Wellness That Sticks: Cedar Carter on Leading The Good Patch
Cedar Carter is a transformational leader who blends brand-building expertise with a genuine passion for wellness, team empowerment, and social responsibility—driving The Good Patch to the forefront of the wellness wearable market. She is an accomplished executive with over 20 years of leadership experience in fashion, sports, and wellness industries. Her passion for holistic health led her to The Good Patch in 2019, where she joined as President & COO before being promoted to CEO within a year. Under her leadership, the company has grown significantly: its plant-powered wellness wearable patches are now distributed in over 12,000 U.S. retail outlets, including Target, Ulta Beauty, and CVS, alongside a thriving direct‑to‑consumer business. A surfer, runner, and ocean lover based in Hermosa Beach, Cedar balances life and work through daily exercise, including surfing, yoga, and running.
Transcript:
Lauren Stenger: Cedar, thank you so much for spending some time with me today. I really appreciate your time and I'm super excited to chat with you all about your business journey. Before we get started, do you mind telling those who may not know what The Good Patch is?
Cedar Carter: The Good Patch has been around since 2018, and we are a wearable wellness patch brand, and we were the first to market in this space. The wellness patches are basically a little 2 x 2 sticker that you wear any venous area. So anywhere that you see veins, we recommend the inside of the wrist. It's going to deliver really premium ingredients right onto and into your skin, and you're going to get this nice, steady, sustained benefit over the course of the time that you're wearing the patch. Some of our bestsellers are B12 Awake for a nice little energy boost, Dream to help people sleep, a Relaxed patch to help you relax and then Rescue for the pregame.
Lauren Stenger: Do you mind explaining to us a little bit more about how the patches work?
How do The Good Patch patches work?
Cedar Carter: The patches are a dermal delivery system, and we take really premium ingredients, ones that you already probably know and love. They're clean and carefully chosen, and we put them into the patch, usually in the form of an ingredient layer, and those just stick onto your skin, kind of like a sticker. The ingredients are slowly and steadily released onto your skin and then absorbed into your skin, and each of our ingredients and patches are purely tested. We do dermatologist testing and we also do, all sorts of other third party testing to make sure that everything is really pure and clean.
Lauren Stenger: So what drew you to enter the wellness industry after many years working in the athletic lifestyle apparel space?
What drew you to enter the wellness industry?
Cedar Carter: For me it's always been really important to do something that I'm passionate about. I've always loved the blend of a healthy lifestyle, and I love the apparel industry. For me, that started in the fashion industry, which I was really interested in personally. I've always been an athlete, so transitioned and kind of blended those two and worked in the surf industry for a long time at the Quicksilver and Roxy Brands and O'Neill. I started surfing when I moved to California, so that was really fun to be able to mix those two passions of mine. I've always cared a lot about living a healthy lifestyle, so The Good Patch was a really nice new adventure for me to be able to truly help people lives better, happier life. Everybody's happier when they feel good, right? So, it felt really nice to be able to be a part of that.
Lauren Stenger: Yeah, that's really cool. As the CEO of The Good Patch, you're in a very big leadership position, and I'm sure you're constantly juggling many things at once So, do you mind walking through like a day in the life for you? I don't even know if you have like an average day in the life, maybe every day is different. Maybe you could walk through like a recent day.
Can you walk through a day in the life for you?
Cedar Carter: Yeah, I would say that no two days are the same, especially in corporate jobs as you go along, they're going to be very different day to day, depending on what's going on. But for me, I have two kids who are 10 and 12 years old. I try to get up early in the morning every day and do some sort of exercise, get my blood moving. Sometimes that could just be a quick walk or run on the beach, or it could be a surf or a pilates class. Just anything active, ideally outdoors. I’m lucky to live in California where the weather is usually sunny and nice. Then I get the kids off to school.
I do actually work remotely now. Our whole company is remote at the moment. So I plug in pretty early and try and get some work done. I have a lot of team members on the East Coast as well, so I spend a lot of time on Zoom actually. I have weekly meetings with all of my direct reports to check in on the progress of the business. Yesterday I had a meeting early in the morning with a new potential retailer that was based out of the UK. We have not done any business in the UK, but we're starting to think about international a bit, so I'll sit on some retailer calls. We do a lot of business with Target, for example, and so I'll sit in and usually be the person to share the company story and our mission and values and things like that. And then someone from our sales team will usually, do the main bulk of the meeting and the selling.
