August 6, 2025 • 30 mins
Durana Elmi, co-founder and COO of Cymbiotika, is on a mission to make wellness accessible through high-quality supplements and radical transparency. In this episode of the Women on the Move podcast, with host Sam Saperstein, Durana shares how her Afghan roots, entrepreneurial spirit, and dedication to giving back shape her work and leadership. From building orphanages and schools in Afghanistan to hosting women’s wellness events in the U.S., her commitment to community is deeply woven into both her personal and professional life.
Disclaimer: The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of August 6, 2025 and they may not materialize.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
- I've always surroundedmyself with strong women
(00:02):
that I look up to, that have been there,
that have helped shape mythoughts and my actions
and have been role models.
My mom being one of them.
I've just seen the amount of adversity
that she's been throughand her grit and resilience
and that's just helped mekind of shape who I am today
and unapologetically be who I am.
(00:30):
- Welcome to the "Womenon the Move" podcast.
I'm your host, Sam Saperstein.
This season we're delving
into how strong communitiescreate opportunities,
foster belonging,
and empower leaders tomake a lasting impact.
In this episode, I'mspeaking with Durana Elmi,
co-founder and COO of Cymbiotika,
a wellness brand providinghealth supplements that strives
(00:52):
to redefine how we think about nutrition
through education and transparency.
As a mission-driven leader,Durana brings purpose
and passion to everythingshe does from pioneering
new products to building a culture rooted
in integrity and wellbeing.
In this episode, she shares her vision,
what it takes to lead with intention
and how she's helping othersunlock their highest potential.
(01:15):
Durana, welcome to the"Women on the Move" podcast.
It's so great to have you with us.
- Thank you, Sam.
It's great to be here.
It's a pleasure.
- So we'd love to talk aboutthe company that you founded.
How about lay out your founder story?
What brought you to thismoment with the creation,
the motivation behind it,and how you've done to date?
- So, Cymbiotika, you know, didn't start
with the business plan.
(01:35):
It really started with the deeprooted passion for wellness
and for making an impact in the world.
We have two daughtersand my husband and I,
this is our fifth company together.
- Amazing.
- So not our first rodeo.
We just really wanted to dosomething where we would be able
to, you know, change the world
and shape it in a different way.
(01:57):
And when the girls were oldenough, which they are today,
understand that mommy anddaddy are making an impact.
And myself, my husband, wehave another founder, Chervin.
We started the company in 2019,
and everything we do is intentional.
We really put a lot ofresearch behind our products
(02:17):
and transparency is important for us.
Transparency in our products,transparency in our messaging
and purity and how we make everything.
And for us, we are reallyreshaping the way health
is being looked at andhow it's being accessed.
- I love that.
So tell me why it wasso important off the bat
to do such high quality work,
(02:38):
such rigorous science, andthe transparency piece.
Did you find that that was goingto be a differentiator for you
or is that more of a corevalue for the company?
- I would say a combination of both.
So today, and you know from the start,
there's been many companies
that, you know, their grossmargin industry, companies,
organizations that are reallychasing the gross margins
(03:01):
and as a result, subpar formulations,
low quality ingredients.
Synthetics, fillers,dangerous, you know, sugar
and synthetics that they're using
to make their products.
For us, you know, the integrity piece
of how we source our raws
and the quality of products weput are just non-negotiable.
(03:23):
And that's what set us apartand has made us so unique
and we're very big oneducating our community
and customers on how we makeour products and what's in it.
- So tell me what a customerwould typically see from you.
So they're coming to the site
and they're lookingaround for something new.
What do you hope they takeaway and what information
or just experience you hope that they get?
(03:45):
- So first is that healthis accessible to all.
I think, you know, there was a time
where you looked at healthand you thought of health
and wellness orsupplementation as a luxury.
- Yeah.
- But we've really changed that narrative.
For us, when our consumerscome onto our site,
we actually have writtenour own AI technology
where you'll do a test,a quiz, a popup quiz,
(04:07):
which will ask you a lotof lifestyle questions
based on your answers.
We'll right fit you into the supplements
that we think will helpfill some of those voids.
And then we want to make it very simple
and, you know, educate you on the products
and the core benefits of it.
So that's what you canexperience on our site
and you know, we write all of our own tech
(04:29):
and it's just been a great journey.
- Has this company, out ofall the ones you founded,
been the most AI-drivenor technology-driven?
- Yes, absolutely.
I mean, tech and how wemake our supplements,
because the technologywe use is liposomal.
And then tech from the experience
that you have when you come onto our site
and you know, we've, you know,developed an entire AI team
(04:50):
and have 11 UI/UX designers on site.
So we are constantly revamping
and we want to really lead in innovation.
So absolutely this is the mosttech savvy supplement company
that I think is out there today.
- So as a consumer, I'mthinking of the things
that I need now for wellness,certainly that balanced diet,
(05:11):
minerals, vitamins, things
that I might not be gettingfrom diet all the time.
What are customers telling you they want
most of all these days?
- So customers, you know,they want the basics,
the vitamin C, the B12, the vitamin D.
I think what you're hearingis a lot about energy.
- Yeah.
- Gut health has become very important
(05:31):
and you know, finding a balance
where how do you takeall these supplements
and implement it on your daily regimen.
But gut health, immunity
and energy would be kindof our top three categories
where consumers are really asking for.
- And how do you educate them?
So let's say gut health, that seems to me
such a growing in popularitytopic as you mentioned.
(05:55):
The microbiome, the whatever.
Good bacteria you want in your gut.
And I don't really knowwhat I'm talking about,
but you know, you do.
And so how do you position thatto really educate a consumer
as you say, and makethat accessible to them?
- So we do a lot of podcasts.
We have an incredibleresearch and development team.
Dr. Shilpa, you know, is thehead of all R&D at Cymbiotika.
(06:17):
And she does a lot ofeducational, we do a lot of lives
before we launch a product.
We recently launched Sea Moss.
And Sea Moss, the way we described it
is the garden of your gut.
So in order for everythingto be functioning properly,
you want to water your garden
so that your flowers can grow properly.
And your flowers are all the different
other components within yourbody that you want functioning.
(06:39):
So what through our lives andthrough podcasts like this.
- So let's go a little bitdeeper into this notion
of a consumer takingcontrol of their own health.
So if a consumer's in your site,
they're buying your products,
what do you hope they doover the course of time?
You know, what would be taking control
of health in terms of how you see it?
- So it's being intentional
with the daily choices that you make.
(07:02):
We've actually developed anapp that helps our consumers.
We've gamified the process
of taking your supplements daily.
- Oh, interesting.
- So we want to remind our consumers
and our community that in orderfor the supplements to work,
you've got to be consistent with it.
Just like anything else.
