Health & Wellness Episodes

Most supplement brands start with a formula. Jason Dyer started with a philosophy. Ramon Vela sits down with Jason Dyer, Co-Founder of Farmana, for a deeply thoughtful conversation about twenty-two years of experience in the health and wellness industry, a personal transformation that changed everything, and a brand built on the radical idea that real nutrition should begin...

She left Goldman Sachs, moved to Mozambique for a year, and came back to build one of the most distinct wellness brands in America. Rose Hamilton, CEO of Compass Rose Ventures and co-host of The Story of a Brand Show, sits down with Shizu Okusa, Founder & CEO of Apothékary, for a masterclass in what it really means to build a brand system not just a product line. ...

Most people get their hormone levels tested once a year — if they think about it at all. Marina Pavlovic Rivas, Co-Founder & CEO of Eli Health, is on a mission to change that. Ramon Vela sits down with Marina for a fascinating conversation about the technology she spent nearly seven years building: a saliva-based, at-home hormone monitoring platform that delivers cortisol, testosterone, and progesterone results to your phone in minutes, giving people real-time visibility into one of...

Building a brand in the wellness space is one thing—reimagining how consumers experience vitamins entirely is another. In this episode of The Story of a Brand, Rose Hamilton sits down with Leslie Danford, Founder at Vitaminis, to explore how she’s doing exactly that. From challenging traditional formats to creating a more joyful, design-forward approach to daily health, Leslie shares how...

In this episode, I sit down with someone whose inner strength and personal reinvention truly moved me: Angelica Fuentes, Founder & CEO of NOWFUL.  From navigating profound personal challenges to building a wellness system rooted in clarity, self-love, and deep inner work, Angelica shares a journey that is both inspiring and practical. Her story begins with a simple but life-altering moment of gratitude and self-awareness at age 19 — a moment that sparked a lifelong path toward inner...

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rachel Katzman, the founder of Pvolve, a functional fitness company that’s redefining what it means to truly move your body with purpose.  Rachel’s story is deeply personal and inspiring. What started as a search for relief from back pain and scoliosis evolved into...

When it comes to building lasting health and wellness brands, few people have as much lived experience as Raza Bashir. As Chief Innovation Officer at Iovate Health Sciences International, Raza has spent nearly two decades turning cutting-edge science into products that make a real difference in people’s lives. From MuscleTech to Hydroxycut, his fingerprints are on some of the most influential supplement brands of our time. In this conversation...

I had such a powerful and eye-opening conversation with Lisa Curtis, Founder & CEO of Kuli Kuli Foods.  Lisa shared her incredible journey that began in the Peace Corps in Niger, where she first discovered moringa, a nutrient-packed “tree leaf” that transformed her health. What started as a simple act of self-care in a rural village has....

I had a truly meaningful and inspiring conversation with Jenny Yue, Co-Founder of Ohme Foods. Jenny shared how her personal health journey, such as losing 50 pounds, rediscovering fitness, and building confidence through small daily wins, became the spark that inspired her to create Ohme.  What began as a New Year’s resolution to...

I had such a powerful and heartfelt conversation with Cara Dumaplin, the CEO & Founder of Taking Cara Babies. Cara shared her deeply personal journey—from her background as a neonatal nurse and wife of a pediatrician to her own struggles with sleep deprivation as a new ...

I had such an inspiring conversation with Luna Aziz, the CEO & Founder of Legendairy Milk.  What started as her personal struggle with breastfeeding and milk supply has grown into a mission-driven brand that supports women through every stage of life—from trying...

I had such a fascinating conversation with Anthony Boldin, Founder of LiveComplete. This isn’t just another protein brand; what Anthony and his team are building could truly change how we think about food, nutrition, and even the future of plant-based eating. What struck me most was...

On this episode of The Story of a Brand, I sat down with Jeff Boyd, founder of MTE, a wellness brand that’s redefining how we think about energy, recovery, and mood. What started as a personal quest to feel better and support the people closest to him turned into a...

In this episode, I sit down with Chris Abbenda and Owen Martinetti, the dynamic duo behind Snoozy, a functional gummy brand that’s reimagining how we think about sleep, stress, and chill.  What started as a curiosity about CBD quickly evolved into a product line that’s all...

In this episode, I sit down with C. Vivek Lal, MD, FAAP, a physician-scientist and the founder & CEO of Resbiotic, to explore the incredible connection between our gut microbiome and respiratory health.  Dr. Lal shares how his clinical work with premature infants inspired a deeper dive into...

In this episode, I sit down with Darren Litt, the founder of Hiya Health, a mission-driven kids' wellness brand that’s reimagining what it means to raise healthy children.  Darren shares how a single disappointing Amazon order led him down a path of obsession with...

As people who are passionate about purpose-driven CPG brands, we couldn’t wait to sit down with Jennifer Jorgensen, CEO of Back to Nature. She’s not just leading the charge at Back to Nature, she’s revitalizing a legacy brand for today’s conscious consumer.  With a powerful...

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to turn a simple idea, like chewing gum, into a performance-driven, clean-label product with serious staying power, this episode is for you. Today, I’m talking with Logan Wright, Co-founder of Greco Gum, a brand redefining what gum can be...

When it comes to rewriting the rules of women’s health, few founders are doing it with as much heart, rigor, and clarity as Tovah Haim. In this episode, I sit down with the founder and CEO of Bodily, a brand transforming the postpartum and reproductive health space by making invisible experiences visible and giving women the...

As someone who’s had the pleasure of working closely with Sachi Singh , the Founder & CEO of Rootless , I knew this episode would be special. Sachi isn’t just building a product. She’s building a movement rooted in impact, education, and...

In this episode, I sit down with David Hartigan, Founder and CEO of Hemp Heros, to talk about the real story behind his mission-driven CBD and functional mushroom company. From managing MMA fighters to becoming one of the few B Corp-certified hemp brands, David shares how...