I spend my time talking to a lot of investors, potential acquirers, partners, things like that. I think part of my role as the CEO is to think through the long-term vision of the brand, and to keep all those relationships good with the people that have invested in The Good Patch’s journey. We are a venture backed company, so I have a lot of interaction with current investors, prospective investors, things like that. But no two days are the same. And then my kids will come home, do their homework as I'm working, and then I'm usually driving them around to all their sports in the evening.
Lauren Stenger: That sounds awesome. Talking a little bit more about your relationships with collaborating with people, at a high level, how do you and The Good Patch team, how do you guys decide who you want to work with, whether that's for VC fundraising, retailers like Target, things like that. What are some qualities or assets you're looking for?
How do you and The Good Patch team decide who to partner with?
Cedar Carter: In partners, we're really looking for those who share the same values and are trying to reach the same consumers. For us it's a healthy kind of health and wellness beauty consumer that cares about how they feel on a day-to-day basis. When I was raising our Series A fundraise, I was really looking for venture funds that had other health and wellness or beauty brands in their portfolio and could give me examples of ways that they'd helped those brands grow and could truly be additive to the journey versus just giving money and oversight. We always look for partners who are an authentic brand fit and are going to add to what we're doing. Target, for example, has been a great partner and they have a lot of programs to help emerging brands. They'll highlight emerging new brands on end caps and email features and things like that. We always appreciate when retailers understand that we may not have budgets like a big Unilever or P&G at this point in time. So they're truly looking to partner with us and help grow the brands together, which will make them successful and us successful. Our retail partners serve as a point of discovery for our consumers because you're obviously buying other things in Target, so it's a really great place to discover new brands.
Lauren Stenger: That's fun you get to work with VC firms where maybe some of them have a wellness niche. I love everything health and wellness and I'm interested in finance, so that's so cool that you get to work in both of those worlds.
Cedar Carter: Yeah, and it's really fun because some of the venture funds that have supported us over the years, they have really great brands that are sitting next to us on shelves that Target or Ulta Beauty. So I'm able to connect directly with their founders, CEOs, or marketing people. We'll do brand collaborations sometimes or social media collaborations.
I think it’s the same for you, right? Talking to students and other people in the same place in life. It's really valuable for me to be able to talk to other founders and CEOs that are experiencing the same thing. I'm able to call up my other CEO friends and say, “Hey, how did it go for you? Were you guys up compared to last year or down?” Benchmark and go through it together. That's really nice to have that network and support system.
Lauren Stenger: So, given your experience in the CPG landscape, what are the biggest changes you've seen over the past few years? I feel like there's so many new trends and focuses, so I'm just curious from your experience, what are some of those changes you've noticed?
What are the biggest changes you've seen in the CPG landscape over the past few years?
Cedar Carter: I would say on the business side, it's just becoming more and more crowded every day. It's easy to launch a brand because you have all these resources like social media and influencers and ways to get your brand out there. I also think it's becoming a bit harder because there are just hundreds of brands launching daily, so it's so crowded and you've probably noticed that as a consumer of social media. Everywhere you look, there are new, fun, amazing brands. It's become more and more challenging as a brand to get your message out there and to be differentiated and really break through all the noise and clutter.
I think shoppers too, right now, there's a lot of uncertainty in the market surrounding world events and tariffs. So shoppers, we've noticed a little bit of a slowdown in consumer spending or a bit more caution on what people are spending on. Groceries and basic things are getting more expensive, so there's been a lot of change recently, but I think the biggest thing is the amount of cool new brands entering the space that makes it kind of difficult. I think difficult as a consumer too to know what's real, what's actually good, there's just so many choices.
Lauren Stenger: Totally. I feel like this huge rise in e-commerce and digital media is kind of a double-edged sword. It's great for brands because you get really great exposure, and you get like new market share, things like that. But like at the same time, everyone else also has that. So it probably feels incredibly competitive. I'm sure that's difficult to manage.
Cedar Carter: It is, and it's gotten very expensive. Five years ago, you could advertise your brand via what's now Meta and send it out via Facebook and Instagram, and you could get a really good return on that spend because you could really easily track consumers and what they were into. Now with the privacy updates, you're a little blind, so you're spending money and definitely getting less return on that money, which I do think makes it harder for new brands because they're not able to target as efficiently as they were a few years ago. It's gotten very expensive to reach consumers.
Lauren Stenger: Yeah, that's tricky. How do you feel like in this very saturated space, especially the wellness space, how do you feel like your brand is able to like to differentiate themselves and have a competitive advantage?
How do you feel like your brand is able to like to differentiate themselves and have a competitive advantage?
