Melissa Snover – CEO & Founder at Reme3dy Health
Melissa Snover is an award-winning entrepreneur and disruptor in the world of food technology and 3D printing.
She is passionate about developing innovations which offer solutions to her customers, challenge her competitors, and innovate current market offerings. She is currently the founder and CEO of Rem3dy Health, which pioneers personalised solutions across preventative and curative health under the brands Nourished (Personalised Nutrition) and Scripted (Personalised Medicine).
- Tell us a little bit about your business…
Rem3dy Health pioneers personalised solutions across preventative and curative health under the brands Nourished (Personalised Nutrition) and Scripted (Personalised Medicine). Founded in the UK in 2019, Nourished has developed patented 3D printing technology to create the world’s first truly personalised nutrient gummy. Consumers can complete a short questionnaire at get-nourished.com, where a science-backed algorithm makes a recommendation of 7 vitamins, superfoods and nutrients best suited to the user’s lifestyle and goals. Nourished delivers bespoke customer orders on demand in 100% plastic free packaging with less waste, hassle and cost than purchasing all of the vitamins separately.
- How did you get into the industry?
The idea for Nourished emerged shortly after whilst I was on a business trip, juggling a bag of various vitamins and supplements that spilled out at airport security. After crawling around in my suit and heels and picking them up, I thought that there had to be a simpler way to maintain your nutrition regime when travelling, and the idea of Nourished was born. In October 2019, we launched Nourished, offering personalised blends of active ingredients through our 3D printing technology.
- What are the biggest opportunities and challenges in your industry?
Despite personalisation being a growing trend across multiple industries, one of the biggest challenges we face regularly is educating people about the importance of personalising their nutrient intake to perform the best for their body and lifestyle needs. Customisation is becoming more popular with consumers in the health and wellness space, and as it continues to grow, we look forward to the opportunity to teach more people about the benefits of authentic tailor-made nutrition.
- How would you describe your leadership style?
When it comes to my leadership style, I place a strong emphasis on entrusting my team and delegating key responsibilities to them. Given the often-hectic schedules entrepreneurs face, it’s crucial to cultivate a team that embodies proactiveness and passion. My approach revolves around assembling a team of the right talent; individuals to whom I can confidently delegate significant tasks and responsibilities. This skill, I believe, is an indispensable trait for any business owner.
- How do you get the most out of the people who work for you?
At Rem3dy Health, a positive culture surrounds everything that we do. We aim to create positivity in every facet of the business, whether it’s something simple like providing food and healthy snacks for the on-site team in line with our focus on supporting their health and wellbeing or something more policy-driven such as acknowledging that not every day is the same, so flexible working is standard. We celebrate the successes of all team members; this includes Employee of the Month recognition with a financial reward for each winner. There’s also an employee EMI share option scheme enabling all employees to have a share ownership in the business, leading to a particularly engaged workforce. We’ve found that this not only enables our team to feel empowered but also encourages their commitment and passion for our future. Work shouldn’t be a strain or an environment where employees feel unwelcome, unheard or unappreciated. It’s the small things that we incorporate into our every day that help to motivate our team and we have always prioritised establishing that sense of engagement, inclusion and positivity first. Without that, how can you expect your team to succeed?
- What are the most crucial elements to your business running smoothly and being successful?
Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at Nourished, and we are committed to using groundbreaking technology to create impactful solutions for our customers. Our patented 3D printing technology allows us to combine multiple active ingredients into one bespoke gummy vitamin, which is 100% personalised to the customer. This gives us a real advantage in the market as most of our competitors rely on importing and repackaging their products to create ‘personalised packs’.
At Nourished, we are the first ever truly manufactured personalised nutrition product as we 3D print every order on demand, which also ensures higher efficacy and absorption levels than standard isolated pills. By making everything in our HQ in Birmingham, we are also able to have greater control over our supply chain and significantly reduce our carbon footprint.
- How has the past 12 months been for you?
We’ve recently expanded into our third continent, Japan, and forged innovative partnerships with multiple global giants such as Suntory and Neutrogena. In 2022, we reported a turnover increase of 48%, from £3.54m to 2021’s figure of £5.3m and this growth pattern has continued into 2023. Earlier this year Rem3dy Health was also awarded the first-ever Kings Award for Innovation (formerly the Queen’s Award for Innovation), in recognition of our patented and innovative technology.
Surrounding myself with a positive, agile team has been instrumental in this journey.
- What will the next 12 months look like for your business?
Over the next forthcoming year, we will be expanding our product offerings into new markets, such as in Europe and South America, alongside launching some exciting new retail partnerships. At Rem3dy, we are constantly looking at ways to optimise and improve our technology to ensure we stay at the forefront of personalised nutrition. Our award-winning technology enables us to be extremely agile and react to evolving trends and changes in the market, meaning we can quickly increase, enhance and improve our Nourished product lineup.
- What are the highlights of your career so far?
One of my most significant achievements to date is how Rem3dy Health has grown and evolved since we founded the company just before the world went into its first national lockdown in 2020. This was a very challenging time for many businesses around the world, but we were fortunate to thrive due to our agile startup mentality, commitment to enforcing a localised supply chain and unwavering passion and focus.
In addition, being awarded the first-ever Kings Award for Innovation was a huge honour. R&D and Innovation are at the heart of everything we do, and we invest deeply to continuously push the boundaries in manufacturing and the customisation of health. To see our work recognised by His Majesty the King in this way means the world to the team and I.
- What’s the biggest business mistake that you’ve learnt from?
In 2010, I founded Goody Good Stuff, which was the world’s first vegan, allergen-free and natural fruit gum. When I first started pitching this brand, I had painstakingly created a forty-page presentation which went into precise detail on every area of the business I thought any buyer would be interested in. When pitching to one particular well-known supermarket chain, I was very kindly but awkwardly informed that the industry standard was a maximum of ten slides, and I had just made this poor guy sit through four times that! I was totally embarrassed by my own naivety and eagerness, but needless to say, I still received an order from the buyer and have never created a forty-page presentation since!
- What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve been given?
Throughout my career, I have been inspired by a wide variety of business leaders from a number of different industries. As a passionate advocate for female entrepreneurship and women in STEM fields, I am particularly influenced by disruptors such as Grace Hopper and Reshma Saujani. Madam C J Walker, the first female self-made millionaire, once said, “Don’t sit down and wait for opportunities to come. Get up and make them.” And I have found this to be incredibly powerful advice throughout my career.
