Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The following is a paid podcast. iHeartRadio's hosting of this
podcast constitutes neither an endorsement of the products offered or
the ideas expressed.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome to a Moment of Zen. Time to sit back
and relax. As model, actress, mentor and super mom, Zen
SAMs takes you on a sexy and wild ride covering
the latest in film, fashion, pop culture, cryptocurrency, fintech, cannabis,
and entertainment from the millennial mom's perspective. Here's your host,
(00:29):
Zen SAMs.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Welcome back, beautiful Try State Area. You're listening to a
moment of Zen right here on seven ten. Woar the
voice of New York iHeartRadio. I'm your host, Zen SAMs,
Episode two hundred and thirty six. That's right, we're celebrating
six years on the air. Here's to another exciting episode.
It's always a pleasure to spend my time with you
on the airwaves. Thank you for tuning in every Saturday
(00:52):
night and engaging with me on Instagram and social media.
That truly makes it all worthwhile. Please continue to follow
me at Zen Sam's That's Zen with an X, not
a z X E N S A MS, and remember
all episodes of a Moment of Zen are available on
our YouTube channel Sundays at two pm via digital streaming,
(01:13):
and you can also check us out on your home
TV platform directly on our channel at mox dot yourhometv
dot com. Alongside our experts on the microphone, we cover film, fashion,
pop culture, cryptocurrency, cannabis, fintech and health and everything in
between from the millennial mom's perspective. Today, we have an
incredible lineup of conversations that fuel the body, the mind
(01:35):
and the heart. And the Clean Collective segment brought to
you by Society Brands. We're featuring Michael Surpilla, co founder
and CEO of Society Brands. We're going to dive into
scaling the wellness movement, how Society Brands champions founders and
clean living in the Going Deep segment, brought to you
by Co two Lift. Today, we're featuring Eve Udon. She's
(01:55):
the owner of s Bos Skins in Montreal, one of
Canada's top clin in Quebec. She's going to join me
today to chat about trending treatments, personalized care and how
investing in proper skincare helps you glow not just on
the outside but also feel your best on the inside.
In today's We Play Forward series, we're spotlighting a rare
(02:16):
and devastating disease, san Filipo syndrome, sometimes referred to as
childhood Alzheimer's. We're shedding light on this devastating reality, and
joining us is Carrie Fowler, an influencer, medical Mama, author
and fierce advocate for her daughter Hayden, who is courageously
battling San Filipo syndrome. In our Brain Blueprint Express segment
(02:37):
brought to you by the Mililo Centers, sevda Arslan, a
nervous system practitioner and director of peaceful programs based in Australia,
shares the remarkable transformations she's seen through the Mililo method
with children going from nonverbal to verbal and finally finding
space and relaxing their nervous systems. In our Health Tip
(02:57):
of the Week, brought to you by Cispera, today, we
bring you an important reminder for your skin. Despite the
cool fall tempts that UV exposure still remains strong. Tune
into the tips we're about to share with you, stay tuned.
Coming up next is Michael Surpilla, co founder and CEO
of society rans diving into scaling the wellness movement. You're
listening to a moment of Zen. I'm your host, Zenzams.
(03:19):
We'll be right back after this.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
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Speaker 2 (03:53):
Tune into a Moment of Zen Saturday nights from nine
to ten pm on seven to ten WOR The Voice
of New York.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Welcome back, beautiful Tri State Area. You're listening to a
moment of Zen right here on seven to ten WR
the Voice of New York iHeartRadio. I'm your host, Zenzam's
Welcome back to the Clean Collective segment brought to you
by Society Brands. Today, we're diving into scaling the wellness movement.
House Society Brands champions founders and clean living. Consider this,
(04:20):
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans are exposed to
over eighty thousand chemicals in their environment, with less than
ten percent tested for safety. And at the same time,
the global clean beauty and wellness market is on fire,
projected to reach sixteen billion dollars by twenty twenty seven,
growing at nearly double the rate of conventional beauty products.
(04:41):
Consumers are speaking loud and clear. They want products free
of toxins, transparency from brands, and values that align with wellness.
And that's exactly where Society Brands comes in, uniting clean
talks and free companies under one powerful platform and helping
founders scale without compromising their mission. Our guest today, Michael Surpilla,
co founder and CEO of Society Brands, has built and
(05:04):
scaled companies from the ground up, including taking a health
management business from zero to one hundred and fifty million
in revenue in just five years. Under his leadership, Society
Brands has raised over two hundred million dollars to acquire
and grow e commerce brands creating a collective that is
reshaping how Talks and Free Living reaches the world. Welcoming
(05:24):
down to the show is the incredible Michael Surpilla.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Welcome, superstar Zen, thanks so much for having me on.
I'm excited to be here today.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
All right, let's dive in. So why one hundred percent
Talks and free right? Nielsen IQ reports that seventy eight
percent of consumers now prioritize wellness in their buying decisions,
and nearly seventy percent actively seek quote unquote clean labels
on products. Yet the US still only bans eleven cosmetic
ingredients compared to over sixteen hundred in the European community.
(05:55):
So why did Society Brands choose to focus entirely on
talks and Free living? And why is this mission so
critical right now?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Well, first off, let me back up. It hasn't always
been the case. Society Brands several years ago was a
little bit more broad from a category perspective. We started
off on Amazon centric brands, category agnostic anywhere from wobble
chairs to kilts in a number of different things. And
by the way, love those products. I think that they
(06:24):
serve a great purpose. But two years ago I really
started thinking, like, what are who do we want to
be when we grow up as an organization? What difference
do we want to make? And my favorite, actually one
of my favorite quotes is from Martin Luther King, and
he said, a man who's not willing to die for
something isn't fit to live. We felt that clean and
(06:45):
toxin free in on and around your body was the
movement that we could really spearhead going forward. So that's
what we did. We ended up pivoting a couple of
years ago and started acquiring incredible health and wellness and beauty,
et cetera brands that we feel could make a huge
different in the world. So, yeah, it's exciting to feel
(07:08):
like you're actually part of something it's bigger than yourself
and me as the CEO and co founder of the company,
I'm excited to say that I wake up every single
day excited to go to work. I have three kids
and hopefully when they see their father go to work
every single day. But I always say is I'm trying
to make a difference in the world. We serve four
million consumers every single year, and I feel like we
(07:31):
do a good thing.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Well, that's a powerful perspective, and it's not about following
the market, right, it's about raising the standard and that's
what you're doing. So you're definitely in that headed in
that right direction. So let's talk about what qualities do
you look for and founders in general when we talk
about it, because behind every meaningful brand is a founder
like you with a story, and research from startup Genome
shows that founder dynamics are among the top three factors
(07:56):
that determine a startup success or failure. Society brands, you're
essentially betting on people just as much as products. So
what qualities do you look do you look for in
a founder before you bring them into your ecosystem.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
So one thing that we look for is do they
want to be a team player, Because there's some entrepreneurs
that really just want to do their own thing. They
want to be a lone wolf, and there's genuinely nothing
wrong with that. But if somebody is going to join
the society, they want to they need to be part
of something that's bigger than themselves. That's actually one of
our core values is society committed. We want founders that
(08:35):
want to be part of the bigger vision. As to
what we're building as an organization. The second thing is resilience.
Entrepreneurship is not easy. But if somebody is resilient and
willing to just go through a great deal of pain,
and in entrepreneurship you deal with pain, pain actually comes
(08:55):
first and then success comes second. It's not the other
way around. If somebody is looking to just make a
quick buck build a brand and not realize that, hey,
there's other levels that they need to get to in
order to experience success, and you're on that next level,
you're going to again experience pain over and over again.
(09:15):
Those resilient founders, I would say, is something that we
really look for.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Exactly you said it. It's about it's also about shared
purpose and long term alignment, not just that short term profit.
And that starts with exactly the founders too. So let's
chat about how the model helps founders scale. So so
many founders in the clean beauty and wellness space start
with incredible passion but plateau because they lack capital, distribution
(09:40):
or data driven insights. In fact, the twenty twenty twenty
twenty three Shopify report showed that forty five percent of
small wellness brands cite scaling as their biggest barrier to survival.
So how does the society brand's model specifically help these
founders scale while still staying true to their mission.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
So I'd say a lot of it has to do
with market So the way that most direct consumer brands
scale is through performance marketing, primarily through Google and Meta.
And there's only so much of an audience that you
have in those networks. Now, obviously it's vast, but as
a brand grows from zero to five million, to ten million,
(10:18):
to twenty million or even thirty or forty million dollars revenue,
you eventually hit this glass ceiling to where that typical
direct response marketing isn't going to work long term. It's
not going to take you again to that next level.
As I mentioned previously, resilience, you need to actually start
doing top of funnel marketing brand marketing, much like what
we do here with Zen in iHeart is it's more
(10:42):
top of funnel. It's brand awareness. Knowing whose society brands is,
know who our collective portfolio companies are. Those are the
type of initiatives that brands need to do eventually. So
oftentimes when founders come to us, they've gotten to a
place to where they've scaled their direct response marketing to
that they're still seeing growth, but it's starting to plateau
(11:04):
and they need to partner with a company like Society
to really truly build a brand that could be omnipresent.
That's something that when you actually know of that brand,
not just simply know the ads. And the interesting thing
is with brand marketing over time is you get to
a place to where your customer acquisition costs decreases. That's
(11:25):
something that oftentimes happens when brands partner with Society, So
that's a huge aspect. Another thing is product development. Oftentimes
a founder just is the sole product or the CEO.
They're everything to their business and then they're oftentimes the
product development officer as well. We have a product development team,
(11:46):
we have operations, logistics. A lot of the noise in
minutia that brand founders go through on a daily basis
we take over. We offer a shared service model that
can help them really focus on their vision for their brand,
so instead of focusing on everything, they could focus on
the core priorities for their business.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Now, building and maintaining consumer trust is a big one,
So how do you make sure that when these brands
scale under society, they maintain transparency and credibility with consumers.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Yeah, so one thing is we do a lot of
efficacy testing. Like we believe that it's important on what
you put into your body and on your body and
around your body, hence our slogan in on a round.
