Problk Health Vitamins is a doctor and veteran-owned health company on a mission to improve health and wellness in the Black community.
The Atlanta-based business was started by husband and wife team Dr. Karleena Tuggle-McDaniel and Darian McDaniel. Both HBCU grads (Howard Medical School and Morehouse College) decided that in order to promote healing in the Black community, they would have to be the change they wanted to see.
We caught up with Problk health Vitamin co-founder Dr. Karleena Tuggle-McDaniel to find out more.
What inspired you to start Problk Health Vitamins?
(Dr. K) If we could boil down this answer into two words, they would be ‘need’, and ‘purpose’. The need being that I have trained, worked in, and served majority Black communities for over 20 years.
Whether it be New York where I was raised, DC where I received my education, or Atlanta where I settled and now practice, a common theme that I see almost daily is that Black people do not focus on preventative care.
We are young in age and old in disease while being plagued with illnesses that are often preventable if addressed before progressing to more harmful stages. We do not prioritize our most valuable asset which is our health. 92% of Black people have at least one vitamin deficiency.
After watching an episode of Shark Tank where a company was highlighted that donated a percentage of its profits from the sales of beach towels to benefit marine life, we thought if they could do that for fish, imagine what we could do for Black people.
The purpose is that Darian and I wanted to have a passion project or leave a legacy that would outlive us and benefit the Black community for generations to come.
The combination of these factors helped shape our vision were educating and providing vitamins for people both helps the individual’s health, and the health of the community by donating 50% of the net profits to non-profit organizations that work on improving the health in the Black Community.
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How does your vitamin company differ from those that already exist?
We use the highest quality ingredients to create our premium vitamins and supplements. We make a conscious effort to use select formulas that fill the most nutrient gaps for our customers.
Problk Health Vitamins also donates 50% of its net profits to non-profit organizations that have missions that focus on irradicating health disparities in the Black Community.
It’s a win-win scenario that most people should be able to get behind. We often like to ask people, “Does your current vitamin give back to the community?” We have yet to hear ‘yes’ as a response.
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Describe your individual personalities and how you fuse them to make the business work.
Darian is the strategic, business marketing guru that is the key to catapulting our growth. He is moved more by logic than emotion which helps us to choose the most appropriate and beneficial partnerships. He is a genius at curating the brand from aesthetic details to scaling opportunities.
I, on the other hand, am a way more emotional person. Much of my passion or zeal for this endeavor is my daily encounters with people who look like me or someone I love who is suffering from preventable illness or haunted by suboptimal lifestyle choices that result in inferior health.
I wholeheartedly believe that part of living our best lives is harnessing and enhancing our health to truly maximize our potential, longevity, and happiness. Together we are like the Wonder Twins cartoon from back in the day that can adapt to any obstacle or situation. It works to be able to see things from different perspectives.
Where do you see the company in 5 years?
In 5 years we hope to be a well-respected household name that is synonymous with quality vitamins and supplements, education and community give back.
We want to potentially have mobile health vans that can visit different neighborhoods, fostering the idea of prioritizing our health through healthy habits and preventative care.
We would like to grow the business to the point that we are able to donate millions of dollars in support of nurturing our people and the communities we come from. The sky is the limit, and Black people need to enlighten and improve their health more so than ever.
To learm more about Problk Health Vitamins, visit their website and follow them on Instagram and Facebook!
The post This Couple Started a Vitamin Business to reduce Vitamin Deficiency in the Black Community appeared first on SHOPPE BLACK.
