{"id":55867,"date":"2017-02-07T07:15:06","date_gmt":"2017-02-07T12:15:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=55867"},"modified":"2017-02-08T12:57:02","modified_gmt":"2017-02-08T17:57:02","slug":"inspiring-wellness-brand-founders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/inspiring-wellness-brand-founders\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Started My Own Wellness Brand"},"content":{"rendered":"
\""Why
Photo courtesy of Priority Bicycles<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sometimes the best wellness ideas come from everyday people\u2019s struggles with diet<\/a> and exercise. (It\u2019s a journey of trial and error, after all.) From making healthy snacks<\/a> to tracking hydration<\/a>,\u00a0these\u00a0seven wellness brand founders decided to launch their products, based on their own very real get-fit<\/a> experiences.\u00a0Let their stories about making a living based on living well inspire you to chart your own course.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The Best New Fitness Trackers to Step Up Your Game<\/a><\/p>\n

The Stories Behind 7 Wellness Brands<\/h2>\n
\"Wellness
Photo courtesy of BSX Technologies<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. The Brand:\u00a0BSX Technologies<\/a> \/ LVL<\/a><\/h3>\n

The Goal:<\/strong> To help people live healthier by tracking hydration<\/p>\n

Inspired by his physician father, Dustin Freckleton had wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon since he was 12 years old. He was on his way to making that dream come true, when suddenly, in his first year of medical school, Freckleton suffered a stroke \u2014 at the age of 24.<\/p>\n

A rare experience for any twentysomething, let alone a healthy one, Freckleton was shocked to find out that dehydration<\/a>\u00a0was the cause. He couldn\u2019t believe that his body hadn\u2019t somehow warned him of his low hydration levels.<\/p>\n

To prevent others from suffering the same fate, Freckleton rolled up his sleeves. Over the next three years, he spent what little free time he had between med-school studies, researching dehydration and collaborating with various engineers and mathematicians. He worked hard\u00a0in hopes of developing a wearable to measure H2O levels in the body. In 2012, Freckleton and his team launched BSX Technologies.<\/p>\n

BSX\u2019s first product, known as Insight, is a calf sleeve that measures lactate levels to help endurance athletes perform at their peak. But the key product, a hydration band called LVL, will launch this summer. (It has already earned $1.2 million in preorders on Kickstarter.)<\/p>\n

Freckleton\u2019s excited that unlike the niche market for the Insight sleeve, LVL will appeal to a larger audience. \u201cHydration<\/a> is exciting for us but it\u2019s just the beginning,\u201d he says. \u201cUsing our sensor package, we can measure hydration, heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure and start to paint a total picture of the individual. I think what we\u2019re doing it going to drive the next generation of wearables.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>You\u2019d Never Guess These 7 Dehydration Symptoms<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Wellness
Photo courtesy of Andrea Scher<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. The Brand:\u00a0<\/strong>Curvy Yoga<\/a><\/h3>\n

The Goal:<\/strong> To create a space where people can practice yoga and celebrate their body<\/p>\n

Anna Guest-Jelley hadn\u2019t been looking to launch a business. She was an English teacher with a background in nonprofits who loved meeting new people. But as an avid yogi<\/a>, she realized something was missing from the studios she went to.<\/p>\n

\u00a0“I\u00a0believe that our bodies are incredible sources of wisdom.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In her decades of practice, she was often the biggest person in the room and didn\u2019t feel like she was on the same page as other class goers. It didn\u2019t help that she had a pretty adverse relationship with her body, constantly dieting<\/a> and striving to drop pounds. “I\u00a0believe that our bodies are incredible sources of wisdom,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd that when we\u2019re cut off from them due to constantly being told \u2014 by others and ourselves \u2014 that they\u2019re not OK, we lose something essential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead of continuing the search for a place that promoted more body confidence<\/a>, Guest-Jelley decided to make it a reality herself. The studio she now offers is “a\u00a0space where we invite people to be with, listen to and learn from their bodies, exactly as they are,\u201d she says. \u201cCultivating a body-affirming space means looking at every aspect of a student\u2019s experience \u2014 from including diverse bodies in your promotional materials, to making sure we have a variety of yoga props available, to setting the tone at the beginning of class by letting everyone know that no two poses will be the same because no two bodies are the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, the Nashville-based business boasts studios all over the world, as well as an online community. Guest-Jelley has also recently published a book,\u00a0Curvy Yoga: Love Yourself & Your Body a Little More Each Day<\/em><\/a>, to further encourage body acceptance through yoga. “My hope for the brand is always that we continue to help people come back to themselves in an affirming and supportive environment,\u201d she says, \u201cregardless of their body shape or size.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>35 Resources to Step Up Your Yoga Game<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Wellness
Photo courtesy of Fortitude Strength Club<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. The Brand: The Fort<\/a><\/h3>\n