But so one thing is doing a ton of efficacy testing.
And number two, we partner with celebrities, influencers, creators that
(12:40):
already have a strong presence online that resonate with this
mission as well, and they're careful as to what they
put in front of their listeners. Obviously we're talking to
Zenzm's here she is. I have no doubt that you
thoroughly vet who you're bringing in front of your audience.
Those are the types of partners that we bring to
the table, and we love that high standard that people
(13:02):
like Zen has before bringing somebody in front of your audience. Zen,
that's another aspect that we do is find partners that
already have a trusted audience like Zen has, and already
has credibility and health and wellness and clean movement space exactly.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Trust is fragile, right, Michael, you said it, and it
has to be protected at every stage of growth, and
I love that you guys keep that at the forefront
of your mission. So let' chat about the vision ahead.
You're not just scaling individual brands, you're building a collective
right And of course when you look at the reviews,
Harvard Business notes that platform based models scale faster and
(13:41):
more sustainably than traditional companies because they create shared resources
and data loops. So what's your long term vision for
Society brands in five years? How do you see your
company shaping the future of toxic free wellness?
Speaker 4 (13:55):
So it's really a few things. So number one, we
want to become the undisputed platform form for toks and
free functional health personal care products in on and around
your body. So that's number one. The second thing is
is we want to have a household of portfolio of
thirty plus mission driven brands that consumers trust as the
default for their clean choice. We want them to go
(14:18):
to us first, not go search Google first and then
find us. That's a key differentiator. The third thing is
we want to be able to establish a unified Society
standard of ingredients. When people see the Society brand's logo
and you could actually see like our o is kind
of like turned in kind of a funky way. We
(14:38):
want that to be something. When somebody sees that, oh,
they know that it stands for the highest quality and
highest efficacy. The second thing is use scale to make
clean affordable because candidly, right now, as it sits today,
I don't know that clean is affordable to everybody. We
want it to be affordable to every Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
So entrepreneurship in wellness is exploding.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
Right.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
So for founders listening right now who dream of building
something lasting or maybe even joining society brands one day,
what advice would you give them?
Speaker 4 (15:13):
Just focus on the customer and focus on a unique
value proposition that you could bring to the marketplace. It's
it's backwards when you focus on profit first, Focus on
purpose first, profit second. It's not that profit is not important,
but you will not get the profit if you don't
focus on the purpose. Again, you need to have something
(15:35):
that is so meaningful that moves you in a way
that it's compelling for you to sell your product. If
you don't have that compelling vision, and if you don't
know what your unique value proposition is as an entrepreneur,
as a brand, as a company, as a father, Right,
Like I believe, and I go back to my kids
(15:57):
just for a second, I think of what we're doing
doing it. Society Brands on like, how am I being
a role model to my children? And would I want
them to be doing something like what I'm doing today?
And I could answer without a shadow of a doubt
that that answer is yes. So being able to have
something that you're so excited about, it's easy to get
(16:18):
people to follow you on that journey as an entrepreneur
if you are focused on.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
Now, Michael, this has been an incredibly insightful conversation. It's
truly about the team and great people. So thank you
for this conversation. Thank you so for our listeners and
viewers out there. If you want to learn more, you
can visit Society Brands dot com and follow along on
their journey to Scale talks and free living. This is
the clean collective segment brought to you by Society Brands,
(16:43):
because what goes on and around your body should be
as safe as what goes in it. To follow them,
check them out on the Gram, at Society, Underscore Brands Underscore,
and at Michael dot Surpilla. You can also find him
on LinkedIn, where he is most active listening to a
moment of Zen. Right here on seven ten wore the
voice of your Guyheartradio. We'll be right back after this.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
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(17:47):
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Speaker 3 (18:06):
Welcome back, beautiful Tri State area. You're listening to a
moment of Zen right here on seven ten WR, the
voice of New york iHeartRadio. I'm your host, Zen Sans.
Welcome back to the Going Deep segment brought to you
by Co two Lyft. Today in the Expert on the
Microphone series, we're featuring Ive Udon't. She's the owner of
EsPAS Skins in Montreal, one of Canada's pop clinics in Quebec.
(18:30):
For over fifteen years, her medical aesthetic clinic has welcomed
high profile and celebrity clients, offering a full range of
treatments from skin tightening, to rejuvenation, to rehydration and so
much more, all designed to give your skin and body
the care they deserve. She's going to join me today
to chat about trending treatments, personalized care, and how investing
(18:50):
in proper skincare helps you glow not just on the outside,
but also feel your best on the inside. Welcome to
the show, superstar, Thank you very much. Hello, Hello, so
excited to have you so. You've been immersed in the
skincare and medical aesthetics world for over fifteen years and
during that time, both patient preferences and technologies have shifted
(19:14):
drastically and they continue to evolve. So, as the owner
of a top medical aesthetics clinic in Montreal, Canada, one
of the top cities everybody comes to, it's important to
keep your finger on the pulse and stay up to
date with both these areas. So, how have you seen
the field evolve in terms of patient preferences and how
(19:34):
have the products and treatments you've chosen to offer reflect
or even anticipated this evolution in Montreal?
Speaker 6 (19:42):
For us, it's like a mix of both is really important.
Speaker 7 (19:46):
It's not only the medical and it's not.
Speaker 6 (19:49):
Only for example, laser, but it's a mix of facials,
peeling and good skincare at home that.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
We saw through the years that was really really important.
Speaker 6 (20:01):
And this is where where first the experience is amazing
for clients because they don't they just don't do laser.
You know, they come and they can relax and have
an experience.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
But at the same time, when we mix both, when
we mix like facial with laser or facial with.
Speaker 6 (20:20):
Skincare and everything, I think for me, we saw the
best result on them.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
And and and what are some of the top skin concerns,
whether on the face or body, that your clients are
looking to address.
Speaker 6 (20:33):
For us, we have body, but we do mostly We're
well known in Montreal for for face. For us that
we treat mostly where we have like a specialty in roseatiha,
inflammation and acne.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
Wow. Okay, so you cover the main You cover those
main top three concerns that most people are coming and
complaining about. And it makes it makes a lot of
sense because when you look at the surveys, they show
that over sixty percent of people cite uneven skin tone,
fine lines, or sagging as their biggest confidence drainers. So
(21:09):
what they're coming in complaining about clearly is playing into
what you need to start fixing from within. Now let's
bring COEO two Lift into the picture. So both the
CO two lift pro treatment and Moose have become very
popular in medical aesthetics, two products I know you offer
at your clinic. And while CO two Lift has impressive
monotherapy benefits, they also are popularly used in conjunction with
(21:34):
other treatments. So I'd love to know how do you
incorporate COE two lift to complement or even enhance the
results of other treatments you offer and what specific benefits
do your client's experience. Yeah, people come at the.
Speaker 6 (21:46):
Clinic, they have a facial and through the facial we
put the mask and we enhance other like we do
infusion by averagen, which which we inhue and then we
put the mask over it for forty five minutes, and
then through the forty five minutes they have like a
(22:07):
really big massage.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
We infuse you know, the neck and here.
Speaker 6 (22:12):
So it's like an experience. So at the end when
they go out, it's really they are repulped, hydrate, less inflammated,
so and at the same time they have an experience. Yeah,
this is one way we sell it. The other way
is that we do like laser peeling, micro kneeling, like
(22:34):
more medical treatment, and then at the end we put
the mask and they leave the clinic with it.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
It's a treatment, right because I know it's in the
form of a mask. But this is very much for
those listening carboxy therapy where you get that neo angiogenesis
that increased hydration statistically by one hundred and seventeen percent
per treatment, per application, per use, So we are really
seeing that skin come alive again and regenerate, and you
(23:03):
really see it in real time. Go ahead, Well, this
is the reason why.
Speaker 6 (23:07):
We decided to have it at the clinic because we
saw the result instantly, and it's pretty rare, you know
when you have skincare where you see results right away.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
So I know you also use COEO to live for
patients who struggle with roseesha. Can you share a bit
about that.
Speaker 6 (23:25):
We have the after treatment, but we have the skincare
at home too, So people that has rose shop like
me and I'm the kind of my type of skin
is like that.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
To do the cure at home three.
Speaker 6 (23:39):
Masks every I would say three weeks, four weeks, it depends.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
It's amazing, you know, you see difference in your plus
it enhance the skincare that you have at home. Yes,
it's another modality to combo therapy with whatever your skin
care routine is. And I love that, especially considering when
you talk about rosetiha that affects and estimated sixteen million Americans,
probably even more so Canadians, and yet so many people
(24:07):
still don't know solutions that exist. So I love that
you're using this carboxy therapy treatment in the form of
aiding and helping really mend those unwanted skincare issues that
come with rosesa. Now, we could talk all day about
popular treatments, but it's important to remember that all skin
(24:27):
is different and no treatment plan is a one size
fits all. This is where individualized care truly makes a difference.
So Eve, can you walk us through how you and
your team create personalized treatment plans for each client to
ensure that optimal and long lasting results and how do
factors like lifestyle and skin type and specific concerns influence
(24:48):
the treatments that you recommend. It's exactly you just said
it right.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
When people come into clinic, they most most of the
time they want something fast, you know, they want it
change fast. But that's not the way it works, right.
We always yes, change needs to be made. For example,
when you have acne or you have roseesiha you want
to do you're doing always hot yoga.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
I give you an example.
Speaker 6 (25:13):
That's things that we will say to the client which
some things needs to be changed.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
You know, when you have milasma, if you.
Speaker 6 (25:20):
Don't protect yourself, some things needs to be changed. So
the client needs to have its own routine at home,
which is really important. So we have that personal consultation
where we explain what will be the steps, right, and
it's important that they follow it.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
If they don't, it's like investing for nothing. Right.
Speaker 6 (25:43):
They have a responsibility at home with their skincare that
we will provide it either if it's for acne or
rosea sha, milasma, fin lines, wrinkle, you know.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
And in the clinic when they come, we take time
with them.
Speaker 6 (25:59):
Of course, we have consultation and we adjust each treatment.
