Developing a Wellness Brand That Satisfies Your Sweet Tooth with Emily Pogany
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In this episode, I’m chatting with Emily Pogany, the founder of Masah, a spiritual confectionary company and wellness brand, who shares her journey of starting a unique food business that combines her passion for healing and love for candy.
Emily introduces Chakra Caramels, her line of plant-based caramels infused with essential oils and charged with Reiki energy to balance and support each of the seven chakras. She
encourages fellow food business owners to listen to their intuition and hold themselves in high integrity. She discusses the process of developing the perfect caramel formula and designing the packaging to align with the energy of the product. Emily also highlights the mindfulness experience and suggested use of Chakra Caramels, as well as the benefits and various forms of meditation.
In this episode, you will learn…
[03:18] Emily’s vision for Masah and creating a spiritual confectionery
[05:25] About the seven Chakras and Emily’s Chakra Caramels
[14:02] The importance of integrity and intuition in business
[18:27] How using a designer will help bring your branding and packaging to life
[25:18] The benefits and varieties of meditation
Subscribe to the Food Means Business Podcast with Hudson Kitchen founder Djenaba Johnson-Jones to hear the personal stories and “secret ingredients” of abandoning your day job and starting a CPG food business.
Bonus Guided Meditation with Emily:
Links mentioned in this episode…
Emily Pogany Intuitive Holistic Healing Patreon
About Emily Pogany:
Emily Pogany is a trauma informed intuitive holistic healer, specializing in a variety of energetic, emotional, & somatic modalities to support her clients & community in a holistic way. Her practice has been cultivated with the purpose of normalizing the conversations we have and the work we do around healing, personal + spiritual development and empowerment, teaching others how to love, accept, and heal themselves from the inside out and creating a rich fulfilling life on their terms. Her new company, MASAH, is a continuation of that work to serve the collective in a bigger way, in a more innovative way, and in the sweetest way possible!
About Masah:
MASAH was born out of one part divine inspiration, one part lifelong sweet tooth, and one part growing up with the knowledge and experiencing the benefits of utilizing both traditional western medicine with natural, holistic modalities. It was created to share a new kind of support within the wellness and CPG space while promoting self-care and mindfulness in a fun, delicious, and innovative way. It's a way to stop overthinking and start enjoying how easy and convenient it is to take care of ourselves! Every product to come, starting with Chakra Caramels, is a wonderful accompaniment to introduce into your day-to-day routine and your existing wellness and healthcare practice if you already have one!
CONNECT WITH EMILY:
Connect with Emily Pogany on LinkedIn
STAY CONNECTED WITH DJENABA JOHNSON-JONES:
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Djenaba Johnson-Jones (00:01.336)
Hi, Emily. Welcome to the Food Means Business Podcast. I'm so happy that you're here.
Emily Pogany (00:05.55)I'm so excited to be here. Thank you for having me.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (00:08.696)This is really great. So this month or over the next few weeks, we're kind of focusing on founder wellness. And I know that while you do have a CPG company, you also have a wellness background. So I'd love for you to just give us an idea of your trajectory.
Emily Pogany (00:28.206)
Absolutely. I feel like I have lived multiple timelines in one life. I started off as a makeup artist, which I was doing between 2009 to 2013. I very organically and unintentionally was led into the holistic wellness space and the energetic space. And so from 2015 up until this present time, I am a professional intuitive holistic healer. So I am an Asui and Holy Fire Reiki master. I'm a certified breathwork and meditation teacher, psychic medium, and all around intuitive life coach. And my company, Masah, was born out of my healing practice and my desire to support people in a really unique, fun and delicious way. And so while I have stepped into a realm that I had no experience with, you know, I was, I've been known amongst my closest circle since a very young age for my sweet tooth. I also grew up with a father who is a pharmacist, but taught us his children.
the benefits of utilizing holistic means with traditional Western medicine. I'm somebody who has experienced multiple chronic health issues and has to go through a couple surgeries. So there's a time and place for everything. But the idea for Masa itself came to me back in 2016, about a year after I started my holistic wellness practice. And I was solely doing Reiki at the time, but...
This idea came to me in a dream, like two times in one night. I woke up with every bone in my body telling me I had to do this. It was like a mission from above. And it was something that was uniquely my own, my unique personal contribution to the collective and where I get to now build my legacy and help as many people as possible. Because it's one thing.
Emily Pogany (02:54.062)when you're doing makeup or you're a healer, it can only help so many people at a time when it's a one -on -one situation, right? And it can lead to burnout. It can lead to exhaustion. It can lead to a very dysregulated nervous system, being around so many people's energy and not knowing when to take care of your own. So...