So for us, it's just reminding them
that it's daily habits.
(07:22):
And it's the choices you make every day.
- And that it's in theircontrol, literally,
that they can choose thesethings, make good choices.
Not only taking the supplements, I guess,
but good choices with eating the rest
of their diet, sleeping, exercise.
- Yeah, I think it's, youknow, it's all-encompassing.
You know, it starts withhow you speak to yourself.
It's the foods you put into your body,
(07:42):
it's how you rest and restore.
It's about your water intake.
And for us, what's reallyunique about Cymbiotika
as our supplements arein these packet forms.
And the form factor allowsyou to take it on the go,
throw it in your purse, travel, share it.
So that's also what's reallyunique about our products.
There's kind of no excuses tonot taking your supplements.
(08:03):
- So how do you maintaincredibility in a space
where there seem to be a lotof companies, it's hard to know
who to trust, especially on social,
if that's where you'regetting your information.
Do you look at that as, Iguess both an opportunity
and a challenge, likeopportunity to differentiate,
but challenge if there arepeople out there saying
not the right things?
- So we look at it as an opportunity
(08:24):
because for us as acompany, since day one,
we've never chased the algorithm.
We have always, always just remained true
to our ethos, which iseducating our consumers,
making the best products out there.
We never created a till todaywhat's true to our brand
and our kind of, you know,
I would say our blueprintis we never back into cogs.
(08:47):
We go to our team and say,make the best supplements
and we will figure out howto make it accessible to all.
And I think that our community
and customers over these past five years
have experienced that.
And you know, for us, you know,
truth is we always say trends expire,
but truth is what last.
And we've just been veryhonest and transparent.
- Yeah, I love that.
(09:08):
So let's say you're approaching
the product development process.
Walk us through, if you have a new idea,
maybe there's a gap in themarket, how you would take that
into the development process
and work that throughto an actual product.
- So we've got, you know,
I would say an entire stage process
and what, which we putthe products through.
First, you know, we work with our R&D team
(09:29):
to really identify is there a marketplace
for that specific product?
What's the search engine like?
What are the customers asking for?
We really tap into ourcommunity and our customers
because they help shape the roadmap
of what next products launch.
And then we go out thereto source the best raws
and the best ingredients.
(09:50):
Our R&D team comes upwith the formulations
before we source the raws
and we work with our co-manufacturers
on developing the product.
And we go through very rigoroustesting before it launches.
Our flavor profile iswhat's really unique to us.
So I always say
and joke, I have a pal of a five-year-old,
so if I can take the supplements
(10:11):
because they taste so good, so can you.
- Okay, that's really funny.
Meaning you like thingsplain or tell me more.
- Yes.
So one, I've got a littlebit of a sweet tea.
And you know, I want mysupplements to taste good.
Our vitamin C tastes likeyou're having an orange.
Our colostrum tastes like cake better.
So it reminds me of my childhood.
(10:32):
- I love that.
- So all of our products are,
the sugar comes from monk fruit.
And so everything is like, hasa very natural taste to it.
I don't want to have a product
where afterwards there'sa very bad, you know,
after tastes in my mouth
or it feels like I'mhaving something fake.
And it just didn't really taste like
the berry that it said. Right,
- Right.
(10:52):
- For us, it's about using natural,
you know, pure ingredients
and it really being trueto what it we say it is,
if it's to that flavor profile.
- [Sam] So you're taste tester in chief.
- Yeah.
- As well as the-- Absolutely.
- Okay. I love this.
Since you're a serial entrepreneur
and you've done this manytimes, was there a turning point
with this company where you thought, "Ooh,
I don't know if this is going to work."
(11:13):
Or were you doing thingssince you had learned so many
lessons in the past, youknow, very systematically
and knew that if you did those things
it was going to be a success?
- Well, I think everybusiness is so different
with this one specifically.
There are many, many moments.
Especially going into CPG,
there's a lot of supplement companies
and it was like hot trending.
(11:34):
There were many moments wherewe really doubted ourselves
and we were wondering, youknow, are we going too fast?
Are we being idealistic here
with the choices that we're making?
But really kind of what keptus grounded was the customer
and the community's feedback on the impact
that our supplements weremaking on their loved ones,
on their children,
(11:55):
and how much it waschanging their daily lives.
And that was probably themost grounding, you know,
reassuring thing that wewere on the right path.
And we just need to continue
to believe in ourselvesand keep going at it.
- So I'm curious to hear about
some of the customer feedback.
I'm sure you get that in many channels,
whether it's online or direct.
Tell us how customers have been responding
(12:16):
in terms of how they enjoy the products
and what they're telling you about them.
- So the first thing is,
our flavor profiles I mentionedearlier is it's yummy.
So the first feedbackwe get is, "Thank you
for making supplementsthat are easy to take."
The second one is our form factor.
They're in these packets, you can travel,
(12:36):
you can share them.
And the technology,
the liposomal technology hasthe hive absorption rate.
And so when you take a vitamin C,
it's like your body's absorbing an orange.
And then the last thing forus is just, you know, getting
to the root of it, which muchof it starts in your gut.
And a lot of our consumersare like, "Thank you so much
(12:59):
for making productsthat really kind of help
our gut microbiome."
And that really is the core ofyour energy, mental clarity.
And so, you know, we've have been,
I would say the team hats off to the team
for doing a great job in termsof educating the community,
but also making products that taste great.
(13:19):
- Do your customers find eachother in their own communities
around your products?
Do they talk amongst each other?
Do they, you know, get together?
How do your customers themselves
almost build their own sub-communities?
- So through many ways,one is through our app.
We've built a really strong community
where you can share feedback,you can get points for that,
(13:40):
you can share recipes.
The second way is, again, through a lot
of our community outreach, wedo a lot of wellness events.
And our community gets theability to connect there.
Where you know, they're coming
to a safe place and they knoweveryone is taking Cymbiotika.
And it's about what's your lifestyle?
(14:00):
How are you integrating it?
What recipes do you wantto share in exchange?
So yes, we've got manydifferent opportunities
for the community to cross-collaborate
- As women are such a dominant theme
for you personally andprofessionally, how do you give back
to women, you know, boththrough the company,
(14:20):
I mean professionallyas well as personally?
- So internally, we do a lotof women wellness events.
I love celebrating thewomen that I work alongside.
They're very inspiring.
And externally we do womenwellness events as well.
We will have like a four-hour event
where it's a safe placethat you get to come
and feel restored, geteducation on products.
(14:44):
We cross-collaborate withother brands that we feel align
with our mission
and our values of what we're trying to do,
which is inspire womento feel their very best.
And then externally, wesupport organizations
that are helping women.
One of the organizations
that we work alongsideis like Living Beauty.
