Podcast Summary: Coffee N° 5 with Lara Schmoisman

Episode Title: The Power of Kindness: Longevity, Entrepreneurship, and Building a Legacy with Dr. Brent Ridge
Date: March 3, 2026
Host: Lara Schmoisman
Guest: Dr. Brent Ridge (Co-founder, Beekman 1802)

Episode Overview

In this inspiring episode, Lara Schmoisman interviews Dr. Brent Ridge, co-founder of Beekman 1802, acclaimed entrepreneur, geriatrician, and wellness advocate. The episode explores the impact of kindness, the science of longevity, and building a business legacy rooted in community and social good. Dr. Ridge offers personal stories, practical wisdom from both medicine and entrepreneurship, and reflections on the true meaning of success and connection in business and life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dr. Brent Ridge’s Journey: From Rural North Carolina to Entrepreneurship

• Upbringing & Education

  • Raised in rural North Carolina with a single mom (nurse); influenced by modest roots and an ambition to improve life through intellect and hard work (01:13).
  • Studied anthropology at UNC Chapel Hill, including research in Ecuadorian Amazon on indigenous health systems—key in shaping his holistic view of health (02:03).
  • Medical school led to interests in reconstructive surgery, geriatric medicine, and forensic pathology, but ultimately chose aging and geriatrics inspired by positive relationships with grandparents (03:15).

• Turning Points in Career

  • Fellowship at Harvard researching genetics of aging, focusing on families with "extreme longevity," revealing the power of social interactions and optimism over genetics for living well into old age (05:10, 06:15).
  • Built a philosophy of health as an "ecosystem of well-being" that integrates body, mind, and community (07:31).

Lessons in Connection, Storytelling, and Building Partnerships

• Strategic Networking

  • Dr. Ridge's story of writing to architect I.M. Pei and landing his collaboration for an aging center at Mount Sinai highlights the power of tailored storytelling and framing benefits for the recipient (10:19).
  • Similarly, his thoughtful pitch to Martha Stewart—framing collaboration as a way to extend her legacy—unlocked both funding and partnership (11:42).

• Quote:

  "You always have to think first about the partnership and what am I going to provide to that person." — Dr. Brent Ridge (12:48)

Growing Beekman 1802: Kindness as a Business Foundation

• The Birth of Beekman 1802

  • Story of buying a farmhouse in Sharon Springs, NY, and showing kindness to a local farmer in distress—this single act started the company and remains core to their culture (17:01).
  • Facing job loss during the 2008 recession, Brent and his husband pivoted by making goat milk soap, rallying neighbors to help, and eventually scaling from survival mode to selling 60 million bars (17:30, 18:28).

• Quote:

  "That was the moment of kindness that ultimately started Beekman 1802." — Dr. Brent Ridge (17:07)
  "Kindness is wellness. If you cannot… feature stuff…" — Dr. Brent Ridge (17:19)

Innovation and Science at Beekman 1802

• Goat Milk & Skin Health

  • Goat milk has a pH identical to human skin, supporting skin barrier health while being gentle and avoiding inflammation—a concept ahead of its time (20:19, 21:05).
  • Deepened research over 16 years, identifying components like caprylic acids, beneficial for moisturizing, and studying effects on the skin microbiome (22:39).

• Quote:

  "Goat milk is known as the universal milk … the most bioidentical to human milk." — Dr. Brent Ridge (23:23)

• Potential for Future Wellness Products

  • Emerging research on goat milk exosomes and microRNA suggests future possibilities for ingestibles and broader wellness applications (24:26).

Rethinking Aging and Industry Buzzwords

• Rejecting "Anti-Aging"

  • Both host and guest express disdain for the term “anti-aging,” advocating instead for “better aging” and a more holistic, candid embrace of the aging process (25:23, 26:00).

• Quote:

  "Aging was a fabricated word for fear mongering … anti-aging to make us feel bad." — Dr. Brent Ridge (25:36)
  "We say better aging … We’ve got to change the mindset around aging." — Dr. Brent Ridge (26:00)

• Incorporation of Kindness and Mindfulness

  • Products for mature skin include a printed Buddhist loving-kindness meditation as a daily self-care ritual (26:08).

Mentorship, Wisdom, and Giving Back

• New Book: GOAT Wisdom

  • “GOAT Wisdom: Greatest of All Time Wisdom” applies timeless rural proverbs to entrepreneurship, focusing on building enduring legacies and encouraging mentorship as an act of kindness (28:47).

• Quote:

  "Mentorship is an act of kindness." — Dr. Brent Ridge (28:47) "There’s a difference between growing a good business … and growing a greatest of all time business. You have to be thinking from the beginning about the legacy you are leaving." — Dr. Brent Ridge (30:15)

• Community Impact

  • Emphasizes the importance of "neighbor" as a concept—impacting those immediately around you proliferates positive change globally (31:17, 32:20).

• Quote:

  "You have an incredible power to impact the person who is right next to you, your neighbor. … Before long you have gone around the world." — Dr. Brent Ridge (31:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Kindness is wellness." — Dr. Brent Ridge (17:19)
• "That was the moment of kindness that ultimately started Beekman 1802." — Dr. Brent Ridge (17:07)
• "Better aging begins at birth." — Dr. Brent Ridge (13:35)
• "Mentorship is an act of kindness." — Dr. Brent Ridge (28:47)
• "There’s a difference between growing a good business … and growing a greatest of all time business." — Dr. Brent Ridge (30:15)
• "You have an incredible power to impact the person who is right next to you, your neighbor." — Dr. Brent Ridge (31:17)
• Lara becomes emotional discussing the role of kindness in business, noting, “I never cry in a podcast before.” (17:25)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:03 – Early life, education, and research in Ecuador
• 05:10 – 07:31 – Harvard aging research; social interactions vs. genetics in longevity
• 10:14 – 13:03 – Collaborating with I.M. Pei and Martha Stewart; power of storytelling in networking
• 15:51 – 18:28 – The founding story of Beekman 1802, the role of kindness, and early challenges
• 20:19 – 24:14 – Goat milk science: pH, microbiome, caprylic acids, and product innovation
• 25:23 – 26:08 – Rethinking “anti-aging”; the case for “better aging”
• 28:39 – 31:17 – Book launch: GOAT Wisdom, and the importance of mentorship and legacy
• 31:17 – 32:20 – "Neighbor" philosophy; spreading kindness through community

Summary

This episode of Coffee N° 5 delves well beyond entrepreneurship, blending moving personal stories, actionable business wisdom, and scientific insight. Dr. Brent Ridge’s journey reveals how kindness, community, and holistic thinking can transform lives and build enduring businesses. From the science behind goat milk skincare to reframing the aging conversation and showing how one act of kindness can ripple out to global impact, this conversation is a testament to the power of leading with heart and purpose.