Women In Business Q&A: Daina Trout, CEO, Health-Ade

Daina Trout Daina Trout is the CEO of Health-Ade Kombucha, which she co-founded in 2012 alongside her husband, Justin Trout, and best friend, Vanessa Dew. Daina received her BS from Georgetown University and a Master’s in Nutrition and Public Health from Tufts University, where she honed in on her philosophy that health has everything to do with one’s happiness, not just the science. Health-Ade Kombucha came from the shared desire to do something entrepreneurial while bringing REAL food back to the commercial shelf. There lay the opportunity to turn Daina’s recipe for the best tasting and high-quality Kombucha into something one could buy. Health-Ade got its start brewed in a tiny apartment closet and sold at the local LA Farmers’ Market, and has quickly grown to be a nationally recognized brand that passionately supports the real food movement. Daina’s enthusiasm and drive to make a difference speaks to the importance of the company’s tagline, “Follow Your Gut.” When not giving her heart and soul to Health-Ade, Daina can be found spending time with her other baby, Hendriks, while sipping on some Pomegranate Kombucha. How has your life experience made you the leader you are today? Wow. This is a big one, because when I sit and think about it—every experience I have had, big and small, has made me the leader I am today. But I know you need an answer here that’s reasonable, so I’ll break it down high level the best way I can. CHILDHOOD = THERE IS A LEADER WITHIN. I began to experience leadership in its most raw and granular form as a child. I was very active in team sports and group activities, and in these efforts I learned three things very quickly: 1) Every group needs a leader 2) most people want to follow and 3) I generally don’t like to follow. My tendency was to step in headfirst, raise my hand first, and find some way to stand out first. I remember wondering—even at age 8—why so many people looked around at what everyone else was doing before they made a move. I always seemed to be the one looking back and saying—“c’mon in guys, the water’s warm!” I remember this being one of the first things I liked about myself—something I identified with (THAT, and Paula Abdul, but that’s a whole other story). To this day, standing out has always been my thing—it’s where I’m comfortable. EARLY ADOLESCENCE = TEST THE LEADER. By age 15, I knew I was a “natural leader” but I didn’t know what to do with it. So, I tested it. I made sure to date the prep school bad ass, sneak out to hang out with the older kids the night before a big exam, or “borrow” my dad’s BMW and drive it down the wrong side of the street for fun JUST to say I broke the rules and STILL got straight A’s. Looking back now, though there is a lot I did that I wouldn’t […]

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