Is adjust to the type of skin and the type
of human and lifestyle they have because we're so different, right,
so we adapt and we adjust and we do.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
For us my esthetition.
Speaker 6 (26:21):
They have mostly like personal accounts on Instagram and everything,
and we do follow ups with the clients, very personalized
follow up. We found out that's the way it works, right.
We make sure that they do their routine. Is we
ask questions everything is good, you know, do they have
like effect after the treatment good or bad? Then we adjust,
(26:46):
you know, the same thing with the skincare. And this
is how we have good result making like a really
close follow up with the client.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
Right, I really appreciate that and going one step further.
While professional treatments can do a lot maintaining that healthy,
radiant skin also depends on what, like what you said,
what clients do at home. So in your expert opinion,
how important is a consistent at home skincare routine in
achieving and sustaining the results of in office treatments And
are there any practices or products that you recommend to
(27:17):
help clients care for their skin between visits.
Speaker 6 (27:21):
Fifty percent of the job is at home with the
skincare routine. It doesn't need to be like a really
long skincare because we don't have all the same you know,
the men's with our skin. But we need to have
the basic you know, like a good cleanser, as good sunblock,
(27:42):
you know, a good hydration and then after when you
want to address things or you're getting older, than a
good vitenmency. You know, all those things are important, but
you go through the years or you go through what
you're looking for. But I think for the base, it's
really important to have the good skincare.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Now, before we wrap up, let's touch on your skincare philosophy.
So you often describe the treatments that your clinic is
giving the skin and body the care they deserve. So
can you talk about why this mindset is so important
in your opinion, how this taking care of the skin
contribute not just to looking better but to feeling better
And why should people prioritize investing in proper skin care. Well,
(28:27):
we saw so.
Speaker 6 (28:28):
Many good storiet at the clinics since the past fifteen years.
And all people come, they have acne and they tell
us like I never went out from my house without makeup,
like never, And then after one year, because it's a.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Process, we don't do this in two months.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
For example, somebody that has ten years of acne, well
they come after one year, they don't have any acne anymore.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
They control it at home and everything, and they say,
oh my god, it changed my life.
Speaker 7 (28:57):
You know.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
So instead of going, for.
Speaker 6 (29:00):
Example, taking medication, antibiotic or anything, we do. The process
is longer, but we change the perception of the person they.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
Have of them, you know.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
And this is I think for us that is in
the skincare industry where sometimes it's very you know, you know,
beauty and everything to have those kind of change, you know,
even with hair removal, when we do laser women that
have hair upper lip or on their chin, you know,
(29:34):
it makes a big difference on their confidence and for me.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
This is why I love to do what I do. Wow,
beautifully said, and honestly it's backed by science. Studies show
people who feel good about their skin report up to
thirty five percent higher overall quality of life. You know
that the science doesn't lie. We We are at the
end of our date, my dear Eve, Thank you so
much for coming on. I learned a lot about you
(29:57):
and your business, and when I come to Montreal, I
will be visiting you exactly. Come and see us please.
That was our going Deep segment brought to you by
Co two Lift, and that was the incredible Eve udon't
the owner of E Space Skins in Montreal, one of
Canada's pop clinics in Quebec. You can check them out
online at Skinsmontreal dot com and on the gram at
(30:18):
e Space Skins Montreal. You're listening to a Moment of Zen.
I'm your host, Zen Sam's We'll be right back after this.
Speaker 8 (30:26):
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Speaker 3 (31:25):
Welcome back, beautiful Tri State area. You're listening to a
moment of Zen right here on seven to ten wr
the voice of New york iHeartRadio. I'm your host, Zenzam's
in our health Tip of the Week brought to you
by Sispera. Today we bring an important reminder for your skin.
Even though fall may feel cooler, the UV exposure still
remains strong, especially during outdoor activities like hiking, apple picking,
(31:49):
or late season beach days. Continue to wear protective clothing
and reapply sun protection if you'll be outside for extended periods.
Don't be fooled by overcast skies. UV ra penetrate clouds
and still affect your skin. Staying mindful of sun safety
year round helps prevent premature aging and protects against long
term skin damage. That was our health tip of the week,
(32:11):
brought to you by Spera. Be sure to check them
out online at sispera dot com and on the gram
at Sispera. We'll be right back after this.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
A Moment of Zen is brought to you by Cispera.
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Speaker 3 (33:19):
Welcome back, beautiful Tri State Area. You're listening to a
moment of Zen right here on seven to ten war,
the voice of New York iHeartRadio. I'm your host, Zenzam's.
In today's We Play It Forward series, we're spotlighting a
rare and devastating disease, san Filipo syndrome, sometimes referred to
as childhood Alzheimer's. This genetic disorder affects fewer than five
(33:41):
thousand children in the United States, yet yet its impact
is staggering. Children who appear perfectly healthy at birth begin
to lose speech, mobility, and memory, with most only living
into their teenage years. As one researcher put it, san
Filipo is like Alzheimer's in children, only moves much faster.
Joining us today is Carrie Fowler. She's an influencer, a
(34:03):
medical mama, an author, and a fierce advocate for her daughter, Hayden,
who is courageously battling san Filipo. With over half a
million followers, Carrie has turned her heartbreak into advocacy, giving
Hayden a voice and rallying for funding to find a cure.
Through her work, Carrie brings hope, connection and honesty to
conversations about rare diseases, genetics, caregiving, grief, and resilience. She's
(34:26):
joining us right now. Welcome to the show, superstar.
Speaker 7 (34:28):
I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
Thanks for having me absolutely. So let's get into some
of these facts. San Filipo effects about one and seventy
thousand births, but because symptoms mimic autism or developmental delays,
many families spend years searching for answers. So Carrie, can
you walk us through Hayden's journey to diagnoses, how long
did it take to get real answers and what do
(34:52):
you wish more parents and doctors knew about those early
warning signs, so.
Speaker 7 (34:56):
Hayden was born seemingly healthy. She passed all pre and
post natal screenings. San Felippo syndrome was not tested for
at the time of her birth. Between the ages of
two to three is when we began to notice some
developmental delays, like a speech delay, and we wondered how
much she was fully understanding and comprehending. But she was
(35:21):
very different from my oldest child that was always ahead
of her age group, so we didn't really put too
much emphasis on comparing the two because every child is different,
and she had passed all of her milestones the first
couple of years up until two to three with flying colors.
Aside from it took her a little bit longer to
(35:44):
walk because she had a tight achilles tendon a muscle contracture,
and that was one of the first key signs of
san Felipo syndrome, but we did not know and doctors
did not know either. She had chronic ear infections sinus infections,
again something many children deal with regularly despite any genetic conditions,
(36:06):
but by age three, due to the developmental delays, we
had her tested and she was diagnosed with autism and
we put her in therapies. She did make some progress
between physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy between ages
three to five, but by age five she was regressing
(36:30):
majorly again, a lot of the progress we had made
was going backwards. She had a lot of fear. We
began to notice what you would call sundowning episodes in
an elderly patient with dementia, and we did not know
what that was at the time, but that's what we
were beginning to notice in her around age five and
(36:53):
no longer sleeping, just all kinds of issues. And I
kept searching for answers. Started with trying to understand more
about autism, asking questions, watching every documentary, reading every book,
talking to other autism parents, trying to understand my child more.
To some way, I came across genetic screening and turns
(37:17):
out that she had san Felipa syndrome.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Yeah, I mean, your story is a is a very
powerful reminder that awareness saves lives. You know, as Maya
Angela once said when you know better, you do better.
So the more we know, the faster we can help families.
And really its awareness and its research because once you
know you carry that mutation, you will make different choices. Yes,
and the human face of the disease is something I
(37:43):
really want to talk about because once San Filipo parent
described it as like watching your child fade away in
slow motion, and that's heart that's a heartbreaking reality families
face every day. How has san Filipo affected Hayden's daily
life today and what moments do you cherish most as
you navigate this journey with her.
Speaker 7 (38:04):
Yes, by age six, she lost her ability to talk,
and now she is ten and she can no longer walk.
She has a feeding tube. She can have very soft
foods by mouth on a good day when she is
handling it well and can swallow safely. Or you know,
(38:26):
she still loves sweet tea, but she really depends on
us for everything now she requires twenty four to seven
care and from a caregiver to do everything for her.
And it is very hard to watch your child. You know,
they start to blossom and they start to have a
(38:47):
little personality. I mean, she was so funny and a
little mean, She was a little bit of a mean puddler,
but she was so funny, you know, and she just
had this big personality. We always say she was like
a bull in a china shop. She was just aggressive,
but in the best way. She was just loud and
rambunctious and all of that and beautiful that she really was.
(39:10):
She was a little free spirit and to see all
of that slowly be taken away is heartbreaking. I mean,
there's no pretty way to talk about it. But at
the end of the day, I also want to put
an emphasis on the fact that she is still in there.
She still smiles, she still laughs, she still lights up
when me or her dad or her sister walk in
(39:32):
the room. She's happy.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
Yeah, Well, thank you for sharing that, because it's those small,
beautiful moments that you're describing, the laughter, the cuddles that
mind us of the power of love even in the
darkest times. Now, San Filipo doesn't just affect the child,
It touches the entire family. I mean, siblings. Siblings often
struggle with fear, confusion, and even the burden of understanding
(39:58):
something so rare. How has Hayden's diagnosedes impacted your older
daughter and your family dynamic, and how do you explain
this disease to her in a way that she can
understand or do you not?
Speaker 7 (40:11):
Fortunately, my oldest was in middle school when Hayden was diagnosed,
and she was very wise already for her age, and
I was able to just tell her the truth, which
is harden itself. To come to your other child and say,
your sibling has been diagnosed with this disease and this
(40:33):
is what this means, and that there is no cure.
It is terminal. She's going to pass at a younger
age than she should, but it definitely impacts her. I mean,
we all struggle with anxiety, now, we all struggle with
ways that grief impacts our life, and nobody prepares you
(40:54):
for that because it impacts every single person completely different.
