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The Wellness Creator Podcast is your go-to source for expert insights and actionable tips in the evolving world of health, wellness, and spiritual-based business. Join us as we explore proven online growth strategies, chat about current trends, and interview fellow wellness creators who’ve managed to turn passion into profit by helping people live better, healthier lives.
Jeni (00:00)
Welcome back to the Wellness Creator Podcast. Today we're bringing you five juicy stories that every online wellness creator needs to hear. So we're talking about the new influencer to retail pipeline, AKA affiliate marketing's cooler cousin, a viral fiber obsession that's taking over TikTok, personal interest of mine, while your clients are suddenly craving slow analog rituals,
Sandy (00:21)
He
Jeni (00:25)
And if you've ever thought about using Reddit to grow your business, we've got a tip that could seriously change how you get discovered online. So we're breaking it down why your audience is over pretty promises with no substance. And finally, we're ending with a story that might just change how you think about your business, your money, and your future as a woman, for those of you who are women who are listening. So stick around. The last one's a pretty good one. And...
Sandy (00:48)
You
Jeni (00:53)
I'll send it over to Sandy.
Sandy (00:54)
All right, I got the first story. the influencer to retailer pipeline is officially a thing. Sephora recently launched a feature called My Sephora Storefront, giving creators their own shop right inside Sephora's platform. It's basically affiliate marketing 2.0, except instead of just promoting links, creators are now curating full on digital boutiques.
Another platform called Vet created by Conde Nast is doing something similar in industry. Experts are saying the creator economy is on track to hit 500 billion. That's billion with a B by 2027. And this obviously isn't just for beauty influencers. This applies to all of you who are wellness creators. People trust your opinions and your recommendations. And if you've built a community that looks to you for guidance on feeling good or moving your body or setting intentions,
They're ready to buy what you recommend. So this matters because you don't need to launch a skincare line, but you could have, could you have a shop page with your favorite mat, your blocks, teas, books, or oil, whatever it may be. Could you create a bundle of digital products that feels like a curated ritual? You are already influencing and now you can actually get paid like it. Jenny, what do think about this story?
Jeni (02:12)
Yeah, as you're talking, Sandy, I'm so aware of how much this sounds like TikTok shop. And I know you don't have TikTok shop in Canada, so you just haven't lived that experience like those of us, you know, in other countries in the US in particular. But like that is kind of the business of TikTok, right? Is that people have the curated chops and they're like selling through short form video these things that you also could be selling through an Amazon storefront or something like that.
Sandy (02:19)
Yeah. Correct.
Mm-hmm.
Jeni (02:38)
but I do think that this is where influencer marketing has gone instead of affiliate links. It's now like come to my shop. Yeah, and I think it's so much better because you don't have to market every single thing, right? Like you can pick one thing to talk about in market, but then that's gonna drive people into your storefront and then you're gonna have all the other stuff that you've curated. So it also is to me more now.
Sandy (02:45)
storefronts. Yes.
Jeni (03:04)
Influencer marketing is more about like the whole person like the whole person as the influencer So as the wellness creator who you are what you stand for like your likes your joys What lights you up? You can kind of offer that as a whole package versus like a one-off thing
Sandy (03:20)
Right. The examples I gave were very specific to wellness, but it could be like your favorite book or your mattress or your coffee maker or whatever, just because they really admire you. Right. Yeah. think it's, I think it's, it's, I think it's fantastic. We've always struggled with like for years we had joy and hustle and we wanted to like make our own little storefront where people could go purchase that and have affiliate links, but to make a page and all the links and keep it updated. my God. Like, so I think this is a really, really,
great option. And one thing I didn't check, I wish I had is like, are these things available in Canada? So I'll have to look into that because maybe, maybe we should do this. Maybe we should use vet or something. And I don't think we can do a Sephora storefront, but maybe we could do something on vet. Anyway, it's a great, I think it's a
Jeni (03:58)
Yeah
Yeah, I generally don't
love Sephora. But yeah, I mean, I think that though the trend is though that we're going to see more and more brands and platforms offering this kind of storefront option. And I do think this was pioneered with Amazon, you know, a decade plus ago when we had an Amazon storefront for a long time. But I think that this just like as a business owner and as someone who has a presence on the Internet, I think it's important to be tracking this and thinking about where the trends are going, how
Sandy (04:17)
Yeah, right. Yes, painful to use. Yeah.
Jeni (04:34)
you make money and I mean, it's kind of hard to make a full time living as an influencer, but I think it's getting easier because of things like this, right? And now if you have a devoted following, even if it's small, you can start to make money from just talking about the things that you love and why not add that extra income stream? I mean, I'm not like a huge fan of like, yay, yay, rah rah consumerism, but.
