Essential Ingredients Podcast S9 Ep69: The Urban Remedy: How Real Wellness Sparks Real Growth with Neka Pasquale
“I believe what we’re doing is based on something that’s good for healing people and healing the planet. So, we’re always organic and we’re always working with regenerative organic farmers. And we’re sticking to that mission and values, which is really important to me, because those are things that are always going to be good for you and for the…planet.” —Neka Pasquale
Sometimes, wellness feels like a luxury instead of a way of life. Between the stress of business, family, and bills, it’s easy to put health last until the cost of burnout catches up. What if the values that ground us—nourishment, balance, and purpose—were also the very things that drive sustainable success?
An acupuncturist turned entrepreneur, Neka Pasquale has built Urban Remedy from her kitchen into a movement by pairing holistic values with smart business. Her journey shows that growth doesn’t come from chasing trends but from honoring what genuinely heals and sustains people.
This week, Justine and Neka provide clear, usable lessons about product-first growth, sourcing, hiring leadership, bootstrapped problem-solving, pivoting retail models, investor trade-offs, and how to scale without losing the values that made you special.
Meet Neka:
Neka Pasquale is the founder of Urban Remedy, a nationally recognized organic food company rooted in the philosophy of food as medicine. With a background as a licensed acupuncturist and practitioner of Chinese medicine, Neka has dedicated her career to promoting health and wellness through functional, organic, and healing foods. Since founding Urban Remedy over 13 years ago, she has grown the company from a local business in Marin, California, to a national brand featured in Whole Foods and other major retailers. Neka is known for her innovative approach to nutrition, her commitment to sustainability, and her passion for making healthy, fresh food accessible to a wider audience.
Connect with NextGen Purpose:
Episode Highlights:
00:41 Urban Remedy: First Store to Wild Growth
04:43 Developing the Menu: Chinese Medicine and the Power of Food Temperatures
08:41 Finding Food Balance and Early Entrepreneurial Spirit
13:35 Scaling Up and Facing Growth Hurdles (Money, Team, and Staying Afloat)
16:35 Major Lessons on Grit, Glitch, Growth, and Greed
21:13 Evaluating Opportunities and Choosing the Right Growth Path
23:01 Hiring Your First CEO— What Matters Most
28:16 Navigating Unexpected Success and Bittersweet Decisions
31:40 Urban Remedy: The Next Steps