← Coffee N° 5 with Lara Schmoisman
Coffee N° 5 with Lara Schmoisman
The Future of Hormone Health: Community, Clean Living, and Preventative Wellness with Sara Jensen
00:24:08
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- [00:00]
A
Foreign. This is Coffee Number Five. I'm your host, Lara Schmoisman. Hi, everyone. Welcome back to coffee number five. There is a trend that I've been seeing in 2025 and as you know, I travel quite a bit and I go to conferences because what I want to learn from conferences and talking to other industry leaders is what's coming and to understand how we can start getting ahead of the trends so we can help brands grow and from SEO marketing. But we need to understand where as a community, we are going towards. And one of the things that I saw last year as a trend is that beauty without wellness element, it won't be existing anymore. And it's something that, it resonates a lot with me. But apparently there are a lot of people that are a lot more ahead of the car curve. And that's what I want to bring you today. Sarah Jensen. Hi, Sarah, welcome.
- [01:04]
B
Hi. Thank you.
- [01:06]
A
Thank you so much for being here. So you are the co founder of Hugh and Grace. It's a cute story, so you can tell us. And also you are. But you were. You started this a while ago. For you, putting beauty and wellness together is not something new in your space or in your head. So how did you come up with this idea or that they need to be combined somehow? Yes.
- [01:32]
B
So maybe I'll start with our personal story because it's really the genesis of why we found the company and why we are in multiple different product categories. My husband and I, we never thought we'd start a business together. That was, that was.
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A
I want to know how that works too.
- [01:45]
B
I know, I know. It's a whole. It's a whole podcast in itself. But we, so my husband and I, my husband, his career was in private equity. He was and family office, overseeing global investments and operating companies. And I've always worked in philanthropy, so I was definitely not building a brand per se. But we went through a 14 year struggle with unexplained infertility and we. I was the oldest of six kids. I really wanted to have kids. And those 14 years were hell for us. We went to top doctors across the country, made huge lifestyle changes, and we were never able to get pregnant. And it was our sixth round of ivf. We're the best doctor in Beverly Hills. And spending every dollar we had on either acupuncture or therapy or fertility treatments or supplements and saying, what else can we do? And it was that realization over 10 years ago when the doctor said, well, what skincare products are you using? What wellness products are you using? And what chemical, what home care products are you using? What chemicals you spray around your house? Because with ivf, they out there trying to manipulate your hormones to get you pregnant. And I didn't realize earlier with ivf, I was prescribed a hormone cream. And I rub a small amount of a cream on my skin at night, go in the next morning, get my blood levels tested and my hormones had spiked, not fully realizing if that, that amount of a cream can impact my hormones, other products can as well. And that's when we did the, you know, dove into the science and research and learning about hormone disrupting chemicals. And this is, you know, time when no one was talking about it and really trying to understand hormones and hormone health. But the best part of the story is my husband's sister Vol, volunteered to be our surrogate and she gave birth to our Hugh. And then a year later, my sister called and she said, I want to try to give Hugh a sibling. So she gave birth to Grace. And they are 8 and 6 now. The name Hugh means heart, mind and spirit. And Grace means goodness, generosity and love. That's what brought us our children. But we finally had our kids and I couldn't sleep and it wasn't because I had a crying newborn, which I did have a crying newborn and barely two year olds. Um, but I told Ben, I said we were, we are so fortunate that first of all we could afford all the treatments that we did then. Now we have our little miracles. And we were really learning more about the topic. At first we were thinking about hormone disruption and hormone health. We were just thinking hormones and infertility. But there are these chemicals that found in a lot of products we use every day. They're linked to infertility, but they're also linked to cancers and anxiety, depression, strokes, obesity. And the list went on and on and on. I said, ben, this topic impacts everyone. And with our professional networks, you know, he was overseeing a multi billion dollar family office in Beverly Hills. And I at the time, I have my MBA from usc, University of Southern California. And I was working with our top aluminum parents across the country, helping them, helping raise transformative gifts to helping name buildings and create programs. And I said, we have this most amazing professional network. We need to create a solution. And what does that solution even look like? And realizing that a solution is not a magic bullet. And think of, take a step back. Think of hormone health benefits as longevity, mental clarity, clear skin, better sleep, less stress, weight management. But all these things we all want and need. And there's products that we use Every day that help that impair.
