How Golde Is Changing the Wellness Industry with CEO Trinity Mouzon Wofford

On this week's episode of Girl Gang the Podcast, I interview Trinity Mouzon Wofford, Co-Founder and CEO of Golde.  We talk about how Golde's first product, the Original Turmeric Latte Blend, has evolved into a superfood self-care brand, working with your partner, and the importance of accessibility in the holistic nutrition industry.

You can shop Golde's product line at golde.co as well as Target and select retailers listed on their website.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Girl Gang the Podcast. I'm your host, Amy Will, founder of Girl Gangthelabel.com and author of Launching and Building a Brand for Dummies.

SPEAKER_01 0:08

My name is Trinity Muzon Wafford, and I am the co-founder and CEO of Gold.

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Before we start talking about your brand and incredible branding, as like a huge branding nerd, I just love looking at your products. I'd love to first talk about your introduction into the superfood space and your experience with your family and why you felt passionate about, you know, disrupting the space and making it more approachable for the everyday consumer.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Yeah, absolutely. So Gold is a superfood health and beauty brand, very much inspired by my own experiences, as you mentioned, to um make wellness more easy, approachable, and most importantly, fun for really like that next generation of consumers. And so I've always been really into wellness. Um I like grew up in a family that was definitely like on the like almond butter and and like tinned fish and all that. Um but um I actually got like more seriously into it um through my mom. Um I was raised by a single parent with a pretty severe autoimmune disease. And when I was a teenager, my mom switched over to seeing this more holistically minded doctor. And long story short, saw this incredible improvement in her symptoms. Um it was really like night and day. And so that was very impactful for me. And, you know, following that, I decided that I wanted to be a doctor too, and I wanted to sort of follow along on that sort of holistic healthcare career path. Um, so I went down to NYU for college, I was pre-med there, and all was well until I found out from my mom that she actually had to stop seeing that doctor because she just couldn't afford it anymore. Um and that really forced me to pause and consider what it was that I wanted to do in wellness and how that piece of accessibility played into it. Um so I graduated and um ended up kind of falling into a marketing career and loved that, but was definitely still that friend or coworker who was recommending various herbal remedies to you, depending on how you were feeling. Um, and I knew I had to get back to that. And I think those are really all the pieces that came together to sort of build that foundation for this interest in wellness and you know inclusivity.

SPEAKER_00 2:35

I'm sure, especially being the founder of Gold and seeing it firsthand, but this huge adoption into the superfood space and this demand for alternative options and medicine and daily consumption. What has that been like from you from when you started the company? I'm sure just you know, the messaging and explaining to customers, this is what we do. You know, here's this turmeric. And now, how has that changed? And what's like kind of maybe the excitement or the hurdles you're going into now as the demand, I feel like has just skyrocketed, especially recently.

SPEAKER_01 3:11

It has been bananas, honestly. Like I think it's hard to even remember how different the wellness space was um four years ago or really like five years ago when we were like ideating on this. Um, you know, we were we were coming out into the world with you know superfoods like turmeric and matcha, and really, yeah, having to explain what they even were and and why you would want to take them. And um, it's funny because obviously these are things that have been used for like thousands of years in you know certain cultures, whether it's you know, turmeric in, you know, South Asia and Ayurveda or you know, matcha and Japan. Um, but for American consumers um with like more Western backgrounds, these things are very new. Um, so there was a lot of education to do in the beginning, but through the past few years, we've really seen that the consumer has started to build this routine. And what's kind of interesting to see now that I think is happening is is like a lot of that barrier has come down, where you know, someone has tried a matcha latte. And so they're like open to trying like a mushroom latte now, because they like, you did one, now you'll try the next. So it's it's an exciting time where I think not only is the customer becoming more and more just aware, but they're also more open-minded to trying something else that's new, which is a really great time for us as a business. Um, we launched a mushroom product, shroom shield, um, our mushroom cocoa, and we were really impressed with the extent to which people just like hopped on it. And now it's like one of our best sellers, and everyone's like adding it to their coffee or whatever. Um, so I think we're in this really exciting time where like people want more of this, they want to build out more of a routine, they want to experiment with different um superfoods, and we've really been able to um kind of center ourselves as a brand that's you know a place for them to explore those themes.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

And when you started, did you think about this kind of like superfood world of ingestibles and skincare and everything? Or were you originally thinking, like, we're gonna create this product, we're gonna scale it as big as we can? Like, how has that kind of evolved? Are you co-creating it based on demand with the customers, or did you always have this vision of like a super super food brand, if you will?