They help women that are goingthrough the cancer journey.
(15:06):
And so we, at Cymbiotika,want to ensure that
through that journey theyhave access to Cymbiotika.
- Incredible.
- Thank you.
And again, you know, there'sa lot of different nonprofits
that we work with that support women.
And for us, that community,it's our everything.
70% of our community are women
(15:27):
and 67% of our team internally are females
and majority of our leadership team.
- So you really reflect thepeople that you're serving.
- Absolutely.- Yeah.
So let's talk about family for a minute.
So your spouse is your business partner
and I'm kind of curious,
what advantage do you think it brings
to have such a close person in your life
be such a, you know,trusted and valued partner
(15:49):
to you in the business?
- So we've been married for 26 years,
and been together for 27.
There isn't a single soul
that I wouldn't want to dobusiness with other than him.
I think the advantagesare, we know each other.
You would hope right after so many years.
- Absolutely.
- We know each other,there's a trust factor.
We understand each other'sstrengths and opportunities.
(16:11):
And I think it's also aboutjust allowing, you know,
his leadership, I always sayhis leadership is unparalleled
to anything I've seen.
And allowing him to, youknow, really lead the company.
And he allows me to be my authentic self
and lean into the things that I'm good.
So it's a really beautiful balance.
And yeah, it's fun doingit every day with him.
(16:33):
It's a dream.
- Great. Unbelievable.
Well, we're talking a lotthis season about community
and how you define community,how you build community,
you know who you'resurrounding yourself with.
So how would you describeyour extended community
in particular where itcomes to this business
and the support for it
and how has that communityhelped you through this journey?
- So let's say women, I amall about women empowerment.
(16:54):
It's important in my personal ethos,
I was born in Afghanistan
where women don't have rights today.
I think in order to knowwhere you're going in life,
you must always knowwhere you've come from.
And for me, I've always surroundedmyself with strong women
that I look up to, that have been there,
that have helped shape mythoughts and my actions
and have been role models.
(17:16):
My mom being one of them.
I've just seen the amount of adversity
that she's been through andher grit and resilience.
And that's just helped mekind of shape who I am today
and unapologetically be who I am.
- Can you tell us more about your story,
your upbringing, leaving Afghanistan,
and then also how you aregiving back to that community,
(17:38):
which seems to need itmore than ever right now?
- Yes, I left Afghanistanwhen I was three months
And been here ever since.
So I'm very Americanized,
but I say I'm Afghan American.
I get a little emotionalwhen it comes to this topic
because I think that beinghere today is such a privilege.
(18:00):
And being a woman, being an immigrant,
being a refugee, I havesuch a responsibility
to not just pave the wayfor women here in America,
but for women back home.
I hope to give them a glimpse of hope
that they too one day can leadand be in rooms like this.
It's very important for me.
(18:20):
God gave me two daughters
and I feel really responsible
to teach them their responsibilityof how to treat women.
I built three schools in Afghanistan
when women can go to school.
And since women can't go to school today,
we've turned that into orphanages.
- Oh wow.
- Giving back is importantto me both personally
and it's a big part of symbiotic as ethos.
(18:42):
I think that at the endof the day it's, you know,
how you've left the world
and what you've done in this world.
That really defines your brand.
And I'm very inspired by the resilience
of the women in Afghanistan today.
And I think about them daily
and that's what inspires me towant to keep pushing forward
(19:02):
because I'm Afghan
and I need them to believebecause I'm one of them.
- Thank you for sharing that.
I mean, it's a profound story.
It keeps going onobviously in that country
with, as you say, womenhaving fewer rights now
than they did even just a few years ago.
Is it easy to keep intouch, hard to keep in touch
with the communities there?
(19:23):
How do you even facilitatethat communication
and make sure you can continue
to reach them despitewhat's happening there?
- So we have some distantfamily members that we trust
that are there, thathave feet on the ground,
that are trustable sourcesthat help me get food out
to those that need food,that need resources
and that help manage theschools that I have out there.
(19:45):
- Yeah.
- But other than that,yes it's very difficult.
In the surrounding countries,I get a lot of feedback
and sentiments through socialmedia about just, you know,
how I've given, you know,
a young girl hope who's sitting in a room
and wondering if herlife will one day change.
- We pray that it does and that more women
and girls there can grow upin healthier environments
(20:07):
and certainly, moreeducational environments.
So thank you for doing all of that.
That is really meaningful
and despite how hard it is,it's going to make a difference.
- Yeah.- For sure.
- Absolutely.
I'm very hopeful thatthings will change one day.
- How do you take the legacy
of your business and carry that forward?
I mean, clearly, it's a new business
and you'll run ithopefully for many years.
But do you start thinkingnow about the foundations
(20:29):
that you want to leave andthe legacy you want to leave
around wellness?
- Absolutely.
I mean, I think it's aboutbuilding a strong community.
We want folks to really rethink of health.
You know, health used tobe green juice and Pilates.
But now health is truly,you know, the foods
that you're putting into your body
and the daily choices that you're making.
(20:51):
So for us, you know,
the legacy is makinghealth accessible to all.
Having the ability to educate everyone.
Like truly taking what's been very complex
and just providing clarity to it.
And then I would just say byraising two great daughters
(21:11):
that will be, you know, futureleaders and great humans.
And at Cymbiotika, we do alot of philanthropy work.
And so every day, you know,
we're thinking every monthwe do something as a team.
It's part of our culture.
- That's great.
- Whether it's buildingthousands of trees,
we've saved over 30 million fish
of how we've sourced our DHA.
(21:32):
And then we do a lotof sustainable efforts
from office environmentdown to our packaging.
So it's very, very important for us
to leave this world a betterplace in which we found it.
- I love that.
There's so many ways to do it.
As you say, sort of in your process,
your sourcing process, but alsowith the team on the ground.
How many people are on the team now?
(21:52):
- [Durana] We've got a little over 85.
- That's incredible.
And so when you get them together,what does that feel like?
What are the cultural valuesyou're trying to install them
and how do you see thatcome to life every day?
- So for me it's magical
because I hire people I want to work with
that I really like.
I want to invest in them.
We spend a lot of time with our team.
(22:13):
We go into the office five days a week.
So we have an in-officeculture, which, you know,
people say you go in theoffice every day, the company's
so successful, what's the need for that
as owners and operators?
- He understand that.
- But I love building
with the team andalongside with them for us,
there's a lot of different things we do.
Friday we have family lunches.
So I say to the team as a team has grown,
(22:35):
it's gotten very expensive.
But I say, as long as you guys
can get to know each other 1% more
than last week, I couldjustify this expense.
- Absolutely.
- We do a lot of communityoutreach together.
We clean the beaches, plant trees.
