Hi,

I've spent most of my career building consumer brands, thinking about what makes people tick, why we form habits, and what makes us reach for one thing over another.

But somewhere along the way, I started paying a lot more attention to my own behavior.

I was navigating pregnancy, a scary and unexpected health diagnosis, a demanding career, and life with a young child. Eventually, there were two little kids in the mix. I was grateful for so much of my life, but I was also anxious, overstimulated, and mentally exhausted more often than I wanted to admit.

I'd get to a certain point in the day and feel like I just needed something.

Something sweet. Something salty. Another coffee. A few minutes scrolling my phone.

Sometimes I genuinely wanted those things. But other times, I'd catch myself reaching without even thinking about it. I wasn't necessarily hungry or tired. I just wanted to feel different. Less anxious. Less overwhelmed. A little more like myself.

The irony was that I was working at a meditation app.

I spent my days surrounded by conversations about mindfulness, awareness, and intentional living. I knew the benefits of taking a breath, stepping away, or giving myself a moment before reacting.

But knowing what to do and actually doing it when you're in the thick of life are two very different things.

I didn't always have ten minutes to meditate. I didn't want another app to open or another routine I needed to be disciplined enough to maintain. Some days, even the things that were supposed to help me feel better felt like one more thing on my list.

And I started wondering why there wasn't something for that exact moment.

Not something to fix everything. Not something to take away the stress of everyday life. Just something small and physical that could interrupt the automatic reach and give me a second to check in with myself.

What do I actually need right now?

Maybe it's the snack. Maybe it's a break. Maybe I just need to stop for a second.

With my background in consumer brands, I started exploring what that could look like as a product. I became interested in chewing as a familiar, accessible physical ritual, and in the possibility of pairing that sensory experience with thoughtfully selected functional ingredients.

Something you could keep close, reach for instinctively, and use as a little reminder to pause.

That's where Hiven began.

The name came from two words that felt like opposite sides of my everyday life.

Hive is the constant buzz. Work, family, notifications, decisions, expectations, and the never-ending mental checklist.

Haven is what I kept looking for in the middle of it. A little quiet. A little breathing room. A moment to feel like myself again.

I didn't want to escape the hive. I love so much of what's in it. I just wanted to find a little more haven within it.

Hiven is still in its early days. I'm figuring out the formulation, learning from experts, and working toward bringing the first product to life. I don't think a piece of gum is going to solve the complicated parts of being human.

But I do believe small moments matter. And I think there's room for a different kind of wellness product. One that doesn't ask us to do more, but gives us something simple to reach for when we need a second to ourselves.

I'm building Hiven because it's something I wish I'd had.

And if you've ever found yourself standing in the pantry, opening your phone for no reason, or reaching for another coffee when what you really wanted was to feel a little different, I hope this feels like something made for you, too.

Built for life in the hive. Made for your haven.