WellBuilt
Welcome to WellBuilt. In each episode, I sit down with an operator or expert who puts people, health, and performance at the center of their business. This podcast is brought to you by JOON, the Lifestyle Spending Account platform top companies use to attract and retain talent.
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How Thrive Market Revolutionized Healthy Living 🛒 | Nick Green, Co-Founder & CEO of Thrive Market
10/21/2026
How Thrive Market Revolutionized Healthy Living 🛒 | Nick Green, Co-Founder & CEO of Thrive Market
I sat down with , co-founder and CEO of , the membership based online grocer that curates more than 7,000 natural and organic products across food, home, and personal care. Thrive is approaching a billion dollars in revenue, is profitable, and serves over 1.7 million paid members, built on a model Nick describes as Whole Foods meets Costco online. We got into how Thrive got funded after more than 100 venture capital firms passed, why the company has never raised its membership fee since launching in 2014, and how Thrive thinks about trust and curation in a category where testing has repeatedly caught brands mislabeling their products. 🧃 How Thrive raised its early capital from wellness influencers like Mark Sisson and Mark Hyman instead of VCs, giving them equity rather than just a cash commission 🔍 Why only 20 percent of Thrive's sales are its own private label brand, and why Nick wants to keep that number low rather than grow it 🧪 What happened when UC Davis tested 54 products labeled avocado oil and found 48 were adulterated, and how Thrive's curation model is meant to catch issues like that 💰 Why Thrive's $60 annual membership fee hasn't moved in 11 years, and the philosophy behind holding it there 🧠 Nick's take on what AI is doing to the value of good judgment at work, and why he thinks it makes exceptional people more valuable, not less 🏃 Why Nick stepped back from tracking his sleep and heart rate data and went back to running outside with no watch at all
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Investing in the Future of Wellness 💸 | Rachel Hirsch, Managing Partner at Wellness Growth Ventures
09/30/2026
Investing in the Future of Wellness 💸 | Rachel Hirsch, Managing Partner at Wellness Growth Ventures
On this episode of WellBuilt, I sat down with Rachel Hirsch, founder of Wellness Growth Ventures, an early-stage fund investing across better-for-you CPG, four-wall fitness, and consumer health tech. Rachel came up through UBS and Tiger Global before starting her own fund with a thesis that wellness would go mainstream. Her portfolio includes Fishwife, BellyWelli, Monarch Athletic Club, GoNaNas, and more. She also writes one of the sharper newsletters in the space on Substack. We covered a lot of ground: 💊 Why 40% of Americans could be on GLP-1s by 2030, including microdosers and HRT alternatives that aren't showing up in official numbers 🦷 The downstream markets most brands are still undervaluing: oral care, bone density, skin sagging, and fertility 🏋️ Why bone density is the most overlooked category in wellness right now and why the next winner here probably looks more like BellyWelli than a pharmaceutical 👟 Her hot take on wearables: she won't wear one until the data connects to behavior, not just more anxiety 🥤 Why she's bullish on energy drinks despite the crowded field and why brand strength is the only real moat in CPG
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The Dyson of Water Filtration 🚰 | Brian Keller, Co-Founder & CEO of Rorra
09/16/2026
The Dyson of Water Filtration 🚰 | Brian Keller, Co-Founder & CEO of Rorra
is the Co-Founder and CEO of , a water filtration company he launched in November 2024 after three years of engineering, design, and testing. Brian started the company after his daughter's eczema cleared up within days of bathing in filtered water, leading him to dig into what was actually coming out of American taps. Built entirely from stainless steel with a proprietary electrokinetic nanofiber filtration media, Rorra was designed to filter a wide spectrum of contaminants without shedding microplastics back into the water. Brian and his co-founder Charlie reverse engineered the top five whole home filter systems on the market before landing on a countertop unit and shower head that could work for anyone, from a family in Tennessee to an apartment in New York City. We covered: 🦠 Why over 200 million Americans have forever chemicals in their tap water, and why the infrastructure problem is only getting worse. 🧪 Why most water filters on the market are actually adding microplastics back into your water, including carbon block filters fused with melted plastic, and how Rorra engineered around it/ 🧠 Why microplastic and nanoplastic buildup in the brain is 20 times higher than any other organ, and what that means for the choices you're making every day. 📊 How to actually evaluate a water filter: what NSF ANSI accreditation means, why "up to X% filtration" is a red flag, and what Brian recommends for testing your own tap water at home/ 💡 The oil change light analogy: how Rorra built a patent-pending performance indicator into a device with no plug, just four triple-A batteries, to help people know when to actually change their filter.
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The Protein Bar Built to Last 🐮 | James Oliver, Founder & CEO of Atlas Bar
09/02/2026
The Protein Bar Built to Last 🐮 | James Oliver, Founder & CEO of Atlas Bar
James Oliver is the founder of Atlas Bar, one of the highest-rated protein bars on Amazon, and Anti Chocolate, a four-ingredient sugar-free chocolate he launched less than six months ago that's already growing faster than he expected with almost no marketing behind it. Built straight out of college, Atlas has grown through major nutrition trends without being tied to any of them. James is convinced getting sufficient protein while minimizing sugars will never go out of style. We covered: 🧱 Why brands that chase trends get buried when those trends fade. 🔍 How he cold-surveyed 40-50 gym owners before the product existed and got 100% saying they'd buy it. He then spent a year driving around to gyms to prove product market fit before thinking about scale. 📦 His framework on retail: why it's not where you build demand but where you harvest it, and the mistake most CPG brands make going in too early. 📞 How he called 50-60 customers to ask why they kept buying Atlas, and why not a single one mentioned ashwagandha, which is why he cut the ingredient out of an early version of the bar. ⚠️ The risks around building a brand around a single functional ingredient. 🍫 The origin of Anti Chocolate, the first chocolate designed to eat every single day, four ingredients, fifty calories a serving, and what it taught him about applying his learnings in a brand new category.
