Day: February 5, 2021

Sometimes, it’s easy to think of business founders and CEOs as individuals who have spent their entire life in an office, wearing a suit and tie. In reality, however, this often isn’t the case.

I recently had the opportunity to witness this firsthand when I sat down to interview Alexy Goldstein, founder and CEO of New U Life. Goldstein had actually developed an established role as a respected herbalist before pivoting to launch his own series of successful wellness companies.

Here is a closer look at his unique journey.

Early Life In Business

Goldstein actually dove into the business world early in life at the age of 18. “I was getting ready to go to college to study business when my parents told me they were leaving the family business to me. It was my decision to either try to run it on my own or sell it,” Goldstein recalls.

“That was a real baptism by fire, so to speak! While I initially took it on out of a sense of obligation, making that business a success soon became a driving, motivator for me. I was studying business, so I should try to run one.”

Goldstein managed the store during the day and took on college responsibilities at night. Though stressful and extremely demanding, he managed both responsibilities with aplomb, eventually earning his Bachelor’s Degree from Fresno State University. 

Even more important than earning a degree and learning to run a retail business, however, were the interactions that paved the way for New U Life.

Pivoting to Nutrition

“As I was running my family’s business, I started to get curious about the products we were selling,” Goldstein explains. “A lot of this came from the insights I gained while interacting with our customers. I started to wonder if it was possible to develop my own nutrition supplements that would be better able to fulfill their needs, which weren’t being met at the time. This curiosity ultimately led me to go back to school to become a Certified Homeopath and Certified Herbalist.”

In conducting his own research, Goldstein had already uncovered deficiencies in the nutritional supplements market. Now, studying to become a homeopath and herbalist had given him greater knowledge of the human body, as well as the natural solutions that could improve overall wellness.

An understanding of the body’s nutritional needs, as well as botanical and pharmaceutical research, helps determine which plants will be able to best help the patient.

Combining Two Passions

Goldstein had previously demonstrated an affinity for the business world, and with his early experiences in retail and nutritional knowledge gained as an herbalist, the potential opportunities were immediately apparent.

“Simply put, there were major gaps in the marketplace,” Goldstein says.

“Products either didn’t meet the specific needs people had, or they didn’t provide top-level results. I think many people in the business world would have been able to identify that. The advantage that I had was that I also had an herbalist’s knowledge that allowed me to actually do something about it. Being able to combine my two passions in launching nutrition brands was like a dream come true.”

Goldstein hit the ground running with the launch of Natural Life Foods, a line of hundreds of vitamins, protein powders, essential oils and other specialty health and wellness products. The success of this brand led to the launch of Strike First Nutrition, which focused on athletes’ needs for strength and recovery, sleep aids and more.

Goldstein’s passion for innovation led to the launch of several additional brands that focused on fulfilling nutrition and wellness needs with natural herbal products — with New U Life being the latest in this line of successful innovators. Thankfully, these companies have all leveraged Goldstein’s knowledge as an herbalist and entrepreneurial savvy to achieve massive sales.

Having passion for both business and health, and putting in the time to learn the ins and outs of both, served as a crucial foundation that enabled Goldstein to launch nutrition brands that have since achieved global success.

What’s Next?

As for what’s next for Goldstein, he hopes to continue to expand his New U Life’s reach and product line. “We’ve been fortunate enough to expand our operations to China and Canada recently, greatly increasing the potential customer base for our products.

While this represents a great opportunity, we can’t afford to become complacent or remain stagnant. Formulating new products and enhancing the effectiveness of our current lineup will be vital for sustaining our success.”

Though the ongoing effects of the COVID pandemic will undoubtedly continue to present challenges in hosting brand events and other activities, Goldstein is confident and optimistic. “Good health is always in demand. Now more than ever, people are wanting to give their bodies proper care and nutrition.”