The Mission:<\/strong> To start a training center that hits the sweet spot between personal and group training<\/p>\n

Dan Trink began his relationship with exercise soon after he set a wedding date. He went to the gym four to five times a week, spending most of his time on cardio machines<\/a>. Though he lost more than 50 pounds in four months, he still felt like he had more to go. To keep the results coming, he tried new modes of activity, like\u00a0boxing<\/a>, jumping rope and what has become his greatest fitness love: lifting weights<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the time, Trink enjoyed his job as creative director at an advertising agency. And his co-workers starting noticing his leaner physique. They\u2019d ask him for training advice<\/a>\u00a0(which he happily provided) and he\u2019d check on their food logs. As\u00a0he started getting tired of selling people things they didn\u2019t actually need, he began considering a leap to the wellness world. It was his ability to help people at his agency get healthy that gave him the\u00a0confidence he needed to make a\u00a0full-time switch.<\/p>\n

After shadowing the owner of Peak Performance in New York City, Trink joined the team as a personal trainer. Eventually, he took over as director of fitness. Trink\u00a0soon recognized that private sessions weren\u2019t the most accessible way to work out, thanks to the hefty price tag and limited sessions. Boutique fitness studios<\/a> with big classes didn\u2019t feel quite right either, because instructors didn’t\u00a0always focus on form and effort. To fill the gap, Trink and his business partner, Kyle Fields, decided to open Fortitude Strength Club<\/a>.\u00a0\u201cWe saw a void in the market and built this small-group, up to four people, training model that uses an evidence-based approach,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

At the Fort, clients do progressive workouts and train closely with the staff. \u201cWe get them stronger<\/a>, injury resistant, healthier, improve body composition, improve work capacity and improve movement quality,\u201d Trink says. \u201cWe had to borrow money, dip into savings and sell our apartments to make this happen. But we were truly doing something that we believed in, that the industry and people needed and that did not exist.\u201d Ever since opening the doors to the Fort, Trink has\u00a0committed to lifting and teaching others how to lift right along with him.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Strength Training for Beginners: Your Guide to Reps, Sets, Weight<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Wellness
Photo courtesy of TutuBlue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. The Brand: Tutublue<\/a><\/h3>\n

The Mission:<\/strong> To create cool, sun-protective clothing to empower fit-minded people<\/p>\n

Sarah Buxton was working as an actress and interior designer in LA when she had a brush with skin cancer in 2014. Luckily, her doctors could surgically remove the melanoma before it spread. But while recovering from the surgery, Buxton thought about how she could live more healthfully. \u201cI love being active outside<\/a> and needed a way to still enjoy outdoor activities,\u201d Buxton says. Of course sunscreen<\/a> was an option, but she often missed spots or forgot to reapply.<\/p>\n

Then, she realized she could create sun-protective<\/a> clothing, made from quick-drying fabric in fun, bright designs. Think: full-coverage swimsuits (arms and legs included) that make covering up at the beach surprisingly fashionable. Buxton made a few for herself and, on a trip to Hawaii, quickly realized they could have broader appeal. \u201cPeople were coming up to me, saying they also needed a full bodysuit,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Since making her first UPF 50-rated outfit, Buxton receives\u00a0requests from swimmers<\/a>, surfers and stand-up paddleboarders<\/a>. And it\u2019s not just people worried about skin cancer who contact her. Buxton has also gotten feedback from women who need full coverage for religious reasons. As a result, she\u2019s launching a hooded tank this spring, created based on a request from a Muslim woman looking for a sporty alternative to her hijab.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Our Favorite Running Gear Under $40<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Wellness
Photo courtesy of Nuttzo<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. The Brand: Nuttzo<\/a><\/h3>\n

The Mission:<\/strong> To promote healthy eating at home and around the world<\/p>\n

Danielle Dietz-LiVolsi enjoyed the freedom and perks of her job in radio advertising, but it didn\u2019t feel like her calling.\u00a0\u201cI had this nagging desire to share my passion of healthy eating<\/a>, unique living, zest for adventure<\/a> and helping neglected children thrive. But I couldn\u2019t figure out how,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had this nagging desire to share my passion of\u00a0healthy eating, unique living, zest for\u00a0adventure\u00a0and helping neglected children thrive.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After years of coming up with ideas that didn\u2019t seem quite right, that calling came to her when she and her husband adopted their son. Greg, then a three-year-old from the Ukraine, was a picky eater and wouldn\u2019t eat animal protein<\/a>. \u201cI was stressed that he was very malnourished \u2014 Greg was in the fifth percentile in height and weight,\u201d Dietz-LiVolsi recalls.\u00a0\u201cSo I would rack my brain on how to super-boost his food.\u201d<\/p>\n

