Mari & Greg on IVF, Imposter Syndrome & Building a Brand Together

Summary

Pursuit of Wellness – Episode: Mari & Greg on IVF, Imposter Syndrome & Building a Brand Together
Release Date: March 24, 2025

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of Pursuit of Wellness, host Mari Llewellyn welcomes her partner and business collaborator, Greg, to discuss a myriad of topics ranging from their entrepreneurial journey and product launches to personal struggles with imposter syndrome and work-life balance. The conversation offers a deep dive into building a wellness brand while navigating significant life changes, providing invaluable insights for entrepreneurs and individuals striving for personal growth.

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Expo West Anaheim & Bloom Soda Launch

Greg shares their experience at Expo West Anaheim, a premier event for natural products. He explains the significance of the expo, highlighting its role as a platform to debut new product innovations to major retailers like Amazon, Costco, and Target.

Greg [02:02]: "It's a place to debut your new product innovation or new brand innovation... to the retailers of the world."

This year marked their first physical presence at the expo with a substantial team. Greg proudly discusses the launch of their prebiotic soda, aiming to offer a healthier alternative to traditional sodas.

Greg [02:49]: "We're hoping to bring you not only a healthier, better-for-you alternative but quite literally a good-for-you product which will be releasing this July."

Mari expresses her excitement and disappointment at not being able to attend but praises the dramatic unveiling of their new soda, particularly the Shirley Temple flavor, which garnered significant attention.

Mari [03:21]: "The Shirley Temple seemed to make the biggest wave at the expo. And it's also my favorite. It tastes like a Shirley Temple."

Greg emphasizes the natural ingredients, low calories, and the challenges they faced with the cherry crop's quality, crucial for their product's success.

Greg [04:19]: "It's only 20 calories the entire soda. And it's like 3 grams of sugar, organic cane sugar."

They reveal an exciting partnership with Walmart, aiming to make their healthy soda accessible across the United States.

Greg [04:53]: "We're taking this product that is truly good for you and making it as accessible as possible... to their doors."

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Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

The conversation shifts to the pervasive issue of imposter syndrome. A listener, Irena from Italy, inquires about Greg's experience with imposter syndrome and how they handle it together.

Irena [24:43]: "Do you have ever had imposter syndrome?... how you and your husband deal with it."

Greg acknowledges his struggles, especially when interacting with finance and number-oriented professionals, emphasizing the importance of honesty and transparency.

Greg [25:19]: "It's totally okay to not know something... People will appreciate the honesty."

Mari shares her personal strategies for combating imposter syndrome, likening herself to an actress playing a role to bolster her confidence.

Mari [27:10]: "I need to come up with a name for it... I pretend I'm in a movie and I'm someone else... it's me... but I kind of, like, assume this role."

She highlights the importance of reminding oneself of their achievements and recognizing that everyone else harbors insecurities.

Mari [27:09]: "And I kind of assume this role. Like, if you walk in a room... most of the time, everyone else is new, too. They're shy, they're embarrassed, they're insecure."

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Work-Life Balance and Personal Challenges

Mari opens up about her current struggles with work-life balance, especially amidst her IVF journey and the pressure of maintaining her entrepreneurial identity.

Mari [16:19]: "A year ago, that was also me. Obsessed with work, didn't know who I was without it... my hard work is slipping."

She discusses the guilt associated with taking time off and setting boundaries, a common challenge for high-achieving individuals.

Mari [20:14]: "So how do you balance work and big? ... How do I balance work and big?"

Greg offers support, emphasizing the importance of viewing life in chapters and recognizing that sustainability requires periodic breaks.

Greg [18:17]: "You can't be at a full sprint for a decade straight."

They both reflect on the importance of having a supportive partner and a strong team to navigate these life phases.

Greg [18:56]: "But I think you need to look at your life in a multiple-decade run... it just feels like a ton of time."

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Managing Phone Usage and Boundaries

The duo delves into the overwhelming nature of constant connectivity, discussing the stress and guilt associated with incessant phone use and the expectation of immediate responses.

Mari [22:49]: "I feel like if I look at my phone and I have tons of notifications, I'm like, oh my God, I need to answer people immediately."

Greg emphasizes the need for a collective agreement to reduce the pressure of instant responses and encourages redefining one's relationship with digital devices.

Greg [23:53]: "It's totally fine for people to reach out 24/7... What's your relationship with that device?"

Mari shares her goal of minimizing phone usage to enhance presence around her family, highlighting the mental health benefits.

Mari [23:25]: "When I put my phone down... I feel so much happier."

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Listener Questions and Advice

The episode features insightful listener questions, with Mari and Greg providing thoughtful responses based on their experiences.

1. Navigating Change in Relationships

   Listener: Erica asks for advice on balancing her burgeoning career with her partner's career, especially after moving to a new state and considering another relocation due to IVF treatments.

   Mari advises open communication, emphasizing the importance of expressing individual needs and finding compromises.

   Mari [31:12]: "Is there anything we can do to help you find something where we are right now or, like, kind of come to a compromise?"

   Greg encourages embracing opportunities and trusting the process, assuring that past experiences can guide future decisions.

   Greg [31:37]: "If it makes sense, you've done it once before, you're gonna be fine."