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He Stopped Drinking and Built the #1 Non-Alcoholic Beer Brand in America 🍺 | Bill Shufelt, Co-Founder & CEO of Athletic Brewing
07/21/2026
He Stopped Drinking and Built the #1 Non-Alcoholic Beer Brand in America 🍺 | Bill Shufelt, Co-Founder & CEO of Athletic Brewing
In this episode of WellBuilt, Jon sat down with , Co-Founder and CEO of the largest dedicated non-alcoholic brand in the United States. Bill's path to Athletic started with a personal decision. He was 30, training for an ultra marathon, thinking about becoming a parent, and realizing alcohol was a ceiling on everything he cared about. What followed was two years of nights and weekends research, hundreds of conversations to find the right co-founder, and the first brewery and taproom in the country built exclusively for non-alcoholic beer. He talks about how Athletic went from being dismissed by nearly everyone in the industry to becoming the 8th largest craft brewer in the US, why the non-alcoholic category is still barely getting started, and what it actually took to build a brand in a space most people said had no market. They covered: 🍺 Why Bill believes the TAM for non-alcoholic beer is almost infinite, and why the traditional industry had the math completely backwards on how often people actually want to drink alcohol. 🏃 How Athletic broke out of the penalty box: building a brand people would hold with the label out in a bar, and why that required radical product quality before any marketing could work. 🎽 The grassroots go-to-market strategy: Bill personally showing up to 75 races in year one, bringing a cooler of non-alcoholic beer to events that had never had a sponsor, and building relationships with race directors who put on 50 to 100 events a year. 🏗️ What exponential growth actually costs: building manufacturing ahead of a company growing 20 to 30 percent a month, and why that capital intensity was one of the hardest problems Athletic had to solve. 👥 Bill's leadership lesson on where to spend your time, and why he spent too long on the bottom 20 percent of his team instead of doubling down on the top 20 percent. 📚 The books and brands he's paying closest attention to right now; including Natty Ice Cream, a clean label protein ice cream brand out of Arizona he's been closely tracking, and why early stage brand discovery/mentorship has become a passion of his since building Athletic.
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Why Your Meat Should Cost More Than Potato Chips 🥩 | Robby Sansom, Co-Founder & CEO of Force of Nature Meats
07/15/2026
Why Your Meat Should Cost More Than Potato Chips 🥩 | Robby Sansom, Co-Founder & CEO of Force of Nature Meats
In this episode of , sat down with , Co-Founder and CEO of , to talk about what it takes to fix the meat industry from the inside out. Robby traces his path from building , one of the first brands to bring grass-fed and organ meat products into mainstream grocery, to launching Force of Nature on a simple but challenging premise: the best meat for you is also the best meat for the land, the animal, and the people who raise it. He gets into why certifications like "organic" and "grass-fed" often fall short of what consumers think they're buying, why Force of Nature chose not to vertically integrate, and how a network of 900 farms and 24 processors across 3.8 million acres is how they're building the food system they want to see. They covered: 🥩 Why the best place to get your meat is, in order: hunting it yourself, growing it yourself, or buying from a brand like Force of Nature. 🏷️ How food labels have been captured by the big four meat companies and what to actually look for when you're shopping. 💸 How meat is actually less expensive per ounce than a Hershey bar or Ruffles potato chips, and what that says about how we've been conditioned to think about food costs. 🌾 Why Force of Nature intentionally chose a network of independent farms and processors over owning the supply chain, and why that model better serves the mission. 🧠 Robby's personal health adn wellness routine with a two-year-old and a four-year-old at home: resistance training, creatine, five dozen eggs a week, and a nightly family walk after dinner. Enjoy!
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This Married Couple Tracked Down Grocery Buyers for a Year to Build a Category Defining Healthy Cereal Brand 🥣 | Ian & Margaret Wishingrad, Co-Founders of Three Wishes
06/05/2026
This Married Couple Tracked Down Grocery Buyers for a Year to Build a Category Defining Healthy Cereal Brand 🥣 | Ian & Margaret Wishingrad, Co-Founders of Three Wishes
In this episode of , sat down with and , the husband-and-wife co-founders of Three Wishes: the grain-free, low-sugar cereal that's become one of the most interesting better-for-you brands in the grocery aisle. Ian spent years in advertising before starting his own agency. Margaret came from real estate. When their first son was born, they stood in the cereal aisle of Whole Foods and realized nothing there was actually healthy. Two years of R&D, a food scientist, and dozens of cold calls later, Three Wishes launched in late 2019. They covered: 🥣 Why cereal was broken and why grain-free, minimal-ingredient, high-protein was the obvious answer that nobody had actually built yet. 📞 The shameless, old-school grind behind retail distribution: tracking down the Northeast Whole Foods buyer at Fancy Food with a Ziploc bag of samples, calling Wegmans for nearly a year straight before landing the account. 💸 The early fundraising reality: why investor rejections were less about the product and more about two first-time product founders who hadn't yet earned the credibility to match their conviction. 🧠 What it's actually like to run a company together as a married couple. 🌍 Margaret's origin story: growing up as an immigrant, being sent solo to China at 19 by her father to source product, and how that forged the "figure it out" mentality she brings to every operational crisis. 🌱 How Three Wishes thinks about the next chapter: evolving the brand from homemade to "big boy," new packaging, and threading the needle between fun and functional without looking like a kids' only product or a diet food.
