On The Horizons: How to Scale Wellness Brands Without Losing the Soul: Inside Naturopathica with Cathy O'Brien
Wed Dec 17 2025
This episode of On The Horizons dives deep into what it really means to build wellness brands while also safeguarding your own health, energy, and vision as a leader. Host Laura Meyer, CEO Envision Horizons, sits down with Cathy O’Brien, Chairman of Naturopathica, to explore the origin of the wellspace for women, the gaps in female-focused medical research, and why data-driven, science-backed content is so critical for women’s health right now.Cathy unpacks how brands like Naturopathica can scale without losing their soul, the balance between visionary founders and operators, and why so many acquisitions fail when culture and brand DNA are ignored. She also shares her story navigating a cancer diagnosis from the CEO seat - what she would do differently, how she set new boundaries, and why protecting your energy is non-negotiable for female leaders.Hear practical insights on hiring for attitude over pedigree, preserving culture during rapid growth, and using wellness practices as real tools for better decision-making in high-pressure environments. This is a must-watch episode for female founders, marketing leaders, and anyone building in women’s health or corporate wellness.00:25 – Why Cathy created 'Inside The Wellspace' and the research gap in women’s health02:00 – Fact or Fiction: Wellness Treatments Edition10:20 – Founders vs. operators: keeping a brand’s soul through scale and acquisition19:00 – Cathy's personal journey and setting boundaries in business27:40 – Energy management and saying no as a female executive35:00 – How to hire and build teams that protect culture, not just hit the spreadsheet
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This episode of On The Horizons dives deep into what it really means to build wellness brands while also safeguarding your own health, energy, and vision as a leader. Host Laura Meyer, CEO Envision Horizons, sits down with Cathy O’Brien, Chairman of Naturopathica, to explore the origin of the wellspace for women, the gaps in female-focused medical research, and why data-driven, science-backed content is so critical for women’s health right now.Cathy unpacks how brands like Naturopathica can scale without losing their soul, the balance between visionary founders and operators, and why so many acquisitions fail when culture and brand DNA are ignored. She also shares her story navigating a cancer diagnosis from the CEO seat - what she would do differently, how she set new boundaries, and why protecting your energy is non-negotiable for female leaders.Hear practical insights on hiring for attitude over pedigree, preserving culture during rapid growth, and using wellness practices as real tools for better decision-making in high-pressure environments. This is a must-watch episode for female founders, marketing leaders, and anyone building in women’s health or corporate wellness.00:25 – Why Cathy created 'Inside The Wellspace' and the research gap in women’s health02:00 – Fact or Fiction: Wellness Treatments Edition10:20 – Founders vs. operators: keeping a brand’s soul through scale and acquisition19:00 – Cathy's personal journey and setting boundaries in business27:40 – Energy management and saying no as a female executive35:00 – How to hire and build teams that protect culture, not just hit the spreadsheet