Meet Haley Sterling

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Haley Sterling. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Haley below.

Haley, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My work ethic comes from my sports background. Growing up playing competitive sports taught me discipline early — you had to show up, put in the extra work, and constantly push yourself to improve. I went on to compete as a Division I athlete in college while earning my degree in four years and holding a job, which taught me how to balance a lot and still perform at a high level.

My parents also reinforced that mindset from a young age. They told me that if I wanted to go to college, I’d need to earn a scholarship, so that became my goal. That mix of structure, discipline, and determination shaped how I approach everything now. I’ve never been afraid of hard work, and I think that’s been one of the biggest factors in how far I’ve been able to go.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My name is Haley Sterling, formerly Haley Knaub, and I’m the founder of Elevate Mushrooms — a functional mushroom supplement company rooted in health, wellness, and proactive living.

We craft high-quality, 100% fruiting body mushroom products made in the U.S. Our best sellers include the chai latte, coffee, and tinctures.

What keeps me inspired is hearing from customers who’ve experienced real improvements in their mental, physical, and emotional health. Those stories are a powerful reminder of why I started this work in the first place.

Right now, I’m focused on expanding our wellness line and continuing to deepen education around functional mushrooms — helping people not only understand what they are but also how they can be a powerful tool for improving overall quality of life.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I’d say the three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey are leadership, integrity, and determination. Leadership, because when you’re building something from the ground up, you have to be able to bring people together and set the tone for the kind of culture you want. Integrity, because in business, your reputation and how you treat people matter more than anything. And determination because entrepreneurship isn’t easy — it takes showing up every day, even when things don’t go as planned.

For anyone just getting started, my advice would be to stay consistent and true to your values. You don’t have to have it all figured out — just keep moving forward, keep learning, and don’t let the hard days make you forget why you started.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

The biggest challenge right now is the economy. The cost of living and the cost of doing business have both gone up drastically, and it’s putting a lot of pressure on small businesses everywhere. People are being more careful with how they spend, which naturally affects sales, especially for brands that aren’t seen as “essential.”

It’s definitely made things harder, but I’m focusing on staying adaptable — finding ways to streamline operations, build stronger partnerships, and keep our community engaged. I think the businesses that make it through this time will come out stronger, and that’s what keeps me pushing forward.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Headshot by: Carly Long @bycarlylong
Product photos by: Bon Vivants Creative: Julianna Deschenes @bonvivantscreative

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