Giovanna is a PR expert based in Milan with more than 20 years in the field. Together with her partner, she founded Pure Joy Mushrooms, a brand dedicated to transforming health and wellness through functional mushrooms. With backgrounds in high-performance careers, PR, and entrepreneurship, she launched the company with Jordan after experiencing burnout and discovering the life-changing benefits of adaptogenic mushrooms. Through this company, she is dedicated to balance, resilience, and a holistic approach, having navigated menopause and stress in the last few years. Together, they combine science-backed formulations with a mission to help others overcome fatigue, anxiety, and brain fog.
Could you elaborate on the nature of your business, highlighting its purpose and the ways it benefits people?
Pure Joy Mushrooms is a wellness brand dedicated to harnessing the power of functional mushrooms to enhance daily health and performance. Rooted in science and personal experience, PJM offers high-quality dual-extracted mushroom blends designed to improve energy, focus, stress resilience, sleep, and overall well-being. Our business was founded on the belief that modern lifestyles lead to burnout, fatigue, and mental fog, and that natural solutions, like adaptogenic mushrooms, can help people regain balance. PJM provides ethically sourced, potent mushroom extracts that support professionals, athletes, and individuals seeking sustained energy, sharper cognition, better sleep quality, and reduced anxiety. By educating consumers about the benefits of functional mushrooms and offering carefully formulated blends, PJM empowers people to take control of their health naturally.
What inspired you to start your journey as a coach and entrepreneur? Were there any specific events, challenges, or people that motivated you to take this path?
Jordan and I live in two different worlds—I’m in Milan, Italy, and he’s in Leeds, UK. Our lives are a constant cycle of travel, long working hours, and the relentless pressure of high-stress, target-driven careers. The demands were taking a toll—mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Then, we met a friend who had been through his own struggles, both personally and in business. He shared how functional mushrooms helped him not just survive but thrive, regaining focus, energy, and resilience. Intrigued, we gave them a try—and the transformation was undeniable. The clarity, stamina, and balance we had lost came rushing back.
On the strength of this experience, PURE JOY Mushrooms was born. We knew we had found something powerful—something that could help others break free from exhaustion, brain fog, and burnout, just as it had for us. Now, our mission is to share the same life-changing benefits with the world.
Looking back at the beginning of your career, what were the major challenges you faced when establishing yourself as a leader/coach? How did you overcome those obstacles?
When we first set out to build PURE JOY Mushrooms, we had no idea how to start a business. We weren’t just stepping into entrepreneurship—we were diving in headfirst with no roadmap. The challenges were overwhelming:
- Finding a reputable functional mushroom grower, manufacturer, supplier, distributor, and a packaging & labeling company in China was a massive learning curve.
- Building a brand from scratch meant working with a marketing agency, graphic designer, and branding specialists in the UK.
- Setting up an eCommerce platform and a social media presence required skills we had to learn on the go.
- Budget constraints were real. Everything—suppliers, marketing, website development—had to be funded from our day jobs and limited savings. Keeping a detailed budgeting spreadsheet was crucial in prioritizing the most important steps to launch the business.
Despite these hurdles, we tackled them one by one. We networked, researched relentlessly, and made strategic decisions to ensure we got the best value for our limited budget. Every setback became a lesson, and every small win reinforced our belief that we were building something meaningful. Today, PURE JOY Mushrooms is a testament to that perseverance—proof that even with no prior experience, you can turn an idea into a thriving business with determination, resourcefulness, and the right mindset.
Would you like to share any remarkable achievements?
One of the most remarkable achievements has been building PURE JOY Mushrooms from the ground up, despite having no prior experience in starting a business. From sourcing high-quality functional mushrooms and setting up a global supply chain to launching an eCommerce platform and establishing a strong brand presence, every step has been a milestone.
Beyond that, one of the most fulfilling aspects of our journey has been collaborating with professional athletes, helping them optimize their performance and recovery through the power of functional mushrooms. Seeing them push their limits and become better than yesterday with the support of PJM has been truly rewarding. It’s a reminder that what we do isn’t just about selling a product—it’s about transforming lives, unlocking potential, and fueling peak performance in both body and mind.
Women are a growing force in the workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. What are your thoughts about women in leadership today?
Women’s leadership today is a driving force for innovation, resilience, and inclusivity in every industry. As more women step into leadership roles, they bring diverse perspectives, emotional intelligence, and a collaborative approach that fosters stronger teams and solid decision-making. The real challenge now is to ensure equal opportunities, fair representation, and a culture that values leadership based on talent and vision, not gender. The future of leadership should be more balanced—we all would benefit from it!
What message/advice would you have for future women leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs?
Find your mission and build something meaningful. Founding a company or a brand isn’t just about business—it’s about creating impact, solving real problems, and bringing purpose into the world. Stay true to your vision, embrace challenges as lessons, and never be afraid to break barriers. The most successful ventures are driven by passion and a clear purpose. Make yours count!
Please insert website or social media links (if any):
@purejoymushrooms on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