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From CIA to Taking Rucking Mainstream 🎒 | Emily McCarthy, Co-Founder of GORUCK
04/27/2026
From CIA to Taking Rucking Mainstream 🎒 | Emily McCarthy, Co-Founder of GORUCK
In this episode of , Jon sat down with , Co-Founder and Chief Community Officer of GORUCK. Emily traces the origins of GORUCK from her time as a CIA case officer operating solo across West Africa, to building an event and community empire around a simple idea: walking with weight. She unpacks how a military-issue bag Jason built her in a rebel-held region of Côte d’Ivoire became the blueprint for the GR1, how GORUCK went from lending out bricks at 1am in New York City to 700+ Ruck Clubs worldwide, and why she believes rucking is on its way to becoming bigger than running. They covered: 🎒 How rucking was born not in a gym or a startup office, but in the field — Jason training as a Green Beret, Emily rucking through West Africa on Intel operations, both unknowingly building the foundation for a brand. 🧱 The scrappy, absurd early days: Jason showing up to events with Home Depot bricks in a rental car, loaning out bags to prove they wouldn’t fail, going from $100K to $12M in just a few years. 🌍 How Emily’s CIA tradecraft — spotting, assessing, building community in austere environments — became the direct blueprint for GORUCK’s event and Ruck Club model. 💪 Why rucking hits the sweet spot of cardio + strength + community, and how Emily is now focused on making it more accessible to women through initiatives like the Mother Rucker 5K series. 🧫 The pandemic pivot: how Emily opened a Google Drive folder of 100+ city scavenger hunts to the world, and how that moment became one of GORUCK’s most powerful community moves. 🏃♀️ Where GORUCK is headed — from a Costa Rica Ruck & Flow retreat for women to D-Day events in France, and a bold goal: making rucking bigger than running.
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Turning an Invasive Species Into a Nutrient-Dense Food Source 🦌 | Jake Muise, Co-Founder & CEO of Maui Nui Venison
04/10/2026
Turning an Invasive Species Into a Nutrient-Dense Food Source 🦌 | Jake Muise, Co-Founder & CEO of Maui Nui Venison
In this episode of , sat down with , founder and CEO of , to explore one of the most unique intersections of nutrition, sustainability, and food systems. They unpack how an invasive species problem in Hawaii turned into a mission-driven food company, and what it looks like to build a business that simultaneously supports ecological balance, local communities, and human health. Jake shares the 20+ year journey behind Maui Nui: from early exposure to subsistence hunting to building a USDA-approved system that transforms wild deer into one of the most nutrient-dense proteins available today.  They covered: 🌱 How an invasive deer population in Hawaii became both an ecological challenge and an abundant food resource and why “balance” is the goal, not elimination. 🥩 What makes wild-harvested venison fundamentally different from conventional meat, including how diet, environment, and stress impact both taste and nutrient density. 🚀 The operational complexity of building a completely new supply chain: from harvesting wild animals at night to creating a scalable, USDA-compliant food system. 🌍 Why doing things the “hard way”, letting animals live wild until harvest, may actually be better for human health, the animal, and the environment. 🧠 How Jake thinks about long-term impact, including the potential to replicate this model globally across other invasive species and ecosystems. Mahalo!
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Beyond Sleep Tracking... A New Wearable That Improves Your Sleep 🎧 | Jonathan (JB) Berent, Founder & CEO of NextSense
03/31/2026
Beyond Sleep Tracking... A New Wearable That Improves Your Sleep 🎧 | Jonathan (JB) Berent, Founder & CEO of NextSense
In this episode of , sat down with , Founder and CEO of , to explore the future of sleep and brain health, and how the next wave of wearables may go beyond tracking into real-time intervention. They unpacked how most sleep technology today gives you data but little direction, and how NextSense is approaching the problem differently: using in-ear hardware and sound-based stimulation to not just measure sleep, but actively improve it. The conversation also expands into JB’s broader vision of building a brain health platform: one that could eventually help people better understand focus, performance, and cognitive states throughout the day. They also covered: 🎧 How sound (including pink noise) can influence brainwaves in real time to enhance deep sleep. 🚀 The origin story: from a rejected Google pitch to a moonshot project inside Google X, and eventually a venture-backed company. ⚖️ JB’s personal experiments with sleep—from polyphasic schedules to sleep debt—and what they reveal about how adaptable the body really is.
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The Future of Preventive Health and Longevity 🧬 | Michael Doney, MD, MPH, MS, Executive Medical Director of Biograph
03/12/2026
The Future of Preventive Health and Longevity 🧬 | Michael Doney, MD, MPH, MS, Executive Medical Director of Biograph
On this episode of WellBuilt, Jon sat down with Michael Doney, co-founder of Biograph, to explore the future of preventative health and why the next frontier of medicine may look more like continuous measurement than reactive treatment. Biograph is built around a simple idea: most diseases develop slowly over time, but the healthcare system typically waits until something is wrong before it acts. By combining advanced diagnostics, data, and longitudinal tracking, Biograph aims to help people understand and improve their health decades before problems emerge. We cover: 🧬 Why traditional healthcare is reactive by design and why preventative medicine requires a completely different model. 📊 The role of advanced diagnostics, imaging, and biomarker tracking in identifying risks long before symptoms appear. 🧠 How collecting longitudinal health data over years—not one-off tests—can reveal patterns that drive better decisions. ⚖️ The difference between optimizing for lifespan vs. healthspan, and how those goals shape personal health strategies. 🔬 Why measurement, experimentation, and feedback loops are becoming core tools for people serious about improving their health. 🚀 What the future of consumer health could look like as technology, diagnostics, and data make proactive medicine more accessible. Enjoy!
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A Better Way to Build Your Supplement Stack 💊 | Steve Martocci, Co-Founder & CEO of SuppCo
01/27/2026
A Better Way to Build Your Supplement Stack 💊 | Steve Martocci, Co-Founder & CEO of SuppCo
On this episode of , sits down with , Co-founder and CEO of , to unpack why supplements are one of the most confusing, and least trusted, parts of the health and wellness industry. Rather than selling supplements or pushing “more is better,” SuppCo is building a consumer-first layer of trust: helping people understand what actually works, what’s mislabeled, and what’s worth taking based on real data. They covered: 🧠 Steve’s personal health journey from lifelong weight struggles to functional medicine, blood work, and building a supplement stack that actually delivered results. ⚖️ Why the supplement industry is fundamentally broken, with incentives that prioritize sales over outcomes and leave consumers overwhelmed and misled. 🔬 How SuppCo evaluates over 200,000 products using objective criteria like manufacturing standards, certifications, and testing; not influencer hype or reviews. 🍬 What independent testing revealed about popular supplements, including why many top-rated creatine gummies contain little to none of the ingredient they claim. 📊 How the TrustScore system works, why it’s intentionally non-subjective, and how it’s pushing brands to improve transparency and quality. 🧭 Why trust, education, and long-term behavior change matter more than chasing the latest longevity trend—and why sometimes the right answer is taking less, not more. Enjoy!