The answer was at the bottom of a nut butters<\/a> jar. Dietz-LiVolsi loved mixing different flavors she bought from the store. She then started trying her own combinations in a food processor at home. When she gave her first batch to her son and he loved it, she knew she found a solution that would stick.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery nut<\/a> and seed has different vitamins and minerals,\u201d she says. Unlike other brands, her spreads include seven different nuts and seeds \u2014 and she plans to expand her line to include even more nutrient-dense and filling snacks<\/a>. \u201cNuttZo is going to continue to produce cutting-edge, nutrient-dense health snacks that taste amazing and share the zest for life,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>9 Delicious DIY Nut Butters and Fruit Jams<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Wellness
Photo courtesy of Priority Bicycles<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6.\u00a0The Brand: Priority Bicycles<\/a><\/h3>\n

The Goal:<\/strong> To find balance with easy-to-use, affordable bicycles<\/p>\n

As CEO of an international software company in New York, David Weiner loved his job \u2014 except for the fact that it constantly kept him on the road. With weekly business trips, he felt burned out whenever he actually did get to hang at home. So he often daydreamed about becoming his own boss.<\/p>\n

All that dreaming led him to the idea of developing a low-maintenance, accessible bicycle brand. He always loved riding and even worked in a bike<\/a> shop when he was younger. Plus, he liked the idea of using his tech skills in a more interesting way. Though the thought of his own venture excited Wiener, he felt scared to take the leap. \u201cIt got to the point where I had to weigh the risks versus the rewards: the risk of losing money and starting over, versus the rewards of having something that was fully mine and that I believed in,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

In 2014, staring down a long list of \u201cpros\u201d, he launched his brand, Priority Bicycles, on Kickstarter. Now, he has\u00a0a line of six bikes \u2014 all high quality but not high maintenance. They each feature innovative designs and affordable price points.<\/p>\n

Despite the growth and success, Weiner says the best part of his career shift just might be his ability to balance work and life. Even more importantly, he can focus on family as his top priority (hence the brand name!).<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The 15 Most Incredible Bike Trails in the U.S.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Wellness
Photo courtesy of Kirstin Burke<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. The Brand: The New Primal<\/a><\/h3>\n

The Mission:<\/strong> To make delicious protein-filled snacks that encourage healthy eating and responsible farming<\/p>\n

Since graduating college, Jason Burke worked in sales, first in finances then software. His favorite part of each job: building relationships<\/a> and having a positive influence<\/a> on others’ lives. He didn\u2019t realize he could find an even better way to do that.<\/p>\n

\u201cHealthy animals make healthy food, which in turn helps people live healthier lives.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When Burke started working out at a local CrossFit<\/a> gym eight years ago, it kicked off a new desire to explore health and nutrition. \u201cI went on a journey to eliminate all added sugar<\/a> from my diet and consume proteins from humanely raised sources, like grass-fed beef and pastured turkey and chicken,\u201d Burke says. \u201cBut snacking at my desk during the day was a struggle. I couldn\u2019t bear another almond!\u201d He heard jerky packed a lot of protein but couldn\u2019t find many without a ton of sugar<\/a> \u2014 and none made from grass-fed beef. So he decided to make his own.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea behind the New Primal has far-reaching implications, including the impact we’re making on people’s health, and the impact holistic farming practices have on the planet,\u201d says Burke. He explains: \u201cThe\u00a0confined\u00a0animal\u00a0feedlot\u00a0operations where so much of the meat [in the U.S.] is raised are some of the biggest sources of pollution in our air, water and soil.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though he has global hopes for the New Primal, at the end of the day, Burke\u2019s mission comes back to the individuals enjoying his snacks<\/a>. \u201cHealthy animals make healthy food, which in turn helps people live healthier lives,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Get inspired by the founders of seven wellness brands. They each took risks to launch a brand they believe in \u2014 all in hopes of helping others. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":55917,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7],"tags":[289,161,71,341,388,113,100,286],"class_list":["post-55867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","tag-exercise","tag-hydration","tag-nutrition","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition","tag-wellness","tag-workout","tag-yoga"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55867"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55867\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}