Like you're already like chances are you're already talking about things anyway. People are asking you, where did you get that tank top or you know, what, where did you get that bracelet or what kind of like your skin looks so good. What are you, what is your skincare routine? You might as well benefit. Yeah.
Sandy (05:16)
Yeah, absolutely. Okay,
story number two, over to you.
Jeni (05:21)
so now for something a little weirder, and this is fiber maxing.
It's the latest gut health trend blowing up on TikTok. And yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. So people are massively increasing their fiber intake. I mean, this is a little iffy, sometimes like 40 to 70 grams per day using psyllium husk, chia seeds, like beans, all kinds of other high fiber foods. They're doing it for a blood sugar balance, better digestion. Sometimes people say clear skin and even hormone support. So like draining estrogen out of your body.
And some creators are calling it the clean girl secret weapon, which is kind of a lot, but here we are. So it's maybe a little extreme. And for those people who have like different digestive issues, it's something obviously like you would want to talk to your doctor about, but the conversation around gut health hormones, glucose regulation, thinking of the biggest influencer in the space, glucose goddess, it's only getting louder.
And people are paying attention to this. Like your clients are probably paying attention to this if they're on TikTok or they're on the internet. And so why does this matter to you? It's an incredible opportunity to show up as a voice of reason and education. So if you have any kind of background in health coaching, if you're a nutrition editor, if you're a nutrition educator, a hormone specialist, lean into this trend. It's your niche's trending moment.
So if you're not, you can use it as content, like should I be Fibromaxing? You can give your opinion, you can research it a bit and share that research with your audience. So it's a great opportunity to make a reel or a newsletter or even create an email subject line with the word Fibromaxing, because it's such a new provocative term. So what is your take on Fibromaxing, Sandy?
Sandy (07:10)
I don't specifically have an opinion on 40 or 70 grams of fiber, but I think the story here is like pay attention to these trends and like some of them are so ridiculous and so over the top. But the reality in this world is your clients are watching these. They're watching these videos going, should I do that? So even if you agree or adamantly
Jeni (07:28)
Mm-hmm.
Sandy (07:32)
disagree, I think it's an opportunity, a subject line to educate and put yourself back in that, that, that person who knows like the, the, the, the person who is the expert on this and like, that sounds much more reasonable. Right. So I think this, the story is not whether should you Fibromax or not. It's like pay attention to these crazy trends that are happening, your clients are, and you can use those to set yourself up as an expert.
Jeni (07:57)
Yeah, yeah, and I've definitely seen like on tech talk, a bunch of people with pretty high numbers of followers in their accounts who are critiquing this kind of thing, right? Like the people who have like stronger clinical or medical backgrounds are coming in and saying like, whoa, whoa, whoa, here's why this might not be good for you or for everyone or for everyone, right? And so like that's...
Sandy (08:11)
Thank
Mm-hmm.
Jeni (08:20)
That kind of trend just create, you can see it creates opportunities to grow your following and to establish yourself as an expert, regardless of what side you fall on. And I also think the other thing that's really interesting about this topic to me is again, like the word fiber maxine, the term. I mean, this like blank maxine is such a popular way of talking about something right now. It's like really trendy. like, could you use the blank maxine?
Sandy (08:47)
Yeah, good point.
Jeni (08:48)
create your
Sandy (08:49)
Yeah.
Jeni (08:49)
own new term based on whatever your expertise is, like not even talking about fiber.
Sandy (08:51)
Yeah, yeah,
yeah, great idea, great idea. Okay, I've got this next story. So next we're gonna talk about a surprising wellness trend that has nothing to do with AI or apps or algorithms. It's called the analog on movement and it's showing up in a very big way across wellness spaces. According to Global Wellness Summit, consumers are craving digital breaks, low tech experiences and moments of deep presence.
Think silent walking, cold plunges, saunas, forest bathing, paper journals, eye contact, long hugs. In a world of infinite scrolls and 24 seven notifications, going analog is starting to feel like the most luxurious form of self care. But before we throw all our screens away, let's be real. Most of us do run our businesses online. We teach on zoom, we market on Instagram, we coach in the DMS, and that is not going anywhere. The shift here is about
quitting isn't about quitting digital. It's about designing experiences that balance the digital with the physical, the high tech with the deeply human. So for you, building wellness businesses on the internet, that could look like maybe offering a seven day challenge, sorry, a seven day off screen challenge inside your membership. Maybe you mail your coaching clients, a printed journal and a beautiful pen.