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Designing an Oral Supplement That Activates GLP-1 | Cory Henderson, PhD, Co-founder & CEO of Evolve
01/14/2026
Designing an Oral Supplement That Activates GLP-1 | Cory Henderson, PhD, Co-founder & CEO of Evolve
On this episode of WellBuilt, sits down with Co-founder and CEO of , to unpack the science, hype, and real opportunity behind GLP-1 supplements—and why the next chapter of preventative health may look very different than pharmaceuticals. Evolve isn’t trying to compete with injectable GLP-1 drugs. Instead, the company is building a new category they calls biomimetics: oral, consumer-accessible products designed to mimic the body’s own biology, without harsh side effects or long-lasting interventions. They cover: 🧬 How Cory’s background in genetic engineering and public health led him to rethink GLP-1 for healthy, performance-minded consumers. 💊 Why pharmaceutical GLP-1s behave so differently than natural hormone signaling and how half-life, receptor balance, and delivery method matter. ⚖️ The gap between supplements that don’t work and drugs that weren’t designed for healthy people. 📉 Early customer feedback around appetite control, energy, metabolic health, and sustainable weight loss. 🧠 Why behavior change, education, and expectation-setting matter more than “magic pills.” 🔬 What biomimetics means, how it differs from traditional supplements, and where this category could expand next (longevity, muscle growth, women’s health, and more). 🧪 How Evolve designs orally available biologics using natural proteins and why oral delivery changes safety, personalization, and adoption. 📚 How Cory thinks about trust, misinformation, and consumer education in an under-regulated supplement market. 🚀 Why preventative health, not disease treatment, is the real long-term opportunity, and how consumer health products may evolve over the next decade. 🚴 Cory also shares his own experience using Evolve for performance and metabolic health and how personalization plays a role in dosing. Enjoy!
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Upgrading Relaxation & Recovery with Robot Massage 🦾 | Eric Litman, Founder & CEO of Aescape
12/19/2025
Upgrading Relaxation & Recovery with Robot Massage 🦾 | Eric Litman, Founder & CEO of Aescape
On this episode of , sat down with , Founder & CEO of , the first company using robotics to fundamentally reimagine massage. Aescape isn’t trying to replace massage therapists. Instead, it’s opening the door for the 80% of people who don’t get massages today, often due to discomfort, cost, access, or time. By combining precision robotics, personalized pressure mapping, and adaptive software, Aescape delivers consistent, customizable bodywork. They covered: 🩻The spine injury that inspired him to come up with the idea for Aescape. 🤖 Why human-robot touch is one of the hardest problems in robotics and how Aescape solved it. 📊 Why measurability and personalization matter more than mimicking human hands. 🏢 Why Aescape chose a B2B model with gyms, hotels, and wellness centers instead of going direct-to-consumer. 🦾 Eric also shares his personal health practices, thoughts on wellness hype, and where robotics-enabled recovery could expand next. Enjoy!
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From Campus Challenges to Real-World Impact: A New Way to Build Companies 💸 | Amir Ansari, Co-Founder & Executive Director xFoundry@UMD IDEA Factory
12/05/2025
From Campus Challenges to Real-World Impact: A New Way to Build Companies 💸 | Amir Ansari, Co-Founder & Executive Director xFoundry@UMD IDEA Factory
On this episode of , sat down with , serial entrepreneur, technologist, philanthropist, and father. Amir shares the arc of his entrepreneurial journey, from co-founding Telecom Technologies during the dawn of the internet, to helping launch the Ansari XPRIZE, the competition that ignited today’s commercial space sector, to building Prodea Systems and holding more than 70 patents. Today, Amir leads , an innovation engine designed to empower students to solve society’s hardest problems through competition-driven, multidisciplinary teamwork. They discussed how moonshot thinking translates into real-world systems: how to train the next generation of solutionists, why universities must evolve in the age of AI, and how XFoundry is preparing students to build companies that can impact everything from mental health to national security to life beyond Earth. The conversation covers: 🧠 Amir’s “three-leg journey” of entrepreneurship and the lessons that shaped how he builds companies, teams, and IP. 🏫 Why he believes universities must shift from majors to “personas,” and how multidisciplinary collaboration unlocks real innovation. 🛰️ Inside XFoundry’s model: competitions, seed funding, NASA partnerships, and the practical training students need for a post-AI world. 🔭 Preparing students for the future of space and human resilience, including NASA’s ambitions for 2040 lunar habitation. 👨👦 How becoming a father reshaped Amir’s worldview, from early childhood learning to raising adaptable, focused, emotionally resilient kids. 🎾 His fascinating approach to parenting: memory training, attention-building, multilingual exposure, sports, music, and the centrality of time. 🌱 Why the next great innovators must be well-rounded, emotionally aware, and capable of integrating technology with human insight. 🤝 How entrepreneurs, parents, educators, and industry leaders can get involved with XFoundry to support the next generation of problem-solvers. Enjoy!
