Before BOOD, There Was This Photo
There are certain photographs that become more meaningful as time passes. Not because they're perfectly taken. Not because anyone planned them.
But because, years later, you realise they captured something much bigger than the moment itself. This is one of those photographs.
A Family Dinner in North London
It was taken sometime in 2007. Maybe 2008. I'm not completely sure anymore. But I remember everything about that evening.
We were all together at my grandad's favourite Italian restaurant in North London. Whenever there was something to celebrate, that's where we'd end up. The staff knew our family. The adults would settle in for hours of conversation.
The children would disappear between tables before returning every now and then to steal another chip from someone else's plate. There was always too much food. Always too much laughter. And somehow, nobody ever wanted to be the first person to leave.
Looking back, those evenings weren't really about the restaurant. They were about togetherness. About making time for one another. About family.
Two Cousins, Fourteen Years Apart
Sitting next to me in this photograph is Corey. Today, she's my cousin, my co-founder and one of my closest friends. Back then, she was around thirteen or fourteen years old. I was in my late twenties. Fourteen years separated us in age.
Yet somehow, life would bring us back together years later to build BOOD. Neither of us could have imagined that. If someone had pointed at this photograph and said,
"One day you'll build a wellness company together..."
I don't think either of us would have believed them.
Looking Back, BOOD Had Already Begun
People often think BOOD started in 2021.
The truth is...
It started long before that. Not as a business. Not as a product. Not even as an idea. It started around tables like this. Around conversations that lasted long after dessert had arrived. Around grandparents who taught us that looking after the people around you mattered.
Looking back now, I realise BOOD wasn't created overnight. It was shaped by years of experiences we didn't fully appreciate at the time.
The Legacy Our Grandad Left Behind
Our grandad passed away in 2009. Sometimes people ask us why BOOD feels different. Why we talk so much about family. Why community matters so much to us. Why we care about the people behind every order.
The answer isn't something we wrote into a business plan. It's something we grew up with. Our grandad had a quiet way of bringing people together. He didn't need to be the loudest person in the room. He simply made people feel welcome.
Looking back, that's exactly what we hope BOOD does today.
More Than Sea Moss
Whether it's a jar of Sea Moss becoming part of someone's morning routine... Or a customer telling us they simply feel better... Those moments remind us why we started.
Not to build another wellness company. But to build something that helps people. Something rooted in care. Something rooted in family. Something we're proud to leave behind.
The Story Continues
This photograph reminds me that businesses don't always begin with business plans.
Sometimes they begin around a dinner table. Sometimes they begin with grandparents. Sometimes they begin with values that quietly shape your life without you even realising. Years later, those values became BOOD.
Looking back now...
BOOD didn't start with Sea Moss. It started with family.
For you, Grandad.
From cousins to co-founders. 💚
Continue the Story
If you'd like to explore the products inspired by our family's Caribbean heritage, discover our Sea Moss collection.
Read next - Without Them, There Would Be No BOOD
Discover how our grandparents' journey from St Lucia to Britain inspired BOOD and the values that continue to guide us today.