The way it affects her, myself or my husband can
all show up in different ways, and we've all had
to do a lot of work to recognize that and
to support each other in the process.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
Yeah. Yeah, that perspective is so raw and real. It
reminds us that behind every diagnosis is a whole family
carrying the weight. And as the as the proverb says,
when you support one child you strengthen an entire village. Right,
So now let's talk about the hard part. Financially and emotionally.
Let's let's talk about those strains. So the average lifetime
(41:32):
cost of a care, the average lifetime cost of care
for a child with Sanfilippo can reach hundreds of thousands
of dollars, not including experimental therapies or clinical trial travel. Right,
families faced impossible choices between caregiving, fundraising, and simply surviving
the emotional toll. So what is the biggest stressor right now, financial,
(41:55):
emotional or both? And what kind of help do families
like yours most urgently need.
Speaker 7 (42:01):
I would say that very family to family. For us,
it's a mixture of both financial and emotional.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
I know a.
Speaker 7 (42:13):
Bunch of families in the San Felipa community, and I
can tell you that every single one faces different aspects
of what they need. But for us, it is both
financial and emotional.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Because it is.
Speaker 7 (42:28):
Hard to discuss with others just how big the emotional
toll is on your family, because there is no light
way to talk about it, even if you are not
trying to sound negative or depressing. But it is a
(42:49):
hard topic to discuss, and I can tell that it
makes people uncomfortable, and I don't judge them for that.
It is an uncomfortable topic. But this has also led
our family to have to discuss a lot of uncomfortable
topics that most people would say you shouldn't have to
think about or talk about, and we have had to
(43:12):
face them, you know. But financially yes as well, depending
we know with a lot of things with America, the
healthcare system can be difficult. Clinical trials can be hard
to come by, treatment options, all of these things, therapies,
(43:34):
it's a lot. Not only is it costly, it is
overwhelming mentally, and that ties into the emotional aspect. The
financial aspect ends up draining you emotionally trying to keep
up with all of it. I hope that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (43:51):
No, no, it does. I mean it's kind of.
Speaker 7 (43:53):
Like a spider web, and I feel like financially, mentally, emotionally,
all of it is webbed together.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
Under Yeah, you're one hundred percent right, and it's unthinkable
that families already fighting for their child's life have to
also fight for resources. And as you said, no family
should walk this journey alone. Now, with your large social
media platform, you've bravely faced trolls, ignorance, and cruel misconceptions.
(44:23):
Yet your advocacy has educated thousands about this disease. What
are the biggest stigmas or misconceptions about Sanfiellepo that you
want to shatter once and for all.
Speaker 7 (44:35):
I would say the idea that others have that bothers
myself and my husband the most is that a childlike Hayden,
who has a neuro degenerative disease and yes, her brain
is being damaged every day because of it, her entire
body is is this under or this thought process that
(44:57):
she does not feel or she does not understand, or
that she she is not aware of her surroundings, or
that she does not care about things. She may not
understand things like you and I. You know, she may
not understand the material world or I'm just trying to
think of idea like politics or different opinions, anything that
(45:20):
separates us and divides us. She may not understand all
of these things, but she is very aware of energy.
I mean, if you come in the room and you
are in a bad mood and you are putting off
negative energy, I can watch her give you signs to
get out of her bubble, and she does it to me.
(45:42):
If I'm in a place where I'm struggling that day,
she can look at me with her eyes and it's
like she's telling me, don't bring that over here. You know,
she's very aware of what's going on around her.
Speaker 3 (45:58):
She's here, she's a lie if I get to still
hug her and see her and she's happy and she's
not in pain and everything is controlled. And if we
can just have more time for a cure, for the
advancement by another ten years, you would take that. Yes,
you would take it. And while there is no cure yet,
(46:19):
there are promising clinical trials underway proof that progress is
possible with enough awareness and funding, and every donation brings
us closer to a breakthrough. So yes, Carrie, what gives
you hope today? And how can our listeners rally behind
your family and the fight to find a cure.
Speaker 7 (46:36):
The biggest area I have hope in is to see
the science, to see the research and that there are
promising treatments that could be available to help children like mine,
even if a cure would not save Hayden. At this point,
knowing that we are closer than we were when Hayden
(46:58):
was diagnosed means everything to me, and also the education
that is out there. When I started this five years ago,
shortly after Hayden was diagnosed, there was very little information
out there other than from other San Felipo families. And
now so many people and medical professionals are at least
(47:21):
familiar with the syndrome because of the power of social
media and advocacy.
Speaker 8 (47:27):
And.
Speaker 7 (47:29):
Other children have been diagnosed through Hayden's story, and now
these parents are also advocating. Many of them are.
Speaker 3 (47:36):
And that's beautiful. You are. You're doing God's work. Really
you are.
Speaker 7 (47:41):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (47:42):
Yeah, while we are at the end, my dear, thank
you so much for coming on to such a moving, incredible,
inspiring segment. I'm sending you nothing but love, big hogs
and kisses to Hayden and to your entire family. You
are such a trailblazer. I am so proud of you
and I'm honored that you came back on today.
Speaker 7 (47:59):
Thank you, Thanks so much for having me in. Hopefully
I'll be back in the future.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
That was today's we Plate Forward segment featuring Carry Fowler, advocate,
author and devoted mama to Hayden, who is bravely battling
San Filipo syndrome. To learn more, to donate, and to
join the fight, please visit. You can go to Ad
Hayden's Hope directly on the ground and remember when we
plate forward, hope has a chance to grow. You could
head directly to our foundation at weplate Forward Foundation dot
(48:24):
org and you can check out Cure San Filipo at
Curesanfilibofoundation dot org as well. You're listening to a moment
of Zen right here on seven to ten wo R,
the voice of New York iHeartRadio. We'll be right back
after this.
Speaker 2 (48:37):
A moment of Zen is brought to you by toward
Torna Promotions, specializing in white Love, digital marketing, social media management,
professional videography and PR services. Based in New York City
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Speaker 3 (49:07):
Welcome back, my beautiful friends. You're listening to a moment
of Zen, I'm your host Zen Sam's in our Brain
Blueprint Express segment brought to you by the Malilo Centers.
Zevda Arslan, a nervous system practitioner and director of peaceful
programs based in Australia, shares the remarkable transformations she's seen
through the Malilo method.
Speaker 5 (49:27):
I met doctor Robert Malilo in November twenty twenty four.
I have seen family's kids transform. The Malilla methods not
just a method. It brings the soul back into the home.
Speaker 3 (49:42):
How do I know this?
Speaker 5 (49:44):
I work on the nervous system of mum, nervous system
of child, and I reconnect to them. I rebond them.
And the best way to understand what's happening each brain
is by understanding the brain stem. And through the Malilla method,
I got to mur so much. I have seen transformation
from nonverbal of just a child saying Bubba on repeat
(50:08):
to within ten months say Mummy, are you okay?
Speaker 3 (50:13):
Would you like some water?
Speaker 5 (50:15):
This is not just words going from nonverbal to verbal.
This is a child learning empathy, learning facial expression, understanding
concepts and the environment around them. I have seen children
learn how to suppress their fight response and their reflexes
to having a more reflective and pausing method to.
Speaker 3 (50:39):
Just respond to life.
Speaker 5 (50:41):
This is a breathtaking method and it's for families that
invest in their kits. The nervous system is a big
deal and as a practitioner, I am able to now
understand what happened in the womb, what happened to that
baby's left and right brain. How does that baby choosing
one side of the group affect their ability to speak
(51:05):
and reflex and eat. These are all the answers that
doctor Robert Malilo gave to me in November twenty twenty four,
and throughout this journey, I have seen so many kids
go from nonverbal to verbal. I have seen children relax,
take care and control of the nervous system. As a
nervous system practitioner and I help mums and kids bond.
(51:29):
The best way to bond is understanding what's happening in
your brain, what's happening in your child's brain. If you
need to make change in your life, please do not
have this as your last resort, have as your first result.
Speaker 2 (51:46):
A Moment of Zen is brought to you by your
Home TV with Kathy Ireland and their channel partners. Head
to your Home TV dot com for free family friendly
programming streaming twenty four to seven.
Speaker 3 (51:58):
In business and in life, there is always aside. Finding
it is often the challenge. Having a mindset that looks
for it and embraces problems as opportunities is the key
to thriving. Finding the upside with Maria de Lorenzis, Rays
explores the transformative power of optimism, featuring visionary business owners,
influential leaders, and inspiring everyday people. Tune in and see
(52:18):
how they navigate changing conditions with optimism and innovation. Watch
the special series One Tough Chick, highlighting resilient and powerful women,
streaming on your Home TV dot com.
Speaker 2 (52:29):
Tune into a Moment of Zen Saturday nights from nine
to ten pm on seven ten WR, The Voice of
New York.
Speaker 3 (52:35):
Thanks for tuning in to a Moment of Zen right
here on seven ten WR, the Voice of New York iHeartRadio.
Remember to join me right here on seven ten WR,
the Voice of New York, every Saturday night from nine
to ten pm, or you could head to seven ten
WR dot iHeart dot com. Forward slash a moment of Zen,
and also remember that we're live on Traverse TV Sundays
(52:58):
at one pm Eastern, YouTube upload Sundays at two pm Eastern,
and all episodes of a Moment of Zen are now
available on your home TV streaming platform. You could head
directly to mox dot orhometv dot com. Thank you for
listening to a Moment of Zen. It's been an absolute
pleasure being your host. Thanks again to all of our
sponsors that continue to make this show possible. And remember
(53:19):
that happiness is the only thing that multiplies when you
share it. We'll be back next week.
Speaker 1 (53:23):
The proceeding was a paid podcast. iHeartRadio's hosting of this
podcast constitutes neither an endorsement of the products offered or
the ideas expressed.