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The Science of Jet Lag and How to Stop It ✈️ | Andrew Herr, Founder & CEO of Flykitt
11/21/2025
The Science of Jet Lag and How to Stop It ✈️ | Andrew Herr, Founder & CEO of Flykitt
On this episode of , sits down with Founder & CEO of , to explore the science behind jet lag, human performance, and the future of healthy travel. Andrew was trained in immunology, health physics, and national security. He spent years advising the U.S. military on the future of human enhancement, working with fighter pilots, Navy SEALs, and elite performance units before moving into executive coaching.  A single client request — “fix my jet lag for a Seoul negotiation” — sparked FlyKitt. Andrew discovered that the primary driver of jet lag wasn’t dry air or stress but inflammation triggered by pressure and oxygen changes during flight. That insight became the foundation for FlyKitt, where his team combines supplements, timing protocols, circadian science, and AI-driven planning to eliminate jet lag for travelers. The conversation covers: 🔥 How pressure changes and low oxygen cause flight-induced inflammation, and why most travelers feel “off” even on short flights. 🧬 What’s inside FlyKitt — pomegranate polyphenols, vitamin C, EPA/DHA, melatonin, magnesium, methylated B vitamins, and a circadian-timing AI engine. 🍽️ Eating while traveling — why fasting sometimes helps, why it can backfire, and why Andrew often recommends small, frequent meals during flight. 🏋️ Healthy travel beyond supplements — their new AI tool that scan restaurant menus, identifies healthy options anywhere in the world, and auto-generates workouts from photos of any gym. 💤 Why sleep timing, light exposure, and food timing matter more than most people realize for feeling human when you land. 📈 His long-term vision — a platform that helps anyone run N=1 experiments, personalize health protocols, and feel noticeably better every day.  Enjoy!
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Reimagining Pediatric Care for the Modern Family 👼🏽 | Ellen DaSilva, Founder & CEO of Summer Health
10/23/2025
Reimagining Pediatric Care for the Modern Family 👼🏽 | Ellen DaSilva, Founder & CEO of Summer Health
On this episode of , sits down with , Founder and CEO of , and former Head of Business Development at Hims & Hers, for a conversation about modern parenting, accessible healthcare, and building a company that helps parents raise the healthiest generation. Ellen shares how a late-night ER visit during the pandemic that revealed how broken pediatric access had become, inspired her idea for Summer Health. Her company now connects parents with board-certified pediatricians in 15 minutes or less, offering trustworthy, text-based care for everything from fevers to feeding questions. The conversation covers: 👶 Why pediatric care is the most overlooked category in healthcare. 📱 How tech and asynchronous care are reshaping how parents access reliable medical advice. 💬 The emotional side of healthcare: building trust, empathy, and human connection in a digital-first experience. 🌡️ The state of pediatrics today from the shortage of primary care doctors to the rise of concierge models. 📚 Ellen’s take on parenting philosophies, screen time, and how raising her three kids has influenced the way she leads. ❤️ Lessons on balancing entrepreneurship, motherhood, and wellbeing, and what it really means to raise healthy kids in a hyperconnected world. From scaling telehealth at Hims to reimagining pediatric care at Summer Health, Ellen’s story is a masterclass in turning personal pain points into purpose-driven innovation!
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Less Hacking, More Living: Finding Balance in the Age of Over Optimization🦿 | Shervin Shaikh, Founder of Shervin Shares
10/08/2025
Less Hacking, More Living: Finding Balance in the Age of Over Optimization🦿 | Shervin Shaikh, Founder of Shervin Shares
On this episode of WellBuilt, sits down with — YouTuber, product reviewer, and modern health experimenter — to talk about what actually moves the needle for performance, health, and happiness. Shervin has built a massive YouTube following by testing the tools, supplements, and systems shaping the future of wellness — from cold plunges and red light therapy to wearables, sleep tech, and blood glucose monitors. But behind all the experiments is a simple philosophy: focus on the 20% of habits that drive 80% of results. The conversation covers: ⚙️ Why the basics (sleep, movement, nutrition, relationships) beat every biohack. 📉 Health trends that are overhyped vs. the ones worth your time and money. 🏋️♂️ What Shervin learned from training for marathons, Hyrox, and 90-day muscle-building challenges. ⌚ His favorite tools under and over $1K — from blackout curtains to the Apple Watch and Eight Sleep. 💊 What continuous glucose monitors and blood work actually reveal (and when they’re worth it). 🧠 How AI and ChatGPT are reshaping health tracking, creativity, and the way he runs his business. 🔋 The mindset behind consistency: why most people overcomplicate wellness and how Shervin builds systems, not motivation, into his daily routine. 💻 Building a modern wellness brand: how he’s scaled a content business rooted in authenticity, transparency, and genuine experimentation. 💬 The balance between content creation and actually living the healthy lifestyle he promotes. It’s an honest, grounded look at the intersection of curiosity, data, and modern health — from a creator who’s tested it all so you don’t have to.
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Seeing Earth From Space and Reimagining Life on It 👩🏽🚀 | Anousheh Ansari, CEO of XPRIZE
09/18/2025
Seeing Earth From Space and Reimagining Life on It 👩🏽🚀 | Anousheh Ansari, CEO of XPRIZE
On this episode of , sat down with —entrepreneur, engineer, and first Iranian in space. Anousheh shares her remarkable journey: growing up in Iran during the revolution and war, finding escape in the night skies, moving to the U.S., and eventually achieving her childhood dream of going to space. She opens up about the transformative experience of seeing Earth from orbit and how it reshaped her life mission as CEO of XPRIZE. Today she’s channeling that perspective into solving humanity’s biggest challenges. XPRIZE is known for running multi-million-dollar competitions that have sparked breakthroughs in areas like climate, clean water, and human longevity. The conversation covers: 🚀 How a childhood dream, entrepreneurship, and perseverance led her to space. 🌍 What it felt like to see Earth from space, how that moment inspired her to focus on global impact. 💡 Why piecemeal solutions fail and how XPRIZE catalyzes bold, scalable innovation. The unique power of prize-based innovation to unlock solutions where traditional R&D falls short. 🧬 XPRIZE’s new healthspan focus, and how breakthroughs in cognition, muscle, and immune health will reshape human life. 💧 Clean water, carbon capture, and other moonshot ideas she believes can accelerate environmental progress. 👩🏽🚀 Lessons in leadership, resilience, and balancing high performance with wellbeing, and leading with humility. 🌳 Her love of nature, favorite national parks, and the role of stress management and mindset in her own health journey. ❤️ How JOON fits into XPRIZE’s approach to company culture and employee wellbeing. From sleeping under the stars in Iran to catalyzing billions in global innovation, Anousheh’s story is an inspiring one. Enjoy!