SPEAKER_01 5:38

My vision in the beginning was so small, honestly. Um, we started with one product, our turbic latte blend. And my partner Ise and I did absolutely everything ourselves. We designed the packaging ourselves, we did the product photography ourselves, we were like mixing up the first batches by hand. Our whole goal back then was just like, can we figure out how to pay our rent? Like, wouldn't that be so crazy if we could quit our jobs and just do this and just sell these little like uh, you know, superfood blends and just bring a little bit, a little bit more fun to the space. At that time, I was kind of fixated on my own frustrations with wellness and just thinking about, you know, this could be a little more fun, this could be more inclusive. I don't see young black and brown people represented in the space. You know, I want to see more people like myself engaging with this. But what we found was as the brand was put out into the world and started interacting with people, we found that it was really impactful for them too. And they were excited to see someone coming into this space with a different type of energy than what had typically been, which was this really kind of like, you know, either like it was either like super crunchy granola, old school wellness stuff, or it was this very premium prestige kind of vibe, which doesn't really resonate with a lot of people, or like they just can't afford like a$75 mushroom powder. Um, so I think it's been very cool to like be a part of that journey with the customer. And I think that's really kind of how this has continued to evolve, is now so much of what we do is in co-creation with our community. It is like leveraging that data, leveraging that gut instinct of what feels right. And I think that's been like the most fun is just kind of saying, hey, you know, in five years, we will have the product lineup that our community tells us they want to see. You know, I'm not planning that far out, like set in stone.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

My personal journey with superfoods, uh brands like yours, I think I the first place I ever saw it was maybe in Cafe Gratitude. And then just online by following accounts like Chill House and these brands that they feel more like your friend. And it's like a friend recommend recommending a product, where prior it'd be like going into sprouts into the aisle of superfoods, and you're just like, I don't know what this is. Can I put this in? So um, that must be a cool feeling too, not only just your own brand growing, but your growing base for millennials and Gen Zs and the introduction into holistic living and consumables, that's having a really big impact on their lives. How does it feel to be, you know, one of the pillar brands in that movement of approachable and affordable super food generation?

SPEAKER_01 8:22

It's great, honestly. I mean, we didn't we didn't intend to do all that, you know? And so I think that just leading with authenticity and and real intention has um been a winning strategy for us. And um I think it's exciting to see more in that space now, whether it's other brands or retailers or just like more people on social media who are talking about wellness wellness this way, which to your point, it was so unheard of just a few years ago. Um, so it's really cool. And I think it it continues to get me excited about where we can continue to move the industry toward. Um, because I think there's always more that we can do.

SPEAKER_00 9:03

You have a really strong direct-to-consumer base, and a lot of the physical retailers have online shops now, which is great. But what's the last year been like and launching with big retailers? How has that shift been on demand for you and your partner?

SPEAKER_01 9:18

Oh my gosh, you're asking the good questions. This past year has felt like a sprinted marathon. I think that's like the the the calmest way to describe it. But it's been incredible. I think the retail launch has been extremely fruitful for us. And I think we really found the right partner for us. Um, and I've been really thrilled to see how much our community is excited about it too. You know, like when we launched Shroom Shield, the first question people were asking was like, when is this going to be at Target? So I think there's like, you can get to this real point of synergy with your retail partners, where people are excited to find your brand there, they're excited that your brand is growing to the point that you can be there, they're excited that, you know, they can get it direct to consumer and like get the fun stickers, but they can also just go to Target and grab it. And I think given that our mission has always been about accessibility, it fits so well. And I think that um this theory that in order to have a great brand, you have to really like limit access to it, I think is something that's becoming rapidly outdated. Um, and I think that we're moving toward a place where accessibility is cool. You know, being being nice is cool. Like it's not this like snooty little wellness club, right? It's it's for everyone. So it feels like a really great step in that journey for us.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

One of the reasons why I wanted to interview you. So I work with my husband as well. We run a few companies together for the last decade. I'd love to touch on starting the company with your partner. Any insight on how you navigate through that and maybe tips for someone that might want to explore starting a project with a partner themselves.

SPEAKER_01 11:05

We get the question a lot from people who are saying, Hey, I'm thinking about going into business with my friend or my family member or my partner. Like, what do you think? And I'm curious, Amy, how you how you answer that question. But I always tell people that if you have to ask, you probably already know. Because, you know, like for us, it was so natural. We were just like spitballing ideas off of each other all the time. And when it came time to launch something, there was no question that we were going to do it together. Um, we just we work really well together. I think there are always challenges with any working relationship or any relationship at all. Um, but I think we knew that we wanted to do it together. It was never like, should I go like find another co-founder to do this with? So I think you kind of have to have that like that just like gut conviction that like this is who you want to do it with. And if you have questions or you're not sure about it, I think that's okay. Because I have plenty of great friends and family members that I absolutely adore and I would never want to run a company with.

SPEAKER_00 12:08

So I know you had the background in marketing and branding going into this, and you didn't hire an agency. This was all you you both like designed and brought this up. Any advice for someone that, you know, wants to self-start their company and design their own stuff? Any advice for pulling inspiration?

