Written in Partnership with Amir Bakian
We could all use a little more bliss in our lives. In fact, more people than ever are struggling mentally with over 57 million doctor’s office visits last year being attributed to mental health conditions or concerns. Between global conflict, inflation, political discord, etcetera, there is a lot to be anxious, stressed or depressed about.
Inspired by a desire to help people find solutions to boost wellness and mental health, John Hur founded Life Cocoon, the first direct-to-consumer and B2B wellness apparel company. His vision is to turn clothing into a canvas for health and wellness.
In college, John studied biology with plans to become a healthcare provider. An influential experience at a research lab opened his eyes to entrepreneurship. “I was inspired to look beyond traditional healthcare paths after delving into the business side of science. ” John headed to Silicon Valley where he had his first experience with 23andMe, a genetic testing startup. “Those experiences got me interested in innovating and exploring ways to create products that make people’s lives better.”
Recognizing the need to learn how biotech companies are formed, he attended Keck Graduate Institute, where he earned a specialized MBA in the life sciences. From there, he took roles with startups doing work in artificial intelligence and genomics as well as commercializing biotechnology products in Silicon Valley.
The more innovative healthcare solutions he saw, the more John realized was lacking. “There were all these therapies that were so brilliant and could treat challenging issues. People with rare diseases found growing options for their hard to treat problems through cutting-edge bio-engineering. But it was interesting because the solutions for mentally ill people and people struggling with stress and anxiety didn’t seem to be experiencing the same levels of improvement.”
John also noticed that many of the therapies for stress and anxiety harshly treated symptoms but weren’t focused on the root cause. He began examining other pathways for helping people through gentler means.
He explains, “During the pandemic, my parents were really struggling with their small women’s fashion business in the Coachella Valley. They’re Korean immigrants who started the store in the desert, and I grew up in that store selling clothing to people.” As John listened to the struggles of his parents’ customers who complained about their masks being irritating and smelly, he had a lightbulb moment. “I thought, wouldn’t it be really great if people could experience something positive that boosts their mood or makes them feel a little bit better through their clothing? They have to wear it all the time, it might as well be enjoyable. And I knew it would be a worthy endeavor to explore.’
Since then, John has explored a great deal and built Life Cocoon and its flagship product, The Bliss Hoodie, a CBD & Eucalyptus oil-infused heavyweight cotton hoodie. The ‘portable sanctuary’ is designed to make wearers feel like they are relaxing in a spa despite the chaos that surrounds them. With Life Cocoon, John is focused on his vision of expanding holistic care solutions by blending fashion and wellness.
For the past three years, John has been researching the therapeutic benefits of essential oils and aromatherapy along with exploring innovations in textile engineering and material science to develop new ways to experience relaxation. “With essential oils, there’s a lot of studies out there that show how aromatherapy or our other senses can trigger different pathways in our physiology, and it can be very beneficial.”
John’s background in healthcare and biotech products provided him with valuable insight into the end user and their needs when developing products. He also draws from peer-reviewed literature to ensure his innovations are backed by scientific evidence. “I am focused on integrating alternative holistic therapies. With The Bliss Hoodie, I am bridging the gap between science-backed approaches and wider adoption by the public. That’s kind of my North Star in all my creations.”
Navigating the Challenges of a Start-Up
It hasn’t been easy even with his vast experience in the start-up and bioscience spaces.
“I’m a first-time entrepreneur, so just being solo, doing this journey has been so humbling. And when you’re trying to do something new in a very, regimented protocol industry like clothing, it isn’t very innovation-friendly unless you have gigantic budgets.”
Because of that, John has spent a lot of his time searching for people who believed in his mission and who also had a stake in the wellness arena. “Like any sales job, I just kept knocking on people’s doors until I found people that resonated with what I was doing.”
By far one of the biggest challenges John faced was trying to find manufacturers who were willing to take a bet on his product and the mission since they couldn’t yet rely on large orders. He adds, “It was also very challenging finding manufacturers who were open to these innovative approaches to engineering the textiles as well.”
Since his ‘Aha’ moment, John has secured several trademarks including “Life Cocoon” and “The Bliss Hoodie.” He also has a patent pending for the Microbliss Cotton product which involves infusing heavyweight cotton with CBD and eucalyptus. Another patent is pending for innovative designs such as the Aromatherapy Hood. John notes, “There are pending patent applications for both the design and the utility aspects of my products.”
The Future of Life Cocoon
John plans to continue turning clothing into a canvas for wellness and new experiences as well as continue to develop other products that help improve people’s mental health. “Through the product discovery journey, I found that people wanted the scents to last longer, and that’s why we created the aromapod to have as an accessory to do just that. But that pod became very interesting because that allows someone to turn any space into a portable sanctuary where they can make their car smell like a luxury spa. And so I’ve been thinking a lot about that. So not only clothing, but I’d love to continue to make products that can help benefit people through scents. We have been exploring a lot of different ideas for that.”
In a health and wellness market that was valued at over 5.2 Trillion USD in 2022 and is expected to reach over 8.9 Trillion by 2032, there is clearly room and a need for Life Cocoon products. When more than one-third (37%) of the population has been diagnosed with a mental health condition, the demand and need are clearly greater for health products that transport us from a tumultuous world to a serene oasis. The Bliss Hoodie and Life Cocoon’s other products may be just what we need to take us away.
Share in Life Cocoon’s mission of expanding holistic care solutions by blending fashion and wellness.
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