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Mushroom Coffee, Plastic-Eating Fungi, and Raising Healthier Kids 🍄 | Tero Isokauppila, Founder of Four Sigmatic & Co-Founder of Hiro
08/12/2025
Mushroom Coffee, Plastic-Eating Fungi, and Raising Healthier Kids 🍄 | Tero Isokauppila, Founder of Four Sigmatic & Co-Founder of Hiro
On this episode of , sits down with , founder of and co-founder of , for a conversation spanning functional mushrooms, mycelium-based diapers, and rethinking how we raise healthier, happier kids. Tero shares how his childhood on a Finnish family farm and his background in food science sparked a lifelong mission to bring functional mushrooms into mainstream culture. Four Sigmatic’s mushroom coffee and adaptogen blends have reached millions, helping redefine daily rituals for better focus, energy, and wellbeing. We also dig into Hiro, the world’s first diaper made with mycelium, designed to drastically reduce the environmental footprint of traditional diapers. Tero explains the science, the sustainability potential, and what it’s like to enter a completely different consumer category. The conversation covers: 🍄 The early days of Four Sigmatic and the challenge of introducing functional mushrooms to a global audience. 🍼 How Hiro’s mycelium technology could transform one of the most waste-heavy industries on the planet. 🌱 The parallels between growing a CPG food brand and a sustainable/environmental technology company. 👶 Tero’s personal approach to healthy parenting, including nutrition, nature immersion, and setting the right environment for curiosity and resilience. 🌍 How Tero thinks about balancing global scale with local authenticity, and why certain ingredients should only be sourced from their native ecosystems. 🥗 The role of nutrient density in both adult and child diets, and why “food as information” should be a guiding principle. 🛠 Lessons from bootstrapping and self-funding early Four Sigmatic growth before bringing in outside capital. Tero and Four Sigmatic have been at the forefront of the functional mushroom movement. Tune in for an inside look at the health benefits, business lessons, and untapped potential of the fungi kingdom!
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Seeding a Dozen Unicorns & Transforming Healthcare at Home Through Smart Medication Adherence | Kal Vepuri, Founder & CEO of Hero and Brainchild Holdings
07/30/2025
Seeding a Dozen Unicorns & Transforming Healthcare at Home Through Smart Medication Adherence | Kal Vepuri, Founder & CEO of Hero and Brainchild Holdings
On this episode of , sits down with , serial entrepreneur, prolific angel investor, and founder of Hero, for a wide-ranging conversation on investing and building human-first companies and redefining modern healthcare. Kal shares stories from his early years as a curious, nonconforming kid, and how a life-altering accident during a visit to India forced him to confront questions of identity, resilience, healing, and care systems. He made Sweetgreen his first angel investment, eventually backing over 100 startups—more than a dozen of which became unicorns, including Gusto, Coinbase, Oscar, Seatgeek, DuckDuckGo, Astranis, Warby Parker, Dataminr, Reformation, and Arcadia. He later founded Hero, a smart pill dispenser and care platform transforming how families manage medications. The conversation covers: 💊 The origin of Hero: watching his mom juggle dozens of pills, and turning that struggle into an elegant tech solution for families and caregivers. 🧠 The psychology of adherence: why taking your meds is harder than it seems, and how trust, design, and routine shape behavior. 📈 Lessons from angel investing: what Kal looks for in founders, how he spots category-defining products, and why simplicity wins. 🪩 Psychedelic therapy, science-backed wellness, and the shift toward evidence-based modalities that treat the root cause. 🧘🏾♂️ Kal’s personal rituals for resilience, including solitude, coaching, and a more grounded approach to leadership. 🌍 How personal loss and cultural complexity shaped his worldview—and his drive to build systems that help people live better, longer lives. 📣 His thoughts on digital health, the GLP-1 craze, longevity hype, and what truly matters in the next wave of care innovation. Enjoy!
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More Than a Backpack: From Special Forces to Leader in Community-Led Fitness 🎒 | Jason McCarthy, Founder & CEO of GORUCK
07/02/2025
More Than a Backpack: From Special Forces to Leader in Community-Led Fitness 🎒 | Jason McCarthy, Founder & CEO of GORUCK
In honor of the upcoming Fourth of July, Jon spoke to , former Green Beret and founder of . What started as a handmade go-bag for his wife while she was deployed with the CIA has evolved into a fitness movement that's rooted in Special Forces principles. Today, GORUCK is more than just a gear company. With live events, best-in-class backpacks, performance apparel, sandbags, footwear, they’ve built one of the most trusted brands in community-led fitness. We cover: 🎒 From Special Forces to startup: how rucking became a gateway for connection, leadership, resilience, and growth. 📦 Why GORUCK sacks feel so much lighter and the design principles that set them apart from other “high-end" products. 🤝 The scrappy early years: how Jason funded product development by running live events in cities across the country. 💥 Why GORUCK refused to raise outside capital and how that shaped their growth and product strategy. 🧠 American manufacturing and building a long-lasting culture that puts people first. 🏋️♂️ How sandbags, shoes, and performance apparel became natural extensions of the GORUCK philosophy... If you’ve ever been curious why people (myself included) are strapping on 45-pound ruck and walking their babies and dogs, this one’s for you!
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The Rise of Functional Coffee 🍄 | Jack Savage, Founder & CEO of Everyday Dose
06/03/2025
The Rise of Functional Coffee 🍄 | Jack Savage, Founder & CEO of Everyday Dose
On this episode of , spoke with , the founder of , a functional coffee brand that blends organic coffee with nootropics, adaptogens, and collagen to create a daily ritual that supports focus, calm energy, and gut health. Jack opens up about his 20-year journey on ADHD medications and how getting off Adderall sparked a mission to build a better coffee, one that could replace multiple supplements in a single scoop. What started in his dad’s garage during the pandemic has grown into a thriving brand with massive retention and cult-like customer love! We cover: Why the “anti-coffee” movement paved the way for functional alternatives and how Everyday Dose chose to embrace coffee and make it better. The science and sourcing behind ingredients like Lion’s Mane, L-Theanine, Chaga, and collagen, and why extraction and product integrity matter. How Everyday Dose scaled lean, profitable, and founder-led with zero paid ads in early days and relentless focus on taste and efficacy. The benefits of staying focused and why Jack ignored advice to expand the product line and instead built one of the most retained functional beverages on the market. Why “retention is the new growth,” and how Jack approaches product feedback, brand building, and consumer trust. From couch-surfing and running Airbnbs to launching from a garage in Topanga, Jack shares how his untraditional background became an asset in founder life. Everyday Dose’s people-first culture: generous employee wellness stipends (via JOON), in-house ESL tutors, and how the brand empowers A+ players to thrive. Enjoy!