Maybe you add a closing ritual to your live zoom classes and invites people to step away from the screen and into their bodies. Your clients are craving slowness and simplicity, not just in how they move, but in how they consume. So if you are able to create moments that feel grounded, sensory, analog, you're going to stand out and you're also going to be serving your audience's real need, which isn't just content and more content and more content.
It's actually connection. Jenny, I know you have a lot to say on this.
Jeni (10:45)
Yeah, I mean, this is my space that I spend most of my free time in is the analog world. I'm increasingly making my life about all things analog, like being offline as much as possible and not just offline, it's actually away from screens. So, you know, that looks like paper books and typewriters and fountain pens and journals and going into nature and being as far away from.
kind of technology as possible. I think we're only gonna see this trend grow. And I also think for our audience, Sandy, the thing that's most important is because if you're listening to this, you're working online and you're working in the wellness industry most likely, there is a certain part of your life and the lives of your clients that is like, it's going to have to be online, right? Like a lot of us have jobs that require us to be connected to the internet on a pretty regular tether and then our businesses and then.
Obviously like what when we're engaging in products and services from people who teach online and so I do think this is really about thought leadership here because you don't want to like undermine the thing that you're selling like that's still important But when you kind of share your own Analog practices and you highlight like what's working for you? I think you also create the invitation for like okay, and now when we're online together You've kind of had the rest and respite
like away from this to now fully participate in this time together online. Like I think that there is a balancing act, then it's a real opportunity for you to show up as a creator and thought leader in the space.
Sandy (12:18)
Yeah, absolutely. And I just, I just want to emphasize for those working online, this is not like, my God, my business is in jeopardy. It's not that it's just what Jenny said. It's, it's really standing up for that balance and talking about it. but also an opportunity to think of how can I bring some analog joy into my client's life? I think it's an interesting question and it's also really fun to send someone a journal or whatever. So, okay.
Jeni (12:42)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, one
of my favorite youtubers he did this video recently and this just like perfectly illustrates it because it's somebody that has like well over a million YouTube subscribers and he like he had this like Video pop-off that was him on a typewriter It's just like a beautiful video of him using a typewriter and and like opening this antique like altoid style tin Taking out a little tiny piece of beautifully made
that's been cut to fit in the tin. Like taping it with double-sided tape to a piece of paper, putting it into his typewriter feed, and then typing a quote, and then finishing it, taking it off, and putting it in his tin. like, I mean, that video, that, I mean, you're watching the video on YouTube, like you're online, and he's making a video with like digital cameras and like editing software, right?
Sandy (13:27)
Great.
Jeni (13:33)
but he's infusing the experience of analog life too. And that video totally popped off. And I think that's the bridge, right? How do we infuse what it means to have an offline or analog experience into this work? Because it's popular right now, as it should be. Yeah.
Sandy (13:51)
Yeah, yeah, that's a great, great example. Yeah.
Okay, story number four, you got it.
Jeni (13:59)
Okay,
so I mean, of course we agree with this. Like we can talk about it more at the end, but wellness clients are done with the BS. So let's be honest here. Wellness marketing used to get away with a lot like early days of the internet, right? And balance your hormones in 10 days, unlock the ancient secret to effortless weight loss, drink this tea, manifest your soulmate. I mean, it's just, those days are fading.
fast, I would say they're already gone. According to a new report from Outbrain, today's wellness consumer is now savvy, skeptical, and absolutely over vague claims and aspirational nonsense. People want clarity, they want evidence, they want specificity, and they want to know that the person they're buying from actually lives what they teach. So again, like clickbait, this kind of clickbait is gone in wellness and like you couldn't get away with this.
Already because of advertising restrictions, but now like it's not working for non-paid stuff either And it makes sense like we've all I think been burned by this like even if it's just taking five minutes to read us a news story that's just Total bs and a lot of people spend money on courses coaches and supplements that were over promised and that under delivered and so there's just this fatigue so
What this means is that if you're building, if you are a wellness creator right now, you have an opportunity not just to sell something, but to build trust. This should be a core part of everything you're doing as a creator. And this really starts with your messaging. It's not enough to say, transform your life. Tell me how. It's not enough to say, join my membership. Tell me what I get, how it's different, how I will feel after 30 days, and then make sure that those claims are backed up.
by supporting evidence, right? Make sure they really will feel that way after 30 days. So why does this matter to you? You're already doing the real work. You're holding space, creating value, guiding people toward wellness. You're actually doing it if you're listening to this podcast, but your marketing needs to reflect that. So it's just a reminder to gut check your sales page, rewrite those vague headlines.
and be bold enough to tell the truth. What you do works and it's not because it's magic, but because it's actually meaningful. So Sandy, what are you, how are you feeling about this one?
