How did the three of you come together to form BOOD?
Christina: At first, I helped out with product photography, branding, and social media during the early days of The Skin Kitchen. We soon realised we made a great team, and the guys asked me to join officially!
Corey: In March 2020, myself & Jon were in St. Lucia for our grandmothers funeral. Health & wellness, was a super huge topic on the trip. There was always one major theme, SEAMOSS! It was a no brainer to start sharing this with people back in London given the current climate (COVID) and health being of the utmost importance for everyone. The rest has felt like history!
Jon: Corey and I first discussed starting a business in St. Lucia in March 2020, while attending our grandmother’s funeral. Seven months later, we launched, growing into Seamoss products, skincare, and hair care. In 2022, we rebranded from "The Skin Kitchen" to BOOD, focusing on health and wellness superfoods.
What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting out, and how did you overcome it?
Christina: My biggest challenge was balancing my full-time job with my growing responsibilities at BOOD. It wasn’t easy, and I had to quickly master the art of discipline. Time management became crucial (and early morning starts!) as I learned to juggle both roles, ensuring nothing fell through the cracks while still keeping my energy and focus intact.
Corey: I'd say probably never dropping the ball. Having a full time job, and still having a life whilst running a business can feel really difficult at times. Balance becomes just a word, one you’re suddenly trying to master in ways you never have before!
Jon: Seamoss has always been a big deal in St. Lucia and within our family—it’s been a staple for generations. But we weren’t sure if that love for seamoss would translate outside of our circle. To test the waters, we started by sharing it with friends, asking for honest feedback. Within just a few weeks, it became clear that there was real demand for our products. People loved it as much as we did, and that gave us the confidence to keep pushing forward.
Can you describe a typical day in the life of your team?
Christina: A typical day starts at 5am with me tackling tasks like content creation, customer emails, and order prep. By 7.30am, I’m off to the gym and ready for my day job by 9am. After a dinner break from 5.30 - 6pm, I dive back into BOOD work until the evening wraps up. My weekends are where the real magic happens. That’s when I dive into content planning, streamline the supply chain, and tackle all the behind-the-scenes work.
Corey: For me a typical day would be sharing some responsibilities on emails and DM’s that we have from customers, as well anything PR related. As of late, really looking out for events and great things we do to push the brand further and solidify ourselves in the health and wellness space. Settings up meetings etc. Keeping the team in the loop on progress on those things as well as supporting with anything else whilst I'm unable to be present for any of the logistical work.
Jon: A typical day starts bright and early, making and shipping seamoss products. I dive into BOOD meetings, keep the team in the loop, and brainstorm strategies for the future.
What’s your favourite way to incorporate seamoss into your daily routine?
Christina: In a protein smoothie; I blend seamoss powder, with a banana, water, and protein powder. The seamoss gives it an extra superfood boost and makes it thick and creamy—it’s like a pudding!
Corey: The powder has been a game-changer. Much like many of our customers, my memory can be awful. The powder allows it to be awful at times and just an easy way to incorporate into oats and smoothies etc without wasting any product!
Jon: I find it easiest to add seamoss powder into smoothies and juices, making it a hassle-free way to get the benefits of seamoss without any fuss.
Do any of you have a special talent or hobby that might surprise your customers?
Christina: I can tap dance!
Corey: Lol. I always hate this question I always feel so boring.... I box twice a week!
Jon: I can play the Saxophone!
How do you balance the demands of running a small business with your personal lives?
Christina: This involves careful planning for me. I set clear work and personal time slots and stick to them as best I can!
Corey: I think it’s just one of those things you don’t really do, I suppose the biggest grace is there is a team of us and this isn’t a solo business. But there are moments where there isn’t really any balance between running a business and having a career!
Jon: I don’t! I find it very challenging to have a personal life and run a small growing business but hopefully I’ll achieve more balance in the future!
What’s one lesson you’ve learned from running this business that you think everyone should know?
Christina: I’ve discovered that feedback is a game-changer in business. Hearing from customers, employees, and partners gives us great insights that help us tweak and improve our strategies. It’s like having a compass that guides us to make better choices and iterate on what we do.
Corey: That money isn’t the blocker a lot of the time. Be bold, take the plunge, and you’ll figure most of it out along the way! Start smart and it’ll all come together... I promise!!!
Jon: You don’t need a ton of money to start a business, but if you’re keeping costs low, you’ll need to invest a lot of time. Growth takes patience - don’t worry about big numbers right away. Reinvesting everything you make back into the business can help it grow and eventually become self-sustaining.
What’s the funniest or most memorable moment you’ve had while running BOOD?
Christina: When we got our cease-and-desist letter having planned a whole content shoot the next day using our old brand name! We quickly realised how important it is to secure your business idea and name -, as in, ASAP! It was a tough lesson, but now we make sure to tell all our friends and family to do the same so they don’t go through the same thing.
Corey: Cease-and-desist. I won’t even say more on the topic lol!!!
Jon: Our first brand event, where we met lots of our customers in person, and connect with the people who supported us from the beginning. It was an great day full of great conversations and support.
What’s the most rewarding part of being a business owner?
Christina: Seeing the impact of our partnership Seven Clean Seas in clearing plastic from the ocean has been incredibly rewarding. We’re just at the start of this journey, and it’s exciting to see the difference we’re making!
Corey: Seeing the way our product impacts peoples lives of course. Whether that's someone saying they’ve dropped out coffee completely or that their skin has come leaps and bounds. & of course, doing this all with family is the cherry on top!
Jon: Reestablishing ourselves as a family business feels like reigniting a legacy from the 60s, when our family had a business in the banana trade. It’s been fantastic working with family and bringing that tradition back to life.
What’s next for BOOD? Any exciting plans in the pipeline?
Christina: We’ve got something really big coming up next year, but we’re keeping it under wraps for now. Stay tuned for exciting updates in 2025!
Corey: We have sooo many exciting plans for 2025, just watch this space 😉
Jon: Looking ahead, we’re excited to expand our team, kick off our podcast next year, and roll out some great events!