I've just experienced so many blessings since making the shift from strictly healer into the CPG space and blending those two worlds in a way that sparks.
Emily Pogany (03:39.022)
I'm trying to find the right word. All I keep thinking about is Willy Wonka. It sparks imagination. It sparks playfulness. I mean, who doesn't consider themselves a foodie these days? Who doesn't want to indulge in something delicious, right?
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (03:46.422)
Hahaha.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (04:01.144)
So, okay, so you created this delicious product, so tell us about the product. So, you did mention you had a sweet tooth, so I'm assuming that it is something like that. So give us a little bit of info.
Emily Pogany (04:13.422)
Yeah, so Masah is a spiritual confectionary company and wellness brand. And my first debut product are called Chakra Caramels. And it's a line of plant -based, coconut oil and coconut sugar -based, essential oil -infused, and reiki -charged caramels with seven flavor blends to balance and support each of the seven chakras. And when you get this product, you think, oh, just a caramel.
flip the bag over, there's a QR code that says meditate with me that links back to a guided meditation for that specific chakra. And that's my intention for every product to come. It's not just a candy or confectionary. It's not just a food. It's an experience. It's a mindfulness experience. It's an experience where you feel good about what you're putting in your body and indulging in it.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (05:13.176)
So please educate me. So what is it? What is chakra? And you mentioned there are seven of them. So if you could like take it, tell us what it is and like, kind of take us through what these seven are, that'd be great.
Emily Pogany (05:25.198)
Absolutely. So the chakras are energy centers. And while we have hundreds of chakras, the most common, the most famous are the seven primary chakras that go from root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown. And these energy centers are comprised of various frequencies to support us to live a very healthy, holistic life.
So starting from the root chakra, that energy center is located at the base of the spine, at the tailbone, and physically rules the legs and the feet. It rules the material plane. So our finances, our money stories, our money traumas, feeling safe, secure, and stable in our lives when we look at the body and we have a health issue or pain.
We look at, okay, what part of the body is affected? What emotions are being carried or stored there, maybe suppressed and unprocessed? And what is the purpose of that body? So our legs keep us stable, keep us secure and anchored into the earth. There are also various foods and other accompaniments to support each chakra.
So with the root chakra, you're gonna look at apples, potatoes, sweet potatoes, anything that grows from the earth, beets, anything red, strawberries. You're gonna look at spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, anything warming, anything grounding, which is why I chose an apple cinnamon flavor with a hint of nutmeg for our root chakra blend. You go to the sacral chakra, it vibrates to the color orange. It rules the...
the abdomen, the genitals reproductive system. It's a water element. So they each connect to a different element as well. The flavor that I chose for sacral chakra is orange vanilla. So reminiscent of a creamsicle flavor that we all knew and loved as kids, right? I wanted to bring in more playfulness to...
Emily Pogany (07:49.934)
just eating a candy. Stolaplexis, we chose lemon. It vibrates to the color yellow. It's sunny, it's confidence, it's our self -esteem. Move on to the heart chakra, it vibrates to the color green, it's unconditional love. It's closely connected to the throat chakra, so grief can be interconnected between the heart and the throat.
I won't share it so I haven't launched my next flavor so I have to keep quiet on Heartthroat, Third Eye and Crown but they're coming soon and I can't wait to share what those are with everybody. But yeah, it aligns with the colors of the rainbow and when again, something is off in your body or your spirit, we look to the chakras as that's...
the anchor point of aligned energies. Your energy is flowing in a cohesive way. You're open. You're not constrictive. You're anchored into your truest self and you're magnetizing and aligning with things that are for your highest good that support you in living your healthiest and best life.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (09:12.216)
So why a confectionary product and not a different type of product? Just curious as to kind of how you, you mentioned that it came into you in a dream, but then like, you could have created something else, right? So I'm just wondering, like, can you give us a little background about like how you kind of came up with the idea for the product and then also like, what did you, how did you get started? What did you do?
Emily Pogany (09:37.998)
Honestly, I love candy.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (09:39.704)
Heheheheheheh
Emily Pogany (09:42.414)
I have the biggest sweet tooth. It's been hard to reel in. And there is an element to this company and my mission and foundation to this, to help people release the rigidity around what they put in their body. I found that in the wellness space, there are too many rules. And I want to...continue to disrupt this industry. I want to help people break those rules if it feels good to them, if it feels good to their body, not just looking at their favorite creator or influencer and doing what they're doing, trying to get the same results. They have a different body. They have a different energetic makeup. They have a different emotional intelligence. So what works for some is not going to work for others.
