Erica Groussman: Becoming a Serial Wellness Entrepreneur by Fixing Gaps in the Health Industry

Erica Groussman is a hands-on mom, loving wife, a champion of her community, and yet she has still managed to find the time to launch not one but two successful wellness brands. While most of us are challenged by our morning routine, this powerhouse has succeeded in striking a balance and figuring a way to tackle it all.

The idea for her first company was actually inspired by her busy, on-the-go mom lifestyle. She didn’t always have the time to sit down and have a proper meal. And when trying to locate a quick and easy snack she found that the ones that tasted great were awful for your body and the ones that were healthy taste pretty awful. So along with her former business partner, Erica launched TRUWOMEN, a vegan protein bar that is gluten-free, non-GMO, free of sugar alcohols, and with a delectable taste. Erica Groussman shared, “as a company, we became obsessed with blurring the lines between healthy and delicious. The more we asked women what they wanted to snack on, the stronger we committed ourselves to create clean products that everyone can enjoy.” They were able to capture the flavor profile of fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookies and melt in your mouth glazed donuts, while still maintaining the integrity and wellness of the product.

TRUWOMEN protein bars quickly gained popularity and became a Halle Berry favorite, and she was quoted in Shape Magazine sharing how she stuck to her strict keto diet by eating the delicious bars, and that she particularly enjoyed the Daydreaming About Donuts flavor. Other popular flavors include Oh Oh Cookie Dough, Whole Lotta Machiatto, Saltylicious Almond Love, and Smother Fudger Peanut Butter. Their big celebrity moment was huge for the brand that was introducing a new food category they called “indulgent nutrition.” The brand was then picked up by national and international retailers including Costco, Target, and Amazon.

As her company was taking off, Erica wasn’t exactly planning to launch another business quite yet. But when her 6-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Molluscum, a very annoying skin rash the easily spreads and doesn’t go away for years, she had to do something. The problem-solving mama tried everything including an aggressive beetle juice treatment that left her daughter blistered and out of school for weeks. Eventually, the rash had to be scraped off, leaving scars all over her daughter’s body. Thinking they had finally put that chapter to rest, a short time after her son was diagnosed with the pesky disease and even passed it along to a friend. Enough was enough. Erica soon began working on R&D  to develop a patch that was all-natural, protected against the spread, and also alleviated the uncomfortable symptoms. “We committed to developing a patch that will stay in place while kids play and BE kids!” shared Erica. “You simply leave the patch on until it falls off or change every 48 hours until the irritating rash is gone.” And in no time at all her next business Molluscum Away was born to help other moms and their little ones dealing with the same issue.

Erica has always had a keen eye for spotting wellness trends in the health industry, coupled with a savvy attitude of figuring things out. Whether it was the obvious gaps in the food market or a bothersome skin condition that every kid seemed to have but there was no real solution – she has made it a habit to take it upon herself to find a solution. The road was never easy, but once Erica commits to something she just gets it done. Erica shares, “If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.”