The Business of Wellness

This week on The Business of Wellness, I’m joined by Stevi Gable Carr, Founder & CEO of WISe Wellness Guild, to talk all things CPG wellness branding — what works, what doesn’t, and what it actually takes to create real impact in this space.

Stevi shares how WISe has become a trusted partner to brands like Kroger and P&G, helping them go beyond the buzzwords to build community, credibility, and meaningful engagement through wellness. From brand strategy and consumer insights to storytelling that resonates (and doesn’t just ride a trend), this conversation is packed with insights for anyone building—or rethinking—a wellness brand in 2025.

We also talk about WellNXT, the national movement Stevi co-founded to bring wellness back to real life through in-person events and connection-first activations.

If you work in brand marketing, consumer goods, wellness, or media—or you're just trying to cut through the noise—this one’s for you.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction to Wellness and Personal Journey

02:47 The Intersection of Brand and Product

05:50 Fear-Driven Marketing and Consumerism

09:04 The Fundamentals of Wellness

12:03 The Audacity to Live by Your Design

15:06 Navigating Leadership and Expectations

17:53 The Importance of Prioritization

21:00 The Three Rs of Resilience

23:51 Relighting Your Spark

27:04 Current Trends in the Wellness Landscape

36:18 The Seed Oil Debate and Market Responses

37:13 Brand Strategies: Unilever vs. PepsiCo

40:13 Building Trust in Wellness Brands

41:49 Retailers and Consumer Accountability

44:21 The Role of Community in Wellness

47:12 Tailoring Wellness to Community Needs

51:30 Generational Differences in Wellness Needs

56:09 The Intersection of Wellness and Arts

01:02:20 Starting a Wellness Brand: Key Considerations

Keywords:

wellness, branding, marketing, resilience, leadership, consumerism, self-care, health, personal development, strategy, seed oils, wellness brands, Unilever, PepsiCo, consumer trust, community wellness, generational wellness, arts and wellness, wellness brand strategy, optimization in wellness

In this episode of The Business of Wellness, Jaclyn London, RD breaks down everything from Expo West 2025—the biggest trade show in natural and functional foods. From the latest wellness trends (dragon fruit, GLP-1 marketing, and caffeine + protein combos) to behind-the-scenes industry buzz (the influence of MAHA, the show's winners and losers) and updates to the FDA's proposed Front-of-Pack Nutrition Label (FOPNL), I’m giving you behind-the-scenes intel on the nutrition news you need to know about, the brands to keep an eye on, and the influencers and policy changes that are shaping the food industry today.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The top 13 trends shaping food and beverage in 2025
• The truth about front-of-pack nutrition labeling and why it’s (likely to be) a waste of time & resources
• Regenerative Agriculture Certified and the status of sustainability claims
• How brands are marketing to GLP-1 users—and why some of it is just hype
• The rise of dates, pulses, electrolytes, tropical fruit, protein everything, and more prebiotic sparkling waters
• Why single-serve snacks and aluminum cans are taking over grocery aisles
• The wildest moments from the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) panel and what it means for the future of food policy

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to the Business of Wellness

01:48 Expo West 2025 overview

03:00 Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labeling panel & proposed policy

12:51 Trends from Expo West 2025 - 13 trends to watch in wellness, CPG food & beverage; dietary supplements & personal care.

21:52 Emerging ingredients and innovations

29:43 The future of food marketing

30:13 The nutritional value of dates

33:03 Mochi mania: The new snack trend

36:07 Mood and morality themes in food & beverage branding

39:40 The rise of pulses and legumes

42:46 Raw honey: A functional food rebrand

44:30 Plant-based vs. animal-based products

47:28 The Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect in nutrition media

49:00 MAHA Updates: The MAHA panel, behind-the-scenes insights, updates in the RFK Jr. Agenda & the food industry's response thus far

59:26 Expo West recap and closing thoughts

Connect with Jaclyn London, RD

In this episode of The Business of Wellness with Jaclyn London, RD, Jaclyn takes a deep dive into Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Senate confirmation hearings for Secretary of Health and the missed opportunities in addressing America's nutrition crisis. She breaks down why sweeping federal regulations and RFK Jr.'s proposed health strategies ultimately miss the mark—and what real solutions should look like.

