Our Story
Tina & Billy Anderson, founders of Just Thrive
Our Story Starts In The Most Unlikely of Places...
Believe it or not, in a past life Billy and I had a career in the pharmaceutical industry. For a time, we really thought we were doing some good, bringing life-saving medication to people all across the country. But just when our career hit an all time high, the rug got pulled from under our feet.
We had won a multi-million dollar bid at one of the largest hospital systems in the country to provide their cholesterol medication. Our entire team was thrilled - Like jumping up and down, dancing on their desks thrilled! But then, in the middle of the celebration, as we were slapping each other high 5 and opening the champagne, a sales rep turned to Billy and I and said:
“You know how we take this to the next level?… We go to every single doctor in the hospital and convince them to LOWER their minimum cholesterol benchmarks… That way they’ll prescribe MORE medication to more of their patients…”
Billy turned to me with a look in his eyes that I’ll never forget. It was a mixture of confusion and deep sadness… And I knew he and I were thinking the exact same thoughts:
We weren’t helping people… We weren’t the solution… We were part of the problem.
Talk about a swing in emotions. We went from feeling euphorically happy to being downright disgusted… In that moment, everything we’d be working towards fell out of focus… If I’m honest, deep down I had known for a while that something was terribly off. I think I’d just become desensitized to the rampant over-prescribing of drugs.
That day made me think about my own family. Would I want that to happen to them? Was it already happening to them?
The truth was YES. I'd seen first hand what happened to my aunt.
She was prescribed two meds for a stomach issue... But those drugs made her joints feel stiff and uncomfortable... So the doctor put her on another drug to treat those side-effects... Next thing you know, she was on nearly a dozen different medications.
And the worst part? She wasn’t feeling any better.
So that day, as Billy and I left the office, we made a bold decision… We were going to leave the pharmaceutical world for good and develop a product that could actually help people take back control of their health. We started a deep dive into natural and progressive health... That’s how we discovered the power of beneficial gut bacteria. The clinical studies surrounding probiotics were like nothing we’d ever seen before. At the time probiotics weren’t “cool” or widely used, which shocked us because study after study proved that the right probiotics had the power to truly change lives.
But as we continued to research, one thing became clear... Not all probiotics are created equal. In fact, many popular strains fail to provide maximum benefits because they can’t survive the trip from the mouth to the gut! Then we stumbled across four specific bacterial strains that had been used in Asia and Europe for more than half a century. They were typically prescribed by physicians, and year after year people were consistently reporting really profound results.
The best part was... These specialized spore-based strains had the unique ability to survive the journey from mouth to gut and arrive fully alive. Billy and I knew this was the health-driving solution we were looking for… And thanks to a chance meeting with one of the world's leading microbiologists, Kiran Krishnan, we were able to form a partnership that allowed us to get the exclusive rights to offer these potent probiotic strains without a prescription. That’s how Just Thrive was born.
Today, in addition to our flagship Probiotic, we now have a full line of scientifically backed products designed to help people just like you feel healthy and strong. And we're so grateful… To be in a position to offer solutions that truly serve.... To share science and vetted information that can enable others to move forward… And to empower people all over the world to own their health and live their best lives
Kiran Krishnan, Chief Microbiologist at Just Thrive
The Scientist Behind The Advanced Science
As a research microbiologist, I’ve been studying ingredient science and the mysteries of the microbiome for over 15 years.
I actually began my career working for one of the world’s largest suppliers of therapeutic enzymes in North America - Amano Enzyme. These enzymes were used in supplements and even in the pharmaceutical industry, and were absolute gamechangers for people’s health. My job was to study these enzymes and run clinical trials on them before they went to market. It was at Amaro that I learned about the preventative power of natural solutions.
I also discovered that many supplement companies wanted to create better products, but they couldn’t because they didn't have sufficient clinical data. They also didn’t have a million dollars to run clinicals tests to ensure their products actually worked. So I created my own trials and designed them to be more affordable and fitting for the supplement industry.
I then started working with companies to help them develop and formulate non-pharmaceutical products that actually worked. (And that had the studies to prove it!) Eventually I was hired to study probiotics, and was absolutely captivated by how the microbiome forms the foundation for everything related to health and wellness, and even longevity.
Coincidentally, I met Tina and Billy around the same time, and we partnered together to secure the exclusive rights to the most effective Probiotic strains I’ve ever seen. I was really moved by how Tina and Billy wanted to better the supplement industry and truly change lives. It was a natural partnership.
Today, I’m the scientific advisor at Just Thrive, and have helped create, develop and clinically verify a full line of products that are now part of the Just Thrive family. I’m very passionate about getting effective solutions out to as many people as possible because I know, and the data has shown me, that proven, naturally-sourced solutions can totally change your quality of life, and those you love.