The Irresistible Factor

After struggling to lose weight and finding existing fitness apps confusing or ineffective, Peter Conroy, former investment banker and now healthcare advocate, decided to build his own solution. That decision led to The Difference App, a predictive, AI-powered tool that helps users track weight with greater accuracy and personalization.

Conroy’s approach centers around TrueBurn™, a proprietary algorithm that adjusts your estimated calorie burn based on your actual daily weight changes and other unique personal factors. The result? An app that tells you what you’ll weigh tomorrow, today—and whether you’re truly making progress.

Key Moments from the Conversation:

• “I lost 60 pounds in two months by tracking calories in and out manually—and I knew I could turn that system into a business.”
• “Obesity is now the number one cause of premature death globally. We want to improve the quality of life and increase longevity.”
• “We have nearly 7,000 users, a 29% monthly growth rate—and we haven’t spent a dollar on advertising yet.”

As Peter puts it: “This isn’t just about weight loss—it’s about helping people feel better, live longer, and finally understand what works for them.”

Dr. Brian Levine wears two hats: founder of Nodal and founding partner at CCRM New York. His career began with a passion for genetics, but over time, it grew into something bigger, helping families. “I’d have to say, it’s been one of my greatest achievements, having the opportunity to work here and provide care to patients,” he shares.

At Nodal, Levine set out to challenge an industry that was burdening hopeful parents with high fees and long waits. He saw an opportunity to build a transparent, tech‑driven solution that works better for everyone involved.

Key takeaways from our conversation:

Transparency at the core: “We built Nodal so surrogates can state exactly what they’d like to receive, intended parents see that clearly, and we add only a minimal management fee—about 60% lower than the market.”

Revolutionizing timelines: Instead of waiting 9–18 months, Nodal’s process matches surrogates and parents in around 45 days, cutting costs and stress along the way.

Lessons from building: Levine pitched to 83 VC firms in 30 days, choosing partners who understood his mission. “Our model is different, our approach is different, but the technology behind it is the key.”

With Nodal, Levine is reshaping surrogacy into something faster, fairer, and more accessible.

Discover more at nodal.com, or connect with Dr. Levine on Instagram @drbrianlevine, on LinkedIn, or through CCRM New York.

For Paul Buckley, U.S. Director of Sales and Marketing at Withings, joining the company was about more than a new role. “I wanted to do something that makes a difference in people’s lives—and Withings does that every day,” he says.

Withings has been innovating since 2009, when it launched the world’s first smart scale. Today, the brand is known for pushing the boundaries of connected health, creating devices that help people track and understand their bodies well before problems arise.

Key takeaways from our conversation:

• Data that matters: Withings scales go way beyond weight, delivering vascular age and segmental body composition, crucial insights for anyone focused on fitness or monitoring GLP‑1‑related muscle loss.
• One ecosystem, one app: “No other company brings scales, wearables, blood pressure monitors, and more together into a single app with a unified health score,” Buckley explains.
• A wearable with purpose: The FDA‑cleared ScanWatch tracks heart rhythm every 10 minutes, delivers on‑wrist EKGs, measures blood oxygen, and offers 30+ days of battery life with 24/7 sleep and activity tracking.

For Buckley, that comprehensive approach is why he’s proud to represent the brand every day: “It’s not about gimmicks, it’s about giving people tools to take control of their health.”

Explore more at withings.com or find their products at Best Buy, Amazon, and Target.

After struggling to lose weight and finding existing fitness apps confusing or ineffective, Peter Conroy, former investment banker and now healthcare advocate, decided to build his own solution. That decision led to The Difference App, a predictive, AI-powered tool that helps users track weight with greater accuracy and personalization.

Conroy’s approach centers around TrueBurn™, a proprietary algorithm that adjusts your estimated calorie burn based on your actual daily weight changes and other unique personal factors. The result? An app that tells you what you’ll weigh tomorrow, today, and whether you’re truly making progress.

Key Moments from the Conversation:

• “I lost 60 pounds in two months by tracking calories in and out manually—and I knew I could turn that system into a business.”
  
  
• “Obesity is now the number one cause of premature death globally. We want to improve the quality of life and increase longevity.”
  
  
• “We have nearly 7,000 users, a 29% monthly growth rate—and we haven’t spent a dollar on advertising yet.”

As Peter puts it: “This isn’t just about weight loss—it’s about helping people feel better, live longer, and finally understand what works for them.”

“There is no secret sauce of overnight success—it’s just a constant ‘what’s next.’” — Anthony Kjenstad, Founder & CEO of Firefly Recovery

Anthony Kjenstad didn’t set out to build a consumer brand. But after a career in medical device distribution and a request to solve a real problem, helping patients prevent blood clots post-surgery, he developed a wearable recovery device now used by elite athletes across the country.

Today, Firefly Recovery serves college and professional sports teams, weekend warriors, and post-op patients alike. From an appearance on Shark Tank to grassroots distribution via trainers and NIL athletes, Anthony’s company is growing fast, but with a disciplined focus on real-world use, clinical effectiveness, and simple, scalable design.

What sets Firefly apart:

• Firefly’s FDA-cleared device stimulates blood flow to reduce soreness, prevent clots, and improve recovery with zero downtime.
  
  
• The company bootstrapped early growth by partnering with athletic trainers and leveraging word-of-mouth among pros and college teams.
  
  
• A surprise Shark Tank air date pushed the team to stock up early, and it paid off, unlocking explosive consumer interest.