This idea, again, it came to me as a lollipop. So like the mission was already given to me like candy, confections. I didn't have a clue what I was doing. I didn't know anybody at the time in the food industry. It was, however, during the time when...
the CBD industry and edibles were taking off and everyone was doing a gummy. So I knew first and foremost, Masa is never gonna have a gummy. It's never gonna have a gummy. I don't wanna do what everyone else is doing. I wanted this to be unique. Again, why this is a confectioner company, because nobody's doing it like this. And thankfully, my dad still in his...
his practice at the time had quite a big network in the CBD space, who he linked up with me to ask questions, to pick their brains, to find out a little bit about these...
Emily Pogany (11:59.758)
I don't want say food festivals, but these expos like Expo West and the Fancy Food Show and whatnot, which helped some. But when I first started, it was a lot of cold calling. It was a lot of Googling. It was a lot of leap taking and risk taking a lot of money invested in people and companies that that didn't work out. But I will say that.
I've been very blessed along the way. There hasn't been one person who has wanted to or tried to take advantage of my naivety.
The whole time, everyone was really in it to have my back, even if they didn't know me, even upon hearing that I was new to the business. And I would love to recommend to anyone who's new wanting to start a CPG business.
Emily Pogany (13:06.286)
Do your inner work and hold yourself in the highest of integrity. Treat yourself and others with respect and you will match that same energy. You will come across people who share a like -minded nature and treat you unkind. They will want to support you, but be open to support.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (13:31.928)
I totally agree. Like, totally agree. Like, I feel like I came, I too came into the food, food business with, I'm knowing nothing. And I felt like I was welcomed with open arms. As long as I found the right people and I asked questions. And of course I made mistakes, but people were so helpful and still are to this day. So yeah, I love it. I love it so much. I'm so glad that you were able to use your network to kind of connect with others.
That's fantastic.
Emily Pogany (14:02.446)
Yeah, and keep your wits about you. You know, like, use your intuition. We don't have to be a healer. We don't have to consider ourselves spiritual. We have intuition. It's our gut instinct. If something or someone feels off to you, even if they, if it seems like best -case scenario and you've found gold, run. Because somebody who's authentic, who genuinely will help you,
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (14:23.648)
Hahaha.
Emily Pogany (14:30.638)
They'll find you, you'll find them and it'll feel good, it'll feel right.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (14:33.976)
Right, right. So, okay, so you made a lot of connections. How did you get started? You mentioned it was going to be a hard candy first. What did you learn about hard candy and like, why did you kind of move in a different direction?
Emily Pogany (14:47.854)
Yeah, so I was really lucky at the time. My spiritual mentor in her other day job at the time was a food and cosmetic chemist. And I don't know how I got that lucky. But she explained that when sugar hardens, the oils will burn off. So it has to be something soft. And again, I did not want to do a gummy. So
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (15:04.088)
Hahaha.
Emily Pogany (15:17.55)
immediately my head went caramels. Caramels. But I also knew, I knew my peers, I knew my friends in the healing space, and I knew who, I don't want say my entire consumer base, but the majority of who I would want to connect with, I knew what they were looking for in labels.
They were gluten -free, they were dairy -free, they were paleo, they were plant -based. And I've really cultivated this product to be accessible to as many people as possible. So my friend and I were playing around in her kitchen. We got some food, great essential oils. We were playing around on the stove and it wasn't working. It just wasn't working. And I think I've blacked out a lot of what I've done.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (16:11.576)
you
Emily Pogany (16:12.654)
It didn't do anything. I've just talked to as many people as possible and it eventually led me to a CPG company who they offer departments in R &D, marketing, accounting, I mean, ran the gamut. And...
I started working with their team and their R &D person, their chemist, to put together the perfect formula. I told them exactly what I wanted, what I wasn't willing to sacrifice, what could be pivoted, what could be switched. I was willing to be the student. And that's incredibly important as well.
the willingness to put your pride aside in what you know and come into an industry you're not familiar with, be open and vocal about it, and be willing to learn and hear what other people have to say because I had a vision for this going into it. What the packaging would look like, what the size and shape of the caramels would look like.
I found out it wasn't gonna work and it wasn't somebody telling me you're wrong, you have to redo the whole thing. They were sharing their insight, these experts were sharing their insights with me to be successful. And that required teamwork, something you don't really experience much of as a soul healing practitioner, where you run your own business. It's a whole other beast, it's a whole other ball game, but...