SPEAKER_01 12:29

Well, I think that in the early days when we were just coming up with the brand, I was thinking a lot about color because this was a time frame, you know, 2016, that's when we were putting the brand together. That was a time where minimalism was huge. Like everything was like all white, black tech, sans serif font, like super minimalist and crisp. And it's nice, but I think we wanted to do something different. We wanted to really pop. And so we really leaned into color. And um, our first product was our turmeric latte blend. So we actually settled on like the first brand colors that are featured on the pouch of the original turmeric latte blend still today, based on that plant. So we were looking at the golden color of the turmeric root. We were looking at the leaves that were this beautiful green, we were looking at the beautiful pink flower, and we were like, that's a good color scheme. I mean, so it was very much like pulling from the superfood itself and then extending from there. And so you'll see that again and again, where with our pure matcha, we like went for this really great, like matcha-colored green. Um, and so we find that because our brand is so super food driven, that we really we lean into that with what we do. Um I think that another big piece that that we've utilized and that Isei in particular has used, because he's really more like in charge of the design at the end of the day. I more so have ideas, and he turns them into nice designs. Um, is like cultural heritage, like the the matcha packaging, Isei actually, um, Isei's originally from Japan, who's born biracial in Japan to a Japanese mother and American father, and then his family moved to the US when he was little. Um, he was thinking about like old school like Japanese packaging that he had grown up with. And like he, I remember him like designing that like little swirl on the tin based on that, things like that. So I think it's like coming back to what your points of inspiration are and leaning into that, because that's also how you're going to build a brand that feels truly differentiated. Um I also would say that it's okay if you're it's okay if your packaging doesn't feel perfect from like day zero, you know. Like I think we had a very clear vision of what we wanted and we were very happy with what we ended up with on the first round, but it's evolved a lot since then. Um the colors and the and like the fonts, the typefaces have stayed the same, but pretty much a lot of the other stuff has moved around. Um, and I think like that's that's okay. And you know, especially if you're doing something yourself and you're learning and you're just like trying to figure out what this button in Adobe does. Um just get it out there and like go from there. Or at least that's what we did.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

Sometimes I'll go and pull from major consumer brands that have been around for decades, and you can go and like see how the logo has evolved over the years. And it kind of helps you get out of your own way. You know, I think there's a obviously with branding, it's so great to have that cohesive feel and really be in the brand identity, but then allowing yourself to not get so caught up in the perfection that you're scared to put it out. Um, so going through a branding or a rebrand, it's kind of fun to look at brands you look at as like untouchable and they've never changed to be like, oh my gosh, their colors are different, their fonts are different. I I can definitely be successful and like change it up. Can you talk a little bit about the benefits of utilizing mushrooms in the daily wellness routine?

SPEAKER_01 16:12

Of course, yeah. So um shroom shield is um a mushroom boosted uh cocoa blend. It was really an exciting one for us because mushrooms are something that I had played around with a little bit, but um, you know, I think what we heard also from our community was that um there was a lot of hesitancy around flavor. Um, I think a lot of us have had really gross, like functional mushroom types of products. And, you know, we didn't want to create something that wasn't delicious and um, you know, cravable. And um I think there's also there can be some like confusion around like what exactly is a functional mushroom? Are these gonna get me high? Like what, like what are you putting in here, right? Um, and so um it was really exciting for us to explore that category because mushrooms have been used in you know functional medicine for again thousands of years. This like goes way back, um, especially in traditional Chinese medicine, the use of um mushrooms like Reishi and Turkey Tail, um, which are two mushrooms that we use in shroom shield. And so um Reishi and Turkey Tail are great because they're um powerful for um stress defense, so just helping to um, you know, keep keep you uh stress-free free and calm, um, but they're also great for your immune system. And so we felt that not only was our community really looking for an opportunity to explore this category of functional mushrooms, but they also had stress and immunity as very top of mind. Um and we wanted to create a product that just felt like a like a hug, you know, like it was just so comforting and creamy and cravable. Um, and so that's where we landed with Shroom Shield. Um, we we formulated it after those like uh hot cocoa packets. So it's like just chocolatey and coconutty and delicious. Um, and it's great. You can just add a scoop into your coffee or you can make a little like superfood latte with it. Um and I'm I'm fully addicted to it. I like drink it every single day.

SPEAKER_00 18:25

Thank you so much for taking the time today to share your story, share some tips to our community. I can't wait to see the inspiration that comes from this episode. And if you can let everyone know where to follow along your personal journey and keep up with gold as well.

SPEAKER_01 18:39

Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you guys so much for listening and joining us. Uh, you can find me on Instagram. It's just at Trinity Muzon, and you can find gold at goldg-o-l-d-e, and our website is gold.co.

SPEAKER_00 18:55

Thank you so much for tuning in to this week's episode of Girl Gang the Podcast. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave us a review. It helps us out so much. Have a lovely day and don't forget to support your local Girl Gang.