Well Done with Kat Vong

EP 53. Do we need water in our haircare? Stephanie Farsht, co-founder and CEO of Small Wonder, had that question in mind as she and her team launched the world's first powder-based haircare line. We chat about the future of haircare, the advantages of going waterless, and the lessons Stephanie and her team  learned from disrupting an entire category. We also get into what it takes to actually change consumer behavior, the importance of sustainability, how to fail fast, the skills needed for entrepreneurship, and why "normal" isn't always optimal.

In this episode:

• The surprising reason your shampoo and conditioner may be delivering less than the label promises
• How questioning "normal" led to the creation of Small Wonder
• The advantages of waterless formats for haircare and other categories
• The early product failures that helped shape Small Wonder's current format 
• What needs to happen for consumers to actually change their behavior
• The three entrepreneurial skills Stephanie says matter more than any business school curriculum

Resources

• Small Wonder website: www.smallwonder.world
• Follow Small Wonder on Instagram: @smallwonder.world

Guest Bio

Stephanie Farsht is the Co-Founder and CEO of Small Wonder, a professional-grade, powder-to-lather haircare brand designed around freshly activated formulas, maximizing the potency of active ingredients at the moment of use -- where every ingredient earns its spot and nothing is diluted. She helped develop the patented refillable Wonder Bottle, engineered to keep powder dry while delivering an effortless dispensing experience. Before founding Small Wonder, Farsht spent over 15 years at Target Corporation and served for eight years as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, teaching entrepreneurship and innovation. She holds a BA in Economics and French from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, an MBA in Finance and Strategy from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. 

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EP 52. That $50 serum with the trendy ingredient you just bought? It may be doing nothing for your skin. In this episode, I am joined by Ben Fuchs — pharmacist, skincare chemist, and founder of Truth Treatment Systems — to completely dismantle the way we think about skin. Ben challenges the beauty industry’s obsession with trends (snail mucin and salmon PDRN, anyone?), moisturizers, and even "skin types," and instead explains why healthy skin starts with understanding the body, the gut, the blood, and the skin as a living organ. We get into the connection between nutrition and skin health, the skincare ingredients he believes actually matter, and why beauty is ultimately a reflection of health. 

In this Episode:

• How the modern skincare industry was built on story, not science
• What sensitive skin may really be signaling beneath the surface 
•  The connection between gut health, blood toxicity, inflammation, and chronic skin issues 
• Why “moisturizer” could be one of the most misunderstood words in skincare 
• The problem with trendy skincare ingredients like snail mucin, salmon DNA, and beef tallow 
• The “big four” skincare ingredients that are actually important and why
•  How to start thinking of skin as a living, intelligent, self-repairing organ—not just a surface to treat 

Resources from episode

• Learn more about Ben's work: www.truthtreatmentsystems.com
• Follow Ben on Instagram: @truthtreatmentsystems

Guest Bio

Benjamin Knight Fuchs, R.Ph., is a pharmacist and skincare chemist with over 40 years of experience formulating products for dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and aestheticians. He got his start in the Blistex research lab, and went on to pioneer the use of topical nutritional supplements in skincare. Today, Ben is the founder of Truth Treatment Systems and the host of The Rogue Pharmacist, where he challenges the conventional wisdom of both skincare and healthcare. His philosophy is simple: beauty is a function of health, and the skin is a window into everything happening beneath the surface.

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EP 51. You've been journaling, meditating, visualizing, repeating affirmations, and yet your manifestations aren't coming. Sound familiar? I am joined by Dr. Victoria Rader, PhD in Metaphysical Science, founder of Yu2Shine, and a pioneer behind  Quantum Personal Development, to break down why manifestation stalls and what could be happening under the surface that blocks us from getting what we want.

Victoria unpacks why most people are unknowingly trying to manifest things they don't actually want, and how self-worth is the silent force either fueling or sabotaging everything you're trying to create. Whether you're stuck in a loop, craving a deeper sense of groundedness, or ready to stop chasing external validation and finally feel worthy from the inside out, this conversation is for you.