2. Starting Social Media from Scratch

   Listener: Another listener inquires about building social media presence without prior organic engagement.

   Mari recommends focusing on TikTok, posting frequently, and staying vulnerable to engage the audience.

   Mari [32:54]: "I would post probably like three to five times a day... Stay vulnerable, transparent, candid, show the real me."

   Greg advocates for leveraging paid advertising, such as Facebook and TikTok ads, to boost initial traction and complement organic efforts.

   Greg [33:37]: "Use ads and have the action taken with that ad be go follow your profile."

3. Optimizing Exercise Routines

   Listener: A question about the best exercise routines for effectiveness.

   Greg suggests a balanced approach with strength training and daily steps.

   Greg [35:42]: "Four to five strength training sessions a week for 30 to 40 minutes and getting 10,000 to 12,500 steps per day."

   Mari adds a female-centric perspective, recommending weight training and walking.

   Mari [35:58]: "Four weight training a week and then just walk as much as possible."

4. Maintaining Relationships Amid Busyness

   Listener: Lucy from Australia seeks advice on prioritizing her relationship amidst busy work schedules.

   Mari outlines practical strategies, such as establishing rituals, planning activities, and being present during shared moments.

   Mari [37:07]: "We found rituals to come together during the day... always have dinner together when we can..."

   Greg emphasizes small efforts and understanding each other's love languages to maintain connection.

   Greg [38:38]: "Little bits of effort... 15 minutes in the morning goes a really long way."

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Conclusion

Mari and Greg conclude the episode by reiterating their commitment to their wellness brand, Bloom Pop, and expressing gratitude for the listener questions. They emphasize the importance of balancing personal well-being with entrepreneurial ambitions, encouraging listeners to prioritize their health and relationships alongside their professional pursuits.

Mari [39:32]: "We cannot wait to launch Bloom Pop and we'll see you guys soon."

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Key Takeaways

• Product Launch Success: Strategic participation in industry expos like Anaheim’s Expo West can significantly boost brand visibility and retailer interest.

• Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Embracing honesty and transparency, and adopting confidence-boosting strategies, can mitigate feelings of inadequacy.

• Work-Life Balance: Setting boundaries and viewing life in chapters help maintain mental health and personal relationships amidst entrepreneurial pressures.

• Effective Social Media Strategy: Combining frequent, authentic content with targeted advertising can effectively build a social media presence from scratch.

• Maintaining Relationships: Establishing daily rituals and understanding each other’s love languages are crucial for sustaining strong personal relationships amid busy schedules.

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Notable Quotes:

• Greg [04:53]: "We're taking this product that is truly good for you and making it as accessible as possible... to their doors."

• Mari [27:10]: "I pretend I'm in a movie and I'm someone else... it's me... but I kind of, like, assume this role."

• Greg [35:42]: "Four to five strength training sessions a week for 30 to 40 minutes and getting 10,000 to 12,500 steps per day."

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This episode offers a rich blend of professional insights and personal reflections, making it a valuable listen for anyone interested in wellness entrepreneurship, personal development, and maintaining a balanced life.

Transcript

[Mari Llewellyn]

This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn. Cheers.

[Greg]

Hello.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Hi. How are you?

[Greg]

Good. It's Monday. You'll be happy. I was just going over my next two, three months. I have very little travel, really, as of right now, who knows?

[Mari Llewellyn]

But, I mean, you kind of can't.

[Greg]

I'm trying to get people to come here.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, I think that makes sense. You just going over travel in general or like, work.

[Greg]

Work travel? Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So you just got back from la?

[Greg]

Yeah. For Expo West Anaheim.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay.

[Greg]

Maybe. Yes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I think it's in Orange County. Can you explain to everyone, you know, what Expo west is and, like, why it's such a big deal?

[Greg]

People have maybe heard of it. It's big. It's called, like, natural Foods Expo West. West. Just referring to West Coast. There's also one on the east coast once a year. So. Yeah, it's once a year. It's in March. It's Anaheim, California, across the street from Disney World. I always, like, mess this up as Disney World and Disneyland.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You're asking the wrong person. All right, well, I'm not a Disney girl.

[Greg]

It is a place to debut your new product innovation or new brand innovation, depending on what stage your business is at, to generally the retailers of the world. So Amazon's there, Costco's there, Target's there. And you have the chance to not only debut to those buyers, the people who make the decision to bring you into the store, but also to just the kind of the. The general public of our industry. And there's probably a good 100,000 plus people that are there. And you can get real time. I mean, for context, we've had this brand for six years. We've never debuted a product in any type of real life scenario. We have only debuted our hundreds of products in our living room. Yeah, yeah. Digitally. Right. So it's always just been like, Mari and I in a room. And like, the only real hype you see is like, Instagram comments.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Greg]

So Mari was at home, I assume at our home here in Austin. And you launched it digitally.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. Cause I. Guys, this is my first year not going to Expo west, which we can get into afterwards. But Greg was there physically.

