Tia Mowry Felt Disregarded by Health Care—So She Launched Her Own Wellness Brand

When Tia Mowry was a teenager, she started experiencing debilitating menstrual cramps. In between television sets, press interviews and auditions, Mowry turned to doctors for answers. But it was only after seeing her first Black physician at the age of 30 that she was finally diagnosed with endometriosis. "For a lot of Black women, their symptoms are ignored, and they're not really taken seriously," she tells Adweek. "I am here to bring awareness, and I am here to break that mold.” After rising to stardom in 1994 on the ABC sitcom Sister, Sister, life has not slowed down much for Mowry, who is most well-known for her roles in young adult movies and TV shows alongside her identical twin, Tamera Mowry-Housley. Mowry, who now stars in the hit Netflix show Family Reunion, has authored two cookbooks and maintains a lifestyle channel on YouTube. But when she’s not acting, writing up recipes or curating social media content, Mowry is reminding consumers to take their vitamins. Mowry was inspired to launch her own wellness brand after her firsthand experience with the mistreatment of women of color in health care. Anser, which embodies Mowry's belief that individualized lifestyle changes are the answer to improved health, launched in January of 2020 selling vitamins and supplements. The brand, which grew 30% in its second year, has attracted over 70,000 Instagram followers and is now retailing at Target. Mowry sat down with Adweek to discuss the birth of her company, her vision for change in the health care space and why she wants to convince consumers to take control of their health. Mowry plays Coco in the Netflix series Family Reunion, which won an NAACP Image Award this year. (This interview has been condensed and edited.) Adweek: Knowing how competitive and challenging the wellness space can be, why did you decide to launch your own line of vitamins and supplements? Tia Mowry: I’ve been very open about my health condition, which is endometriosis. I started taking supplements, meditating, changed my diet and really started to practice self-care at a young age. I started because of this diagnosis, but I'm encouraging other people to start now. You don't have to be in your 50s or 60s. The other thing is, when I was on my journey in the wellness space, I did not see people who looked like me. I want to change that. How does Anser stand out from competitors? I could touch on three things: accessibility, inclusivity and authenticity. When I was on my journey, a lot of the supplements I was taking were priced very high. Everyone deserves to reach their potential when it comes to their wellness. It’s about pushing out the best of the best without sacrificing the quality of your products. We’re not a brand that is just throwing all these vitamins at you. We started slow with three supplements, and we just gradually grew from there. Anser’s brand purpose is to empower people to take control of their own health. What does that mean to you? What did the creative process behind launching Anser look like?Anser means "goose" in Latin, and I live by the quote "Don't kill the goose that lays the golden egg." How can a goose lay an egg if she does not take care of herself? Anser is all about self-care. We have a hashtag: #selfcareisntselfish, and we're trying to push that message forward that it is OK to take care of you. How can you be the best you if you don't fill up your own cup? You can’t act on an empty cup. As for the marketing strategies, I wanted to make sure we saw not only diverse faces, but also different sizes of our culture to show you don't have to look a certain way to be considered healthy. Also, since I was trying to reach a younger audience, I had to make it fun. You have to make the colors bold and the bottles Instagram-worthy. I wanted the bottles to look like something that you would want to just keep on your countertop. How do you balance your acting career and responsibilities at Anser? Women are badasses. As a mother, I really give myself credit for being a great multitasker. When something is really important to you, you find a way to make it happen. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anser Vitamins (@shopanser) As someone with an acting background who was joining a new industry, how were you able to build trust with consumers? I've always shared my personal struggles, and I’ve shared my triumphs. I've talked about postpartum depression, and I’ve been vulnerable about my diagnosis, which is not always fun. But I've learned that with relatability comes trust. I am so grateful that my audience embraced my story, and some people are even getting properly diagnosed with endometriosis. I just focus on being true to who I am. What you see is what you get. What makes marketing health products especially difficult? Marketing in general is a hard thing, right? It was a challenge to market supplements. When I was on my journey, everything was so boring. The marketing and the storytelling was depressing. When my team was in meetings, I was like, "Look. This bottle has to pop. If we’re talking about health and wellness, it has to be fun." When you look at the beauty industry, it’s fun and it’s exciting. You want to put on that lipstick because it makes you feel sexy. So how does taking these supplements make you feel? It was all about the experience. How do people feel when they get their bottle? Do they want to share this, and does it make them excited about taking their supplements? It was very important to have a vibrant energy around the marketing. When I shared this with people who have been in the supplements industry for [a while], they were kind of scratching their heads. But I'm so happy I had an incredible team behind me that trusted my vision. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anser Vitamins (@shopanser) In what ways are people of color neglected in the health care space? I was neglected when it came to my diagnosis with endometriosis. It took an African American doctor—who graduated from Harvard, by the way—to properly diagnose me. For a lot of African American women, their symptoms are ignored and they have to become advocates for themselves and their own health. Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related deaths. And even though Black and Caucasian women have the same rate of infection, Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer. The statics are there, and we have to change this. How would you like to be a part of that change? I will continue to raise awareness and talk about it. You see change by continuing to educate our community on the importance of habitual habits when it comes to health and wellness, whether that means taking supplements, making healthier choices or being more active. Anser products include Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies and Women's Multivitamins. You talk a lot about how your battle with endometriosis has impacted your decision to launch a brand. How did you make sure that your brand was both personal and inclusive? I am the customer of Anser, and I truly believe in my products. I start the day off with my superfood powder, which is a great pre-workout. I'm a huge believer of restful sleep, and I’m big on the vitamin D, the immunity boost and the elderberry. We have a blog that is all about education and awareness. We spotlight African Americans who are herbalists, who are chiropractors, who are facialists, so that we can continue to have women of color be a part of this conversation and grow as a community, because that's what it’s all about. What kind of impact do you hope to have on the lives of both consumers and fans?Anser is about creating a joyful and vibrant community. I want my community and fans to know that you are worth it, you are a priority and self-care is not selfish. How can you be the best wife, athlete or entrepreneur if you are trying to be productive from an empty cup? Just because we suffer from some sort underlying health condition, that doesn’t mean we have to say, "Oh well, these are the cards I've been dealt." I want to impact people by showing them that they are in control, and they are the answer.