Strolling through New York’s SoHo neighbourhood, you’ll come across a number of shops touting the wonders of wellness. There are so many, in fact, that The New York Times recently did a story about the area becoming one big pop-up dedicated to this generation’s buzziest concept. But with all the potions, practices, and quotable prose dedicated to turning our attention to the many ways to do life right, sometimes it’s easiest to lean into what’s, well, easy. And that’s where Trinity Mouzon Wofford’s brand, Golde, fits in.
The cofounder of the Brooklyn-based business is the first to admit that she’s “not some wellness superhero.” Though Golde’s line of superfood-based facial masks and ingestible powders are sold at Sephora and through GOOP—which, to me, puts Mouzon Wofford in an elite category of young entrepreneurs, superhero or at least something similar—her take on how to get people enthused about their health is through a more relatable vibe. “What it really comes down to with Golde as a brand, is we want to take this category of superfoods within wellness and make them a bit more approachable and inviting,” Mouzon Wofford says. “It’s really this idea of: we want you to feel good, and you should build in wellness rituals that work for you, rather than sort of having to check off this box of meditation, bath time…”
This point is important when you consider how personal “what feels good” really is, not only because of individual tastes but also because of life circumstances in general. “I can’t take a bath in my New York apartment,” Mouzon Wofford says with a laugh. “I tried recently—my knees were coming out the top. So it’s about wellness for real life.” Golde’s products are packed with ingredients like turmeric, cacao, and lucuma (a fruit native to South America), and are as simple to use as “just add water.” Mouzon Wofford points out that this ease of use can democratize the approach to feeling well. “[Golde is] built on my experience as a consumer in the wellness space,” she notes, nodding at the historical prevalence in the industry of brands that are either “crunchy” or “ultra-luxe and inaccessible,” and in particular what this means to her as a person of colour.
At one point during our meeting in New York, Mouzon Wofford and I bond over our affection for the YouTube yogi Adriene Mishler. What I like about Mishler’s videos is how often she encourages self-nurturing, setting boundaries, and feeling present in the moment. They’re all notions that Mouzon Wofford, as both an entrepreneur and someone working in the wellness realm, takes to heart on many levels. “We really value balance and not necessarily subscribing to putting the grind above everything else,” she says of her work on Golde, which she cofounded with her boyfriend Issey Kobori. “If you push everything you love aside just so you can grind, grind, grind—so you can supposedly arrive at this moment of what you will define as success—you’re going to get lost in that journey.”
The arbitrary notion of success, and how meme-able it’s become, is something Mouzon Wofford digs into during another point of our conversation. She brings up the “It’s 2020 in six months, don’t let anyone waste your time” sentiment that’s popped up in both her social media timelines and mine multiple times lately. She recognizes that this might be motivating for some, and that’s great, but her words of wisdom are much more forgiving: “Enjoy the journey,” she says, smiling. “Staying present is the best thing you can do for yourself.”