The following is a paid podcast. iHeartRadio's hosting of this
podcast constitutes neither an endorsement of the products offered or
the ideas expressed.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome to a Moment of Zen. Time to sit back
and relax. As model, actress, mentor and super mom, Zen
SAMs takes you on a sexy and wild ride covering
the latest in film, fashion, pop culture, cryptocurrency, fintech, cannabis,
and entertainment from the millennial mom's perspective. Here's your host,
(00:29):
Zen SAMs.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Welcome back, beautiful Try State Area. You're listening to a
moment of Zen right here on seven ten. Woar the
voice of New York iHeartRadio. I'm your host, Zen SAMs,
Episode two hundred and thirty six. That's right, we're celebrating
six years on the air. Here's to another exciting episode.
It's always a pleasure to spend my time with you
on the airwaves. Thank you for tuning in every Saturday
(00:52):
night and engaging with me on Instagram and social media.
That truly makes it all worthwhile. Please continue to follow
me at Zen Sam's That's Zen with an X, not
a z X E N S A MS, and remember
all episodes of a Moment of Zen are available on
our YouTube channel Sundays at two pm via digital streaming,
(01:13):
and you can also check us out on your home
TV platform directly on our channel at mox dot yourhometv
dot com. Alongside our experts on the microphone, we cover film, fashion,
pop culture, cryptocurrency, cannabis, fintech and health and everything in
between from the millennial mom's perspective. Today, we have an
incredible lineup of conversations that fuel the body, the mind
(01:35):
and the heart. And the Clean Collective segment brought to
you by Society Brands. We're featuring Michael Surpilla, co founder
and CEO of Society Brands. We're going to dive into
scaling the wellness movement, how Society Brands champions founders and
clean living in the Going Deep segment, brought to you
by Co two Lift. Today, we're featuring Eve Udon. She's
(01:55):
the owner of s Bos Skins in Montreal, one of
Canada's top clin in Quebec. She's going to join me
today to chat about trending treatments, personalized care and how
investing in proper skincare helps you glow not just on
the outside but also feel your best on the inside.
In today's We Play Forward series, we're spotlighting a rare
(02:16):
and devastating disease, san Filipo syndrome, sometimes referred to as
childhood Alzheimer's. We're shedding light on this devastating reality, and
joining us is Carrie Fowler, an influencer, medical Mama, author
and fierce advocate for her daughter Hayden, who is courageously
battling San Filipo syndrome. In our Brain Blueprint Express segment
(02:37):
brought to you by the Mililo Centers, sevda Arslan, a
nervous system practitioner and director of peaceful programs based in Australia,
shares the remarkable transformations she's seen through the Mililo method
with children going from nonverbal to verbal and finally finding
space and relaxing their nervous systems. In our Health Tip
(02:57):
of the Week, brought to you by Cispera, today, we
bring you an important reminder for your skin. Despite the
cool fall tempts that UV exposure still remains strong. Tune
into the tips we're about to share with you, stay tuned.
Coming up next is Michael Surpilla, co founder and CEO
of society rans diving into scaling the wellness movement. You're
listening to a moment of Zen. I'm your host, Zenzams.
(03:19):
We'll be right back after this.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
A Moment of Zen is brought to you by your
Home TV with Kathy Ireland and their channel partners. Head
to your Home TV dot com for free, family friendly
programming streaming twenty four to seven.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
The Kelly Williams Show is brought to you by Serendipity,
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Kelly Williams is full of energy and incredible guests. Watch
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Speaker 2 (03:53):
Tune into a Moment of Zen Saturday nights from nine
to ten pm on seven to ten WOR The Voice
of New York.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Welcome back, beautiful Tri State Area. You're listening to a
moment of Zen right here on seven to ten WR
the Voice of New York iHeartRadio. I'm your host, Zenzam's
Welcome back to the Clean Collective segment brought to you
by Society Brands. Today, we're diving into scaling the wellness movement.
House Society Brands champions founders and clean living. Consider this,
(04:20):
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans are exposed to
over eighty thousand chemicals in their environment, with less than
ten percent tested for safety. And at the same time,
the global clean beauty and wellness market is on fire,
projected to reach sixteen billion dollars by twenty twenty seven,
growing at nearly double the rate of conventional beauty products.
(04:41):
Consumers are speaking loud and clear. They want products free
of toxins, transparency from brands, and values that align with wellness.
And that's exactly where Society Brands comes in, uniting clean
talks and free companies under one powerful platform and helping
founders scale without compromising their mission. Our guest today, Michael Surpilla,
co founder and CEO of Society Brands, has built and
(05:04):
scaled companies from the ground up, including taking a health
management business from zero to one hundred and fifty million
in revenue in just five years. Under his leadership, Society
Brands has raised over two hundred million dollars to acquire
and grow e commerce brands creating a collective that is
reshaping how Talks and Free Living reaches the world. Welcoming
(05:24):
down to the show is the incredible Michael Surpilla.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Welcome, superstar Zen, thanks so much for having me on.
I'm excited to be here today.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
All right, let's dive in. So why one hundred percent
Talks and free right? Nielsen IQ reports that seventy eight
percent of consumers now prioritize wellness in their buying decisions,
and nearly seventy percent actively seek quote unquote clean labels
on products. Yet the US still only bans eleven cosmetic
ingredients compared to over sixteen hundred in the European community.
(05:55):
So why did Society Brands choose to focus entirely on
talks and Free living? And why is this mission so
critical right now?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Well, first off, let me back up. It hasn't always
been the case. Society Brands several years ago was a
little bit more broad from a category perspective. We started
off on Amazon centric brands, category agnostic anywhere from wobble
chairs to kilts in a number of different things. And
by the way, love those products. I think that they
(06:24):
serve a great purpose. But two years ago I really
started thinking, like, what are who do we want to
be when we grow up as an organization? What difference
do we want to make? And my favorite, actually one
of my favorite quotes is from Martin Luther King, and
he said, a man who's not willing to die for
something isn't fit to live. We felt that clean and
(06:45):
toxin free in on and around your body was the
movement that we could really spearhead going forward. So that's
what we did. We ended up pivoting a couple of
years ago and started acquiring incredible health and wellness and beauty,
et cetera brands that we feel could make a huge
different in the world. So, yeah, it's exciting to feel
(07:08):
like you're actually part of something it's bigger than yourself
and me as the CEO and co founder of the company,
I'm excited to say that I wake up every single
day excited to go to work. I have three kids
and hopefully when they see their father go to work
every single day. But I always say is I'm trying
to make a difference in the world. We serve four
million consumers every single year, and I feel like we
(07:31):
do a good thing.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Well, that's a powerful perspective, and it's not about following
the market, right, it's about raising the standard and that's
what you're doing. So you're definitely in that headed in
that right direction. So let's talk about what qualities do
you look for and founders in general when we talk
about it, because behind every meaningful brand is a founder
like you with a story, and research from startup Genome
shows that founder dynamics are among the top three factors
(07:56):
that determine a startup success or failure. Society brands, you're
essentially betting on people just as much as products. So
what qualities do you look do you look for in
a founder before you bring them into your ecosystem.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
So one thing that we look for is do they
want to be a team player, Because there's some entrepreneurs
that really just want to do their own thing. They
want to be a lone wolf, and there's genuinely nothing
wrong with that. But if somebody is going to join
the society, they want to they need to be part
of something that's bigger than themselves. That's actually one of
our core values is society committed. We want founders that
(08:35):
want to be part of the bigger vision. As to
what we're building as an organization. The second thing is resilience.
Entrepreneurship is not easy. But if somebody is resilient and
willing to just go through a great deal of pain,
and in entrepreneurship you deal with pain, pain actually comes
(08:55):
first and then success comes second. It's not the other
way around. If somebody is looking to just make a
quick buck build a brand and not realize that, hey,
there's other levels that they need to get to in
order to experience success, and you're on that next level,
you're going to again experience pain over and over again.
(09:15):
Those resilient founders, I would say, is something that we
really look for.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Exactly you said it. It's about it's also about shared
purpose and long term alignment, not just that short term profit.
And that starts with exactly the founders too. So let's
chat about how the model helps founders scale. So so
many founders in the clean beauty and wellness space start
with incredible passion but plateau because they lack capital, distribution
(09:40):
or data driven insights. In fact, the twenty twenty twenty
twenty three Shopify report showed that forty five percent of
small wellness brands cite scaling as their biggest barrier to survival.
So how does the society brand's model specifically help these
founders scale while still staying true to their mission.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
So I'd say a lot of it has to do
with market So the way that most direct consumer brands
scale is through performance marketing, primarily through Google and Meta.
And there's only so much of an audience that you
have in those networks. Now, obviously it's vast, but as
a brand grows from zero to five million, to ten million,
(10:18):
to twenty million or even thirty or forty million dollars revenue,
you eventually hit this glass ceiling to where that typical
direct response marketing isn't going to work long term. It's
not going to take you again to that next level.
As I mentioned previously, resilience, you need to actually start
doing top of funnel marketing brand marketing, much like what
we do here with Zen in iHeart is it's more
(10:42):
top of funnel. It's brand awareness. Knowing whose society brands is,
know who our collective portfolio companies are. Those are the
type of initiatives that brands need to do eventually. So
oftentimes when founders come to us, they've gotten to a
place to where they've scaled their direct response marketing to
that they're still seeing growth, but it's starting to plateau
(11:04):
and they need to partner with a company like Society
to really truly build a brand that could be omnipresent.
That's something that when you actually know of that brand,
not just simply know the ads. And the interesting thing
is with brand marketing over time is you get to
a place to where your customer acquisition costs decreases. That's
(11:25):
something that oftentimes happens when brands partner with Society, So
that's a huge aspect. Another thing is product development. Oftentimes
a founder just is the sole product or the CEO.
They're everything to their business and then they're oftentimes the
product development officer as well. We have a product development team,
(11:46):
we have operations, logistics. A lot of the noise in
minutia that brand founders go through on a daily basis
we take over. We offer a shared service model that
can help them really focus on their vision for their brand,
so instead of focusing on everything, they could focus on
the core priorities for their business.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Now, building and maintaining consumer trust is a big one,
So how do you make sure that when these brands
scale under society, they maintain transparency and credibility with consumers.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Yeah, so one thing is we do a lot of
efficacy testing. Like we believe that it's important on what
you put into your body and on your body and
around your body, hence our slogan in on a round.