[Greg]

I was there physically with that. 70 of our team members. 7, 0. It was a lot. We had a large booth. I don't even know if you call it a booth once it gets to like 40ft by 40ft. But yeah, we debuted our soda and we're so excited to kind of take. What is this, you know, legacy category of sodas that we feel like are are the opposite of bringing wellness to yalls stomachs. And meaning, like real soda, meaning Coca Cola, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, whatever it may be, we're hoping to bring you a not only healthier, better for you alternative, but quite literally a good for you product which will be releasing this July.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. And for context, Greg literally like pulled a curtain off the wall. Like, it was a very dramatic unveiling. It was really fun to watch from afar. I was obviously so sad I couldn't be there for this big moment, but it looked incredible. And this product I I mentioned in my previous episode I think will be my favorite because I was saying how much I love the flavors of the energy drinks. And I wish I could drink three a day, but I can't because I can't handle that much caffeine. But with the sodas, I can have multiple a day.

[Greg]

Yes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

They're fun little treats. The Shirley Temple seemed to make the biggest wave at the expo. And it's also my favorite. It tastes like a Shirley Temple.

[Greg]

It's so good. I mean, guys, just for like some context on how natural and awesome this product is, the Shirley Temple, which for people who do not grow up in America, such as the woman to my left, Shirley Temple is Sprite with cherry syrup. And 12 year olds order it at restaurants.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I actually didn't know it was Sprite.

[Greg]

It's like a lemon lime soda and grenadine cherry syrup. And it comes with some maraschino cherries, which are the most delicious syrup filled, potentially have some sort of cherry actually in there, but they're normally three years old. What's cool is our product is so natural that we didn't even know if we'd be able to launch it this July because the cherry crops were not that great in 2024. So the cherry, there's so much just real cherry in this product. Mind you, it's only 20 calories the entire soda. And it's like 3 grams of sugar, organic cane sugar. But the cherry crop was so crucial to us actually being able to make the millions of cans that we need to make that we didn't know if we'd be able to make enough.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yep. No preservatives.

[Greg]

No preservatives. It's pasteurized. So the can just goes through like a hot tunnel. And so there's no preservatives in it. I mean, this type of conversation that we're having right now, they've never had that conversation in Coca Cola's boardroom.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, Apple Cider vinegar. It's a gorgeous ingredient panel that I'm a big fan of. And you guys are going to be obsessed. I mean, what's sad is we've just announced it and it doesn't come out till June or July, which sucks, but you guys are going to freak out.

[Greg]

We haven't announced this yet, but what's cool, and I think potentially the most special that we're able to do with our careers and bring to you guys is that it's coming to Walmart. Right. So we're taking this product that is truly good for you and making it as accessible as possible to anyone in the United States, especially a place where, of course, there's a ton of unhealthy product consumption. You know, there's 5,000 Walmarts in every city in the country and we are bringing this truly healthy soda alternative to their doors.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I would say Walmart's the most accessible store in the country.

[Greg]

There's. There's the most of them.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Greg]

I mean, unless you were going to talk about like seven elevens, right. I think there's like 20,000 seven elevens.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, but.

[Greg]

Or there's a store called Dollar General. I think it's like 20,000 of those. But in of like big box retailers where bloom is pretty prevalent, I mean, there's more than twice as many Walmarts as there are targets.

[Mari Llewellyn]

What would you say to people who are like, oh my God, there's enough prebiotic sodas, like, enough with the sodas.

[Greg]

Yeah. I mean, I think I would respond to them in a, in a more general statement, which is just, just speaking from our perspective. There are 50 other greens powders, there are 1000 other energy drinks. I hate to break it to you, Mari, maybe you don't know this, but there's a hundred thousand other podcasts. And I think for somebody to not do something because somebody has done it before, especially if you think that you could do it better, which we know that we can. That's so disappointing. And if nobody did an alternate version or a better version or the same version, if you want of something that's already on the market, then you're never gonna be able to release everything. Anything. Everything's already been made before.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Greg]

And I hope that anyone out there who wants to start their own venture or partner on a new venture, if their biggest concern is this has been done before, that's not a concern. Erase it from the whiteboard.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Just do it better, do it your way, Bring a new story to it. And I think launching this Soda has me really reflecting on our journey as entrepreneurs. And it's just so crazy. It feels like yesterday that we were in my dad's kitchen sampling pre workouts, and I was like, this is crazy. It's never going to work. How are we going to do this? Or coming up with the name of it in the car in Boulder and, like, sketching the logo. Like, it really. It was just a crazy idea that we were like, why not? Like, let's just give it a go. And now we're launching a freaking prebiotic soda at Expo West. We have the biggest booth. It's, like, insane to see how excited people get. And our. Our PR news got leaked early because someone, like, crazy someone found out early and then put it in the news. And I was like, the fact that people are even talking about us, about our brand is insane. Like, I. I feel like we have a child. Like, Bloom is my child, and it's out in the world, like, just making noise, and it's crazy. Like, I feel like Expo west is, like, our child's biggest recital. Like, it's. It's just a funny feeling.

[Greg]

It was a big recital.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It just has me reflecting. I. I think my biggest thing is if you have a crazy idea and you feel really driven and passionate to do it, just freaking do it. Like, just chip away at it. Like, there were so many moments where I was like, oh, my gosh, are we gonna make it out of this alive? Like, is this really gonna be a thing?