- [04:52]
A
And that's very interesting because as we know in the last few years or many years, we had the clean trend, but the clean trend, what was clean clean based on was really understanding how affects our body.
- [05:07]
B
Yes. And there's really no definition for clean. And then I, I'll go back to Sara. You asked me the initial question as how we combined, you know, beauty and wellness. We actually, we, we launched because we said messaging is very simple. What goes on in and around your body impacts your hormones positively or negatively. And so we initially launched with skincare with the idea of what, you know, your skin's your largest organization. What gets on your body gets in your body. But back then, I mean we launched almost five years ago, we were supposed to launch six years ago, but Covid had an impact, but people did not equate skincare to hormone health back in the time. And so then we launched wellness and it's really that combination of wellness and skin care and also wellness for acne, for like just overall health. And then we also have hair care, we have home care because it's really this lifestyle solution to helping support hormone health.
- [05:56]
A
And there is this misconception and I always think that there is a combination because people that they want to cure or prevent just putting from the outside and it's a combination what you do in your skin, but also what you put inside your body if you keep eating wrong or you taking other supplements that they are not even what you need. I see that a lot of people are over supplementing themselves too. So what's the right amount of supplements and how, what do you need? What do you know, what do you need?
- [06:29]
B
So it's really interesting because I think there's so much information misinformation out, people get very overwhelmed. Like where do I start? What do I do? I want, I want to feel better and look better. I'll tell you. Our number one selling product is called the routine. It's three products every single morning. It's a protein, it's a hydrate detox, and it's a supplement. And we've, what we really want to do is create simplicity because when people feel overwhelmed, like, like they don't do it. They don't. I know, but, but people can say, oh, I'll try three products in the morning and then they try it and it makes it major impact in their health. Over 70% of consumers that purchase their routine repurchase again, we have almost 60% of our overall subscription. But people, if they think, oh I can, I can do three things and then when they feel the benefits almost immediately, then they, they want to keep doing it for supplementation. It is different. Every person is different. You know, everyone has their own different needs. But what we do is we, we are the holistic support. So our products are good for men, women, kids during pregnancy and really keeping the guesswork out. And then where everything's third party tested, we make sure that. And then also when we formulate, you know, one interesting statistic we learned is that the average American Woman puts on 12 products a day, which is over 168 chemicals. 168 chemicals a day. Average man applies over 80 chemicals a day on our bo. Our bodies. And then we're exposed to hundreds more in our environment. And we thought if we could just reduce the number of chemicals people are applying on their bodies every day or spray, you know, spraying around their house, then that can lead to more long term wellness health and longevity health healthspan. And so it's.
- [08:09]
A
Sorry to interrupt you, but something that is really, I see in your brand coming again and again is about the word detox. So what is a detox about?
- [08:19]
B
Well, so you think about it every day we're exposed to so many chemicals, whether it's being absorbed from our skin, in the air, what we're eating. And so we need a gentle detoxification so it can help remove these chemicals from our bodies. And so like our number one selling product is called hydrate detox. So we all need hydration, but we also need detoxification. And in that product there is a patented pre and probiotic, there is a patented L glutathione, magnesium fiber, electrolytes, no sugar, all in a drink that tastes good. And so we really try to do with our products is make them very versatile so people don't have to feel like overwhelmed that you know, you need to take five different supplements but put something into one product that works and that people enjoy taking. I joke. I said I won't put my kids names on, on terrible products. I have ego.
- [09:07]
A
I love that. I love that. I just want to. I'm looking at your brand and I love how minimalist you are from the packaging and your story that you're really trying to make it simple for everyone. But what is really interesting to me is that you didn't stop with skin. You move into hair and then you move into home. Why you think that the whole you had to cover all the spaces?