But so one thing is doing a ton of efficacy testing.
And number two, we partner with celebrities, influencers, creators that
(12:40):
already have a strong presence online that resonate with this
mission as well, and they're careful as to what they
put in front of their listeners. Obviously we're talking to
Zenzm's here she is. I have no doubt that you
thoroughly vet who you're bringing in front of your audience.
Those are the types of partners that we bring to
the table, and we love that high standard that people
(13:02):
like Zen has before bringing somebody in front of your audience. Zen,
that's another aspect that we do is find partners that
already have a trusted audience like Zen has, and already
has credibility and health and wellness and clean movement space exactly.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Trust is fragile, right, Michael, you said it, and it
has to be protected at every stage of growth, and
I love that you guys keep that at the forefront
of your mission. So let' chat about the vision ahead.
You're not just scaling individual brands, you're building a collective
right And of course when you look at the reviews,
Harvard Business notes that platform based models scale faster and
(13:41):
more sustainably than traditional companies because they create shared resources
and data loops. So what's your long term vision for
Society brands in five years? How do you see your
company shaping the future of toxic free wellness?
Speaker 4 (13:55):
So it's really a few things. So number one, we
want to become the undisputed platform form for toks and
free functional health personal care products in on and around
your body. So that's number one. The second thing is
is we want to have a household of portfolio of
thirty plus mission driven brands that consumers trust as the
default for their clean choice. We want them to go
(14:18):
to us first, not go search Google first and then
find us. That's a key differentiator. The third thing is
we want to be able to establish a unified Society
standard of ingredients. When people see the Society brand's logo
and you could actually see like our o is kind
of like turned in kind of a funky way. We
(14:38):
want that to be something. When somebody sees that, oh,
they know that it stands for the highest quality and
highest efficacy. The second thing is use scale to make
clean affordable because candidly, right now, as it sits today,
I don't know that clean is affordable to everybody. We
want it to be affordable to every Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
So entrepreneurship in wellness is exploding.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
Right.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
So for founders listening right now who dream of building
something lasting or maybe even joining society brands one day,
what advice would you give them?
Speaker 4 (15:13):
Just focus on the customer and focus on a unique
value proposition that you could bring to the marketplace. It's
it's backwards when you focus on profit first, Focus on
purpose first, profit second. It's not that profit is not important,
but you will not get the profit if you don't
focus on the purpose. Again, you need to have something
(15:35):
that is so meaningful that moves you in a way
that it's compelling for you to sell your product. If
you don't have that compelling vision, and if you don't
know what your unique value proposition is as an entrepreneur,
as a brand, as a company, as a father, Right,
Like I believe, and I go back to my kids
(15:57):
just for a second, I think of what we're doing
doing it. Society Brands on like, how am I being
a role model to my children? And would I want
them to be doing something like what I'm doing today?
And I could answer without a shadow of a doubt
that that answer is yes. So being able to have
something that you're so excited about, it's easy to get
(16:18):
people to follow you on that journey as an entrepreneur
if you are focused on.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
Now, Michael, this has been an incredibly insightful conversation. It's
truly about the team and great people. So thank you
for this conversation. Thank you so for our listeners and
viewers out there. If you want to learn more, you
can visit Society Brands dot com and follow along on
their journey to Scale talks and free living. This is
the clean collective segment brought to you by Society Brands,
(16:43):
because what goes on and around your body should be
as safe as what goes in it. To follow them,
check them out on the Gram, at Society, Underscore Brands Underscore,
and at Michael dot Surpilla. You can also find him
on LinkedIn, where he is most active listening to a
moment of Zen. Right here on seven ten wore the
voice of your Guyheartradio. We'll be right back after this.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
A Moment of Zen is brought to you by Kleinomic.
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(17:27):
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A Moment of Zen is brought to you by Westbridge
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understood neurodiverse K through twelve Students, many facing ADHD, anxiety,
(17:47):
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Speaker 3 (18:06):
Welcome back, beautiful Tri State area. You're listening to a
moment of Zen right here on seven ten WR, the
voice of New york iHeartRadio. I'm your host, Zen Sans.
Welcome back to the Going Deep segment brought to you
by Co two Lyft. Today in the Expert on the
Microphone series, we're featuring Ive Udon't. She's the owner of
EsPAS Skins in Montreal, one of Canada's pop clinics in Quebec.
(18:30):
For over fifteen years, her medical aesthetic clinic has welcomed
high profile and celebrity clients, offering a full range of
treatments from skin tightening, to rejuvenation, to rehydration and so
much more, all designed to give your skin and body
the care they deserve. She's going to join me today
to chat about trending treatments, personalized care, and how investing
(18:50):
in proper skincare helps you glow not just on the outside,
but also feel your best on the inside. Welcome to
the show, superstar, Thank you very much. Hello, Hello, so
excited to have you so. You've been immersed in the
skincare and medical aesthetics world for over fifteen years and
during that time, both patient preferences and technologies have shifted
(19:14):
drastically and they continue to evolve. So, as the owner
of a top medical aesthetics clinic in Montreal, Canada, one
of the top cities everybody comes to, it's important to
keep your finger on the pulse and stay up to
date with both these areas. So, how have you seen
the field evolve in terms of patient preferences and how
(19:34):
have the products and treatments you've chosen to offer reflect
or even anticipated this evolution in Montreal?
Speaker 6 (19:42):
For us, it's like a mix of both is really important.
Speaker 7 (19:46):
It's not only the medical and it's not.
Speaker 6 (19:49):
Only for example, laser, but it's a mix of facials,
peeling and good skincare at home that.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
We saw through the years that was really really important.
Speaker 6 (20:01):
And this is where where first the experience is amazing
for clients because they don't they just don't do laser.
You know, they come and they can relax and have
an experience.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
But at the same time, when we mix both, when
we mix like facial with laser or facial with.
Speaker 6 (20:20):
Skincare and everything, I think for me, we saw the
best result on them.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
And and and what are some of the top skin concerns,
whether on the face or body, that your clients are
looking to address.
Speaker 6 (20:33):
For us, we have body, but we do mostly We're
well known in Montreal for for face. For us that
we treat mostly where we have like a specialty in roseatiha,
inflammation and acne.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
Wow. Okay, so you cover the main You cover those
main top three concerns that most people are coming and
complaining about. And it makes it makes a lot of
sense because when you look at the surveys, they show
that over sixty percent of people cite uneven skin tone,
fine lines, or sagging as their biggest confidence drainers. So
(21:09):
what they're coming in complaining about clearly is playing into
what you need to start fixing from within. Now let's
bring COEO two Lift into the picture. So both the
CO two lift pro treatment and Moose have become very
popular in medical aesthetics, two products I know you offer
at your clinic. And while CO two Lift has impressive
monotherapy benefits, they also are popularly used in conjunction with
(21:34):
other treatments. So I'd love to know how do you
incorporate COE two lift to complement or even enhance the
results of other treatments you offer and what specific benefits
do your client's experience. Yeah, people come at the.
Speaker 6 (21:46):
Clinic, they have a facial and through the facial we
put the mask and we enhance other like we do
infusion by averagen, which which we inhue and then we
put the mask over it for forty five minutes, and
then through the forty five minutes they have like a
(22:07):
really big massage.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
We infuse you know, the neck and here.
Speaker 6 (22:12):
So it's like an experience. So at the end when
they go out, it's really they are repulped, hydrate, less inflammated,
so and at the same time they have an experience. Yeah,
this is one way we sell it. The other way
is that we do like laser peeling, micro kneeling, like
(22:34):
more medical treatment, and then at the end we put
the mask and they leave the clinic with it.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
It's a treatment, right because I know it's in the
form of a mask. But this is very much for
those listening carboxy therapy where you get that neo angiogenesis
that increased hydration statistically by one hundred and seventeen percent
per treatment, per application, per use, So we are really
seeing that skin come alive again and regenerate, and you
(23:03):
really see it in real time. Go ahead, Well, this
is the reason why.
Speaker 6 (23:07):
We decided to have it at the clinic because we
saw the result instantly, and it's pretty rare, you know
when you have skincare where you see results right away.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
So I know you also use COEO to live for
patients who struggle with roseesha. Can you share a bit
about that.
Speaker 6 (23:25):
We have the after treatment, but we have the skincare
at home too, So people that has rose shop like
me and I'm the kind of my type of skin
is like that.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
To do the cure at home three.
Speaker 6 (23:39):
Masks every I would say three weeks, four weeks, it depends.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
It's amazing, you know, you see difference in your plus
it enhance the skincare that you have at home. Yes,
it's another modality to combo therapy with whatever your skin
care routine is. And I love that, especially considering when
you talk about rosetiha that affects and estimated sixteen million Americans,
probably even more so Canadians, and yet so many people
(24:07):
still don't know solutions that exist. So I love that
you're using this carboxy therapy treatment in the form of
aiding and helping really mend those unwanted skincare issues that
come with rosesa. Now, we could talk all day about
popular treatments, but it's important to remember that all skin
(24:27):
is different and no treatment plan is a one size
fits all. This is where individualized care truly makes a difference.
So Eve, can you walk us through how you and
your team create personalized treatment plans for each client to
ensure that optimal and long lasting results and how do
factors like lifestyle and skin type and specific concerns influence
(24:48):
the treatments that you recommend. It's exactly you just said
it right.
Speaker 6 (24:53):
When people come into clinic, they most most of the
time they want something fast, you know, they want it
change fast. But that's not the way it works, right.
We always yes, change needs to be made. For example,
when you have acne or you have roseesiha you want
to do you're doing always hot yoga.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
I give you an example.
Speaker 6 (25:13):
That's things that we will say to the client which
some things needs to be changed.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
You know, when you have milasma, if you.
Speaker 6 (25:20):
Don't protect yourself, some things needs to be changed. So
the client needs to have its own routine at home,
which is really important. So we have that personal consultation
where we explain what will be the steps, right, and
it's important that they follow it.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
If they don't, it's like investing for nothing. Right.
Speaker 6 (25:43):
They have a responsibility at home with their skincare that
we will provide it either if it's for acne or
rosea sha, milasma, fin lines, wrinkle, you know.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
And in the clinic when they come, we take time
with them.