[Greg]

Yeah. Two things. One, Mari posted on her Instagram, your. Your collaboration with Shopify, and I did.

[Mari Llewellyn]

A partnership with Shopify. Yeah.

[Greg]

Which, partnership aside, this was one of the coolest pieces of content that I've seen. Maybe I'm biased here, but you're. You're like A to Z in 30 seconds of us making Bloom.

[Mari Llewellyn]

When I got the opportunity to partner with Shopify. This is not a sponsored episode by any means, but I was so excited because, genuinely, it was a platform that, like, changed our lives, and it's how we grew our business. So I took the opportunity as, like, yeah, I want to put together a montage. And going through all those videos, I think reminded me of those days of, like, you know, sitting there watching people on the website, like, us in our apartment in Brooklyn or us in Colorado, launching the brand. Like, how young we look and how we had no idea what we were doing, but we figured it out. Like, the light box, the camera, like, it's just so funny. And I. When people are like, how do you start a business? Or they're excited. It just, it makes me excited for other people.

[Greg]

What's proprietary about what you're doing, that's all you need to bring to the category. So we made a healthier version of an energy drink in a category where there's hundreds of other energy drinks. And everyone said the same crap when we launched this energy drink, which is, there's already so many other energy drinks. You can't do something unique. This is unique. And there's already a billion people a day drinking an energy drink. And we wanted to make a better version of it and we did and clearly it worked. So please do not ever stop yourself from a venture because you feel like, quote, it's been done before.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. And not many people say said that. That was just like the only negative feedback I saw about our launch. It was like a couple people. The other thing I was going to say is with Bloom, I feel like Greg and I always envisioned Bloom as like a platform brand. Like it was never like, we're going to be a greens company, we're going to be a pre workout company. It was like, we want to be a family name. Like, we want to have products for everyone. Like, if you don't like caffeine, then we have a soda. If you don't like greens, we have a colostrum. Like there's something for everyone. And we just have this bigger vision for Bloom. I just feel like it's meant to be this platform name. But I recently found out and I just thought this was very funny and they would like to hear it, that we have become like middle school and high schoolers, like, favorite beverage. Which I don't know if that's like, like, should 13 year olds be drinking energy drinks?

[Greg]

I did.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. I think a lot of them drink.

[Greg]

Check with your doctor, but I did.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Check with your doctor, but like a lot of my mum friends have been like, my kids are obsessed with Bloom. Everyone has a Bloom on their desk. So the soda is like, good timing.

[Greg]

What did you drink in high school?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Dunkin Donuts with milk and sugar.

[Greg]

An iced coffee.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. At the end. Like.

[Greg]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Because the. I realized everyone thought it was cool. I did not like how it tastes and I did it anyway because I was like, everyone thinks this is cool.

[Greg]

That's hilarious. Do you remember the iced coffee you would drink in college?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Do you remember what I would.

[Greg]

Yeah. It was from Little Miss Sunshine. That was the movie Happy Sunshine. So we had, we had food trucks, went to school in Philadelphia. So Mario and I lived in Philadelphia for five years.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I Would get sugar in it.

[Greg]

No, there wasn't an option. It came out of like, you know, a keg. And it was amazing. The sweetest, whitest coffee. Because it was probably 90 milk.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Greg]

Or whatever it was. And it was, it was a lot.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh my God, I loved it, didn't I?

[Greg]

They had the best egg sandwiches.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I feel like I would get a buttered bagel.

[Greg]

That's something you would order.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And do you know what else I would get? I remembered that Starbucks in the LeBeau building.

[Greg]

Yeah, that was, that was new. Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Frappuccino, like white, the white bean Frappuccino. Cake pop or pound cake.

[Greg]

You were hitting the cake pops like in the morning.

[Mari Llewellyn]

But like, now that you know where I'm from, like you've been to Gloucestershire and you've seen the cake shops, like.

[Greg]

Okay, this is something that needs to be spoken about.

[Mari Llewellyn]

In the uk it's normal to have a slice of cake for breakfast.

[Greg]

The most stable, consistent home that, that, that Mari's stable, not stable. Meaning like, like they haven't moved. Like Granny has lived in Gloucestershire.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Consistent.

[Greg]

Sorry, Consistent. Gloucestershire uk.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Gloucestershire.

[Greg]

Gloucestershire uk. There is probably on every block four cafes that if you were just an American walking in, you would think, is this also a bakery? And everyone is eating like a slice of cake with their coffee or tea in the morning.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Like Granny's town is just cake shops and coffee shops and bookshops.

[Greg]

I just have never seen anything like.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's a big part of the culture.

[Greg]

I get the sausage roll, though.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh. I mean, you know, I'm a sausage roll girl.

[Greg]

I'm a savory guy.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I'm same, I'm a big savory girl. But for some reason in college, I just look back on my decisions and I'm like, what the frick was I doing? Like a morning cake pop and a Frappuccino. No wonder I felt like breakfast of champions. But yeah, Happy Sunshine. I really wonder if it still exists at Drexel. If you go to Drexel, please DM me and tell me if Happy Sunshine still there.

[Unknown]

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[Mari Llewellyn]

For aesthetics like scarring and acne, but.