And then I take a lot ofone-on-one time with my teammates
because it's important for methat they feel seen and heard.
(22:56):
And that's a big part of our culture.
I show up every day as myauthentic self and I do that
because I want the team to feel the same.
And we have an environmentwhere we have fun,
we work hard and, youknow, we really believe
in the leadership
and in the magic that eachperson is bringing to the table.
And it's about cultivating an environment
(23:18):
where people can succeed and win
and feel like they're part of something.
- That is great.
Thinking as how you'rebringing in everybody
almost individually.
It sounds like you kind ofplay a role really in that.
Are there people you look for,
whether they have abackground in wellness or not,
who have certain criteria?
What do you do you look for
in terms of a really good performer?
(23:38):
- So I do all the last round interviews
and it's a great question you ask.
So it depends on the role,
but most important, for me,
there's some things youcan't teach someone.
So I really like to learna lot about who are you
and how do you show up for yourself.
'Cause you can't teachsomeone to have discipline.
You can't teach someone tohave the morals and ethics.
(23:59):
Those are some of the non-negotiables.
And then being passionate,
I think you can teachsomeone a lot of things,
but you can't teach them tohave that fire in their belly,
that passion.
And so those are some of thehigh level characteristics
that we look for.
And at the end of theday, it's about, you know,
do you believe in our mission
and what we're trying to accomplish?
- So let's say you and yourhusband are coming home
(24:21):
after a long day at work andthere was something interesting
or challenging that happened
and you're sitting at thetable with your daughters.
What does that conversation look like?
Do they ask about the business?
Do you describe to them,"Here's what we did."
How do you convey what you do to them?
In a way that's a teaching moment.
- My oldest daughter, she's 12.
I say old because she's 12 going on to 35.
(24:41):
She interned for us last summer.
She didn't want to play any sports.
- That is great.
- And she was like, "Idon't want to do any clubs."
I said, "Okay, well you justcan't stay at home all summer."
And she said, "Can Icome to work with you?"
And I said, "Yeah,we'll do an internship."
So she made $5 a day.
- All right.
- And what I did is I said, "Listen,
you will not report to mommy.
(25:02):
You're going to report to alldifferent department leaders
so that you can tap into understanding
what you like and don't like."
And I rallied up the team and I said,
"Although she's 12, she thinks she's 35.
You've got to treat herlike any other employee.
You can write her up, you canfire her, you can, you know,
coach her and you know,allow her to shadow you."
(25:23):
But she did it for 2 1/2months, five days a week.
- Unbelievable.
- And I have to tell you, so 67%
of our internal team are women.
She felt so inspired.
On week two, I would be like,
"Yasmine, do you wantto have lunch with me?"
And she's like, "I'm sorry,
I'm going out with the marketing girls."
And I was like, "Wow, that's great."
It really helped her believe in herself.
(25:45):
I saw such a growth inwho she was as a person.
- I'm sure. Amazing.
- Yeah, and she learned a lot
in terms of just differentlike life lessons,
how to, you know, send acalendar invite, you know,
making sure she wasprompted on time to meetings
As a parent, I'll tell you,
it was one of the most incredible things
that I've ever done for my child.
(26:06):
- Well, I've never hearda story like that before.
A 12-year-old intern, so fabulous.
And she must now see
what you both do every dayin a totally different way.
There's a path before her,
whether she comes into thebusiness or not, right?
A business path or just whatshe could consider doing
with herself as an adult,which is incredible.
Does your younger daughterask you when is it her turn?
(26:27):
- Yeah, so my youngerdaughter is an athlete
and she's kind of likea natural born leader.
- Ah, great.- My older one
is shy a little bit,
but Ariana, both of them, theywant to get into business.
Of course they do.
They're into the makeup world
and they're like, "We want to launch
an all clean makeup line."
But both of them have seen mom and dad
(26:48):
work every single day.
And you know, even whenwe come home sometimes,
we're still talking about work.
And at the end of the dayfor them, I want them to know
that, you know, when they get married,
they too can work alongside their partner
and their husband andbuild a beautiful life.
And you can do it in avery respectful manner.
(27:10):
And also that, you know,women can do anything.
And I just think, and I said this before
and I've kind of was like,I maybe should define that.
I think that women arecapable of doing anything.
As long as you're definingwhat that is for you
and you're not comparing itto anything on social media,
- That's great.
(27:30):
- But at the end of the day, I show up
for my daughters as a parent.
I drop them off.
We both do, Shahab and I,
we drop them off atschool, we pick them up.
I'm as involved as Ican be at their school.
I'm a leader at work, I'm a daughter.
And so I want to show them
that they can have all thesedifferent kind of layers
to them in life and they canbe successful, it's possible.
(27:53):
- I'm sure you do reflectthat all the time.
It sounds like you leada very integrated life.
That your business, your home life,
you're able to make space for both,
you flex when needed on either of them.
But it's amazing to see that.
And I'm sure that reallyrubs off on your children
that they see that tooand you're the model
that being set for them.
Well both of you as parents obviously.
(28:14):
But now I think they see,
well mommy and daddy can both go to work
and both be as successful as the other.
- Yeah, and anytime wedo community outreach
at Cymbiotika company, well obviously,
in Afghanistan they've never been,
but they see the pictures that come back
and then, you know, back home,whether it's planting trees
or cleaning up the beach, Iactually pull them out of school.
(28:35):
We feed the homeless as well.
And I want my childrento be involved in that
because they need to really feel
and experience whatthat's like giving back.
I think it's the greatest,greatest joy that you can have.
And so they're a part ofall those things as well.
- I love that.
So for our listeners out there
who are thinking about maybestarting a business themselves
(28:56):
in the wellness space or not,what advice would you have
for them to give it a shot?
And if things get difficult,
you know, what could they be doing?
- This sounds so simple,but believe in yourself
and be unapologetic for who you are.
Don't wait for the perfect time.
You know the perfect time is now.
And surround yourself with people
(29:17):
that really can mentor you
and try to find peoplein that line of work
that are already doing itwhere you can seek advice from.
And I would just saythat anything is possible
and you're going to failmore than you succeed.
So be prepared for that.
- How should they get back up for failure?
How did you do it?
- Really understand your why.
Why are you doing what you're doing?
(29:39):
And the why has to be important enough
for you to want to get back up.
- I love that.
Thank you, Durana.- Absolutely.
- It's so nice to speak with you.
- [Durana] It's a pleasure.
- We're really excitedfor what you're building
and we wish you the very best.
- Thank you so much.
I appreciate all your time.
- Thank you for listeningto my conversation
(30:00):
with Durana Elmi.
Durana's story is a reminder
that building a meaningful business starts
with a clear purpose and adeep commitment to others.