Firefly Recovery is building smarter, more accessible recovery tech for athletes, patients, and everyday wellness. Learn more or reach out directly at recoveryfirefly.com.

Aescape isn’t replacing therapists—it’s expanding access. And for health tech founders, it’s a masterclass in engineering innovation that sticks.

At Aescape, innovation isn’t theoretical. It’s tactile. Their intelligent massage tables, powered by robotic arms and therapist-recorded movements, are about to transform how we recover, relax, and train. With over 60 installations across luxury hotels, fitness clubs, and elite sports facilities, Aescape is proving that robotics can deliver human-quality touch at scale.

But it took eight years to get there.

From navigating hardware partnerships to reshaping user expectations, Eswar Priyadarshan shares how Aescape went from concept to category-defining product.

In this episode, he reveals:

• Why human routines, not hype, drive product engagement
• How they’re building a new wellness category between recovery tech and physical therapy
• What founders need to know about building real-world robots that consumers actually want

Check them out at aescape.com.

 "Our aim is really to find mechanisms by which we can reach more families." —  Emily (Steinberg) McCareins

What started as a pandemic-era pilot has become one of the most ambitious care models in maternal health. Partum Health delivers a full suite of perinatal services, from doula care and pelvic floor therapy to lactation and behavioral health, through an innovative hybrid model that meets families where they are.

Emily joined Partum after years in healthcare consulting and an MBA from Kellogg, drawn by the complexity of maternal care and the urgency of closing systemic gaps. Today, she leads strategy and partnerships as the company expands beyond Illinois and Texas.

    •    Clinically led, evidence-based care with scalable infrastructure for in-home and virtual delivery
    •    Working with major payers and Medicaid to make doula and postpartum care widely accessible
    •    Operating with 150+ providers and growing into 15–20 new markets by 2029

Partum is redefining maternal care not just as a service, but as a scalable, outcomes-driven platform with the potential to change health trajectories for entire families.

To learn more or donate, visit partumhealth.com. 

 “We’re saving people’s lives every day, and that’s the driver behind what we do.” — Mark Noble

Mark Noble isn’t leading a startup; he’s reinventing a legacy. As CEO of ViTel Net, one of the earliest telehealth companies in the U.S., he’s helping health systems deliver smarter, faster, more integrated care.

With patented tech that embeds directly into hospital EHRs, ViTel Net enables everything from telestroke and telepsychiatry to full-scale, cross-system workflows. The goal? Make hybrid care seamless and accessible to the patients who need it most.

After decades in high-tech and no outside funding, Noble is scaling ViTel Net the hard way: through mission-driven partnerships, product innovation, and a refusal to compromise on quality.

• Why patients should own their health records and why they don’t
• How ViTel Net survived the pandemic by helping build a national ICU network
• What founders should know about selling into bureaucratic healthcare systems

Every once in a while, I meet someone who makes me pause. Someone who reminds me why I started this podcast in the first place. Michele Gannon is one of those people.

She’s the founder of Mary’s Place by the Sea, a nonprofit home in Ocean Grove, NJ, that offers women with cancer something most of them don’t even realize they need: permission to stop. To rest. To not be strong for everyone else. To just… be. What began as a persistent thought in Michele’s mind has, 16 years later, become a safe haven where over 16,000 women have found emotional, spiritual, and physical refuge. And what makes it even more extraordinary? They’re not charged a single penny.

This episode moved me deeply, not just as a host, but as a sister of someone currently battling breast cancer. I could feel in every word Michele said how powerful this work is, and how underserved this need really is.

Here are just a few things Michele shared that stayed with me:

• Mary came to her in a dream. The name isn’t a branding exercise. It’s inspired by a spiritual visitation that helped Michele envision the house and guide her every step.
• It’s beyond medical, but it is healing. Guests receive services like oncology massage, Reiki, guided meditation, expressive writing, and nutrition education. And it’s all focused on the person, not the illness.
• Hope is the most powerful outcome. Women come exhausted, anxious, and scared. They leave rested, connected, and often laughing and having made new friends.
• The experience is deeply personal and also free. Whether they’re newly diagnosed or up to two years post-treatment, women find sanctuary and sisterhood, regardless of their ability to pay.
• Volunteers keep the heartbeat strong. With over 100 regular volunteers and 60+ practitioners, the sense of community is palpable. Most of the healing happens through presence, not protocol.
• They’re just getting started. And the demand far exceeds the supply. Michele’s now actively planning an expansion to New England.

I’ve had the privilege of interviewing many founders in healthcare and wellness, but what Michele has built is something beyond metrics and business models. It’s a sacred space that honors the human experience of illness, and says to every woman walking through the door: You matter. You’re allowed to fall apart here. And you’re not alone.

If you’re moved by this story (and I know you will be), please visit MarysPlaceByTheSea.org. Whether it’s to volunteer, donate, or simply learn more, it’s worth your time. I’ll be making a visit myself soon, and I know it won’t be my last.

“You just need to start. That first step leads to a second, which leads to a third. You just need to start moving in the direction you want to go.” — Dr. Sam Hetz

Mergers, exits, new launches. Dr. Sam Hetz has built two businesses by betting on what the healthcare system is missing and what many patients are willing to pay for.

After scaling a successful medical aesthetics clinic that became part of Dermapure, Canada’s largest group of aesthetic practices, he’s now tackling something bigger: preventative, personalized longevity care. His new company, Lifespan MD, offers full-spectrum wellness, from VO₂ max testing to genetics, designed for people who want to feel as young as they look.