[Unknown]

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[Mari Llewellyn]

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[Mari Llewellyn]

You are very much in your grinder, right? You're the CEO of a company. Work is like a huge part of your identity. Like, accomplishment is a huge part of your identity. A year ago, that was also me. Obsessed with work, didn't know who I was without it. My calendar was ding, ding, ding. Like cortisol, fight or flight, masculine error, whatever you want to call it. My life has, like, completely 180 where I've, like, kind of been forced to stop. And now I'm enjoying it. And I feel like my. I needed it. And I think I wouldn't be able to handle this IVF journey without stopping. But I have this, like, I still have this underlying guilt of, like, I should be working, I should be going 100. Like, I'm a very black and white person. It's either 110 or it's nothing. And I'm in this weird in between that I'm kind of, like, a bit uncomfortable with. So I'm reading these comments of, like, where are all the guests? Where are the experts? It's just solos right now. And I've told you, I'm focusing on solos because it's difficult for me to prep for these experts and, like, give it my all right now because my mind is just not there. They'll be back in a couple weeks, few weeks. But right now I just can't. You know, I used to be number one or two on the charts, and now I'm not as much because I haven't been doing as many guest episodes. Like, if things are just reflective of the time that I'm in. I kind of started to spiral this morning, and I was like, oh, my God. Like, my hard work is slipping. Like, my accomplishment. Like, who just that feeling or even me not going to Expo West. Like, it is hard to say no and have boundaries. And I think it is, you know, tough on my brain. And I know I'm in a Season of life where it's okay and there's bigger, more important things. What do you think?

[Greg]

I think that there's certain decisions that are obvious because there's this tangible risk. So you going to expo with a hundred thousand people from around the world, you were going to get sick. We cannot get you sick right now. So it's like, that's obvious.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Or like south by, like I had all these opportunities for south by that I said no to.

[Greg]

I agree with what you're doing 100%. There just needs to be chapters. You can't be at a full sprint for a decade straight.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I know.

[Greg]

You know, we meet so many people who they did dedicate a hundred percent of a thirty year sprint to. One thing in my experience is normally when I talk to entrepreneurs who are now like 50 and some of them are still single, some of them are, you know, don't have the family. Some of them, you know, have, have a hundred percent of one thing, but zero percent of another thing. So they're, they, they're, they're older and they don't have that, that balance of, you know, fulfillment to reflect on.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I guess this is why we're lucky we have each other as well.

[Greg]

Yeah. But I think, yeah, because we can kind of tag team. But I think you need to look at your life in a multiple decade run and you're going to look at this six month taking your foot off the gas of the career and going full throttle on family as, oh, that was an interesting blip. Right now it just feels like a ton of time.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I know. But then I think for a woman it's hard because now I'm like, okay, fingers crossed, knock on wood. Hopefully I'm pregnant soon and then I'm gonna be having a baby. And it's like, how do you balance work and big? I'm also in a weird time with this transfer where I don't know dates of anything. So it's like, oh, are you available in April? Well, maybe. But if it didn't work, I'm doing it again. And if it did work, then I'm sick or how do I know when I'm gonna feel good? Like I just, if I feel like I'm in a very uncertain time where I've had to let go of control, I just want to talk about it because I think a lot of women can relate. And then I have friends who are like, oh, I'm, I really want to have kids, but I'm so into my career and how do you do both? And it's just weird for a woman. It's weird, like, weird because it feels like, and not everyone feels this way, but a lot of people feel like they're put on earth to have kids. Like, I feel like it's a big part of my purpose. But then they also feel really driven to have fruitful careers and social lives and things like that. So it's like, how do you do it all?

[Greg]

Yeah, I mean, obviously Bloom is, is, is 90 plus female team. I don't know, I've thought about too. Like, it's definitely like just a. You have different outside variables that the male career does not need to, quote, deal with.

[Mari Llewellyn]

No, literally your life just continues. Entering this phase of my life, I have like such a bigger appreciation. I used to hear women talk about it and I never really understood it, but even just being at this point in my life, I'm like, just confused on how, how to handle everything.

[Greg]

Well, you're obviously an entrepreneur and you don't have a legitimate maternity leave. Like your output is day to day correlated to, you know, your, your return of work ethic or work, work effort. So, you know, I would, I would, I would like to think that people that are employed by good businesses like Bloom feel supported in that journey. Obviously you're employed by Bloom, but you are, you, you operate a little differently. You, you.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Nothing's clear cut.

[Greg]

You don't have like this six months maternity leave or whatever it is where you can just literally like not respond to emails for six months confidently.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You know, I don't look at my emails anymore.

[Greg]

Well, you have a great, you have a great team around you.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I know. I thank goodness I have such a great team.

[Greg]

Also. A lot of people reach out to your phone directly.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's just funny because I used to live in my emails.

[Greg]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I used to respond to every email within 10 minutes.

[Greg]

Yeah, I mean that's, that's, that's a funny thing. I was just listening to this older entrepreneur or older CEO. He used to travel internationally for business and he would bring a stack of papers on the plane to work on because there was no laptops, there was no cell phones. Even if you were hustle mode back the day, at least you weren't getting like live time emails and texts constantly.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Greg]

On a Saturday evening, on a Friday a night, it almost becomes like this competition of if there's five people cc'd on an email, who responds first.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, yeah.