Jaclyn then outlines five game-changing policies that could fix America's food system and improve public health:

1. Integrating cooking education in schools to improve nutrition literacy from an early age.
2. Reforming the Farm Bill to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
3. Incentivizing restaurants and food service to reduce excessive added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium.
4. Strengthening marketing regulations for foods targeting kids and parents.
5. Ensuring insurance coverage for nutrition counseling by Registered Dietitians to make evidence-based nutrition guidance accessible to all.

She also discusses the power of transparency in the food industry, how deregulatory policies can shift incentives, and why bipartisan support is achievable for smart nutrition reform.

If you’ve ever wondered what real food policy reform should look like, this episode is a must-listen.

02:58 - Five Key Policies to Improve Public Health 05:48 - Why Cooking Education in Schools is Essential 09:06 - Reforming the Farm Bill for Better Food Access 12:10 - Strengthening Marketing Regulations for Kids’ Food 14:58 - How Local Agriculture Can Improve Community Health 18:07 - Combating Misleading Food Marketing 20:53 - Simplifying Food Labels for Consumer Clarity 24:21 - Innovative Strategies in the Produce Aisle 30:13 - The Need for Insurance Coverage for Nutrition Counseling 37:32 - The Best Strategies for a Healthier America 46:22 - Final Thoughts & Call to Action

In the Season 3 premiere of The Business of Wellness, host Jaclyn London, MS, RD, dives deep into the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, spearheaded by RFK Jr., nominee for Secretary of Health. With her unique expertise as a registered dietitian, consultant, and author, Jaclyn unpacks the promises, pitfalls, and scientific inaccuracies in MAHA’s approach to food, nutrition, and public health.

Jaclyn brings her professional insight into the broader systemic issues behind America’s rising rates of chronic disease and why focusing on food additives, seed oils, and GMO crops distracts from meaningful public health solutions. She also explores how media narratives, wellness influencers, and Washington’s incentive structure fuel confusion about food and health.

In this episode, Jaclyn breaks down:

• The MAHA movement’s stated goals, including transparency in food production, promoting regenerative agriculture, and reforming the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

• The science (or lack thereof) behind claims about artificial food dyes, glyphosate, seed oils, and ultra-processed foods.

• Why removing artificial ingredients from products won’t solve America’s public health crisis.

• Free-market, bipartisan approaches to solving America's health crisis 

Listen to Learn:

• What MAHA’s critiques of Big Food and Big Pharma get right—and wrong—about food and health.

• Why food additives, seed oils, and GMO crops are NOT the root causes of America’s chronic disease crisis (and where to look instead...)

• How media, Big Tech, Big Wellness, and policy incentives create confusion about food and nutrition.

• Evidence-based, free-market solutions to improve health that could gain bipartisan support.

• The critical role of dietitians and practitioners in connecting science, policy, and consumer behavior.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Intro to Season 3 and RFK Jr.’s MAHA Movement

• 04:57 – Behind RFK Jr.’s nutrition philosophy and Jaclyn’s unique perspective

• 11:31 – MAHA’s goals: Transparency, Big Food, and Dietary Guidelines reform

• 20:31 – Where concerns about food additives come from

• 28:32 – Individual experiences vs. public health science

• 31:11 – The erosion of trust in public health institutions and food safety

• 38:14 – Global nutrition policy vs. America’s food culture

• 45:09 – Big Tech, Big Wellness, and their role in public health narratives

• 54:10 – What’s wrong with the Dietary Guidelines vs. the Advisory Committee

• 01:00:50 – Who should profit from helping Americans get healthier?