Whether it's building wellness communities
around her company or giving back
to the women in Afghanistan,she uses her platform
to spread hope and serve as a role model.
I hope today's conversationhelps you think about
(30:21):
how you might give back andserve your own communities.
If you enjoyed this podcast,don't forget to like, share,
and subscribe to it on yourfavorite podcast platform.
- I've always surroundedmyself with strong women
(00:02):
that I look up to, that have been there,
that have helped shape mythoughts and my actions
and have been role models.
My mom being one of them.
I've just seen the amount of adversity
that she's been throughand her grit and resilience
and that's just helped mekind of shape who I am today
and unapologetically be who I am.
(00:30):
- Welcome to the "Womenon the Move" podcast.
I'm your host, Sam Saperstein.
This season we're delving
into how strong communitiescreate opportunities,
foster belonging,
and empower leaders tomake a lasting impact.
In this episode, I'mspeaking with Durana Elmi,
co-founder and COO of Cymbiotika,
a wellness brand providinghealth supplements that strives
(00:52):
to redefine how we think about nutrition
through education and transparency.
As a mission-driven leader,Durana brings purpose
and passion to everythingshe does from pioneering
new products to building a culture rooted
in integrity and wellbeing.
In this episode, she shares her vision,
what it takes to lead with intention
and how she's helping othersunlock their highest potential.
(01:15):
Durana, welcome to the"Women on the Move" podcast.
It's so great to have you with us.
- Thank you, Sam.
It's great to be here.
It's a pleasure.
- So we'd love to talk aboutthe company that you founded.
How about lay out your founder story?
What brought you to thismoment with the creation,
the motivation behind it,and how you've done to date?
- So, Cymbiotika, you know, didn't start
with the business plan.
(01:35):
It really started with the deeprooted passion for wellness
and for making an impact in the world.
We have two daughtersand my husband and I,
this is our fifth company together.
- Amazing.
- So not our first rodeo.
We just really wanted to dosomething where we would be able
to, you know, change the world
and shape it in a different way.
(01:57):
And when the girls were oldenough, which they are today,
understand that mommy anddaddy are making an impact.
And myself, my husband, wehave another founder, Chervin.
We started the company in 2019,
and everything we do is intentional.
We really put a lot ofresearch behind our products
(02:17):
and transparency is important for us.
Transparency in our products,transparency in our messaging
and purity and how we make everything.
And for us, we are reallyreshaping the way health
is being looked at andhow it's being accessed.
- I love that.
So tell me why it wasso important off the bat
to do such high quality work,
(02:38):
such rigorous science, andthe transparency piece.
Did you find that that was goingto be a differentiator for you
or is that more of a corevalue for the company?
- I would say a combination of both.
So today, and you know from the start,
there's been many companies
that, you know, their grossmargin industry, companies,
organizations that are reallychasing the gross margins
(03:01):
and as a result, subpar formulations,
low quality ingredients.
Synthetics, fillers,dangerous, you know, sugar
and synthetics that they're using
to make their products.
For us, you know, the integrity piece
of how we source our raws
and the quality of products weput are just non-negotiable.
(03:23):
And that's what set us apartand has made us so unique
and we're very big oneducating our community
and customers on how we makeour products and what's in it.
- So tell me what a customerwould typically see from you.
So they're coming to the site
and they're lookingaround for something new.
What do you hope they takeaway and what information
or just experience you hope that they get?
(03:45):
- So first is that healthis accessible to all.
I think, you know, there was a time
where you looked at healthand you thought of health
and wellness orsupplementation as a luxury.
- Yeah.
- But we've really changed that narrative.
For us, when our consumerscome onto our site,
we actually have writtenour own AI technology
where you'll do a test,a quiz, a popup quiz,
(04:07):
which will ask you a lotof lifestyle questions
based on your answers.
We'll right fit you into the supplements
that we think will helpfill some of those voids.
And then we want to make it very simple
and, you know, educate you on the products
and the core benefits of it.
So that's what you canexperience on our site
and you know, we write all of our own tech
(04:29):
and it's just been a great journey.
- Has this company, out ofall the ones you founded,
been the most AI-drivenor technology-driven?
- Yes, absolutely.
I mean, tech and how wemake our supplements,
because the technologywe use is liposomal.
And then tech from the experience
that you have when you come onto our site
and you know, we've, you know,developed an entire AI team
(04:50):
and have 11 UI/UX designers on site.
So we are constantly revamping
and we want to really lead in innovation.
So absolutely this is the mosttech savvy supplement company
that I think is out there today.
- So as a consumer, I'mthinking of the things
that I need now for wellness,certainly that balanced diet,
(05:11):
minerals, vitamins, things
that I might not be gettingfrom diet all the time.
What are customers telling you they want
most of all these days?
- So customers, you know,they want the basics,
the vitamin C, the B12, the vitamin D.
I think what you're hearingis a lot about energy.
- Yeah.
- Gut health has become very important
(05:31):
and you know, finding a balance
where how do you takeall these supplements
and implement it on your daily regimen.
But gut health, immunity
and energy would be kindof our top three categories
where consumers are really asking for.
- And how do you educate them?
So let's say gut health, that seems to me
such a growing in popularitytopic as you mentioned.
(05:55):
The microbiome, the whatever.
Good bacteria you want in your gut.
And I don't really knowwhat I'm talking about,
but you know, you do.
And so how do you position thatto really educate a consumer
as you say, and makethat accessible to them?
- So we do a lot of podcasts.
We have an incredibleresearch and development team.
Dr. Shilpa, you know, is thehead of all R&D at Cymbiotika.
(06:17):
And she does a lot ofeducational, we do a lot of lives
before we launch a product.
We recently launched Sea Moss.
And Sea Moss, the way we described it
is the garden of your gut.
So in order for everythingto be functioning properly,
you want to water your garden
so that your flowers can grow properly.
And your flowers are all the different
other components within yourbody that you want functioning.
(06:39):
So what through our lives andthrough podcasts like this.
- So let's go a little bitdeeper into this notion
of a consumer takingcontrol of their own health.
So if a consumer's in your site,
they're buying your products,
what do you hope they doover the course of time?
You know, what would be taking control
of health in terms of how you see it?
- So it's being intentional
with the daily choices that you make.
(07:02):
We've actually developed anapp that helps our consumers.
We've gamified the process
of taking your supplements daily.
- Oh, interesting.
- So we want to remind our consumers
and our community that in orderfor the supplements to work,
you've got to be consistent with it.
Just like anything else.
So for us, it's just reminding them
that it's daily habits.
(07:22):
And it's the choices you make every day.
- And that it's in theircontrol, literally,
that they can choose thesethings, make good choices.
Not only taking the supplements, I guess,
but good choices with eating the rest
of their diet, sleeping, exercise.