- [09:33]
B
Because so our overall mission is hormone health. They're like some of the most toxic chemicals in your house or under your kitchen sink. This is this interesting statistic. I learned one of the most toxic places in your house is, is your shower. Because a lot of shampoos, conditioners, body washes have hormone chemicals.
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A
It's.
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B
And then when you clean, a lot of people clean it. A lot of people use Lysol or you know, harsh cleaners that also have terrible chemical, harsh chemicals. And then it's, it's not as ventilated and you don't the air circulation. And so we said if we are really going to address this holistically where it's not, hey, take these three supplements and you're done. But it's, it's, it is a lifestyle. And so but we call it simple swaps. So and we so like when you run out of your, your home care, simply swap it for our products and we make products that everyone's are, you know, a cleansing bar. We have products that shampoo, conditioner, these are products that people are already using and just swapping it out for better performance. Products that don't hurt your hormones. That especially our wellness we have a lot, we've clinical studies that for our ingredients that showed that it actively works to help your body feel better. One, one interesting statistic. So if you heard of serotonin, serotonin is your feel good hormone. Over 90% of serotonin is produced in your gut. And so if your gut is not healthy, it's, it impacts your mental health, impacts how you feel. So like so that's. So wellness is such a critical point because when you're not feeling well outside, it's hard to think that you look good. You know, you don't, you don't feel beautiful, you don't feel like you want, you want to take care of yourself if you're not feeling well. And so really wellness beauty starts in your, in your, with wellness and making sure that you, you feel good, you look good, you have the energy to go and do what you know, run a business or do or run a marathon or whatever you want your goal is. But it's that combination of approach of having different, different products. And it's also been really interesting because some consumers are really loyal to a wellness line or a skincare line, but most people are not loyal to a home care line and they'll try our home care and they're like this is amazing. I want like this, this works is beautiful. It's like, it's, it works great.
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A
Yeah, it's really, really pretty to look
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B
to have it on your gorgeous. I leave it out my countertop. I actually clean it.
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A
Let me ask you a question because I feel like here we are looking at, on a big picture that I think today is becoming like a longer game word which is longevity. Yes. And all those, even in your kitchen, what you put in your house, when you put in your face, it's helping your longevity or I, I don't know if it will make you live longer, but it will help you to grow better.
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B
A better quality. A better.
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A
Yes, exactly. Is that what we look in here?
- [12:21]
B
Yes. You know, it's interesting. I can say personally, we do not make product claims as a company, but I personally struggled with chronic urinary tract infections my entire life. I would get laser treatments. I had antibiotics in every single purse. I started the routine. So it's three products. I have not had one in almost three years. So my quality of life has significantly increased just from that. We have people who write in that say like they were able to get off their anti anxiety medication from products because when you take, when you nourish our, our bodies are very resilient. Unfortunately we're bombarded with all these chemicals. And I know I, when I was going through my IVF rounds, like I was using the most expensive brands and had the ASEP regimen, I still had, you know, cystic acne and, and all these things. It's interesting when I started like detoxifying, you know, reducing the number of chemicals I was putting on my body, my skin became healthier, my, my body became healthier. And so it's, it is different for everybody. But when you think about it, it is, it's a lifestyle. You can't just say, okay, I'm going to do these two. Just like you said, it's like you can't, can't only put makeup on and then not work out or not eat well. You know, it's, it's a, it's all together.
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A
It is all together. Something that really comes to my attention when I look at your wellness products are the different flavors and I want to understand because they're very unique and they're very different than what I see every day in the market. First of all, I want to ask you because a lot of your products are powder form, I want to understand why and then why the flavors that you chose.
- [13:56]
B
Yes. So with supplements people want different formats and you don't want to just take a handful of pills every day. And also some of the ingredients work better in a stick in powder form.
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A
And so we have when I say work better, it's because of absorption.