Sandy (16:21)
Yeah, I mean,
we've been harping on this point for years, all through our coaching programs. This is a big part of what we did was try to get the vagueness out of the, out of the lines. lot of wellness creators will go through, go for like really beautiful words that are very, very empty and don't really mean anything to the client. And so we have a whole other podcast about, don't your woo words won't sell. And that's basically what this is selling saying. So it's nice to hear that this sort of concept is backed up by Outbrain.
but it's a good reminder, like just say it, be specific. And I think a lot of women too will hide behind, I think you said be bold enough to tell the truth. And I think a lot of women are afraid to state or declare, you know, what, what they do. They want to like make it florally and beautiful and soft and ephemeral. And it's like, no, just say it. People need to know. And I think, this is just confirmation that the
Consumers out there are catching on and they just just please be clear about what what it is that I that I get
Jeni (17:24)
Yeah, I mean, yes, I think clarity and I think specificity is the way that you do that. And I think the reason that so many people like shy away from specificity is because they don't wanna make promises that they can't keep. But there's ways of wording like your success story, like through testimonials, you can have caveats, you can say like, most people experience X, Y, Z result in X time. Like you can still.
Sandy (17:28)
specificity.
Jeni (17:51)
provide some caveats so that you're not making promises that are, you know, unfair. But like, you kind of have to stick your neck out there a little bit now. I mean, I would say that that is like one way to think about it is you can't hide, as you're saying Sandy, and like the flowery language anymore, because like just nobody cares. It's just, you're not, it's just a sea of nonsense. And like, you know, in the, as I like to agree with this phrase, the inshitification of the internet, like you just stop.
Sandy (17:54)
Yeah, ridiculous claims, yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Jeni (18:20)
Just stop saying, like, yeah. And I mean, go listen to the podcast that Sandy mentioned and you can hear all the examples of the vague wellness nonsense that we like to call out.
Sandy (18:31)
Yeah, exactly.
Okay, next story. Here's something you probably haven't thought about lately. Reddit, not for memes, not for drama, but for growth. Reddit is hosting a webinar called Ask Me Anything About Apps. And while it is geared toward app marketers,
is actually super relevant for anyone building an online wellness business, especially if you are hosting your content or community on a platform like Marvelous. So Reddit isn't just a forum, it's one of the most trusted, engaged communities on the internet, and it's becoming a serious tool for discovery and conversion. In this session, Reddit's team will break down how small brands, especially niche ones, are using sub-Reddits, AMAs, or ask me any things.
and content strategy to show, grow awareness and drive leads. Here's the kicker though. You don't need to build your own app to take advantage of this. for those of you who are on marvelous, you already have your, your platform and therefore your own app. So this is really about driving the right people to it, which is what everyone is always asking about how to do this. So if you have felt like your audience is tired of Instagram or your content's getting buried in the algorithm,
been there. Reddit could be your next channel for organic visibility. Niche is actually rewarded there and questions are welcome. That's what it's built on and real conversation, not polished perfection is what performs. So if you've got a unique point of view on gut health, on movement, on hormones, on healing, whatever Reddit might be the place to start talking. And I will put the link to sign up for that forum. happens in November, 2025.
I'll put the link in the show notes. So Jenny, you found this forum. Why did you think it was important?
Jeni (20:18)
Yeah, mean, Reddit is increasingly becoming important in a world of AI driven search results. so Reddit, having your brand or your name mentioned on Reddit can be a great way for people to find you when they're asking AI tools questions about, I'm looking for Pilates teacher who specializes in like hormone related issues and paramenopause or whatever. Like that would be helpful for you to show up there. So it's sort of like, I don't know.
beyond Google being found. I do wanna say the caveat of Reddit is a hard place to spend a lot of time because people typically have anonymous handles. And as like terrible as like it is to spend time on Facebook, there's still a lot of people that use their real names and like real identifying information there. like there's a little bit less of
the sort of mean meanness, like mean girl, mean boy behavior. But Reddit, it's kind of a shit show and people are kind of mean to each other. And I would just say that's also part of developing a thick skin and being on the internet. I also don't love that about it, but it's just that sort of the trend of where things are going in that content is getting scraped by search tools and AI search tools. So.
Like you might as well invest in being there. Yeah.
