What Is Jamu? How a 1,300-Year-Old Wellness Practice Became a Global Brand

What is Jamu? How do you turn a 1,300-year-old wellness practice into a global brand?In this episode of the Reclaiming Bossy podcast, I’m joined by Anna Uspessij, founder of Good Jamu, to break down how she built a wellness business rooted in culture, identity, and authenticity.We talk about how Anna transformed a traditional Indonesian healing ritual into a fast-growing European brand, without diluting its meaning for Western markets. This is a conversation about building something real in a world full of trends.If you are interested in wellness, entrepreneurship, personal branding, or how to build a brand from scratch, this episode will give you both the mindset and the strategy to start.We also explore the difference between ritual and routine, cultural appreciation vs appropriation, and what it actually takes to scale a business while staying aligned with your values.Timestamps00:00:25 - introduction00:00:40 - introducing anna and good jamu00:01:17 - what is jamu00:02:23 - the meaning and history of jamu00:03:37 - jamu as a community ritual00:05:01 - the inspiration behind goed jammel00:06:34 - advice on starting a business00:08:55 - cultivating resilience as a founder00:10:53 - finding founder communities00:12:03 - introducing cultural heritage to a new market00:15:37 - storytelling and explaining a new product00:17:16 - building confidence as an entrepreneur00:19:47 - designing a business around your values00:22:25 - deciding on flavors and scaling00:26:01 - international expansion00:27:47 - marketing and building a community00:29:15 - what's next for good jamu00:30:03 - final advice for entrepreneursFollow Anna/ good jamGood Jamu: goodjamuhttps://goodjamu.com/en?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnJigniDe_KzLA_EAtdphd-oT5q8Y45hW-mxGd6UrQJDFwfgWisszV0O0HzOM_aem_xvW_llJqZf_fYDAlMH1TGABUILD YOUR BOLDEST + BOSSIEST LIFE/ CAREERBossy Behind the Scenes: Essays, reflections, resources and all the behind-the-scenes of building a bold, bossy life.⁠https://substack.com/@bossybehindthescenes⁠WORK WITH MECreator/Founder Office Hours: Bring me your ideas, questions or whatever you’re stuck on, and we’ll turn it into a plan.⁠https://calendly.com/maahika/mentoring?back=1⁠Founders + brands: Work with me on storytelling, personal branding, content and strategy through Empower Sounds Media.Book a Strategy Session : ⁠https://calendly.com/maahika/branding-strategy-session?back=1&month=2026-07⁠Book a discovery call : ⁠https://calendly.com/maahika/discovery-call?back=1⁠Join the next personal branding sprint : ⁠https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeNPFNgdt02CyvYsb6n9i8kmvEJRxQDmTwOVusTxII_tMoJ7Q/viewform?usp=header⁠Follow The Podcast/ Connect With MePodcast Instagram: @reclaimingbossyPodcast TikTok: @reclaimingbossyMy Instagram: @maahika.sMy TikTok: @maahika.sCollaborations + enquiries: [email protected]