On this episode of WellBuilt, Jon spoke to Justin Mares, Co-Founder and CEO of TrueMed, to explore how innovative healthcare incentives can shift the chronic disease narrative in America.

Justin shared his journey from building better-for-you CPG brands like Kettle & Fire, Perfect Keto, and non-aloholic Surely Wines, which now collectively generate over $100 million in annual revenue. These ventures deepened his understanding of systemic flaws in the U.S. food and healthcare systems, leading him to focus on chronic disease prevention and wellbeing.

With Truemed, Justin is addressing a critical gap in healthcare by unlocking the potential of HSA and FSA accounts, allowing consumers to use pre-tax dollars for wellness-related expenses, including exercise programs, supplements, and recovery tools. This model shifts the focus from reactive "sick care" to proactive health solutions, tackling the root causes of chronic diseases like diabetes and metabolic dysfunction.

In the broad-ranging discussion, Justin reflects on the misaligned incentives that have driven poor health outcomes and emphasizes the need for scalable, long-term interventions. The discussion covers the troubling rise in chronic diseases, with nearly 40% of children in the U.S. showing signs of pre-diabetes or diabetes, and highlights how systemic incentives have encouraged unhealthy behaviors. 

Make sure to check out TrueMed and follow Justin on X to learn more. Justin also writes a substack newsletter, The Next, which explores what's next, in health, startups, and society.