Cedar Carter: We are first to market in the wearable wellness patch space. So, you know, we took this dermal patch delivery system that was utilized in other more serious medical areas and just applied it to the everyday need states that we saw consumers wanting like sleep, energy, relaxation, things that we all ideally have a solution for on the daily. We are a very unique product that did not exist before we launched. That is a benefit to us because there's nothing else like it on any of the retailer's shelves. There are a lot of competitors that have popped up behind us, which is part of the deal these days. If you invent something unique people can get things to market pretty quickly and put them on Amazon and things like that. But I would say none of those brands have been able to actually build a brand, break through, and enter retail like we have. So the benefit for us is that we are actually building a brand and doing it in a very thoughtful way, and we're very buttoned up as far as. we manufacture in the USA. We utilize some global ingredients, but we're really buttoned up as far as making sure we use very quality ingredients. We test everything. They're all derm tested, and we do things very thoughtfully, even down to who we distribute our products through with trusted retailers like Target and Anthropology and Ulta Beauty.
Lauren Stenger: That's cool that you guys are manufacturing in the US; I'm sure that's of increasing relevance.
Cedar Carter: It's been helpful now because we're not as affected by tariffs and things other than things like our cardboard boxes are more expensive now.
Lauren Stenger: How do you decompress or take a step back when you feel like things are too much? What are some habits for you that can help you to stay grounded throughout unprecedented or busy times?
What are some habits for you that can help you to stay grounded throughout unprecedented or busy times?
Cedar Carter: I think it is actually in college when certain things kind of really click or resonate for you. I took a psychology class, and I remember the professor saying that when you're stressed you have to identify, “Is this something I can control, or is this something that's out of my control?” And you'll have both factors, right? For example, tariffs are out of my control. I can't do anything about that situation. But what's in my control is to plan and take action around it. If I know that cardboard is going to become more expensive, we can place a buy for all of our shipping materials before the tariffs hit. So you need to isolate what you can control and then just take action. That's been just a really useful way of thinking when I get overwhelmed and stressed, I think, “Okay, what can I immediately control and take action towards that's going to reduce my stress level.”
On a more basic front, exercise is extremely helpful for me. Everybody's has to find their way to decompress and de-stress. For me, moving my body or being outdoors is a way for me to clear my mind. I am one of those weird people that doesn't usually exercise with music because I like to let my mind wander and clear. I think having a little break from all this media that we consume, being on our phones all the time or being on Zoom all the time, it's really freeing to just leave my device at home and go do a little bit of exercise, whether that's 20 minutes or an hour. And then I am pretty good about getting away for little mini trips, I would say. That's been important for me. I have a great family, so we try and take some little trips here and there, but I also think it's really valuable to take trips with friends. For example, I'm off to Mexico on Friday for a little surf trip with the girls. I just try to make time for myself when I can, and some weeks that's zero time for myself and then other weeks I'm taking a little surf trip to Mexico. So I fit it in what I can.
Lauren Stenger: Yeah, that's so important. There's a lot of creativity that comes from boredom and so for someone like you who's has such like a high leadership role and you're probably always thinking about future projects and things, I'm sure it's helpful just to have some time to just think your own thoughts.
Cedar Carter: Some of my best ideas or problem solving happens during that time because I'm not setting out to think about it, but it's what's on my mind and my mind can meditatively work through what's happening. Whether that's something personally, planning a vacation that you haven't had time to plan, or working through a problem at work or anything, some of my best thinking happens in those moments that are sort of unplanned, and not consuming things.
Lauren Stenger: Speaking of thinking about projects and things like that, what is an upcoming project that you and your team are particularly excited about?
What is an upcoming project that you and your team are particularly excited about?
Cedar Carter: We just launched skincare patches and launched them into Target. That has been a really fun project for us because we've only made wearable wellness patches up until this point, and now we're doing these patches that are meant to be results in one use. So we have under eye hydrogels for depuffing, we have some hydrogels for brightening up that you can put them on for 20 minutes and peel them off and really see the results. That's always been important to us to have a product that you can actually feel or see immediate results with. That's kind of the ethos of our products to date. We also have an unwrinkled micro dark patch for the fine lines, you're not there yet, but will be someday. It's been really fun to see how well those are doing and then think about how we bring those to market in a wider way now that we know that they're resonating with our current consumers.
Lauren Stenger: Oh, that's cool. I'll have to look out for the eye patches.
Cedar Carter: Yeah, they're great.
Lauren Stenger: That's so fun that you guys are constantly coming out with new products and new innovations.