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The Vending Machine That Serves Fresh & Healthy Meals 👨🌾 | Luke Saunders, Founder & CEO of Farmer's Fridge
05/27/2025
The Vending Machine That Serves Fresh & Healthy Meals 👨🌾 | Luke Saunders, Founder & CEO of Farmer's Fridge
On this episode of , sits down with , founder and CEO of , a company revolutionizing how people access fresh, nutritious meals through smart fridges stocked daily with chef-curated salads, bowls, and more. What started as Luke’s personal frustration as a traveling salesman struggling to find healthy food on the road has grown into a company delivering tens of thousands of meals daily to over 2,000 locations—including hospitals, universities, Targets, and airports—all powered by a centralized, 100,000 sq. ft. refrigerated facility in Chicago. The conversation covers: 🥗 The origin story—from chopping lettuce in a shared kitchen to launching an automated, vertically integrated food system. 🚛 Why their centralized production + proprietary distribution model helps keep costs low, food quality high, and operations scalable. And why Luke views Farmer’s Fridge as a tech company as much as a food company. 📊 How customer-level feedback reshaped their entire menu strategy and sparked a data-driven approach to healthy food. 🧠 Why the vending machine is the marketing. How they scaled without paid ads for over a decade by placing fridges in high-traffic, high-visibility locations. 👨⚕️ Why hospitals and healthcare systems have become a major growth channel—and what it means for food access, trust, and nutrition. 🍗 Thoughts on consumer trends like high-protein, GLP-1s, clean label foods—and how Farmer’s Fridge is meeting the moment without chasing hype. 🔧 Lessons in fundraising, operations, and the often unseen costs of scaling a mission-driven food company. Luke also reflects on how he manages personal energy as a founder, what he’s learned leading a 500-person team, and what it takes to build for the long haul.
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Why Nike & Elite Athletes Are Betting on Recovery Tech: Inside the Launch of Hyperboot🦿 | Jim Huether, CEO of Hyperice
05/12/2025
Why Nike & Elite Athletes Are Betting on Recovery Tech: Inside the Launch of Hyperboot🦿 | Jim Huether, CEO of Hyperice
On this episode of , Jon sits down with , CEO of , to talk about how the brand went from a single ice compression sleeve to a $200M+ global leader in recovery and wearable tech—and how their new Nike partnership is setting the stage for a new era in performance and recovery. They dive into the launch of the Hyperboot, a first-of-its-kind wearable that combines Normatec air compression, Venom heat, and biosensor technology, all wrapped into a shoe developed in collaboration with Nike. The conversation covers: 🛠️ How Hyperice evolved from a single recovery tool inspired by Kobe Bryant to a multi-category platform for recovery, performance, and mental wellness 🚀 The rise of data-driven recovery devices and why the Hyperboot could be the next big thing in wearable tech 🏃♂️ Two years of R&D with Nike to bring the Hyperboot to life and why it’s a game-changer for both elite athletes and everyday movers 🏢 How Hyperice is expanding into corporate environments, integrating its products into gyms, hotels, and offices to make recovery accessible to everyday users 🌱 The evolution of Hyperice’s culture and how Jim is building a high-performance team that reflects the brand’s values—from resilience to passion and drive 💪 Jim’s personal approach to health, sleep, and managing stress while leading a high-growth brand in a competitive space—and why he believes wearable tech is just getting started
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From Soap to Psychedelics: Dr. Bronner’s Playbook for Building a Purpose-Driven Company 🍄 | David Bronner, CEO of Dr. Bronner's
05/01/2025
From Soap to Psychedelics: Dr. Bronner’s Playbook for Building a Purpose-Driven Company 🍄 | David Bronner, CEO of Dr. Bronner's
On this episode of WellBuilt, Jon sits down with David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s, to explore how one of the most iconic soap companies in the world became a radical blueprint for "conscious capitalism". David shares the multigenerational story behind Dr. Bronner’s—from his grandfather’s escape from Nazi Germany to the company’s transformation into a $200M+ activist brand built around a spiritual mission and commitment to social justice. What started as soap sold on the side of peace lectures is now a global force for regenerative agriculture—without ever losing its countercultural roots. The conversation covers: 🧼 The spiritual and activist origins of the “All-One” philosophy that still appears on every label 🧠 David’s own psychedelic journey, and how it helped him reconnect with his grandfather’s mission and lead with clarity and love 🌿 Why Dr. Bronner’s built the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certification—and what it takes to create truly sustainable, ethical supply chains 🇮🇱 How they source olive oil from both Israeli farmers (who happen to be their distant cousins) as well as Palestinian farmers in the West Bank as a model for reconciliation through commerce 👥 The company’s unique employee ownership and governance model, including a 5:1 pay ratio and democratic board structure that protects the mission long-term 💡 Why Dr. Bronner’s caps executive pay, reinvests the majority of profits into mission-driven work, and believes “doing good” should be baked into the business model 🍄 Their trailblazing support for psychedelic-assisted therapy—including full coverage for employees and their families—and why mental health care should be a right, not a perk 🔥 How they’ve become a true “activist soap company,” engaging in political advocacy around issues from drug reform to regenerative agriculture to fair trade 🌀 The importance of ritual, integration, and accountability in psychedelic work—and how David sees this spiritual practice as foundational for healing and leadership This is one of the most unique episodes to date—blending business, mental health, plant medicine, spirituality, and activism. Tune in to hear how a soap company became a global model for conscious capitalism!