When you find your people, you create a masterpiece.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (18:09.624)
Yeah, that's true. So let's talk about the packaging a little bit. Once you kind of got the product down, I assume you next went to work on the packaging. So give us a little bit of info about that, the colors, why'd you choose those, everything.
Emily Pogany (18:27.086)
That was a surprise to me what was going to happen there. So my vision initially was very clean packaging, like white, my beautiful, colorful logo, and maybe would have a window to see the product, maybe not. But I knew I needed a designer. First, I got my logo done by a graphic illustrator. I
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (18:29.496)
you
Emily Pogany (18:53.132)
I think I found through social media. She did a beautiful job. And then it was finding, okay, who's going to design my packaging? How am I going to go about that route? And long story short, we discussed my vision. More importantly, we discussed the energy I wanted the product to embody that I wanted to share without using words. Like what were the color palettes? What was the font? What was the text?
And the first designers I worked with not only brought me this beautiful idea of matching the packaging to each chakra color, but call them chakra caramels. I have to give credit where credit is due. Chakra caramels were not my idea because before Masah, my company was called Conscious Candy.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (19:52.086)
Mmm.
Emily Pogany (19:52.686)
and the caramels were going to be my only product. But I actually went through a bit of an identity shift in many different ways and the name of the brand changed. And with it flooded me with a whole host of ideas, which I'm so excited about. But with the packaging itself, I was open to receiving a vision that wasn't mine to collaborate with. So...
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (19:55.48)
Right.
Emily Pogany (20:22.958)
For anyone that sees the packages, we put lotus flowers. We took the lotus, we disseminated, I'm not sure if I'm using the right word, but we broke apart my logo. My original logo had the chakra lotus around a figure with each color chakra highlighted. We just put the figure on the package with the chakras, we took the lotus out and we...
put the Lotus elsewhere on the packaging. And...
I'm so grateful I gave up control in that way because this packaging is so much more beautiful than mine was gonna be. Like my vision would have just fallen flat. So sometimes I will say, it's so easy to have an idea. You are passionate. You believe it's gonna work, but it's not until someone brings you something different.
where you kind of have to step back and see like, oh, well, I didn't think of that.
and then just let it marinate. If it feels good to you, do it. If it doesn't, hold onto your vision. You're the only one that knows what's gonna work and what isn't.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (21:43.16)
That's true. That is so true. So you created your product, you have some packaging, how are you selling the product right now?
Emily Pogany (21:51.054)
We are online, so through Shopify, and we are also in a couple of retail spaces. We're reaching out to a variety of retail outlets, so more upscale niche markets, hotels, spas, juice bars, yoga studios, meditation studios. We are...
partnering and collaborating with wellness events where we've been included in some really amazing gift bags with retreats What's really cool about this product is that there are so many ways to utilize it?
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (22:29.24)
So let's talk about that. Tell us how we can use your product.
Emily Pogany (22:33.998)
Yeah, so without going over the rails here. So these caramels specifically.
can be used when you simply want to indulge in a sweet treat, when you have a craving that you want to satiate, and the feedback and response that we've gotten is that one was enough. Granted, some people have finished their whole bag upon purchasing it.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (23:04.31)
That would be me.
Emily Pogany (23:07.342)
Which is okay. It is okay. However, the adjusted use on the back of the packaging is one to three times a week. Because while this is a candy, it is also a tool. And it's an ally in your mindfulness practice or ritual. So it's a reminder to take a moment for yourself throughout the day. To take some deep breaths and drop in. It's a tool for self -connection. For reconnection.
It is a more kinetic tool for people who might have trouble meditating and need something to anchor them into their body in the present moment.
Emily Pogany (23:50.062)
The suggested use, because we've had questions about the essential oil component, is not because it is unsafe to eat because of the essential oils. They're all very high grade, organic food grade. It is safe to eat the whole pack. It's really more to act as a teaching tool to practice becoming more mindful and intentional.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (24:01.336)
Thank you.
Emily Pogany (24:17.454)
with yourself and everything you do throughout your day.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (24:21.72)
Yeah, that makes so much sense.
Emily Pogany (24:24.846)
I will also quickly share that we are working with a spa right now who they weren't interested in selling the bags. What they're doing is offering a piece of caramel after each treatment. So they have shock or specific, you know, massages and crystal facials and just makes a perfect accompaniment to.
to those kinds of experiences.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (24:56.344)
It really does. Early, you mentioned that there's a QR code on the back of each package and that the user could participate in a meditation. Can you talk a little bit about meditation? I know that's one of your specialties. Tell us why is meditation so important?