[Greg]

Or if you're in a group chat, who, who reacts first, even if it's not even a productive message. I don't know. Some. Something. There's the barriers of work life balance. I feel like Covid probably disrupted that quite a bit. Even though it brought a lot of people at work from home opportunities. I don't know. I mean the modern day workplace is. Is pretty scary with all this. You can reach anyone at any time.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's so stressful and I am so envious of people who are boundaried with their phone. Like, I. It's a big goal of mine to get there because the last thing I want is to be on my phone a lot around our kids. Like, I find that to be really bad. I. But I do feel this sense of like guilt and stress. If I look at my phone and I have tons of notifications, I'm like, oh my God, I need to answer people immediately. If I don't answer immediately, I feel. Aw. Feel like I'm a bad person. Like the guilt is overwhelming.

[Greg]

You can't respond to everyone.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I think people live in this dissociated state because they're walking around on their phone. I mean, you and I do it. We're not good at this. I think we need to get better. Walk around the house, glued on the phone, doing things at the same time where if. When I put my phone down like this, this weekend, when I put my phone down and I do the dishes and I make breakfast and I'm in my life, I feel so much happier.

[Greg]

Yeah. I think there's also this element of like, if you're on your phone checking your emails and your text messages, refreshing things. You, like, think you're being productive.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Greg]

And so it gives you kind of like that dopamine hit of like I'm doing thing.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's reactionary.

[Greg]

And it's like, just clean out the dishwasher. Like, you don't need to be refreshing this live time every 15 minutes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Greg]

To see if anyone's reached out or if anyone. You know, I would imagine in your world, if someone's commented or messaged you.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Or it's like, I don't really do that with my comments. Sure.

[Greg]

But someone in your position, maybe something needs to change.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. It's a lot. I feel like we all need a collective agreement that we are not blowing each other up or like expecting responses immediately.

[Greg]

That's what it would be. Right. It's totally fine for people to reach out 24 7. It's more so like what's your relationship with that device?

[Mari Llewellyn]

I know people who have like away messages. Have you ever received one of those?

[Unknown]

It's automatically on a text message.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes.

[Greg]

That's crazy.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I've seen multiple people like CEOs that have that.

[Greg]

Yeah. I respond right away.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I know. I'm really.

[Greg]

Or I'm not responding.

[Mari Llewellyn]

At some point, you're going to have to figure out how to have a little more balance.

[Greg]

Yeah. But we just launched a soda.

[Mari Llewellyn]

When we have a baby, you have.

[Greg]

To figure that out.

[Mari Llewellyn]

We're going to pull up some voice messages.

[Irena]

Hi, Mari, I'm Irena from Italy. I love your podcast. I know you've suffered from the imposter syndrome, but I want to know if Greg has never had that and if. Yes, how you and your husband deal with it. Thanks. Bye, Mari. You're doing great. And finger crossed for your IVF journey. Bye.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So sweet. Thanks. Irina, have you ever had imposter syndrome?

[Greg]

I've probably expressed it on the podcast before, but I'm not, I'm by far not a. An academic. And a lot of people in my position or that I do business with are like finance whizzes, number whizzes and have a very different but useful way of thinking about business. And so sometimes if I'm in a room with people like that, I, I'm very more so. Used to be very intimidated and felt like I couldn't hold my own. And then there's different, different paths to the same destination now. And you don't need to be one of those types of quote, business people.

[Mari Llewellyn]

But how do you deal with imposter syndrome when you have it? Like, how do you build confidence before you walk into a room like that?

[Greg]

First of all, it's, it's always okay to answer a question and say, I don't know which. Which, you know, I think in my, in my youth I was very concerned about doing. You always try to like, answer the question. Or maybe right now I should try to do that. But, but, but I think it's. It's totally okay to not know something, have no experience doing something, or to try something you've never done before. And no matter who you're in the room with, even if it's someone that you're asking, like, join you on that journey to, to, to admit what you are, what you don't know, but explain what you do know, then that that's totally an okay answer. And I think people will appreciate the honesty.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Greg]

And transparency. Yeah. And just, just respecting that there's, there's different paths to the same destination. And just because someone has a certain skill set that society recognizes as the correct skill set for doing something does not mean that your skill set is not potentially even better than that.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, I feel like I've gotten really good at this because I used to have such horrible imposter syndrome that I started. I don't know what to call it. I. I need to come up with a name for it. For example, when I. When I went to Harvard Business School, when I'm on a stage and, like, in my head, I'm like, wow, I would never get into a school like Harvard. I am not academic. I got bad grades. Like, why am I on this stage? I just, like, assume this role as if I'm an actress going into a movie where I'm like, I am the Mari that they think I am. I have this amazing business, and I'm not bragging. I'm just like. Like, this is what I have to tell myself in order to get on the stage. I have an amazing company. I've built a platform. I have a podcast. Like, you have to remind yourself of all the amazing things you've done. And almost like. Like, I pretend I'm in a movie and I'm someone else. Really, it's me.