- Yeah, I think it's, youknow, it's all-encompassing.
You know, it starts withhow you speak to yourself.
It's the foods you put into your body,
(07:42):
it's how you rest and restore.
It's about your water intake.
And for us, what's reallyunique about Cymbiotika
as our supplements arein these packet forms.
And the form factor allowsyou to take it on the go,
throw it in your purse, travel, share it.
So that's also what's reallyunique about our products.
There's kind of no excuses tonot taking your supplements.
(08:03):
- So how do you maintaincredibility in a space
where there seem to be a lotof companies, it's hard to know
who to trust, especially on social,
if that's where you'regetting your information.
Do you look at that as, Iguess both an opportunity
and a challenge, likeopportunity to differentiate,
but challenge if there arepeople out there saying
not the right things?
- So we look at it as an opportunity
(08:24):
because for us as acompany, since day one,
we've never chased the algorithm.
We have always, always just remained true
to our ethos, which iseducating our consumers,
making the best products out there.
We never created a till todaywhat's true to our brand
and our kind of, you know,
I would say our blueprintis we never back into cogs.
(08:47):
We go to our team and say,make the best supplements
and we will figure out howto make it accessible to all.
And I think that our community
and customers over these past five years
have experienced that.
And you know, for us, you know,
truth is we always say trends expire,
but truth is what last.
And we've just been veryhonest and transparent.
- Yeah, I love that.
(09:08):
So let's say you're approaching
the product development process.
Walk us through, if you have a new idea,
maybe there's a gap in themarket, how you would take that
into the development process
and work that throughto an actual product.
- So we've got, you know,
I would say an entire stage process
and what, which we putthe products through.
First, you know, we work with our R&D team
(09:29):
to really identify is there a marketplace
for that specific product?
What's the search engine like?
What are the customers asking for?
We really tap into ourcommunity and our customers
because they help shape the roadmap
of what next products launch.
And then we go out thereto source the best raws
and the best ingredients.
(09:50):
Our R&D team comes upwith the formulations
before we source the raws
and we work with our co-manufacturers
on developing the product.
And we go through very rigoroustesting before it launches.
Our flavor profile iswhat's really unique to us.
So I always say
and joke, I have a pal of a five-year-old,
so if I can take the supplements
(10:11):
because they taste so good, so can you.
- Okay, that's really funny.
Meaning you like thingsplain or tell me more.
- Yes.
So one, I've got a littlebit of a sweet tea.
And you know, I want mysupplements to taste good.
Our vitamin C tastes likeyou're having an orange.
Our colostrum tastes like cake better.
So it reminds me of my childhood.
(10:32):
- I love that.
- So all of our products are,
the sugar comes from monk fruit.
And so everything is like, hasa very natural taste to it.
I don't want to have a product
where afterwards there'sa very bad, you know,
after tastes in my mouth
or it feels like I'mhaving something fake.
And it just didn't really taste like
the berry that it said. Right,
- Right.
(10:52):
- For us, it's about using natural,
you know, pure ingredients
and it really being trueto what it we say it is,
if it's to that flavor profile.
- [Sam] So you're taste tester in chief.
- Yeah.
- As well as the-- Absolutely.
- Okay. I love this.
Since you're a serial entrepreneur
and you've done this manytimes, was there a turning point
with this company where you thought, "Ooh,
I don't know if this is going to work."
(11:13):
Or were you doing thingssince you had learned so many
lessons in the past, youknow, very systematically
and knew that if you did those things
it was going to be a success?
- Well, I think everybusiness is so different
with this one specifically.
There are many, many moments.
Especially going into CPG,
there's a lot of supplement companies
and it was like hot trending.
(11:34):
There were many moments wherewe really doubted ourselves
and we were wondering, youknow, are we going too fast?
Are we being idealistic here
with the choices that we're making?
But really kind of what keptus grounded was the customer
and the community's feedback on the impact
that our supplements weremaking on their loved ones,
on their children,
(11:55):
and how much it waschanging their daily lives.
And that was probably themost grounding, you know,
reassuring thing that wewere on the right path.
And we just need to continue
to believe in ourselvesand keep going at it.
- So I'm curious to hear about
some of the customer feedback.
I'm sure you get that in many channels,
whether it's online or direct.
Tell us how customers have been responding
(12:16):
in terms of how they enjoy the products
and what they're telling you about them.
- So the first thing is,
our flavor profiles I mentionedearlier is it's yummy.
So the first feedbackwe get is, "Thank you
for making supplementsthat are easy to take."
The second one is our form factor.
They're in these packets, you can travel,
(12:36):
you can share them.
And the technology,
the liposomal technology hasthe hive absorption rate.
And so when you take a vitamin C,
it's like your body's absorbing an orange.
And then the last thing forus is just, you know, getting
to the root of it, which muchof it starts in your gut.
And a lot of our consumersare like, "Thank you so much
(12:59):
for making productsthat really kind of help
our gut microbiome."
And that really is the core ofyour energy, mental clarity.
And so, you know, we've have been,
I would say the team hats off to the team
for doing a great job in termsof educating the community,
but also making products that taste great.
(13:19):
- Do your customers find eachother in their own communities
around your products?
Do they talk amongst each other?
Do they, you know, get together?
How do your customers themselves
almost build their own sub-communities?
- So through many ways,one is through our app.
We've built a really strong community
where you can share feedback,you can get points for that,
(13:40):
you can share recipes.
The second way is, again, through a lot
of our community outreach, wedo a lot of wellness events.
And our community gets theability to connect there.
Where you know, they're coming
to a safe place and they knoweveryone is taking Cymbiotika.
And it's about what's your lifestyle?
(14:00):
How are you integrating it?
What recipes do you wantto share in exchange?
So yes, we've got manydifferent opportunities
for the community to cross-collaborate
- As women are such a dominant theme
for you personally andprofessionally, how do you give back
to women, you know, boththrough the company,
(14:20):
I mean professionallyas well as personally?
- So internally, we do a lotof women wellness events.
I love celebrating thewomen that I work alongside.
They're very inspiring.
And externally we do womenwellness events as well.
We will have like a four-hour event
where it's a safe placethat you get to come
and feel restored, geteducation on products.
(14:44):
We cross-collaborate withother brands that we feel align
with our mission
and our values of what we're trying to do,
which is inspire womento feel their very best.
And then externally, wesupport organizations
that are helping women.
One of the organizations
that we work alongsideis like Living Beauty.
They help women that are goingthrough the cancer journey.
(15:06):
And so we, at Cymbiotika,want to ensure that
through that journey theyhave access to Cymbiotika.
- Incredible.
- Thank you.
And again, you know, there'sa lot of different nonprofits
that we work with that support women.
And for us, that community,it's our everything.
