Lessons from Loss: How Environmental Damage Led Karen Frame to Help Others

In this powerful episode, host Eric Stopper sits down with Karen Frame, CEO and founder of Makena, a three-time entrepreneur, recovering attorney, and former CPA based in Boulder, Colorado. Karen brings a riveting personal story that began on the shores of Mannered Lake in Champaign, Illinois, where her childhood was shaped by the silent but devastating impacts of agricultural pesticides.Karen shares the heartbreaking effects those chemicals had on her family—illness, loss, and years of health struggles. Her firsthand account reveals how environmental factors can dramatically alter lives and why understanding what goes into our food and products is a mission she’s carried ever since.Key Highlights:A Childhood Epiphany: Discover how growing up alongside pesticide-sprayed cornfields not only changed Karen’s life but sparked her commitment to transparency in food and product ingredients.Personal Losses: Karen openly discusses her family’s health struggles—including losing loved ones and her own battle with thyroid cancer—drawing a direct line to her passion for advocacy.Building Makena: Learn why Karen’s experiences drove her to build companies focused on helping people find and afford healthier, safer products.Living the Mission: Karen talks candidly about buying better, balancing health and work, and how she uses her story to inspire and educate others.The Path to a Healthier World: Eric and Karen envision a future where education, better choices, and access democratize wellness for everyone. They discuss the challenges of resisting addictive products and why real change starts with knowledge and incentivization.If you’re interested in natural products, functional medicine, or simply want to know how one leader turned tragedy into lifelong advocacy, this episode is a must-listen. Karen’s insights will motivate you to reconsider the choices you make every day—and how those choices shape your health and your future.Connect with Karen Frame:Email: [email protected]: makeena.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karensframe/If you found this episode valuable, please give us a like on Spotify, Apple Podcast, YouTube and share it with someone who needs to hear Karen’s story.