughout the day
- Was NOT packed with caffeine
- WAS packed with long-term benefits
- Tasted great
So, we searched for something that:
- WOULD give us energy throughout the day
- Was NOT packed with caffeine
- WAS packed with long-term benefits
- Tasted great
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joey is born!
We tried everything out there and nothing hit the spot. So, we rolled up our sleeves. It took 1 year, 2 cities, 3 kitchens, 10 cross-country flights, and 100s of iterations - but we finally did it. joey is everything we liked about coffee, nothing we didn't, and so much more.
We'll always love you coffee, we just found something better.
Amanda, Brendan, & joey
We'll always love you coffee, we just found something better.
Amanda, Brendan, & joey
