Meet Tradd Cotter | Mycologist, Microbiologist and Inventor
We had the good fortune of connecting with Tradd Cotter and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Tradd, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
RHYTHM. MOMENTUM. CONSISTENCY. I keep these three words above my desk.
They are interrelated and useful, easy to understand, and get me focused every day.
These three concepts are important to me in both LIFE and WORK to create balance and the discipline to stay focused and actively pursuing opportunities that are both right in front of me or that need to be created to be innovative, competitive, and inspired from day to day. You have to see it as similar to riding a bike to get somewhere more quickly and efficiently.
RHYTHM – The repetition of tried and true movements that work for you is what creates this dance in the first place. There has to be precise “beats” in this song and positive patterns that rotate and repeat. Think of these patterns as your core behavioral mantras that push and drive the machine, and these patterns must be repetitive and consistent like a drum, fueling the energy of the idea, project, or business. This rhythm also not only applies to team leaders or owners, but also should be unified with a team or within a corporate structure so the entire organisms is in sync.
MOMENTUM – Taking the energy from a new idea or business and putting it into motion, the concept of momentum refers to the gradual buildup of speed to make the project stable. Think of this as the balance needed at a minimum velocity if riding a bike. If you stop pedaling the bike tips, and the more speed the more stable and balanced moving forward. Momentum can rise and fall within any growth process but it is important to strive to recover upward and learn from the dips. As momentum slows so does the risk of stalling all progress made. Momentum can also be interrupted by internal factors such as yourself or your team, as well as external factors such as the market or competitors. It is important to pivot and adjust your speed and direction at all times. Momentum is a learning phase.
CONSISTENCY – Once we have Rhythm and Momentum, the Consistency factor is important to duplicate exactly what is going right for you. This can be a product or behavior, packaged into a reliable output that can be considered “quality control” of your brand or persona. If you break these patterns, cut corners and deviate from the best version of yourself or product, it will wobble and now affect the Momentum, which is not where you want to be.
What should our readers know about your business?
I started a mushroom farm in 1996 in a 4 by 4 walk in closet. 15 years later the company grew to 40,000 square feet and I was in a good position to sell it to pursue even larger ambitions in mycological research. My first book was published in 2014 and is now a best seller on Amazon which really helped my career and focus my interests (Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation. Chelsea Green 2014)
Having sold my company in 2021, I started the Blue Portal in 2020 to accommodate psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy with Irene Dubin my partner in both Jamaica and Costa Rica, where we are currently working part time hosting wellness retreats.
No other wellness retreats have the expertise and skill combination that we have at Blue Portal.
Some of the biggest challenges starting out were growth related. I started in a closet, then renovated part of my house and was doing lab work in the kitchen and bedrooms until I could find a property and place to place the business. Working from home was okay but limiting, and I didn’t want or have the funds to go out and get a larger place. I convinced a local property owner who had a huge warehouse to rent me the space for 5 years with a option to buy. I ended up buying the property in 2 years because I had the space and could also hire employees.
Employees was another challenge. Getting my first employees was difficult. Everyone wanted to work at a mushroom farm, so naturally i was getting a lot of kids and people who weren’t very driven or focused on work. it was also difficult to let go of the lab work components, more technical work, to someone with no lab skills, but I ended up training them and then the growth freed me up to travel, lecture, and bring even more business in. The lesson here is you have to take chances and risk, to train employees properly so they feel like you are trusting and investing in their lives, not just paying them to be there.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, since I travel every other week I would say my favorite place is in nature and in the woods, hiking or fishing to relax and get away from cities and the noise of cars, people, and the system. I spend enough time working with people, technology and staying connected that the best balance is to unplug and meditate away from the grind and the system with structure. I prefer to cook and pack a bag full of fresh homemade treats and go on an adventure or exploration with my best friend. I feel that this type of pattern is helpful in recharging my “SELF” and making sure my roots are still focused on what is important in life.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have many mentors and peers who have supported me personally and in my work. Foremost is Irene Dubin, my partner in life, and the lead psychotherapist for The Blue Portal where I also work as co owner and mycologist. She is incredibly talented, is compassionate about healing others, and challenges herself and others around her. Robert Rogers, author of Fungal Pharmacy and 50 other books is a huge influence and father figure to me, I truly appreciate his support and depth of knowledge, wisdom and experience which makes me challenge myself in my writing and lecturing abilities. I also want to thank my dad and late mom who always allowed me to be creative and pursue my interests in music at an early age which still resonates with me today as I can sit with my guitar and decompress my thoughts into my own compositions.
Website: blueportalwellness.com and traddcotter.com
Instagram: traddcotter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tradd.cotter
Image Credits
Irene Dubin
Last photo is of me and Fantastic Fungi movie producer Louie Shwartzberg
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
