What happens when a finance executive walks away from Wall Street to redefine modern wellness? For Shizu Okusa, founder and CEO of Apothekary, that bold leap became the start of a brand that blends ancient Eastern medicine with modern Western wellness and a global community that believes healing should be both natural and accessible.
In this Shelf Talks podcast conversation, Shizu shares how her path from Goldman Sachs to the farm fields of Mozambique shaped the vision behind her plant-based pharmacy brand and how she strategically scaled Apothekary from a DTC success into major retailers like Sprouts, Ulta, and soon, Whole Foods.
Listen to the full episode on Shelf Talks Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, You Tube or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
🌱 The Roots: From Wall Street to Mozambique
Shizu’s story begins in Vancouver, where she grew up on a farm surrounded by Japanese traditions and a strong work ethic instilled by her immigrant parents. After landing a coveted position at Goldman Sachs, she quickly realized that financial success didn’t equal fulfillment.
“I was doing the same thing every day, and it just didn’t feel right. Life felt too short.”
So, she quit—and moved to Mozambique, volunteering on a banana farm helping entrepreneurs raise money. It was there that Shizu discovered her love for entrepreneurship and social impact.
🧃 The First Venture: JRINK
Returning to the U.S., Shizu launched her first company, JRINK, a cold-pressed juice brand that grew to 14 stores across the D.C. area. After eight years of scaling (and learning), she sold the business and took nine months to rest and reflect.
That pause led to her next big idea: Apothekary.
💡 The Birth of Apothekary
Apothekary began as a wellness experiment—mixing herbs like ashwagandha and rhodiola into leftover juice bottles from her previous business. When COVID hit, demand for immune-boosting, plant-based remedies exploded.
The company made $5 million in its first year, but as Shizu notes, that early hype was just the beginning.
“Entrepreneurs think the product you launch with is the product you scale with. Absolutely not.”
She soon evolved Apothekary into its now-signature line of liquid herbal drops, designed to make traditional Eastern remedies more approachable for modern consumers.
🛍️ From DTC Darling to Retail Powerhouse
Like many 2020-era brands, Apothekary launched exclusively online. But in 2024, everything changed when Sprouts reached out directly to their “hi@apothekary.com” inbox.
That email sparked Apothekary’s first major retail rollout, followed by Ulta, and soon, Whole Foods. Each partnership required deep adaptation from new packaging and compliance standards to rethinking education at shelf.
“We didn’t even have UPCs when Sprouts reached out. Retail forces you to professionalize your systems fast.”
💬 Retail Lessons Every Founder Should Know
In our conversation, Shizu and I dove deep into what founders often get wrong when entering retail. Here are a few takeaways worth bookmarking:
-
Don’t chase every retailer. Focus on the ones that align with your brand, price point, and customer base.
-
Be strategic in your assortment. Lead with your hero products—the ones consumers already love and recognize.
-
Retail doesn’t mean instant success. You still have to drive traffic, awareness, and in-store education.
“Retail isn’t as trackable as DTC. You feel like you’re torching cash sometimes, but it’s just different.”
🧭 Building Awareness Beyond the Shelf
Shizu’s retail strategy blends education, storytelling, and cultural connection. Apothekary invests heavily in demos, on-the-ground sales teams, and partnerships that connect consumers to the brand’s roots.
-
For Sprouts: in-store sampling and education around herbal potency.
-
For Ulta: influencer trips to Japan, where editors and creators learn about Japanese traditions firsthand.
-
For Whole Foods: upcoming pop-ups and experiential activations to deepen consumer connection.
“People want to get out, meet you, and understand your story. It’s about building trust beyond the product.”
💸 Funding with Intention
Unlike her first company, which bootstrapped on credit lines, Shizu knew she wanted to build Apothekary with scale in mind. The brand has raised $20 million to date, combining venture capital, strategic investors like Shiseido, and social impact loans.
But for her, it’s not about growing fast it’s about growing thoughtfully.
“We don’t want to move faster than our customers can understand. We’re patient about product-market readiness.”
✨ Staying Authentic in a Trend-Driven Market
In a world where supplement fads pop up daily, Shizu focuses on signal vs. noise.
“We think about products people will need five years from now, not just what’s trending today.”
Her team leans into authority centering on herbal medicine and Japanese wellness traditions rather than chasing every social trend.
🧘♀️ Beyond Products: Wellness as a Journey
For Shizu, wellness isn’t a luxury it’s a lifestyle rooted in connection and imperfection. Apothekary’s community retreats, called Journey East, bring customers to Japan for immersive experiences like meditation, tea ceremonies, and pottery.
This winter, she’s launching Journey West, bringing those same healing traditions to the U.S.
“We’ll never be perfect, but we’re all on a healing journey. That’s what our brand is about.”
🌿 Final Thoughts
From cold emails to corporate exits, from banana farms to billion-view partnerships—Shizu’s story is proof that purpose-driven brands can thrive when they combine authenticity, strategy, and courage.
Whether you’re pitching your first buyer or scaling nationally, her journey offers a powerful reminder:
Quit early when it’s not right. Start often when it feels true. And always lead with what heals.
🎧 Listen to the full Shelf Talks episode: “How Apothekary's Shizu Okusa Blends Eastern Traditions with Modern Retail Success" for even more tips and behind-the-scenes gems wherever you stream your podcast including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
👉 Want more founder insights? Follow us on Instagram @shelftalkspodcast
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-apothekarys-shizu-okusa-blends-eastern-traditions/id1773675543?i=1000733665389
Listen to this episode on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0NtzDrRUMP8O43rFupm80Q?si=fb6e548d9e0f49c4
Listen on You Tube: https://youtu.be/pKih6YmFQ8A
Purchase the book Shelf Talk: A step by step guide to launching your product in Retail Stores by Roberta Townes Buy Book
0 comments