Ep 244 | Kori Estrada

Written By Yasmin Nouri

How to Overcome Perfectionism, Create a Business That Solves Your Own Problem & Build Brand Awareness Through Micro-Influencers

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Kori Estrada is the co-founder of RiseWell, a company that is disrupting the oral care industry with an all-natural, sustainable brand that prioritizes safe ingredients and transparency. 

The inspiration for starting the company came to Kori when she was undergoing fertility treatments and realized all the toxic chemicals that were prevalent in our personal care items, including toothpaste. Fueled by her experiences with celiac disease and IVF struggles, Kori, joined by her former partner and brother, created dentist-formulated products that didn’t have harmful chemicals like fluoride, sulfates, and synthetic additives.

Since launching in  2016, RiseWell has gone from toothpaste to a full suite of products, including mouthwash, floss, and mints. In addition to running RiseWell, Kori is also the co-CIO and co-CEO at Axon Capitol, a New York-based asset management firm.

In this week’s episode, Kori openly talks about how she struggles with perfectionism in the early days of the business, what she did to move past it and how she deals with the mental and emotional tolls of entrepreurship. We also talk about how have another career in corporate, and starting a business with work experience under her belt, has only helped propel RiseWell’s success. 

She also explains the confusion people have about fluoride, why we should be treating toothpaste like food and how she stumbled on the brand’s its key replacement ingredient on a personal trip in Japan. We also dive into the most difficult and impactful lessons she’s learned on her journey, the time & the many iterations it took for her to create their first product and the steps she took to create brand awareness early on with influencers and dentists who became brand ambassadors, and so much more. 

Show Notes:

  • Kori's evolution in dealing with perfectionism over the years. [03:07]

  • Influences from Kori's upbringing and childhood. [05:38]

  • Impact of New York finance lifestyle on Kori's well-being. [11:21]

  • The inspiration behind founding RiseWell. [15:52]

  • Initial steps taken by Kori in starting the business. [19:35]

  • Challenges faced in manufacturing. [24:09]

  • Crucial pillars before launching the business. [26:39]

  • Strategies for creating market awareness. [28:55] 

  • Importance of influencer and dentist support for RiseWell. [31:21]

  • Early mistakes and lessons learned. [34:32]

  • Things to be mindful about in dental floss. [38:14]

  • Considerations for toothpaste ingredients. [40:17]

  • How Kori balances her career and family by rejecting perfectionism. [44:00]

  • Why starting a company is as much emotional as it is mental. [49:01]

  • Future plans for RiseWell. [51:30]

  • Kori's personal blog as a passion project. [52:54]

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Ep 245 | Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin
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Ep 243 | Dr. Leedia Riman