In this Episode:

• The real reason your manifestations aren't working 
• A 4-part system for getting radically clear on what you actually want 
• How grounding and gratitude work together when you’re trying to create change
• A simple grounding practice you can use when you feel anxious or emotionally overloaded 
• Why limiting beliefs are not “blocks,” but clues that can lead to deeper healing 
• The famous self-help quote almost everyone gets wrong, and how fixing it changes the way you manifest
• A practical way to shift your beliefs before your subconscious rejects them
• The 3 laws of self-worth and why this is the foundation to true expansion

Resources:

• Victoria's website: Yu2Shine
• Victoria's recent TedX Talk on the Laws of Self-Worth
• Worthy mE Journal
• Empower-mE App
• Zero Limits Movie 
• Follow Victoria on Instagram: @vica_rader

Guest Bio:

Dr. Victoria Rader is the founder of YU2SHINE, a transformational speaker, bestselling author, and pioneer in Quantum Personal Development. Born in Ukraine, Victoria immigrated to the United States and went on to become a top 1% real estate agent before building her work around universal laws, subconscious healing, self-worth, prosperity, and spiritual alignment. She holds a Ph.D. in Metaphysical Studies and has created books, journals, apps, and coaching tools designed to help people move from limitation into freedom, peace, prosperity, and purpose. Her work includes Prosper mE, the mE Journal Series, Worthy ME, and the Empower-mE app.

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EP 50. Are you the woman everyone relies on—the one who keeps pushing, performing, caregiving, and holding it all together, even when your body is begging for rest? In this solo episode, I'm exploring the connection between chronic stress, inflammation, autoimmune disease, and the high-achieving woman pattern. 

I talk about why autoimmune conditions disproportionately affect women, how stress impacts the immune system through cortisol and the HPA axis, and why traits like people-pleasing, perfectionism, emotional labor, and caregiving can quietly become health risks. This episode is a deeply personal and science-backed look at what happens when ambitious women normalize stress, and how to start noticing the signs before the body forces us to listen.

In this episode:

• The surprising stat around autoimmune disease and women
• The difference in stress response between men and women and how that shapes the way we handle pressure and manage relationships
•  The high-achieving woman pattern that can make burnout feel “normal” 
•  The role emotional labor and the invisible mental load can play in women’s stress levels 
•  Why ambitious women often push through warning signs instead of slowing down 
•  A simple framework for identifying symptoms, stressors, and nervous system patterns 

Resources:

• Symptom Tracking App: Bearable

Research articles:

• How women are more likely to develop autoimmune disease
• How chronic stress dysregulates immune function
• How women may be more susceptible to stress-related immune changes
• Dr. Shelly Taylor's paper on behavioral responses to stress in females
• Parental burnout and invisible labor among caregivers
• The emotional labor burden on ambitious women in the workplace

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EP 49. Are you taking collagen, layering on hyaluronic acid, and investing in skincare—but still wondering what actually supports long-term skin health? In this episode, I am joined by Lily Shapiro, PharmD, founder of ATIKA, a science-backed nutritional skin supplement, to talk about skin longevity, beauty supplements, and what it really means to support your skin from the inside out. Dr. Shapiro brings a unique perspective as a pharmacist, former Wall Street professional, and founder of a supplement brand built around the science of skin aging. We get into the truth about collagen supplements, the skin barrier, how oxidative stress impacts aging, and what consumers should look for before trusting any supplement label.

In this episode:

• The four-pillar framework for understanding what's actually driving your skin to age
• What most people get wrong about collagen supplements
• Why calling hyaluronic acid "hydrating" is technically incorrect and what it actually does for your skin
• The one antioxidant Dr. Shapiro says she'd take if she could only choose one supplement for the rest of her life
• How sun exposure, pollution, stress, alcohol, and sleep deprivation impact skin 
• Why supplement dose, form, and third-party testing matter 
• Red flags to look for when shopping for beauty and wellness supplements

Resources:

• Learn more about ATIKA: https://www.atikawellness.com
• Follow @atika.wellness on Instagram
• Read Lily's blog articles on astaxanthin, glutathione, and ceramides vs. hyaluronic acid at www.atikawellness.com
• Third-party supplement testing: ConsumerLab.com

Guest Bio

Lily Shapiro, PharmD, is the founder of ATIKA, a supplement brand focused on skin longevity and inside-out beauty. She holds a doctorate in pharmacy and spent years working on Wall Street before creating ATIKA. After entering her 40s and noticing changes in her own skin, Dr. Shapiro began researching the biological drivers of skin aging and developed a comprehensive approach centered on a 4-part framework: collagen integrity, antioxidant balance, lipid barrier support, and mitochondrial function. Today, she is helping consumers think beyond quick fixes and hero ingredients by bringing a more research-driven, systems-based approach to skin health.