[Greg]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Living my actual life. But for some reason, if I convince myself I'm, like, an actress, it helps. And I kind of, like, assume this role. Like, if I go in a social situation where I'm nervous, I'm like, I am the most talkative, social person in this room. Like, I'm smiling, I'm asking questions, even if I'm like. And maybe a little bit of it is fake it till you make it, but then it actually becomes who you are. And now I feel very comfortable in social settings because I know I have that ability in me. I think the older you get and the more people you meet, the more you realize that everyone feels the same way. And, like, a lot of times, you walk in a room and you're like, oh, my gosh. All these people, they know each other. They are super smart and knowledgeable, and they've been here a thousand times. And I'm the new one. Nope. Most of the time, everyone else is new, too. They're shy, they're embarrassed, they're insecure. Like, you have to remind yourself that everyone's just a freaking human being, and everyone's having their own experience, and they're also worried about their own. Like, they're not worried about you. So I think reminding yourself of that.

[Unknown]

If you know me, I avoid bras and underwear at all costs, but only because it's so uncomfortable. I've always disliked it until I found skims. I think we all know love and.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Are obsessed with skims at this point.

[Unknown]

Literally just wore it the entire weekend I was at the wedding. I wore a lot of like see through gowns and it was the perfect thing to put underneath coverage but still cute and sexy. And I am obsessed with how comfortable skims are. I literally grab for them every single day. My drawer is filled with the best, most stretchy, amazing, supportive fabrics. They make me feel comfortable and confident all day long under T shirts, jeans, whatever it may be. I know everyone who's tried skims are obsessed. I personally wear the everybody triangle bralette pretty much every day. I also have the sports bras that I love. It makes me feel super supported and cute and looks so flattering under a T shirt, but I literally can't even tell that I'm wearing a bra. You don't have that same feeling of like, oh my gosh, I can't wait to get this off. It's digging into me. It truly is so comfortable all day long. Shop skims, Best intimates, including the Fits Everybody collection and [e-mail] and skim stores. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you select podcast in the survey and be sure to select our show in the drop down menu that follows.

[Erica]

Hi Mari and Greg, I am so excited to be chatting with you. I've gotten so much from listening to your solo episodes and I have a question about navigating change in a relationship. I'm engaged to my partner and we moved to a new state about a year and a half ago and we made the decision together but the move ended up being really tough for me. I ended up changing my career and I just launched a new one and I finally have friends here and now we're talking about moving again because my partner is unhappy in his career here. I totally support the decision and I'm on board with moving, but I would love any advice in navigating this situation. I know you both have moved together more than once in your relationship and I would love to know how I can stand up for my career as I'm afraid of the same situation to happen again. But I also want to support him and I want him to be happy in his career as well. Let me know your thoughts. Can't wait to hear it. Thanks.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Great question, Erica. I mean, it's exciting that you guys are moving and trying out new things. I would applaud you in that way because I think a lot of people get stuck in one place and they're afraid. I guess this is also where we're lucky because we've always worked together and we've kind of moved as one. I feel like it's definitely worth having a conversation and being like, I really love where I'm at, and it took me a minute to get here. I'm loving my career and my friends. Like, is there anything we can do to help you find something where we are right now or, like, kind of come to a compromise? What do you think?

[Greg]

Yeah, I think that, like, it's pretty rare in life that you get to try to do something again, and hopefully each time you get a little bit better at it. So hopefully whatever pain period there was in this last move will be expedited in this new move. And you'll kind of know, like, oh, well, in the last move, I showed.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Them xyz, maybe they don't have to go, what about her career? What about her friends? But if it's like, you have to.

[Greg]

Yeah, if it makes sense, you've done.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It once before, you're gonna be fine. Like, you've already, like, built those skill sets. I just feel like maybe if you delay it, he'll find something.

[Greg]

Where you live right now, I think follow the opportunity. If the opportunity makes sense for the two of you, then I think hop on it. And I think the universe will, like, reward you in that new city, and I would kind of trust the process, but you can always go back.

[Unknown]

Hi, Mari and Greg. First of all, I just wanted to say a really, really big thank you to both of you. Your products and your content are the number one reason I became interested in health and wellness, and I think that that's the case for a lot of people. So thank you for sharing a lot of valuable information and being such a positive influence. I did have a question. I know that you guys were able to see a lot of organic engagement early on when Mari made the post that went viral, and you were able to put in the hard work and build off of that. If you were starting out today and you didn't have any organic engagement, let's say you were given just a blank Instagram page, a blank TikTok page, and you had to start completely from scratch. What would your approach be in today's landscape? Would it be the same? Would it be different? Do you have any advice for that?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Great question. I can speak as, like, a content creator. Maybe you could speak more from a marketing angle. I would focus more on TikTok. I think I would post probably like three to five times a day, just anything and everything. I would collect data on what worked the best. So for example, I've noticed my, my tick tocks with pomegranate seeds seem to perform the best right now. I would focus on pomegranate content. Seriously. And I would go all in on that. And I would do more and more and more and more and I would, I would stay vulnerable. That's the thing. I would keep the same vulnerable, transparent, candid, show the real me, show the ups, the downs. But I would post way more frequently and I would focus on tick tock.