70% of our community are women
(15:27):
and 67% of our team internally are females
and majority of our leadership team.
- So you really reflect thepeople that you're serving.
- Absolutely.- Yeah.
So let's talk about family for a minute.
So your spouse is your business partner
and I'm kind of curious,
what advantage do you think it brings
to have such a close person in your life
be such a, you know,trusted and valued partner
(15:49):
to you in the business?
- So we've been married for 26 years,
and been together for 27.
There isn't a single soul
that I wouldn't want to dobusiness with other than him.
I think the advantagesare, we know each other.
You would hope right after so many years.
- Absolutely.
- We know each other,there's a trust factor.
We understand each other'sstrengths and opportunities.
(16:11):
And I think it's also aboutjust allowing, you know,
his leadership, I always sayhis leadership is unparalleled
to anything I've seen.
And allowing him to, youknow, really lead the company.
And he allows me to be my authentic self
and lean into the things that I'm good.
So it's a really beautiful balance.
And yeah, it's fun doingit every day with him.
(16:33):
It's a dream.
- Great. Unbelievable.
Well, we're talking a lotthis season about community
and how you define community,how you build community,
you know who you'resurrounding yourself with.
So how would you describeyour extended community
in particular where itcomes to this business
and the support for it
and how has that communityhelped you through this journey?
- So let's say women, I amall about women empowerment.
(16:54):
It's important in my personal ethos,
I was born in Afghanistan
where women don't have rights today.
I think in order to knowwhere you're going in life,
you must always knowwhere you've come from.
And for me, I've always surroundedmyself with strong women
that I look up to, that have been there,
that have helped shape mythoughts and my actions
and have been role models.
(17:16):
My mom being one of them.
I've just seen the amount of adversity
that she's been through andher grit and resilience.
And that's just helped mekind of shape who I am today
and unapologetically be who I am.
- Can you tell us more about your story,
your upbringing, leaving Afghanistan,
and then also how you aregiving back to that community,
(17:38):
which seems to need itmore than ever right now?
- Yes, I left Afghanistanwhen I was three months
And been here ever since.
So I'm very Americanized,
but I say I'm Afghan American.
I get a little emotionalwhen it comes to this topic
because I think that beinghere today is such a privilege.
(18:00):
And being a woman, being an immigrant,
being a refugee, I havesuch a responsibility
to not just pave the wayfor women here in America,
but for women back home.
I hope to give them a glimpse of hope
that they too one day can leadand be in rooms like this.
It's very important for me.
(18:20):
God gave me two daughters
and I feel really responsible
to teach them their responsibilityof how to treat women.
I built three schools in Afghanistan
when women can go to school.
And since women can't go to school today,
we've turned that into orphanages.
- Oh wow.
- Giving back is importantto me both personally
and it's a big part of symbiotic as ethos.
(18:42):
I think that at the endof the day it's, you know,
how you've left the world
and what you've done in this world.
That really defines your brand.
And I'm very inspired by the resilience
of the women in Afghanistan today.
And I think about them daily
and that's what inspires me towant to keep pushing forward
(19:02):
because I'm Afghan
and I need them to believebecause I'm one of them.
- Thank you for sharing that.
I mean, it's a profound story.
It keeps going onobviously in that country
with, as you say, womenhaving fewer rights now
than they did even just a few years ago.
Is it easy to keep intouch, hard to keep in touch
with the communities there?
(19:23):
How do you even facilitatethat communication
and make sure you can continue
to reach them despitewhat's happening there?
- So we have some distantfamily members that we trust
that are there, thathave feet on the ground,
that are trustable sourcesthat help me get food out
to those that need food,that need resources
and that help manage theschools that I have out there.
(19:45):
- Yeah.
- But other than that,yes it's very difficult.
In the surrounding countries,I get a lot of feedback
and sentiments through socialmedia about just, you know,
how I've given, you know,
a young girl hope who's sitting in a room
and wondering if herlife will one day change.
- We pray that it does and that more women
and girls there can grow upin healthier environments
(20:07):
and certainly, moreeducational environments.
So thank you for doing all of that.
That is really meaningful
and despite how hard it is,it's going to make a difference.
- Yeah.- For sure.
- Absolutely.
I'm very hopeful thatthings will change one day.
- How do you take the legacy
of your business and carry that forward?
I mean, clearly, it's a new business
and you'll run ithopefully for many years.
But do you start thinkingnow about the foundations
(20:29):
that you want to leave andthe legacy you want to leave
around wellness?
- Absolutely.
I mean, I think it's aboutbuilding a strong community.
We want folks to really rethink of health.
You know, health used tobe green juice and Pilates.
But now health is truly,you know, the foods
that you're putting into your body
and the daily choices that you're making.
(20:51):
So for us, you know,
the legacy is makinghealth accessible to all.
Having the ability to educate everyone.
Like truly taking what's been very complex
and just providing clarity to it.
And then I would just say byraising two great daughters
(21:11):
that will be, you know, futureleaders and great humans.
And at Cymbiotika, we do alot of philanthropy work.
And so every day, you know,
we're thinking every monthwe do something as a team.
It's part of our culture.
- That's great.
- Whether it's buildingthousands of trees,
we've saved over 30 million fish
of how we've sourced our DHA.
(21:32):
And then we do a lotof sustainable efforts
from office environmentdown to our packaging.
So it's very, very important for us
to leave this world a betterplace in which we found it.
- I love that.
There's so many ways to do it.
As you say, sort of in your process,
your sourcing process, but alsowith the team on the ground.
How many people are on the team now?
(21:52):
- [Durana] We've got a little over 85.
- That's incredible.
And so when you get them together,what does that feel like?
What are the cultural valuesyou're trying to install them
and how do you see thatcome to life every day?
- So for me it's magical
because I hire people I want to work with
that I really like.
I want to invest in them.
We spend a lot of time with our team.
(22:13):
We go into the office five days a week.
So we have an in-officeculture, which, you know,
people say you go in theoffice every day, the company's
so successful, what's the need for that
as owners and operators?
- He understand that.
- But I love building
with the team andalongside with them for us,
there's a lot of different things we do.
Friday we have family lunches.
So I say to the team as a team has grown,
(22:35):
it's gotten very expensive.
But I say, as long as you guys
can get to know each other 1% more
than last week, I couldjustify this expense.
- Absolutely.
- We do a lot of communityoutreach together.
We clean the beaches, plant trees.
And then I take a lot ofone-on-one time with my teammates
because it's important for methat they feel seen and heard.
(22:56):
And that's a big part of our culture.
I show up every day as myauthentic self and I do that
because I want the team to feel the same.
And we have an environmentwhere we have fun,
we work hard and, youknow, we really believe
in the leadership
and in the magic that eachperson is bringing to the table.