Sandy (21:43)
Yeah, I know. I agree. It's all about to me. It's all about AI, but you have to know what you're getting into. I heard someone say the other day that in this day and age running a business, that was the context. the price for success is hate. I was like, ⁓ but I kind of think that's, that's true. Right? So yeah, thick skin go into this, but it's something we've looked at too, or I've looked at, you know, to sort of show up in those AI results. But this is just a forum. You don't have to do anything. It might be just worth understanding how
Jeni (21:56)
Yeah.
Sandy (22:11)
how Reddit is playing in this world, so that you can use it or not use it. You'll be much more informed after this forum. So again, I will put that in the show notes. Okay, Jenny last story. Love this one. Go for it.
Jeni (22:22)
Yeah, so we've talked about this ad nauseum in our kind of coaching work and our coaching world and our other podcasts, but 50 years ago, women couldn't get a mortgage. I think it's important to continuously remind ourselves of how far we've come. And it's a moment I think we need to sit with, especially as we roll toward the end of now 2025. That's hard to believe. So 50 years ago in both Canada and the US, which are our two countries,
Women couldn't get a mortgage or even open a credit card without a man's signature, essentially a man's permission, right? So in 1974, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act was passed in the US and similar policy shifts were happening in Canada. I think we did a whole podcast about this a few years ago. Before that, a bank could legally deny you a mortgage based on the fact that you were unmarried, divorced, or let's be real, simply female.
So putting that in perspective, our mothers and grandmothers, even if they had an income and had the discipline and the dream, still needed a husband or a father or some other man to co-sign on their independence. And here we are now running online businesses, building recurring revenue, investing in property, buying land, owning assets, generating wealth on our own terms. And really in one generation, this transformation has taken place.
So why do so many of us still feel like we don't know enough about money or why do we have a weird guilty feeling about wanting more? Why do we question whether we're doing it right? So I think with this 50 year mark, it's not just a history lesson. Like this is a reminder that this is the first time in history that women have had this kind of financial autonomy and it's still new for us.
This means that we're figuring it out as we go. There are gaps in what we were taught, but it's okay to want the house, the savings, the investment account, the Bitcoin, the cash buffer, the Mercedes, whatever your heart desires, and take the quiet afternoon to drink tea in your robe because your business is working for you. It's kind of time to banish the guilt of being entrepreneurs. So if you're building something online, something that matters,
whether it's yoga membership, a coaching program, a nutrition business, you are part of this lineage of women who are reclaiming power, not just energetically, but financially. This is your permission slip to go all in. We just wanna give you that reminder, not just to survive, but to earn, to own, and to build something that outlasts you. So. ⁓
Sandy (24:58)
Yeah.
Yeah. mean, I just think it's significant that it's only 50 years. This is the anniversary of that. Those changes in policy 50 years. We are net. can now go get our own credit card or buy a car, whatever. That is one generation. That is one generation that that has changed. And so for all of you who are suffering with those questions that Jenny asked about like,
Jeni (25:12)
Yeah.
Sandy (25:23)
I don't know enough, or I feel guilty for wanting, or I don't understand how stocks work. You're how, how could you like, of course we have to learn this. The men have had generations of knowledge passed down in the private club smoking rooms or at the hunting, whatever they do. Right? Like they have talked to each other for generations about investing and making money and real estate. And women have been taught how do you know, make a
meal for eight kids on five dollars like or clip coupons or save pennies right they're talking about millions
Jeni (25:57)
or to be a baroness
and dance in fancy dresses.
Sandy (26:02)
Yeah, like, so
just give yourself a break if you are struggling with money mindset. It's expected. There's no way that you can just learn this. But keep going, you know, and I just, wanted to just mark that that's only 50 years. Like it seems like a long time, but it's 1974. It wasn't that long ago. And this happened to my, to my mother that she had this exact experience. So this is kind of personal, but something to celebrate that you are, you all are out there making your own money and
doing the things and I just want to remind you that this is relatively new.
Jeni (26:35)
Yeah, and it's monumental because of that. I think that that's the other piece of it is like we're living in times that are so radically different than our ancestors lived. And I think it's just worth reminding ourselves that. And then even with this online entrepreneurship space, Sandy, I think it's important to think too is that like, if you're listening to this, you also are not tied down to a traditional job either. Like you can have your own business and make your own money. And that's like a whole other.
Sandy (26:39)
Yeah. Yeah.
Jeni (27:05)
level of all of this. And so it's really, even though it feels unsteady and unsure, it's something that's worth really allowing yourself to feel pride about.
Sandy (27:06)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, absolutely. Okay. Thanks everyone for listening today. If something landed for you, pass this episode along to another creator who needs to hear it. And so go do something big this week and we'll see you in the next episode. Thanks Jenny.
Jeni (27:28)
Thanks