Emily Pogany (25:18.158)
Meditation, to try to compact it down, has multiple benefits. Meditation, it supports us in hearing our own voice, our own soul's voice, and tuning into what's right and true for us, making clear, level -headed decisions that are aligned for us throughout the day.
It helps us prevent burnout. It helps us with our stress release and stress management. It can support us in healing our bodies. As I mentioned before, when we experience pain in the body or we experience stress, which is a nervous system response, we have to get quiet in order to tap into the wisdom of our bodies.
in order to support ourselves. We are our own greatest healer. Meditation, for anyone wondering or has become stressed about this question, is not just sitting in silence for an hour a day. Not many people can do that. There are so many different forms of meditation. There's breath work meditation, breath work and meditation.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (26:36.248)
No.
Emily Pogany (26:46.286)
There are walking meditations. There are movement practices. So, you know, I have, I recently got a Peloton. I meditate during my rides. I try to connect to the music, how and how I'm feeling in my body and becoming more present with myself and the moment. There is no right or wrong way to meditate. It's really whatever.
It fits your lifestyle, it fits your budget, and helps you feel like your best self.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (27:23.608)
Yeah, I agree. I recently started meditating. I tend to like guided meditations and I really focus on gratitude during those times. I think, you know, as an entrepreneur, for me, it's important to kind of remember like why you started doing the business in the first place. And like, when things are going wrong, especially going back to remember like all the things that are right and all the evidence that you have that you should keep moving forward. But I really love the guided meditation and then afterwards.
I journal about what kind of came up for me during that time. And it was really helpful and a really great way to start my day. So I love it. Yeah.
Emily Pogany (28:02.51)
That's beautiful. I love that. And you sparked something else that's really important for everyone to know, which is when you're meditating and it's a quiet silent meditation and your grocery list pops up or something on your to -do list comes up, that's okay. You're not doing it wrong. That's the human mind. That is the ego trying to take us out what it knows to be comfortable.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (28:22.648)
You
Emily Pogany (28:31.502)
because if you're not used to meditation, your ego is going to freak out and it's going to throw a lot of stuff at you. Get up, go do something else. This is safe because this isn't programmed. It's not a pattern or a habit that you've instilled yet. Even people that have been meditating for God knows how long have their to -do lists. Like pick up my kids at daycare, you know? That's not a wrong thing, but journaling is one of the best...
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (28:37.876)
I'm
Emily Pogany (29:01.198)
practices to support us. I'm glad you share that.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (29:06.232)
Thank you. So at Hudson Kitchen we have a, what I call the money bell. We have a bell in our lobby that we ring when we're celebrating something. So I wanted to know what are you celebrating?
Emily Pogany (29:16.462)
So much, oh my God. So much. I'm really excited about launching these next four flavors. I recently tried them and three out of four were delicious. We are redoing one of them because I have to put something out there that is delicious, that I love and I actually think might be.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (29:34.168)
Great.
Emily Pogany (29:46.702)
our best selling flavor. So I'm really excited for to finish out the Chakra Caramel line. I will be planning a launch event, which I've been wanting to do since before I launched Masah when that's launched. We have some really great brand awareness right now.
this company has really exciting potential. I'm also really excited and those that know angel numbers and are familiar with angel numbers and frequency will get this, but we're running a really, we're offering a really beautiful promotion during the month of February for Valentine's Day. And the gift with purchase is a Reiki guided meditation.
that I crafted and when I finished recording it, this was not on purpose. It came out to 22 minutes and 22 seconds and I was like.
Ooh, ooh, I can't wait for everyone that receives this meditation to receive from this meditation. It's been such a blessing getting to, it's such a win for me to infuse everything I love into one company and my business.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (31:16.504)
I love that, I love that, thank you. So Emily, let us know where we can find out all about you and Masah.
Emily Pogany (31:23.182)
You can find me at experiencemasah .com and that's M -A -S -A -H. I'm also on Instagram at MasahConfections. You can also find me personally and learn more about my healing work at IamEmilyPogiani on Instagram. And for those that purchase the caramels and future products,
I, if they want to experience my healing work on a deeper level, want to work with me a little bit closely while I'm not offering one -on -one work right now, I did create a Patreon, which will be finished by the end of this week and will be shared and announced on my personal Instagram.
Djenaba Johnson-Jones (32:12.28)
Great, thank you.