Speaker 6 (25:59):
Of course, we have consultation and we adjust each treatment.
Is adjust to the type of skin and the type
of human and lifestyle they have because we're so different, right,
so we adapt and we adjust and we do.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
For us my esthetition.
Speaker 6 (26:21):
They have mostly like personal accounts on Instagram and everything,
and we do follow ups with the clients, very personalized
follow up. We found out that's the way it works, right.
We make sure that they do their routine. Is we
ask questions everything is good, you know, do they have
like effect after the treatment good or bad? Then we adjust,
(26:46):
you know, the same thing with the skincare. And this
is how we have good result making like a really
close follow up with the client.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
Right, I really appreciate that and going one step further.
While professional treatments can do a lot maintaining that healthy,
radiant skin also depends on what, like what you said,
what clients do at home. So in your expert opinion,
how important is a consistent at home skincare routine in
achieving and sustaining the results of in office treatments And
are there any practices or products that you recommend to
(27:17):
help clients care for their skin between visits.
Speaker 6 (27:21):
Fifty percent of the job is at home with the
skincare routine. It doesn't need to be like a really
long skincare because we don't have all the same you know,
the men's with our skin. But we need to have
the basic you know, like a good cleanser, as good sunblock,
(27:42):
you know, a good hydration and then after when you
want to address things or you're getting older, than a
good vitenmency. You know, all those things are important, but
you go through the years or you go through what
you're looking for. But I think for the base, it's
really important to have the good skincare.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Now, before we wrap up, let's touch on your skincare philosophy.
So you often describe the treatments that your clinic is
giving the skin and body the care they deserve. So
can you talk about why this mindset is so important
in your opinion, how this taking care of the skin
contribute not just to looking better but to feeling better
And why should people prioritize investing in proper skin care. Well,
(28:27):
we saw so.
Speaker 6 (28:28):
Many good storiet at the clinics since the past fifteen years.
And all people come, they have acne and they tell
us like I never went out from my house without makeup,
like never, And then after one year, because it's a.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Process, we don't do this in two months.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
For example, somebody that has ten years of acne, well
they come after one year, they don't have any acne anymore.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
They control it at home and everything, and they say,
oh my god, it changed my life.
Speaker 7 (28:57):
You know.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
So instead of going, for.
Speaker 6 (29:00):
Example, taking medication, antibiotic or anything, we do. The process
is longer, but we change the perception of the person they.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
Have of them, you know.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
And this is I think for us that is in
the skincare industry where sometimes it's very you know, you know,
beauty and everything to have those kind of change, you know,
even with hair removal, when we do laser women that
have hair upper lip or on their chin, you know,
(29:34):
it makes a big difference on their confidence and for me.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
This is why I love to do what I do. Wow,
beautifully said, and honestly it's backed by science. Studies show
people who feel good about their skin report up to
thirty five percent higher overall quality of life. You know
that the science doesn't lie. We We are at the
end of our date, my dear Eve, Thank you so
much for coming on. I learned a lot about you
(29:57):
and your business, and when I come to Montreal, I
will be visiting you exactly. Come and see us please.
That was our going Deep segment brought to you by
Co two Lift, and that was the incredible Eve udon't
the owner of E Space Skins in Montreal, one of
Canada's pop clinics in Quebec. You can check them out
online at Skinsmontreal dot com and on the gram at
(30:18):
e Space Skins Montreal. You're listening to a Moment of Zen.
I'm your host, Zen Sam's We'll be right back after this.
Speaker 8 (30:26):
A Moment of Zen is brought to you by Co
two Lift. As we age, our skin loses moisture and elasticity,
causing wrinkled skin. You can reverse this aging process with
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(30:47):
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Speaker 3 (31:25):
Welcome back, beautiful Tri State area. You're listening to a
moment of Zen right here on seven to ten wr
the voice of New york iHeartRadio. I'm your host, Zenzam's
in our health Tip of the Week brought to you
by Sispera. Today we bring an important reminder for your skin.
Even though fall may feel cooler, the UV exposure still
remains strong, especially during outdoor activities like hiking, apple picking,
(31:49):
or late season beach days. Continue to wear protective clothing
and reapply sun protection if you'll be outside for extended periods.
Don't be fooled by overcast skies. UV ra penetrate clouds
and still affect your skin. Staying mindful of sun safety
year round helps prevent premature aging and protects against long
term skin damage. That was our health tip of the week,
(32:11):
brought to you by Spera. Be sure to check them
out online at sispera dot com and on the gram
at Sispera. We'll be right back after this.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
A Moment of Zen is brought to you by Cispera.
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Speaker 3 (33:19):
Welcome back, beautiful Tri State Area. You're listening to a
moment of Zen right here on seven to ten war,
the voice of New York iHeartRadio. I'm your host, Zenzam's.
In today's We Play It Forward series, we're spotlighting a
rare and devastating disease, san Filipo syndrome, sometimes referred to
as childhood Alzheimer's. This genetic disorder affects fewer than five
(33:41):
thousand children in the United States, yet yet its impact
is staggering. Children who appear perfectly healthy at birth begin
to lose speech, mobility, and memory, with most only living
into their teenage years. As one researcher put it, san
Filipo is like Alzheimer's in children, only moves much faster.
Joining us today is Carrie Fowler. She's an influencer, a
(34:03):
medical mama, an author, and a fierce advocate for her daughter, Hayden,
who is courageously battling san Filipo. With over half a
million followers, Carrie has turned her heartbreak into advocacy, giving
Hayden a voice and rallying for funding to find a cure.
Through her work, Carrie brings hope, connection and honesty to
conversations about rare diseases, genetics, caregiving, grief, and resilience. She's
(34:26):
joining us right now. Welcome to the show, superstar.
Speaker 7 (34:28):
I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
Thanks for having me absolutely. So let's get into some
of these facts. San Filipo effects about one and seventy
thousand births, but because symptoms mimic autism or developmental delays,
many families spend years searching for answers. So Carrie, can
you walk us through Hayden's journey to diagnoses, how long
did it take to get real answers and what do
(34:52):
you wish more parents and doctors knew about those early
warning signs, so.
Speaker 7 (34:56):
Hayden was born seemingly healthy. She passed all pre and
post natal screenings. San Felippo syndrome was not tested for
at the time of her birth. Between the ages of
two to three is when we began to notice some
developmental delays, like a speech delay, and we wondered how
much she was fully understanding and comprehending. But she was
(35:21):
very different from my oldest child that was always ahead
of her age group, so we didn't really put too
much emphasis on comparing the two because every child is different,
and she had passed all of her milestones the first
couple of years up until two to three with flying colors.
Aside from it took her a little bit longer to
(35:44):
walk because she had a tight achilles tendon a muscle contracture,
and that was one of the first key signs of
san Felipo syndrome, but we did not know and doctors
did not know either. She had chronic ear infections sinus infections,
again something many children deal with regularly despite any genetic conditions,
(36:06):
but by age three, due to the developmental delays, we
had her tested and she was diagnosed with autism and
we put her in therapies. She did make some progress
between physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy between ages
three to five, but by age five she was regressing
(36:30):
majorly again, a lot of the progress we had made
was going backwards. She had a lot of fear. We
began to notice what you would call sundowning episodes in
an elderly patient with dementia, and we did not know
what that was at the time, but that's what we
were beginning to notice in her around age five and
(36:53):
no longer sleeping, just all kinds of issues. And I
kept searching for answers. Started with trying to understand more
about autism, asking questions, watching every documentary, reading every book,
talking to other autism parents, trying to understand my child more.
To some way, I came across genetic screening and turns
(37:17):
out that she had san Felipa syndrome.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Yeah, I mean, your story is a is a very
powerful reminder that awareness saves lives. You know, as Maya
Angela once said when you know better, you do better.
So the more we know, the faster we can help families.
And really its awareness and its research because once you
know you carry that mutation, you will make different choices. Yes,
and the human face of the disease is something I
(37:43):
really want to talk about because once San Filipo parent
described it as like watching your child fade away in
slow motion, and that's heart that's a heartbreaking reality families
face every day. How has san Filipo affected Hayden's daily
life today and what moments do you cherish most as
you navigate this journey with her.
Speaker 7 (38:04):
Yes, by age six, she lost her ability to talk,
and now she is ten and she can no longer walk.
She has a feeding tube. She can have very soft
foods by mouth on a good day when she is
handling it well and can swallow safely. Or you know,
(38:26):
she still loves sweet tea, but she really depends on
us for everything now she requires twenty four to seven
care and from a caregiver to do everything for her.
And it is very hard to watch your child. You know,
they start to blossom and they start to have a
(38:47):
little personality. I mean, she was so funny and a
little mean, She was a little bit of a mean puddler,
but she was so funny, you know, and she just
had this big personality. We always say she was like
a bull in a china shop. She was just aggressive,
but in the best way. She was just loud and
rambunctious and all of that and beautiful that she really was.
(39:10):
She was a little free spirit and to see all
of that slowly be taken away is heartbreaking. I mean,
there's no pretty way to talk about it. But at
the end of the day, I also want to put
an emphasis on the fact that she is still in there.
She still smiles, she still laughs, she still lights up
when me or her dad or her sister walk in
(39:32):
the room. She's happy.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
Yeah, Well, thank you for sharing that, because it's those small,
beautiful moments that you're describing, the laughter, the cuddles that
mind us of the power of love even in the
darkest times. Now, San Filipo doesn't just affect the child,
It touches the entire family. I mean, siblings. Siblings often
struggle with fear, confusion, and even the burden of understanding
(39:58):
something so rare. How has Hayden's diagnosedes impacted your older
daughter and your family dynamic, and how do you explain
this disease to her in a way that she can
understand or do you not?
Speaker 7 (40:11):
Fortunately, my oldest was in middle school when Hayden was diagnosed,
and she was very wise already for her age, and
I was able to just tell her the truth, which
is harden itself. To come to your other child and say,
your sibling has been diagnosed with this disease and this
(40:33):
is what this means, and that there is no cure.
