TRYWELL, a mission-driven health and wellness brand, has emerged to tackle the widespread issue of nutritional deficiencies that disproportionately affect people of color, specifically African Americans. Acknowledging the alarming health disparities prevalent in African American communities, TRYWELL aims to fill the nutritional gaps left unattended by their daily diet by providing vital supplements. However, TRYWELL's mission goes beyond mere awareness-raising; the brand is resolute in its commitment to actively combat this profound healthcare divide. By advocating for healthy lifestyles, TRYWELL seeks to contribute to the overall well-being, strength, identity, and resilience of the Black community, effectively addressing the challenges they face. We spoke with one of the Founders, Tashon Thompson, about the brand's beginnings and DNA.
Growing up, what was your personal relationship with nutrition and supplements?
Like many young kids, the Flintstone vitamins were my first introduction to supplements. I grew up watching my mother and grandmother constantly eating healthy and exercising, exposing me to the importance of taking care of myself. I also saw the other side of things. Watching relatives age and suffer from things such as diabetes, heart disease, etc. Like many Black and brown kids, I watched loved ones become dependent on medications to correct years of poor health decisions simply due to a lack of knowledge and resources.
So how did TRYWELL come about?
TRYWELL was founded by my mother, Kathy Thompson, and I during quarantine. My mother, grandmother and I all live within a 5-minute walking distance from each other. During quarantine, we would meet every day and walk to the park (keeping our 6ft distance, of course, lol) for exercise and just to see each other. During one of those walks, I told them I wasn't taking vitamins and thought I should start. This stemmed from seeing the news and seeing how Covid was ravaging Black and brown communities specifically. During my search for Vitamins, I didn’t find a brand that spoke to me and my lifestyle. And there, the idea for TRYWELL was born.
Talk about the nutritional shortfalls often faced by African Americans and why it's important to combat these.
These shortfalls stem from genetics, but there are also socioeconomic factors that have a significant impact on how African Americans are able to prevent and treat certain health issues. This is why Vitamin D was so important for TRYWELL and was the first gummy we worked on. People with darker skin produce less Vitamin D with the same amount of sunlight as those with lighter skin. Almost 76% of African Americans are Vitamin D deficient. Our goal with TRYWELL is to address those nutritional shortfalls head-on, teach people about them, and provide a product that can aid in being proactive about the issue rather than waiting for it to become a "problem" and reacting to it.
If someone were to only buy three starter products from TRYWELL, which would you suggest?
I would suggest starting with the Adult MultiVitamin to get all the essential vitamins and minerals you may be lacking from your diet alone. Then I’d suggest Hair, Skin & Nails because who doesn’t want stronger, healthier hair and nails along with clearer skin? Lastly, I’d suggest our Daily Immune - Elderberry gummies. Now more than ever, we are all booked, busy, and outside! These gummies are filled with antioxidants and vitamins that may boost your immune system to fight against/prevent cold and flu symptoms.
How do you want your customers to feel when they use your products?
While we have a diverse customer base, we first and foremost want our Black and brown customers to feel seen and heard in the health and wellness space. That’s half the battle. Second, we want them to know and feel that TRYWELL products were made and created to meet their needs. As cliché as it sounds, health is wealth, and we want our customers to look, feel, and, above all BE well!
We love your unique and creative branding. Talk about the importance of putting out good campaigns. My background is in fashion. So branding and campaigns are a big part of the fun for me! It’s so crucial to be authentic and represent the people you are hoping to speak to. It’s important for us to show beautiful, healthy Black and brown people in our campaigns in environments that resonate with our everyday experiences. We are preparing for our next campaign along with the release of 4 new gummies, and the creative revolves around a bodega/market...the place most of us are introduced to supplements.
Is there anything else that you would like to share?
In addition to DoTryWell.com, you can also find us at Shen Beauty and Amazon. Outside of supplements, TRYWELL is looking to expand into personal care products, ingestible beauty products, and so much more!