Blog Focus: What is the story behind Trip Time Essentials? Who are the two founders? What is the vision of this company? While some of this is explored on our About page, we hope this blog will provide the information you need to understand what Trip Time Essentials is all about: including the story of the cofounders, the vision and origin story of the flagship Pre-Trip product designed to decrease the most common side effects of psychedelics, and the future vision of the company.
The origins of the vision for this company stretch back a number of years. Cofounders Reed and Aaron have been best friends since elementary school, but their paths diverged out of high school as they sought to continue their education. During this time apart, both Reed and Aaron also experienced some major life events that led them to independently undergo their own healing journeys. In 2023, a twist of fate brought them back together. In exploring their own paths, both Reed and Aaron discovered they both arrived at similar conclusions. One of those shared visions would eventually build the foundation of Trip Time Essentials:
Psychedelic medicines yield incredible therapeutic potential but they often induce some undesirable physical and mental side effects.
For most psychedelics and especially psilocybin mushrooms, this often includes things like stomach discomfort & nausea (feeling the need to purge the contents of the stomach), a stressful headspace (especially in the come-up phase), as well as cardiovascular effects such as a faster heart beat and more constricted blood vessels. These effects can not only be a major distraction, pulling users away from the depth of psychedelic experiences, but effects like come-up anxiety can be outright harmful to the quality of the experience, even making it negative. Clearly, if these most common side effects can be alleviated, the experience can be smoother, safer, and even more beneficial for the user.
While both owners had independently thought about this problem and some potential solutions, they finally came together as a team to spawn such a solution into existence. Both Reed and Aaron’s passions and educational backgrounds meshed seamlessly for this project, allowing them to collaborate and bring Trip Time Essentials to life.
Aaron, being one of the first licensed psilocybin facilitators in the state of Oregon and now having facilitated over 100 sessions, brings a unique lens of guidance and careful consideration of the raw power of the therapeutic use of psychedelic substances. Reed, who continues to work through medical school to earn his ND degree (Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine), brings a deep level of insight and interest in understanding the complex mechanisms of action of natural ingredients. His long-term passion has been researching supplements: including herbs, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and other natural ingredients that show potential in supporting health and healing.
Reed’s and Aaron’s shared personal interest in the healing power of psychedelics allowed them to bring their vision to life. A critical pillar in the foundation of Reed and Aaron’s vision emphasizes the human element of helping others–the importance of understanding each person’s unique qualities and caring for the individual, while also supporting all the pillars of health.
The process of developing the Pre-Trip product was arduous, full of hurdles, roadblocks, and many product iterations. While many supplement companies do not bother to test their products, product testing was a core pillar of Trip Time Essentials’ development process. Each version had to be tested by users, which was a slow process for such a niche product audience. While version 1 was developed in early 2023, Reed and Aaron had a nagging feeling that there were further additions needed to improve the efficacy of the product. They continued to explore new research and make changes to the formula. Finally, version 6 of the formula, the current iteration sold on Trip Time Essentials’ website, was completed in fall of 2024.
Though the ingredient list and dosages were complete, Reed and Aaron quickly found it was only the beginning. Due to the complexity of the formula, with ten of the ingredients belonging as powder in capsules, and three of the ingredients being most bioavailable in an oil-based softgel, the owners had to contract with several different manufacturing companies to bring all pieces of the puzzle together. Though challenging, Reed and Aaron knew the elaborate process would be worth it. The thing that mattered most was ensuring the product was maximally effective for the end-user, using science-backed doses of each ingredient within the formulation. After all, this careful, iterative, and research-backed design process is the glue that holds Trip Time Essentials together. The same thoughtfulness is applied to Trip Time’s educational YouTube videos, and will continue to be a value at the forefront of all future product development. To cofounders Reed and Aaron, cutting corners never was and never will be an option.
The long-term vision for Trip Time Essentials is to be the one-stop shop for products and services that need to be provided to psychedelic users. While nature has allowed these psychedelics to exist, Trip Time Essentials believes that the experience can be enhanced further–naturally. For example, the newly released Pre-Trip product helps deepen the user’s experience while alleviating some of the most extreme, undesirable side effects. While Pre-Trip is Trip Time Essentials’ flagship product, the company aims to release more products over time to assist with the various challenges that come with the experience–an area of great need within the psychedelic community.
Thank you for supporting Trip Time Essentials. We hope you stick along for the ride to see what comes next!