I didn't choose to be a morning person

Welcome to this edition of ‘The Adventure Capitalist’.

I'm writing this at 5:23am from my home office in Lake Oswego. My son is still asleep. The house is silent. This is my time.

I've been quiet lately. Not because I had nothing to say—because I've been building something I couldn't talk about just yet.

It's called Morning Water, and I'm building it with Blake Mycoskie (yes, the TOMS guy). We're launching January 6th.

Here's what you can expect in this issue:

Let's get into it.

Blake Mycoskie told me he was struggling with his purpose and it made my whole month.

Not because I'm an asshole—because he's Blake freaking Mycoskie.

The guy who built TOMS shoes. At its peak, TOMS was one of the most influential brands in the world. The guy who made "purpose-driven business" a thing before it became a LinkedIn meme.

And here he was at a men's retreat in February 2024, telling me he was battling anxiety and depression because he didn't know what came next.

I had shown up to that retreat looking for inspiration. I was in the gap between chapters, freshly stepped out of Brand Growth Experts, unsure what my next mountain was.

Meeting Blake felt surreal. He was one of the reasons I got into ecommerce in the first place.

And he was as lost as I was. It was strangely comforting.

At the retreat we talked about an idea he'd been sitting on:

Morning Water.

One optimized glass of water to drink first thing when you wake up. Not another vitamin stack or complicated protocol. Just one drink. Done.

I'm a morning person. Blake is too. He literally has "Carpe Diem" tattooed on his arm.

When I'm at my best, I'm out of bed at 5am ready to go. I was already making my own morning cocktail with electrolytes, creatine, magnesium, etc. so the idea of Morning Water made immediate sense to me.

We exchanged numbers. Said we'd keep talking.

Then we both got busy. He was focused on his mental health. I went all-in on The Adventure Capitalist podcast and a wild real estate project in Guyana.

The idea went quiet.

Until it didn't.

November 2024.

My kitchen counter looked like an aisle at CVS. Twenty different pills and powders every morning. I was eating 100% carnivore, battling MCAS, dealing with the brain fog that came with it.

One day I'm in the sauna — trying anything to get my brain to work—and I have this thought:

Text Blake. Ask about Morning Water.

I sent him a voice note. Long. Honest.

He replied immediately. He hadn't moved the project forward. He was rebuilding himself too. But he'd love for me to take the lead on the formula.

So I did.

I started experimenting every morning with different combinations. I called my friend (and subscriber to this newsletter) Jesse O'Brien—the guy Peter Attia tapped to build his biohacking facility in Austin. The best biohacker I know.

We talked to doctors, health experts, and hydration scientists from all over the country.

The hard part wasn't the science—it was making something that didn't taste like ocean water while keeping every ingredient clean enough that I'd give it to my son.

We built V1. It had too much in it. Turns out some nutrients taste terrible in water and are better in pill form. We were overcomplicating it.

And I learned something important: the supplement industry has it backwards.

The supplement world loves complexity. More ingredients, more claims, more "ultimate stacks".

But more is not what humans need.

More is confusing. More is expensive. More is exhausting.

What most people actually need is:

One frictionless habit. One simple ritual. One glass. Done.

Here's what most people don't realize: Every night, your body performs thousands of essential functions—repairing muscle tissue, detoxifying cells, consolidating memories, regulating hormones.

This work costs resources. While you sleep for 7-8 hours, your body loses:

If you replenish that immediately when you wake up—before your caffeine—the entire day feels different.

Mornings are the only time that are truly mine anymore.

We have a 3-year old. When he wakes up, the house turns into joyful chaos. If I'm depleted, I'm not able to enjoy the chaos.

A bad morning for me is one where I'm chasing. By the time I sit at my desk, I'm scattered. No clear plan. I've confused depletion for tiredness and consumed too much coffee to actually focus.

A great morning? I sit down and write. I start the day calm and clear. When my family comes downstairs, I have patience. I can handle chaos. That clarity compounds—I make better decisions all day, I can actually inspire my team.

Even though I'm a morning person, I don't always wake up feeling great. Some days (like today as I'm writing you this) I pop out of bed at 5:05am ready to go. Other days I'm dragging, especially if I trained hard the day before or stayed up too late.

Here’s what most people don’t understand about being a morning person: I didn’t choose it. I just happen to wake up early. That doesn’t mean I’m not tired.

Waking up early and waking up energized are two completely different things.

Morning Water is the equalizer. It helps me feel at my best even when I'm not at 100%

It's helped me cut my caffeine down and still feel like my brain is firing at 10/10 each morning.

It’s been an integral part of Blake’s morning routine and his journey back to himself.

The truth is better mornings compound into better everything.

Blake and I are co-founders.

I'm CEO. He's Chief Storyteller.

We're launching publicly January 6th, 2026.

The formula is dialed. It’s got everything you need, nothing you don't. We were relentless about quality and 3rd party testing. It tastes like spa water, not supplements. Mixes in 30 seconds. One glass and you're done.

I’m very excited for you to try it and give us feedback.

We went from my 20-supplement chaos to exactly what your body and brain needs first thing in the morning.

This is the biggest bet I've made. Blake is bringing his brand-building genius. I'm bringing my obsession with e-commerce and health.

Right now we need people who get it.

Not just customers. People who understand we're trying to change a habit, not just sell powder.

If you want in:

Head to morningwater.co and join the waitlist.

You’ll receive 7 free sticks with your first order, be entered to win a free month of Morning Water — and get early access before we launch publicly.

What I ask in return: honest feedback and a testimonial if it works for you.

I’m not asking everyone, just the people who want to be early.

And if you want to go deeper — advisor, investor, or help us tell the story — reply to this email.

Products don’t change your life. Habits do.

But the right product can make your good habits inevitable.

That’s what we’re building.

To better mornings,

Austin

🌎 Global Adventure:

One of my favorite YouTube follows is BigWaterGuy. Every week he posts videos spearfishing and freediving around the world. This one of him hunting massive halibut in Norway is incredible. (link)

Earlier this month we chopped down our own Christmas tree on Mt. Hood. Oregon has a $5 harvesting program that lets you cut your own. Worth checking if your state has something similar. (link)

💰Wealth, Business, and Life:

If you're hiring, check out my friend Chris Spark's hiring system. Methodical, easy to run, brings incredible talent. (link)

Nano Banana Pro is one of the biggest breakthroughs for online sellers. Here's a prompt to create professional-level product photoshoots without hiring a photographer. (link)

🚁 The Best of the Best:

My favorite purchase in the last 5 months cost $100. It's a cold plunge tub I leave outside full of water all winter. Cheapest on the market and works great if you live in a cold climate. (link)

"The Strength of the Few" just came out—sequel to "The Will of the Many," one of my favorite books from last year. Somehow as good (or better?) than the first. Incredible world-building. (link)