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Reimagining Recovery at Home with Cold Plunges & Saunas ❄️ | Ryan Duey, Co-founder & Co-CEO of Plunge
04/11/2025
Reimagining Recovery at Home with Cold Plunges & Saunas ❄️ | Ryan Duey, Co-founder & Co-CEO of Plunge
On this episode of , sits down with , co-founder of Plunge, to explore how cold exposure and contrast therapy have become one of the fastest-growing health and wellness movements—and how Plunge helped lead the charge. Ryan shares how a background in float centers, a pandemic-era garage prototype, and a grassroots push to sell just 20 units to friends turned into a breakout wellness brand now used by tens of thousands of people and generating over $100M in annual revenue. The conversation covers: What cold plunging is and why it’s gaining mainstream traction Why people are willing to invest in premium tools like Plunge—high-qualty products that remove friction and turn difficult habits into daily rituals. How Plunge evolved from viral Instagram moments to community-led marketing and creating cold plunge culture. Their universal chiller kit, DIY adoption, and how plunge became a home for users transitioning from lower-quality competitors. The science behind cold exposure—dopamine boost, nervous system regulation, stress management, and how cold plunging rewires your response to discomfort. We also dig into Ryan’s personal journey—from a near-death motorcycle accident to founding float centers, and ultimately launching Plunge.
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The Science of Eating Well: Macros, Energy Balance, and What Most People Get Wrong About Dieting 🦾 | Dr. Layne Norton, PhD of Nutritional Sciences & Founder of Carbon App
03/17/2025
The Science of Eating Well: Macros, Energy Balance, and What Most People Get Wrong About Dieting 🦾 | Dr. Layne Norton, PhD of Nutritional Sciences & Founder of Carbon App
In this episode of , sits down with , a PhD of nutritional sciences, world champion powerlifter, and founder of , the app transforming how people approach nutrition and macro tracking. This conversation was particularly meaningful for Jon, as Layne’s work has directly influenced his own relationship with food, shifting his mindset from restrictive, trend-driven dieting to a data-driven, flexible approach. Layne shares his journey from overcoming bullying to becoming a leading voice in debunking nutrition myths, simplifying science, and helping people develop a healthier, more sustainable mindset around food. The episode dives into: ✅ Why energy balance matters—and how we’ve lost sight of basic nutrition science ✅ Protein’s role in body composition, metabolism, and satiety ✅ How tracking food intake can be as eye-opening as tracking finances ✅ Why people struggle with restrictive diets—and how to break free from extreme food rules ✅ The myths around artificial sweeteners, seed oils, and the fear-driven food narratives ✅ How Carbon helps people take the guesswork out of hitting their nutrition goals Layne also explains why calories in vs. calories out is non-negotiable, why focusing on protein can be a game-changer, and how behavior—not just biology—drives most nutrition struggles. Whether you’re looking to optimize performance, lose weight, or just improve your overall relationship with food, this episode is packed with science-backed, practical takeaways you can start applying today.
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Rethinking Protein with Mycelium 🍄 | Phil Graves, CEO of Meati™
03/04/2025
Rethinking Protein with Mycelium 🍄 | Phil Graves, CEO of Meati™
On this episode of , , CEO of ™, joins the podcast to discuss how mycelium-based protein is reshaping the future of food. With a background spanning corporate finance, sustainable venture investing at Patagonia’s Tin Shed Ventures, and regenerative agriculture at Wild Idea Buffalo, Phil’s path to Meati was anything but conventional. Moving from grass-fed bison ranching to an alternative protein startup, his work has always centered around rethinking food systems for sustainability, scalability, and health. The conversation covers: ✅ The rise of mycelium-based protein and how it differs from traditional plant-based alternatives ✅ Meati’s fermentation process, which can produce the equivalent protein of hundreds of cows in just days ✅ Challenges in the food system, from greenwashing to ingredient transparency, and how consumers can shop more consciously ✅ The role of regenerative agriculture and how Meati complements a balanced diet, including responsibly sourced animal protein ✅ The future of food tech, Meati’s plans for scaling production, and how they aim to drive down costs for accessibility Phil also shares leadership lessons from his time at Patagonia, insights into building mission-driven companies, and how he balances life as a CEO, triathlete, and father of three.
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How Lab Testing & Understanding Your Biomarkers Can Help You Live 100 Healthy Years 👵🏽 | Pranitha Patil, Co-Founder & COO at Function Health
02/11/2025
How Lab Testing & Understanding Your Biomarkers Can Help You Live 100 Healthy Years 👵🏽 | Pranitha Patil, Co-Founder & COO at Function Health
On this episode of , spoke with , Co-Founder and COO of , about redefining preventive healthcare through comprehensive diagnostic testing and actionable insights. Pranitha shared how her personal health struggles—including PCOS, pre-diabetes, and high cholesterol—led her to question the traditional healthcare system. After years of self-experimentation and navigating a system that often prioritizes reactive treatment over proactive health management, she co-founded Function Health to give people access to deeper health insights and data-driven solutions. Function Health offers an annual membership that provides extensive lab testing for 160 biomarkers, giving members the ability to track their health over time. Unlike conventional physicals that offer only a snapshot, Function’s model is built around continuous monitoring and empowering people with the tools and knowledge to take control of their well-being. In this conversation, Pranitha and Jon explored the gaps in the healthcare system, the challenges of advocating for yourself as a patient, and how Function is democratizing access to lab testing that was once only available through elite functional medicine doctors. They also discussed the importance of behavior change—how simply having data isn’t enough, but the right guidance and support can help people translate insights into meaningful action. Pranitha shared insights from Function’s 100,000+ members, revealing common trends in metabolic health, cardiovascular risk, and nutrient deficiencies, and how people are using this data to make lasting improvements. She also touched on how AI and machine learning will play a role in helping individuals personalize their health journey. Tune in to learn how Function Health is shifting the healthcare paradigm from reactive treatment to proactive self-care. WellBuilt listeneres and the JOON community can skip Function Health’s 400,000-person waitlist! Use this link to get access.
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