And it's about cultivating an environment
(23:18):
where people can succeed and win
and feel like they're part of something.
- That is great.
Thinking as how you'rebringing in everybody
almost individually.
It sounds like you kind ofplay a role really in that.
Are there people you look for,
whether they have abackground in wellness or not,
who have certain criteria?
What do you do you look for
in terms of a really good performer?
(23:38):
- So I do all the last round interviews
and it's a great question you ask.
So it depends on the role,
but most important, for me,
there's some things youcan't teach someone.
So I really like to learna lot about who are you
and how do you show up for yourself.
'Cause you can't teachsomeone to have discipline.
You can't teach someone tohave the morals and ethics.
(23:59):
Those are some of the non-negotiables.
And then being passionate,
I think you can teachsomeone a lot of things,
but you can't teach them tohave that fire in their belly,
that passion.
And so those are some of thehigh level characteristics
that we look for.
And at the end of theday, it's about, you know,
do you believe in our mission
and what we're trying to accomplish?
- So let's say you and yourhusband are coming home
(24:21):
after a long day at work andthere was something interesting
or challenging that happened
and you're sitting at thetable with your daughters.
What does that conversation look like?
Do they ask about the business?
Do you describe to them,"Here's what we did."
How do you convey what you do to them?
In a way that's a teaching moment.
- My oldest daughter, she's 12.
I say old because she's 12 going on to 35.
(24:41):
She interned for us last summer.
She didn't want to play any sports.
- That is great.
- And she was like, "Idon't want to do any clubs."
I said, "Okay, well you justcan't stay at home all summer."
And she said, "Can Icome to work with you?"
And I said, "Yeah,we'll do an internship."
So she made $5 a day.
- All right.
- And what I did is I said, "Listen,
you will not report to mommy.
(25:02):
You're going to report to alldifferent department leaders
so that you can tap into understanding
what you like and don't like."
And I rallied up the team and I said,
"Although she's 12, she thinks she's 35.
You've got to treat herlike any other employee.
You can write her up, you canfire her, you can, you know,
coach her and you know,allow her to shadow you."
(25:23):
But she did it for 2 1/2months, five days a week.
- Unbelievable.
- And I have to tell you, so 67%
of our internal team are women.
She felt so inspired.
On week two, I would be like,
"Yasmine, do you wantto have lunch with me?"
And she's like, "I'm sorry,
I'm going out with the marketing girls."
And I was like, "Wow, that's great."
It really helped her believe in herself.
(25:45):
I saw such a growth inwho she was as a person.
- I'm sure. Amazing.
- Yeah, and she learned a lot
in terms of just differentlike life lessons,
how to, you know, send acalendar invite, you know,
making sure she wasprompted on time to meetings
As a parent, I'll tell you,
it was one of the most incredible things
that I've ever done for my child.
(26:06):
- Well, I've never hearda story like that before.
A 12-year-old intern, so fabulous.
And she must now see
what you both do every dayin a totally different way.
There's a path before her,
whether she comes into thebusiness or not, right?
A business path or just whatshe could consider doing
with herself as an adult,which is incredible.
Does your younger daughterask you when is it her turn?
(26:27):
- Yeah, so my youngerdaughter is an athlete
and she's kind of likea natural born leader.
- Ah, great.- My older one
is shy a little bit,
but Ariana, both of them, theywant to get into business.
Of course they do.
They're into the makeup world
and they're like, "We want to launch
an all clean makeup line."
But both of them have seen mom and dad
(26:48):
work every single day.
And you know, even whenwe come home sometimes,
we're still talking about work.
And at the end of the dayfor them, I want them to know
that, you know, when they get married,
they too can work alongside their partner
and their husband andbuild a beautiful life.
And you can do it in avery respectful manner.
(27:10):
And also that, you know,women can do anything.
And I just think, and I said this before
and I've kind of was like,I maybe should define that.
I think that women arecapable of doing anything.
As long as you're definingwhat that is for you
and you're not comparing itto anything on social media,
- That's great.
(27:30):
- But at the end of the day, I show up
for my daughters as a parent.
I drop them off.
We both do, Shahab and I,
we drop them off atschool, we pick them up.
I'm as involved as Ican be at their school.
I'm a leader at work, I'm a daughter.
And so I want to show them
that they can have all thesedifferent kind of layers
to them in life and they canbe successful, it's possible.
(27:53):
- I'm sure you do reflectthat all the time.
It sounds like you leada very integrated life.
That your business, your home life,
you're able to make space for both,
you flex when needed on either of them.
But it's amazing to see that.
And I'm sure that reallyrubs off on your children
that they see that tooand you're the model
that being set for them.
Well both of you as parents obviously.
(28:14):
But now I think they see,
well mommy and daddy can both go to work
and both be as successful as the other.
- Yeah, and anytime wedo community outreach
at Cymbiotika company, well obviously,
in Afghanistan they've never been,
but they see the pictures that come back
and then, you know, back home,whether it's planting trees
or cleaning up the beach, Iactually pull them out of school.
(28:35):
We feed the homeless as well.
And I want my childrento be involved in that
because they need to really feel
and experience whatthat's like giving back.
I think it's the greatest,greatest joy that you can have.
And so they're a part ofall those things as well.
- I love that.
So for our listeners out there
who are thinking about maybestarting a business themselves
(28:56):
in the wellness space or not,what advice would you have
for them to give it a shot?
And if things get difficult,
you know, what could they be doing?
- This sounds so simple,but believe in yourself
and be unapologetic for who you are.
Don't wait for the perfect time.
You know the perfect time is now.
And surround yourself with people
(29:17):
that really can mentor you
and try to find peoplein that line of work
that are already doing itwhere you can seek advice from.
And I would just saythat anything is possible
and you're going to failmore than you succeed.
So be prepared for that.
- How should they get back up for failure?
How did you do it?
- Really understand your why.
Why are you doing what you're doing?
(29:39):
And the why has to be important enough
for you to want to get back up.
- I love that.
Thank you, Durana.- Absolutely.
- It's so nice to speak with you.
- [Durana] It's a pleasure.
- We're really excitedfor what you're building
and we wish you the very best.
- Thank you so much.
I appreciate all your time.
- Thank you for listeningto my conversation
(30:00):
with Durana Elmi.
Durana's story is a reminder
that building a meaningful business starts
with a clear purpose and adeep commitment to others.
Whether it's building wellness communities
around her company or giving back
to the women in Afghanistan,she uses her platform
to spread hope and serve as a role model.
I hope today's conversationhelps you think about
(30:21):
how you might give back andserve your own communities.
If you enjoyed this podcast,don't forget to like, share,
and subscribe to it on yourfavorite podcast platform.
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