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B
Absorption or so let's say collagen for example. So we use a powdered collagen and people say well collagen absorbs better when it's in liquid. Well, yes, mix it in liquid. At home I put the collagen in my coffee every morning. I. As a company, we don't want, we. And our collagen's amazing. It's a single source. Japanese farm raised codfish. And so it's one ingredient. You get all the benefits. There's no fillers, preservatives. But we also don't want to ship water across the country. We, we, we want to be sustainable. And yes, then just pour it into your smoothie, pour it into your coffee, pour it and mix it in water whenever you get there. Our hydrate detox is a drink mix. We have three different flavors. So the lemon is my favorite. I have it every morning. It's the first thing I have first thing in the morning. That's my go to every morning. But some people want a little bit sweeter. And so we have watermelon flavor. We have a strawberry lemonade flavor. And I also. You'll be freezing it this week. But it's also fun because like we, we are not perfect. We're like, we're progress over perfection every single day. And so we did an event with Four Seasons actually featured our watermelon flavor and we made mocktails and cocktails.
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A
I love that.
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B
That's how you mix it with tequila or vodka and mint or you can have it, you know, with like sparkling water. But it's, it's fun because there's, there's benefits.
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A
Yeah, absolutely. So I have a question because a lot of people feel like this is pricey. It's not a cheap brand to have good ingredients. So what do you say when someone tell you I cannot afford your brand?
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B
So we have. So our expensive because we use the best ingredients. So there are a few different ways. So we have HD Insider program which is 10% off and product credit for everything you buy. But the best deal. One of our. We're multi channel and one of our channels is we have an advocate model and so people who want to promote our brand or talk about our brand. But all of our advocates get 25% off our entire site always. And so all of my friends are advocates because they want 25% off the site. And that's Right, it's. Yeah. So it's. And then also you're, you're investing in your health. And not just your health. You know, if you have children or a partner, like, these are products that everyone can use. And they. They also. It's been interesting. We have a lot of doctors who recommend our products as holistic support to their treatments. And so I feel like we all will pay one way for. For our bodies for maintaining health or, you know, hopefully not getting.
- [16:38]
A
And also, I mean, you're not paying. You're probably paying, and you're not realizing for so many other products like big brands or expensive brands that you're using and that you don't see the results. Because like we said before, maybe you need less products but better ingredients that will make you feel better from inside.
- [16:59]
B
Yes, yes. We've had people tell us, like, I used to take 20 different supplements every morning and this morning at night, and they've replaced it with just three products every morning.
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A
Or even think about the treatments that a lot of people are getting. Lasers and et cetera. I think that first we need to start instead of trying to get those solutions, to get solutions from the wellness perspective. And I have nothing against plastic surgery or treatments. I mean, if you want to do it, do it. But I think that there are a lot of things that you can improve in your lifestyle before you make a decision of taking such an invasive procedure.
- [17:36]
B
No, I was spending thousands of dollars every year on laser treatments for my urinary tract infection. And the fact that I have not done that, and on the medication, my body feels so much healthier. But I'm not going through that just from taking care, you know, taking care of stuff in an easy way. Oh.
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A
What I love about your philosophy is that you guys came up also with the book and also you offer masterclasses. So tell me a little bit about the masterclasses and who is a good candidate for this. Yep.
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B
So it's interesting. So when we initially launched almost five years ago, no one was talking about hormone health or hormone disruption and. Or like wellness and beauty, you know, the intersection. And so we said we really need to create education and awareness and content around this topic and why people should care and how it really impacts them. And so we. We. That's why we actually, we have the advocate model, because we said, this is not. This is more than just an ad on Instagram. This is more than just, you know, a product on a shelf. And so like, we put together, we have a ton that we do a lot of live events with education to master classes. And so for masterclasses, we do different topics. We actually just had one with a documentarian who just released menopause documentary and she's a dietitian and she actually dove in and talked about how our products specifically are great for perimenopause and menopausal women. We've had doctors in the past that talk about hormone health, mental health. We had a sleep expert come on and talk about how like how hormones impact sleep. So everything is tied to our mission. People if they want shoot like we was offered all for free. It's all, it's. We have a podcast, we have a book.
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A
Yes.
