A Second Year of Firsts

(And Somehow, Still Standing)

Mood turns two this month and it has me feeling all sorts of ways.

Two years ago, Mood started in my garage with a 1kg roaster. I was fresh out of a demanding 10+ year finance career, rehabbing a brutal knee fracture, and unsure of what I was doing (I'm still unsure on most days about what I'm doing). Mood has burned down and rebuilt itself more times than I can count since then. Every single time, it came back stronger and I did too.

There were also stretches this year where I simply could not keep up, and my super intelligent (very sassy) mother stepped in without hesitation, even keeping tabs on my schedule so I wasn't dropping the important stuff while everything else piled up. I don't say this enough, but Mood would not have survived some of its hardest weeks without her. 

Two years ago, all I wanted to do was roast good coffee and live a simple life. I'm not sure about simple anymore because running an ecommerce coffee company is far from that. But I do know one thing. The Seema from two years ago would be really proud of what she's built today and I try and remind myself of that from time to time.

What I never expected, through all of it, was all of you. Showing up. Coming back. Reading my weekly newsletters and blog posts, writing the loveliest of reviews, and trying my recipes. Building this brand out loud, one honest story at a time, has been the most unexpectedly rewarding part of this entire journey.

So here we are. Two years in!! And somehow, instead of feeling like I've caught my breath, I'm already thinking about year three. Is this how this all works? You just keep climbing and occasionally yell "WAIT! HOW DID I GET HERE??" to no one in particular.

Last year I wrote about all the firsts that built Mood in its opening year. The first order. The first stranger who bought. The first five-star review. This year brought its own batch of firsts, and they were bigger, weirder, and more meaningful than I expected. I thought it would be fun to share them with you:

1. Introducing custom-designed bags

This task took about 10 months to accomplish but was incredibly rewarding. I’ve realized that designing takes time and cannot be rushed. I chuckle as I write this because I’m currently in the process of re-designing the bags for a 2027 rebrand. I’m desperately looking for a Canadian, woman illustrator who can assist with the new design. Message me if you know someone that can help!

2. Launching subscriptions

When I first launched subscriptions, I figured it would be a nice-to-have feature that maybe three people would sign up for. Instead, it quickly became one of the most popular ways you buy Mood coffee.

And listen, I hear you. Loud and clear! You want variety. You want options. You want a bit of mystery in your bag. You want more! So over the next few months, I'll be revamping the subscription program to give you exactly that. This wouldn't be possible without all the feedback I've gotten from you so thank you for being so candid about it.

3. Shipping Mood to every province and territory

For the longest time, Nunavut sat unticked on my little internal map of "places Mood coffee has been." I knocked off all 10 provinces pretty quickly, including Labrador. And after that the territories became a running joke with myself, a small itch I couldn't scratch. Then, an order came in from Whitehorse followed by Yellowknife a few weeks later. But Nunavut still taunted me.

Then around the holidays, it finally happened. An order came in from Iqaluit, and just like that, Mood had reached all ten provinces and all three territories. I stared at my computer grinning a little foolishly. Some milestones are loud but this one was fulfilling in quiet kind of way. I've always wanted Mood to be a national brand and this moment solidified it for me.

4. A record breaking coffee release

It's probably no surprise to you that releasing a new coffee generates some buzz. But I wasn't expecting this much hype for the El Salvador duo I released last month. I've always understood how powerful someone's story can be, especially a farmer's, but this release went deep into the producer's actual journey, and it became the biggest single day in Mood's history. It taught me something important: you want good coffee, yes. But you also want to know whose skilled hands it passed through to get to your cup.

5. Stepping away from production and fulfillment

This one took seven months to happen, and even longer to feel ready for. I wondered how it would be received if I wasn't the one doing EVERYTHING anymore. But how can you build a thriving company off of one person's (and occasionally, their mother's) back? The answer, I've come to realize, is that you can't.

I finally handed off production and fulfillment to a dedicated co-roasting partner in Ottawa just a couple of weeks ago! The funny part is my business advisor told me to get this off my plate last July. That's fourteen months ago. I sat on that advice for months because I wasn't ready to let go yet. I guess when you're ready, you're ready. And when you aren't, you aren't. No amount of good advice speeds that up.

But when you're ready, some pretty cool things start happening. Instead of looking far and wide for a trusted, quality co-roaster, three great options fell into my lap, seemingly overnight. The stars were aligning and I was finally ready to push forward.

Gearing up for Year Three

I don't know exactly what year three holds. If the past two years are any indication, it's going to be chaotic and exciting, occasionally overwhelming, and full of moments I couldn't have planned for. And this time, I'm ready for it…I think!

To mark the occasion, I created a special edition coffee, Confetti Cake: Birthday Blend. It tastes like the vanilla sheet cake with the thick frosting topped with sprinkles that we all grew up on, with notes of baking spices, vanilla bean, strawberries, and a healthy dose of nostalgia.

And because I clearly can't celebrate anything without baking coffee into it, this year I made a fudgy Tiramisu Brownie (it's having a bit of a moment on the internet right now!), and Soft Sugar Cookies with a Salted Caramel Espresso Frosting. Was it necessary? Of course not. Did I do it anyway? Obviously.

Here's to year three, and to all of you who keep showing up for Mood with me.

P.S. Confetti Cake is available for a limited time to celebrate Mood's second birthday. Get it before it's gone.