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EP 48. What does it actually look like to build a multi-six-figure business, survive visa challenges as an immigrant founder, shut down a venture-backed startup — and come out the other side more aligned than ever? In this episode of Well Done, I am joined by Arjita Sethi, founder of New Founder School and Ayurvedic AI wellness platform Shaanti, to explore what happens when you stop chasing the hustle and start listening to your body. Arjita shares how she was doing wellness "right" but still burnt out; this led her to exploring a 5,000-year-old system that completely rewired how she approaches wellness, business, and motherhood. 

In this episode:

• The surprising reason your wellness routine might actually be causing more stress, not less
• The 3 types of people who struggle most in entrepreneurship
• What Ayurveda reveals about your unique body type and how it changes everything from your workout to your peak productivity window
• The concept of "Life Synced Success" and how it helped Arjita double her revenue by doing less
• The one thing most ambitious women get wrong about work-life balance
• What your body is trying to tell you when it stops giving you clear signals
• Why reading fiction, not business books, could give you an edge
• How Shaanti, Arjita's AI wellness platform, uses Ayurveda to help people make more personalized wellness decisions

Resources:

• New Founder School: www.newfounderschool.com
• Shaanti (take the free Ayurvedic body type assessment): www.findshaanti.com
• Follow Arjita on Instagram: @arjitasethi
• Follow Shaanti on Instagram: @findshaanti
• Books mentioned:
  • Unscaled by Hemant Taneja 
  • The Overstory by Richard Powers

Guest Bio

Arjita Sethi is a certified Ayurvedic health teacher, entrepreneur, and the founder of Shaanti, an AI-powered Ayurvedic wellness platform built for people who are tired of generic advice that was never designed for their body. After rebuilding her own health through Ayurvedic principles, she created Shaanti to make that same personalized guidance accessible to anyone, powered by AI. Arjita is also a Professor of Entrepreneurship at San Francisco State University and an advisory board member at the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center and Harvard Business Review. She lives by the principles she teaches and built Shaanti alone, as proof that ancient wisdom and modern technology belong together. 

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EP 47. You have the career, the title, and the life — but inside, you're falling apart. In this episode, I sit down with bestselling author, keynote speaker, and master certified coach Ginny Priem, who knows this story intimately because she lived it. After 20+ years in corporate leadership while surviving narcissistic abuse, Ginny rebuilt her life and turned her hardest season into her life's work. We get into the patterns that keep so many high-achieving women stuck — burnout, people-pleasing, self-abandonment, and toxic relationships — and she walks us through her signature 4-part UNSUBSCRIBE™ framework for reclaiming your time, energy, boundaries, and sense of self. If you've ever felt like you're doing everything "right" while running on empty, this one is for you.

In this episode:

• The hidden signs of burnout and chronic stress in high-achieving women
• Why people pleasing, perfectionism, and over-explaining can lead to self-abandonment 
• How to recognize when your body is signaling that something is off 
• A powerful mindset shift around boundaries, burnout, and changing your mind 
• Ginny’s 4-part UNSUBSCRIBE™ framework and how it helps women let go with intention 
• What narcissistic abuse can look like and why empathetic, successful women can be vulnerable to it 
• How to rebuild self-trust and strengthen your intuition 

Resources:

• Ginny Priem website
• Ginny's Book: Unsubscribe
• Follow Ginny Priem on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook

Guest Bio

Ginny Priem is a keynote speaker, TEDx presenter, and bestselling author focused on leadership, emotional intelligence, and sustainable success. With over 20 years in corporate leadership, she helps high-achievers move forward with clarity and intention through her signature UNSUBSCRIBE™ framework. Her podcast, UNSUBSCRIBE with Ginny Priem, has garnered more than 3 million YouTube views. She is the author of the #1 bestselling guided journal, I'm My Favorite, and the memoir You're My Favorite (A True Story), with her new book UNSUBSCRIBE: Why Letting Go Is the Secret to Getting Ahead set to expand her work. Learn more at ginnypriem.com

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EP 46. Most of us have a cabinet full of half-used supplements, collagen powders, and gummy vitamins we mean to take consistently, but probably don't. In this episode, I chat with Aastha Shrimal, founder of AIM (All in a Minute), to talk about why the supplement industry may be overdue for innovation. With a background in pharmacy and branding, Aastha breaks down the problem with traditional pills and gummies, and shares how her product, MeltinStrips — dissolvable oral strips — could make wellness routines simpler, more effective, and easier to stick to. We also talk about building a startup as a new mom, simplifying wellness habits, and what founders often get wrong when trying to solve a real consumer problem. 