It is terminal. She's going to pass at a younger
age than she should, but it definitely impacts her. I mean,
we all struggle with anxiety, now, we all struggle with
ways that grief impacts our life, and nobody prepares you
(40:54):
for that because it impacts every single person completely different.
The way it affects her, myself or my husband can
all show up in different ways, and we've all had
to do a lot of work to recognize that and
to support each other in the process.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
Yeah. Yeah, that perspective is so raw and real. It
reminds us that behind every diagnosis is a whole family
carrying the weight. And as the as the proverb says,
when you support one child you strengthen an entire village. Right,
So now let's talk about the hard part. Financially and emotionally.
Let's let's talk about those strains. So the average lifetime
(41:32):
cost of a care, the average lifetime cost of care
for a child with Sanfilippo can reach hundreds of thousands
of dollars, not including experimental therapies or clinical trial travel. Right,
families faced impossible choices between caregiving, fundraising, and simply surviving
the emotional toll. So what is the biggest stressor right now, financial,
(41:55):
emotional or both? And what kind of help do families
like yours most urgently need.
Speaker 7 (42:01):
I would say that very family to family. For us,
it's a mixture of both financial and emotional.
Speaker 3 (42:11):
I know a.
Speaker 7 (42:13):
Bunch of families in the San Felipa community, and I
can tell you that every single one faces different aspects
of what they need. But for us, it is both
financial and emotional.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
Because it is.
Speaker 7 (42:28):
Hard to discuss with others just how big the emotional
toll is on your family, because there is no light
way to talk about it, even if you are not
trying to sound negative or depressing. But it is a
(42:49):
hard topic to discuss, and I can tell that it
makes people uncomfortable, and I don't judge them for that.
It is an uncomfortable topic. But this has also led
our family to have to discuss a lot of uncomfortable
topics that most people would say you shouldn't have to
think about or talk about, and we have had to
(43:12):
face them, you know. But financially yes as well, depending
we know with a lot of things with America, the
healthcare system can be difficult. Clinical trials can be hard
to come by, treatment options, all of these things, therapies,
(43:34):
it's a lot. Not only is it costly, it is
overwhelming mentally, and that ties into the emotional aspect. The
financial aspect ends up draining you emotionally trying to keep
up with all of it. I hope that makes sense.
Speaker 3 (43:51):
No, no, it does. I mean it's kind of.
Speaker 7 (43:53):
Like a spider web, and I feel like financially, mentally, emotionally,
all of it is webbed together.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
Under Yeah, you're one hundred percent right, and it's unthinkable
that families already fighting for their child's life have to
also fight for resources. And as you said, no family
should walk this journey alone. Now, with your large social
media platform, you've bravely faced trolls, ignorance, and cruel misconceptions.
(44:23):
Yet your advocacy has educated thousands about this disease. What
are the biggest stigmas or misconceptions about Sanfiellepo that you
want to shatter once and for all.
Speaker 7 (44:35):
I would say the idea that others have that bothers
myself and my husband the most is that a childlike Hayden,
who has a neuro degenerative disease and yes, her brain
is being damaged every day because of it, her entire
body is is this under or this thought process that
(44:57):
she does not feel or she does not understand, or
that she she is not aware of her surroundings, or
that she does not care about things. She may not
understand things like you and I. You know, she may
not understand the material world or I'm just trying to
think of idea like politics or different opinions, anything that
(45:20):
separates us and divides us. She may not understand all
of these things, but she is very aware of energy.
I mean, if you come in the room and you
are in a bad mood and you are putting off
negative energy, I can watch her give you signs to
get out of her bubble, and she does it to me.
(45:42):
If I'm in a place where I'm struggling that day,
she can look at me with her eyes and it's
like she's telling me, don't bring that over here. You know,
she's very aware of what's going on around her.
Speaker 3 (45:58):
She's here, she's a lie if I get to still
hug her and see her and she's happy and she's
not in pain and everything is controlled. And if we
can just have more time for a cure, for the
advancement by another ten years, you would take that. Yes,
you would take it. And while there is no cure yet,
(46:19):
there are promising clinical trials underway proof that progress is
possible with enough awareness and funding, and every donation brings
us closer to a breakthrough. So yes, Carrie, what gives
you hope today? And how can our listeners rally behind
your family and the fight to find a cure.
Speaker 7 (46:36):
The biggest area I have hope in is to see
the science, to see the research and that there are
promising treatments that could be available to help children like mine,
even if a cure would not save Hayden. At this point,
knowing that we are closer than we were when Hayden
(46:58):
was diagnosed means everything to me, and also the education
that is out there. When I started this five years ago,
shortly after Hayden was diagnosed, there was very little information
out there other than from other San Felipo families. And
now so many people and medical professionals are at least
(47:21):
familiar with the syndrome because of the power of social
media and advocacy.
Speaker 8 (47:27):
And.
Speaker 7 (47:29):
Other children have been diagnosed through Hayden's story, and now
these parents are also advocating. Many of them are.
Speaker 3 (47:36):
And that's beautiful. You are. You're doing God's work. Really
you are.
Speaker 7 (47:41):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (47:42):
Yeah, while we are at the end, my dear, thank
you so much for coming on to such a moving, incredible,
inspiring segment. I'm sending you nothing but love, big hogs
and kisses to Hayden and to your entire family. You
are such a trailblazer. I am so proud of you
and I'm honored that you came back on today.
Speaker 7 (47:59):
Thank you, Thanks so much for having me in. Hopefully
I'll be back in the future.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
That was today's we Plate Forward segment featuring Carry Fowler, advocate,
author and devoted mama to Hayden, who is bravely battling
San Filipo syndrome. To learn more, to donate, and to
join the fight, please visit. You can go to Ad
Hayden's Hope directly on the ground and remember when we
plate forward, hope has a chance to grow. You could
head directly to our foundation at weplate Forward Foundation dot
(48:24):
org and you can check out Cure San Filipo at
Curesanfilibofoundation dot org as well. You're listening to a moment
of Zen right here on seven to ten wo R,
the voice of New York iHeartRadio. We'll be right back
after this.
Speaker 2 (48:37):
A moment of Zen is brought to you by toward
Torna Promotions, specializing in white Love, digital marketing, social media management,
professional videography and PR services. Based in New York City
and partnering with hundreds of businesses nationwide, they deliver proven
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(48:57):
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Speaker 3 (49:07):
Welcome back, my beautiful friends. You're listening to a moment
of Zen, I'm your host Zen Sam's in our Brain
Blueprint Express segment brought to you by the Malilo Centers.
Zevda Arslan, a nervous system practitioner and director of peaceful
programs based in Australia, shares the remarkable transformations she's seen
through the Malilo method.
Speaker 5 (49:27):
I met doctor Robert Malilo in November twenty twenty four.
I have seen family's kids transform. The Malilla methods not
just a method. It brings the soul back into the home.
Speaker 3 (49:42):
How do I know this?
Speaker 5 (49:44):
I work on the nervous system of mum, nervous system
of child, and I reconnect to them. I rebond them.
And the best way to understand what's happening each brain
is by understanding the brain stem. And through the Malilla method,
I got to mur so much. I have seen transformation
from nonverbal of just a child saying Bubba on repeat
(50:08):
to within ten months say Mummy, are you okay?
Speaker 3 (50:13):
Would you like some water?
Speaker 5 (50:15):
This is not just words going from nonverbal to verbal.
This is a child learning empathy, learning facial expression, understanding
concepts and the environment around them. I have seen children
learn how to suppress their fight response and their reflexes
to having a more reflective and pausing method to.
Speaker 3 (50:39):
Just respond to life.
Speaker 5 (50:41):
This is a breathtaking method and it's for families that
invest in their kits. The nervous system is a big
deal and as a practitioner, I am able to now
understand what happened in the womb, what happened to that
baby's left and right brain. How does that baby choosing
one side of the group affect their ability to speak
(51:05):
and reflex and eat. These are all the answers that
doctor Robert Malilo gave to me in November twenty twenty four,
and throughout this journey, I have seen so many kids
go from nonverbal to verbal. I have seen children relax,
take care and control of the nervous system. As a
nervous system practitioner and I help mums and kids bond.
(51:29):
The best way to bond is understanding what's happening in
your brain, what's happening in your child's brain. If you
need to make change in your life, please do not
have this as your last resort, have as your first result.
Speaker 2 (51:46):
A Moment of Zen is brought to you by your
Home TV with Kathy Ireland and their channel partners. Head
to your Home TV dot com for free family friendly
programming streaming twenty four to seven.
Speaker 3 (51:58):
In business and in life, there is always aside. Finding
it is often the challenge. Having a mindset that looks
for it and embraces problems as opportunities is the key
to thriving. Finding the upside with Maria de Lorenzis, Rays
explores the transformative power of optimism, featuring visionary business owners,
influential leaders, and inspiring everyday people. Tune in and see
(52:18):
how they navigate changing conditions with optimism and innovation. Watch
the special series One Tough Chick, highlighting resilient and powerful women,
streaming on your Home TV dot com.
Speaker 2 (52:29):
Tune into a Moment of Zen Saturday nights from nine
to ten pm on seven ten WR, The Voice of
New York.
Speaker 3 (52:35):
Thanks for tuning in to a Moment of Zen right
here on seven ten WR, the Voice of New York iHeartRadio.
Remember to join me right here on seven ten WR,
the Voice of New York, every Saturday night from nine
to ten pm, or you could head to seven ten
WR dot iHeart dot com. Forward slash a moment of Zen,
and also remember that we're live on Traverse TV Sundays
(52:58):
at one pm Eastern, YouTube upload Sundays at two pm Eastern,
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listening to a Moment of Zen. It's been an absolute
pleasure being your host. Thanks again to all of our
sponsors that continue to make this show possible. And remember
(53:19):
that happiness is the only thing that multiplies when you
share it. We'll be back next week.
Speaker 1 (53:23):
The proceeding was a paid podcast. iHeartRadio's hosting of this
podcast constitutes neither an endorsement of the products offered or
the ideas expressed.
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