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B
And, but because education, I think when people learn that there are simple things people can do, they can do today that can improve their hormone health and hormone health, it impacts your mental health, it's your sexual health, it's your physical health, it's your longevity. Like I spoke on a panel in New York with three, two other hormone health experts. They asked someone from the audience said what can we do today that can improve hormone health? And the first, the first expert said okay, get a doctor's appointment, you know and get your blood work tested. And, and the other ones said, you know, like go through your fridge and throw away all like all this stuff. And you could feel like the anxiety rising in the room cuz it was sound, it sounded hard or you know, just something. And I said okay everybody, let's box breathe. Let's breathe. In for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four. And that simple box breathing it reduces cortisol it and so just going for a walk, getting sunlight. There are simple things we can do every single day that can really impact our overall health.
- [20:15]
A
So as a business now you have wellness, beauty, home and I'm missing one.
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B
And hair care.
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A
Hair care, yes. And so where to grow from here? What's next? You're going to keep adding products to these categories. You're planning to have another category.
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B
We're currently going to work to expand so so 70% of our revenue is wellness. It's because people feel the results and they even still like they think of hormone health, they think of wellness even more so than skincare or home care. So we'll build out some of the categories. We are looking at a few other categories but we're going to expand there and really make it simple. So we don't actually don't want to add too many products because when there's so much so many options, people get overwhelmed and they don't know where to start.
- [21:00]
A
So where people can find your products.
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B
Hugh and grace.com H U G H like Hugh. Hugh Jackman. Hugh and grace.com we are some. Nordstrom is onboarding us on their online marketplace, which is exciting. We have a few small retail, several doctor's offices. We, we have inbound interest but. But we are mostly D2C for now. We've been growing all organically, word of mouth and it's been fun. Would love, would love for anyone to try the products. And we have a less than 1% return rate. I mean we have amazing results. Over 660% of our revenue is on subscription. So it's. We hope.
- [21:36]
A
I have another question for you. How long someone needs to try the product and use the product to start seeing results?
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B
Depends on the results you feel. But we were at a restaurant outdoors the summertime and we were at a rooftop restaurant and they're just on the servers was just dripping sweat, had no energy. And I said here's a hydrogen detox. Just go mix into water. And she came back like 10 minutes later. She goes, I feel such a difference. Our protein, we have a protein, it's called triple boost protein plus hormone support. And with that there's protein, Canadian pea protein. It's a vegan protein, but it also has Icelandic glue spirulina. So it's 210% the most bioavailable B12. And so that's energy, mood, focus. And if I, I put that in my coffee every morning, I feel it almost instantly. I can focus. I have better concentration. Like we have, we have parents that write in and say, I mix that protein into my child's yogurt. My child has adhd. I put it in there. And for the first time ever, she's doing her homework, she's doing her chores, she's focusing. Because I think so much of our, of our health issues has to do with lack of nourishment and nutrition. And so not, not tricking but like we make things that taste good, make things that people want to use and people are excited to use and then they.
- [22:46]
A
These products, you can also use it in, in kids, you can use the
- [22:49]
B
same products, get supplements. I don't give my kids supplements. This pills that swallow. But for a hydrate detox, it's so much healthier than Gatorade. I just do half a stick into water. They love it. It's way healthier than a lot of options that parents are providing their kids.
- [23:04]
A
Well, this is great. Well, Grace, thank you. Grace. Oh my God, I was so much into here. And Grace. So Sarah, let me ask you one more question before we go. How do you drink your coffee?
- [23:19]
B
I drink my coffee with my collagen and also it's hot, so I have an espresso machine.
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A
Okay.
- [23:25]
B
And so I put our marine collagen in there and I add our triple boost. We have vanilla and chocolate. This morning I did chocolate flavor. Yesterday I did vanilla flavor and then I just blend it and it's. It's the healthiest.
- [23:37]
A
Thank you, ma. You guys got here a new recipe for coffee. We haven't heard that one yet.
- [23:42]
B
No. I'll bring some so you can try it. I'll see you later this week.
- [23:45]
A
Yeah. Thank you so much for being here and to you guys. I will see you next week with more coffee number five. Find everything you need at larashmoisman.com or in the episode notes right below. Don't forget to subscribe. Was so good to have you here today. See you next time. Catch you on the flip side. Ciao. Ciao.