204. Shizu Okusa, Founder & CEO of Apothékary

Today I'm joined by Shizu Okusa, founder and CEO of Apothékary, a supplements company rooted in East-meets-West wisdom.  After exiting her first business in 2019, Shizu set out to disrupt synthetic supplements by launching a platform that makes plant-medicine fun and accessible. Combining ancient ritual and modern science, Apothékary's adaptogenic blends trade chemical ingredients for clean herbal alternatives.   In this episode, we discuss Apothékary's East-meets-West ethos. Plus, we talk about bootstrapping growth, expanding into offline experiences, and developing science-backed supplements. In this episode, you'll learn: • What Shizu's learned being a repeat wellness entrepreneur • How Apothékary grew to $25M ARR sans venture funding • Apothékary's philosophy and process for product development Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Apothékary's website: https://www.apothekary.co/ Apothékary's IG: https://www.instagram.com/apothekaryco/ Shizu's email: [email protected] - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they're creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at https://fitt.co/jacktaylor Chapters: (01:34) Shizu's Background (04:20) Learnings as a 2nd time founder (07:37) Differentiation in a competitive industry (11:08) Apothékary's growth and capital strategy  (15:46) Journey from $0 to $25MM ARR (18:49) Current product offerings (20:50) Apothékary's retail business  (24:12) How consumers discover wellness products (26:40) Realizations from Shizu's 7 day Vipassana Meditation Retreat (30:04) Expanding into offline wellness experiences  (34:14) Working with investors that trust your vision (36:56) Product development and clinical trials (40:38) Conclusion