[Greg]

I am a huge believer in Facebook ads, Instagram ads, tick tock ads. If you have anything that you were able to monetize, like a service that you offer or a business that you sell or a product that you sell, anything where you can run ads and have the action taken with that ad be go follow your profile. A lot of the initial traction that came to Mari's posts, there was a small amount of organic activity. But the algorithm is only so powerful for anybody. If you can find what does do remotely well in the algorithm organically and then use that as a call it a boosted post through Facebook, Instagram or TikTok ads, you basically have the greatest ad that you can create. I mean any advertising agency, that's what they try to do all day, is create ads that people want to watch. So if you could create something about pomegranate seeds, in this case or pomegranate juice, and then monetize something based off of that topic, even if it's so small, just to allow you to have the fuel to fund ads, you can supercharge the growth of your page so much while continuing to create a volume of content that's candid and vulnerable, as Mario was speaking on. I mean that's the formula right there for having a large following very quickly while being able to control things that you can control and not relying 100% on the algorithm or how TikTok feels about you that day, what do you.

[Unknown]

Think will be the best exercise routine like that you will recommend? Like let's say how long do you need for it to change? How many cardio hours per week, how many strength training or like what tip will be like the most valuable for you guys to tell us about exercise? How to perform like the best exercise routine or exercise program?

[Greg]

I think four to five strength training sessions a week for 30 to 40 minutes and getting 10,000 to 12,500 steps per day, seven days a week. What that's easy.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That's intense.

[Greg]

But no, it's not.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I would say for women, that's only two hours. Three to four, I think three to four weight training.

[Greg]

All right, we'll call four.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Four weight training a week and then just walk as much as possible.

[Greg]

But at least 10,000 steps a day.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Sure, yeah, 10,000 steps a day. Unless you're trying to have a baby, then turn it back through some Pilates in there. But if you're trying to, like, see a big change weight training movement, yeah.

[Greg]

I think you could plan to see real changes in a month if you're going from zero.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Let's do this last one.

[Lucy]

Hi, Mari and Greg. First of all, I absolutely love your podcast and I'm loving what you guys are doing in the health and wellness industry. I just wanted to ask a question around navigating a marriage with such a busy life. I recently started working full time, and my husband also works full time. And we're finding it a little bit difficult to find time for each other and really prioritize our relationship when everything else is crazy. So I'm sure you guys understand what that's like. So I would love to hear any thoughts or any tips in this space. So, yeah, thank you so much. Sending lots of love from Australia.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Ah, hi. To Lucy in Australia. Yeah, this has been, I think, an ongoing journey for us, and we've really figured out ways to make it work. You know, we are both very busy. I. Well, I've been busier than I am now, but. Which is good. But we started a business together. We used to work side by side all day long, and then our roles definitely drifted and we were both very busy on separate schedules. So I think we found, like, rituals to come together during the day. We used to spend mornings together. I think it's shifted to evenings now. We always have dinner together when we can, which I think is huge. We go to bed at the same time. We spend weekends together. I'm a really big planner. I like to have reservations. I like to have activities. I create a note of, like, ideas of things to do on the weekend. We like to, you know, plan special trips together. And then I think also I would emphasize, like, the small moments in your day, like the moment you say good morning to each other, the moment you see each other at night when you get back from work and being really present, putting the phone away, eye contact, like, asking questions, making the other person feel special. Greg just got back from Expo West. He crushed it. I made sure I had a card waiting for him a little present I got him chocolate covered strawberries. Like I wanted him to feel like I was really proud of him because I was and just like showing him how much I care and appreciate him.

[Greg]

Yeah, I think little bits of effort. Mari. Mari holds the house together, 90% of it. In terms of our activities.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Greg doesn't like to do anything here.

[Greg]

I am complimenting you. But Mario holds the house together with those types of things. I think 15 minutes in the morning goes a really long way to have a present moment. And then we've been relying on at least like a good half of the day together solid on on Saturday and or Sunday.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And you send me flowers when you were away.

[Greg]

Yeah, always.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, I like that. And figuring out each other's love languages.

[Greg]

Just creating like clear, clear signs of.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Effort and figuring out each other's love languages. Like Greg's more of an acts of service and I'm more of like a words of affirmation and I think like fulfilling those needs for the other person. Therapy is also really helpful like in figuring that out I think. Anyway guys, thank you so much for the questions. Greg, thank you so much for coming on the show.

[Greg]

Thanks for having me.

[Mari Llewellyn]

We cannot wait to launch Bloom Pop and we'll see you guys soon.

[Greg]

Bye.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Thank you for joining us on the.

[Unknown]

Pursuit of Wellness podcast.

[Mari Llewellyn]

To support support this show, please rate and review and share with your loved ones. If you want to be reminded of new episodes, click the subscribe button on.

[Unknown]

Your preferred podcast or video player.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You can sign up for my newsletter to receive my [e-mail] it will be linked in the show Notes. This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Daviel Waldner, Jen Lauren and Mackenzie Meisel. You can also watch the full video.

[Unknown]

Of each episode on our YouTube channel.

[Mari Llewellyn]

At Pursuit of Wellness podcast. Love you po girls and po boys. I will see you next time.

[Unknown]

The content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship. As always, talk to your doctor or health team.