In this Episode:

• Why supplement bioavailability matters more than what the label says and the difference between what you put in your body and what your body actually absorbs 
• The hidden issue with pills, capsules, and gummy vitamins 
• How MeltinStrips work differently from traditional supplements 
• Why simplifying your supplement routine can improve consistency 
• What founders can learn about customer research, product testing, and asking better questions 
• How motherhood changed Aastha’s approach to business, prioritization, and product innovation 

Resources:

• Check out AIM & MeltinStrips: www.aim-nutrition.com
• Follow AIM on instagram: @nutrition.aim
• Book mentioned: The Mom Test
• Help Aastha with a kids product: Take this Survey

Guest Bio:

As a pharmacist, Aastha Shrimal knew a secret the supplement industry was ignoring: there is a far more efficient and effective way to absorb nutrients than swallowing bulky pills or sticky gummies. She founded A.I.M. Nutrition to bring that clinical insight to life, engineering MeltinStrips to deliver clean, fast-acting vitamins that simply dissolve on the tongue. Today, she’s revolutionizing everyday wellness, all while navigating the beautiful chaos of startup life and embracing the joys of being a new mom.

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EP 45. How do you learn to trust yourself after walking away from a six-figure career to rebuild your life from the inside out? In this episode, I'm joined by Theo Yang, Reiki practitioner, photographer, musician, and host of The Pain Into Power Podcast, for a deeply honest conversation about burnout, grief, and spiritual healing. Theo shares how she walked away from a successful career in digital ad sales after it left her anxious and disconnected from who she really was, and how modalities like Reiki, meditation, shadow work, and self-reflection helped her begin rebuilding a more aligned life. We explore grief after losing a parent, ancestral and immigrant family trauma, people-pleasing, self-sabotage, and the daily practices that can help you feel more grounded, protected, and aligned with the life you actually want.

In this episode:

•  What Reiki is and why so many people turn to energy healing for emotional, physical, and spiritual support 
• How meditation, affirmations, and subliminals can help rewire self-sabotaging thought patterns 
• A daily ritual you can use to protect your energy 
• The role grief can play in self-discovery, healing, and life transitions 
• How childhood experiences, immigrant family trauma, and ancestral patterns can shape self-trust and relationships 
• A practice for letting go of people, habits, and stories that no longer fit the version of you you’re becoming 
• How to build self-trust through small wins

Resources:

• Learn more about Theo and her work: www.loveisthehighestfrequency.com
• Listen to Theo's podcast: Pain Into Power Podcast

Guest Bio:

Theo Yang is a healing artist, Reiki practitioner, photographer, musician, and creative guide who helps people feel seen, empowered, and more deeply connected to themselves. After leaving a high-pressure career in digital ad sales, Theo began a profound healing journey that led her into energy work, spiritual practices, and creative expression as tools for transformation. Through Reiki, photography, video, music, and her podcast, The Pain Into Power Podcast, she supports others in turning pain, grief, and self-sabotage into healing, self-trust, and personal power.

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EP 44. Can stress really make your skin worse? In this episode, I break down the science behind the mind-skin axis and explain how stress, anxiety, and chronic inflammation can directly disrupt your skin barrier, trigger flare-ups, worsen acne, and even accelerate skin aging. Drawing from both published research and my own personal experience navigating severe skin struggles, I explore the emerging field of psychodermatology and how our nervous system, immune system, and skin are constantly communicating. This episode is a must-listen for anyone dealing with eczema, acne, rosacea, reactive skin, or chronic inflammation—and for anyone who wants to understand how emotional wellbeing impacts skin health from the inside out.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What the mind-skin axis is and the connection between the brain and skin
• How stress hormones can weaken the skin barrier and slow skin repair
• Why chronic stress may contribute to acne, eczema, rosacea, irritation, and premature aging
• What psychodermatology reveals about the relationship between emotional health and skin health
• How inflammation, histamines, and oil production are affected when your body stays in stress mode
• Why the way you think about your skin may influence your healing process and the hidden cycle that can keep you stuck in a loop
• Practical ways to start calming your nervous system to better support your skin

Resources:

• FREE Calm Skin & Flare-up Guide
• 2023 Molecular Psychiatry paper on the skin-brain connection
• 2015 European study on dermatology patients and psychological comorbidities
• Article on The Skin-Brain Axis by Forefront Dermatology
• Psychological Stress & Immune Response
• Serotonin in Skin Cells
• Study using the Trier Social Stress Test and skin barrier recovery

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