From Substack to Tariffs: The Wild Ride Powering Sleep or Die’s Breakthrough

Behind the scenes of our latest wins, pivots, and the road to Launch 002.

Before we dive in-

The new Lorde track dropped, the sun is (finally) out in the rainiest city on earth, and I’m back to biking to work every day. My Oura Ring’s happy again, and honestly? So am I.

💫 Paid subs (you know who you are) will get first access to everything coming next, including a secret reveal of Launch 002 we’ve been quietly building behind the scenes.

🚨 Heads up: next week’s post will be for paid subscribers only. 🚨
Free posts will still be coming, just not the extra juicy stuff 🌶️

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📚 Working With Future Sleep-Obsessed Marketers

This winter, I had the chance to work with a group of UBC 4th year business students, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Founders know these projects can sometimes feel like extra work without a clear outcome.

But I was blown away.

Their assignment was to help us build our launch and scaling strategy. Given that Gen Z and younger Millennials are exactly who we’re building for, I knew I’d get creative ideas. What I didn’t expect was 77 slides of depth, heart, and hustle. Not to mention slides more gorgeous than I could ever design.

They even surprised me with a handwritten card and treats at our final meeting, and honestly, it hit me harder than I expected.

Building alone is lonely.
Feeling like you have a team rooting for you, even temporarily, reminded me why community is everything.

My favourite idea? Activate on Tinder. And I kinda loved it.

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⚡ Tariffs, Changes, and Staying Fast on Our Feet

If you’re in CPG, you know tariffs are looming.
We’ve had to move fast to adapt behind the scenes, shifting distribution strategies, rethinking supply chains, and prepping for what’s ahead.

The advantage of being small?
We don’t have layers of corporate approvals. We move today, not next quarter.

💬 If you’re based in the U.S. and have been thinking about trying Sleep or Die, now’s the time.

We’re reminding all U.S. customers to place their orders by May 1st before we temporarily pause U.S. fulfillment until our US Distributor is live.

Persephone is ready to sleep hard, are you?
Place your order before May 1st (literally this Thursday), or spend the next month wondering what the best sleep of your life could’ve felt like.

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🎤 I Recently Spoke on My First Panel

I recently sat on my first-ever panel for League of Innovators in Vancouver, a content creator discussion that felt surreal to even be asked to join.

Because if you know me, you know the dream was never to be a content creator. It was to build a company that needed content so real, so honest, that it demanded to be created.

The biggest reminder from the panel?
If you’re not feeling a little naked in public, you’re probably playing it too safe.

Sav, Sam, & Taran!

If you don’t compliment my red pants I will probably take it personally.

And to the few people who told me afterward that Sleep or Die is exactly the kind of energy the wellness space needs right now, thank you.
That fuel goes a long way.

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✨ Substack Growth and The Tiny But Mighty Movement

We now have over 450 subscribers here, and more paid subscribers than I would have ever thought even 30 days ago.

I know 450 might not sound like a lot to some.
But when you picture 450 people standing shoulder to shoulder, trusting you to show up and tell the story, I am thinking ‘damn that is a lot.’

This little corner of the internet has become a place I am genuinely proud of. And that authenticity finds its people.

So thank you to you. You help me keep going more than you know.

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🍒 Learning From the Best: A Lunch With the CRANEL Founders

While in New York, I grabbed lunch at Two Hands in NoHo with Erica and Christine, the cofounders of CRANEL, a cranberry elixir brand built to help prevent UTIs and support vaginal health.

Their recent growth has been incredible to watch, and our conversation covered it all: distribution, email marketing, scaling strategies, and staying scrappy without losing your soul.

Talking with founders who are in it reminds me:
There is no secret. It’s showing up every day, putting one foot in front of the other, and building something you believe the world needs.

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👀 What’s Next: Launch 002 Is Coming

This week, we’re keeping the lid mostly on.

But next week, paid subscribers will get first access to:

✅ Our next game-changing launch (coming v soon)
✅ Why we’re betting big on it (you won’t be able to guess this one)
✅ The wild story behind how this product almost didn’t exist (eeek!)

This could redefine sleep health. We want you on the inside from the very beginning.

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🔥 Ready to Go Deeper?

Become a paid subscriber and be first to unlock Launch 002 next week.
Because real revolutions don’t happen on the surface.