My health and wellness journey truly began in 2015, when I was in an accident and nearly lost my life.
Even 18 months later, I was still in near-constant pain and couldn’t sit for long or move in certain ways—despite the fact that I was working with some of the best physical therapists and personal trainers in San Francisco. But then a physical therapist referred me to a stem cell regenerative medicine specialist who changed my life. After a 20-minute procedure, 90% of my pain subsided. It was unbelievable.
The accident—and experiencing the impact of life-changing health innovations—served as a catalyst that intensified my passion for health.
However, I had been interested in wellness since college. At that point in my life, I was trying to balance a heavy workload and a busy social life. I wanted the best of both worlds without sacrificing my health.
That’s because growing up, I looked up to my father, who had a very traditional business career path and a very traditional mindset about wellness. He was highly successful, but he didn’t pay much attention to his health (which, of course, is common in constantly stressed, overworked C-suite types). It made me wonder if there was a better way—could I optimize my health while still reaching my highest potential professionally?
After college, that interest in health and wellness attracted me to the idea of the modern water filtration startup I co-founded: Hydros.
To me, it was so much more than a viable business idea. I wanted to create a product that could truly improve people’s lives. I was never in it purely for personal gain.
I turned down a job offer at an investment bank to connect with my co-founders at Hydros. We started going to conferences and product expos, where I was hanging out with the founders of companies whose products I’d geeked out over for years as a consumer. I became really entrenched in the wellness space, and entrepreneurs started coming to me with opportunities to partner with and invest in companies whose missions I felt strongly about.
Being so involved in the space professionally made me even more passionate and interested in health and wellness on a personal level, which in turn helped me discover more new business opportunities that could help people on a grand scale. It created a powerful positive cycle.
I’ve learned that the basics—eating, exercise, sleep hygiene—are a strong foundation, but it’s not enough in this frenetic, high-demand world.
If you want to be a truly high-performing person, there’s so much more you can do to bolster your personal health and wellness.
For those who are interested in optimizing all aspects of their lives, both personally and professionally, technology can provide solutions. Many people think of this type of approach to health as “unnatural”—but it’s quite the opposite. In many ways, the goal of these innovations is to help recreate the more pure environment of our ancestors.
Today, harmful toxins exist in our water and air, the food we eat, and the products we use. And the chronic stress the average professional experiences at work can be damaging both psychologically and physically. As a species, we’re just not designed to deal with the modern world, so we increasingly need more tools, supplements, and technologies to bridge the gap.
At the end of the day, despite all our vanities, we humans are essentially just bags of chemical reactions. This is why the stressors of our environment can so easily create negative chemical reactions that manifest into mental and physical illnesses. But if you can intentionally manage those chemical reactions, you can create desirable outcomes in your personal and professional life.
There’s a lot of burgeoning, innovative tech aiming to help in this pursuit.
These technologies are becoming exponentially more sophisticated over time.
To list a few:
- Cold water immersion, which aims to improve mental clarity and physical resilience, dates back centuries—Spartans and monks practiced it.
- On our office balcony at Hydros, we have a specialized tank filled with about 100 pounds of ice that I hop in for two or three minutes every day. It’s incredibly rejuvenating and meditative.
- Blood tests can tell you a lot about your biological processes: what your ideal diet is, whether or not you have inflammatory issues/allergies, and more. That data and insight can empower you to make the best possible decisions for your health.
- I invested in a company called Upgrade Labs by Bulletproof (a sister brand of highly successful Bulletproof Coffee). They’re currently trying to scale wellness clinics and high-tech gyms nationwide. Right now, they have two Los Angeles locations where people can walk in off the street and receive sophisticated biomarker and blood inflammatory marker testing for between $500-$1,000.
- Placental injections are the foundation of the regenerative stem cell technology I mentioned earlier. Essentially, donated healthy C-section placentas are turned into a “placental matrix” solution and injected into the scar tissue and damaged nerves of patients.
- My family invested in BioReset Medical, the facility of Dr. Matt Cook, the specialist who helped me so much after my accident, and I became his business advisor. Four years later, the facility is considered one of the best in the country. Sports stars and billionaires regularly visit his office. He’s booked several months in advance and employs 20 people, whereas he was doing it all on his own when I first met him.
With education, these innovative products can improve so many lives.
The real challenge is to change the public’s mindset—by helping them realize the importance of preventive health measures and opening their eyes to new wellness technologies.
My father, for example, initially declined stem cell treatments at the facility we invested in. To him, it was just another thing on his to-do list. He wasn’t interested in changing his poor diet because, in his mind, he was “fine.”
But then he had a wakeup call when he experienced some serious health issues.
He did a complete 180 on his approach to health—he’s so excited to change his routines and take advantage of the strategies and technologies available to him. And I’m happy to say that as a result, his health has improved dramatically.
Over the next five to 10 years, we’re going to see a lot of innovation in the wellness space. Through research and understanding, we’ll create technologies with the power to optimize our physical and mental functions. And these technologies will become more affordable and accessible over time.
Of all technological innovations, people are often most hesitant to embrace health and wellness technology. But once they see the tangible benefit—especially when health tech helps someone they care about—they will become more open-minded and accepting.