Cedar Carter: I would say that's a constant project for us, thinking through what is the next innovative way that we can help people solve for something that's going to be a quick, convenient fix for them. That's really what we want to do is help people feel good in every moment. That's what our brand is all about.
Lauren Stenger: What's been a patch that you found yourself recently reaching for the most?
What's been a patch that you found yourself recently reaching for the most?
Cedar Carter: This is going to probably reflect poorly on me, but our Rescue patch. As I age, it just becomes harder to kind of have big nights out. So, I slap that Rescue patch on anytime I'm going out with friends, and it's been a lifesaver. My friends are always like, “You're bringing rescue patches, right?” So, that's been the one. I'm a pretty calm, relaxed person in general, but I do love our Be Calm patch. As I said, I'm pretty calm in general, and I use exercise as a de-stressor, but when I need a little something extra, I love that patch. It's really wonderful.
Lauren Stenger: I feel like we've kind of already touched on this a little bit, but what are a few of your favorite things about running a wellness startup?
What are a few of your favorite things about running a wellness startup?
Cedar Carter: I love running a wellness startup because you're actually impacting people's lives, and I think that was sort of what was missing for me when I worked in apparel. I think apparel makes people happy, but at the end of the day, you're not really contributing a lot to society. So it's been more fulfilling for me to work in this space where, you know, people will write into us or leave a review of where they feel like our product has really changed their life. And that is such a fulfilling, gratifying thing to hear that you don't get in every job.
For you being a student, it's really interesting to think through what is going to be fulfilling to you. When I was your age thinking about careers, I was thinking about what would be fun? Then obviously you're thinking about what's going to make money, but for me it wasn't all about making money. Eventually the money will come if you're good at your job and you keep going along the path. But I do think it's important to do something that actually brings fulfillment to your life that you feel good about.
Lauren Stenger: It's really amazing that you've been able to help people directly.
Cedar Carter: Yeah. And even little things, even if it's someone that feels not very confident, because their eyes are puffy, and they can wear one of our hydrogels to have less puffy eyes. Confidence goes a long way.
Lauren Stenger: Speaking a little bit more about your time in retail, I saw that you're involved with Hyde, so I would love just to hear a little bit about that. What drew you to their mission?
What drew you to Hyde’s mission?
Cedar Carter: Hyde has a wonderful mission, and they're basically trying to help retailers reduce inventory. The retail apparel space, there is just so much excess inventory out there, and its actually kind of really horrible when you think about it. A lot of it just ends up going to waste or ending up in landfills. It's not great for the environment. So what drew me to Hyde is that at the core of their mission, they're helping retailers deal with their excess inventory and put it to work so that people are able to essentially rent clothes or be provided with clothes for job interviews and things. I think that's its a really important mission, and I was excited to be involved.
I started my career in marketing and then now have transitioned more into an executive or general management role as a CEO, and I do some advisory work with emerging brands. So I was drawn to Hyde's mission, and then I've also started advising a company called Mamala Organics that's about to launch in a few months, and they have a really cool mission. They are making nutritional support snacks for postpartum mothers. Everybody's very focused on what to feed the baby as they should, but the moms need really nutrient rich foods in order to survive, honestly. Whether you're breastfeeding or just healing from a c-section or just dealing with your sleepless nights. I really love what that company is doing too, and I feel very honored to be a part of that mission.
Lauren Stenger: I feel like it would be fun to be an advisor or to help support some other companies that are aligned with your passion.
Cedar Carter: I really enjoy that work. They're new to maybe being a CEO or a founder and so they're just needing advice on how to best set up their business for success, how to enter retail, how to negotiate their contracts, or being introduced to the right venture funds. It’s nice to be able to help people, it's why I am having this conversation with you when you reached out. I think it's been a lot of people that have helped me along my career journey, so I like to be able to pay that forward.
Lauren Stenger: Do you have any advice for someone maybe in my shoes who is trying to figure out what they want to do post-grad? I feel like you've been able to have a very fulfilling career, so I'm just wondering if you have any advice.
Do you have any advice for someone maybe in my shoes who is trying to figure out what they want to do post-grad?
Cedar Carter: Yes. I would say to think about the things that truly bring you happiness and whether that is helping other people or that's trying out new makeup all the time and new looks, or it could be playing the stock market or whatever it is, whatever is really fulfilling to you and brings you happiness. I would think about a way to be involved in that in your career. And that could look in many different ways. It could be being an accountant in a certain industry that you really love. It could be developing the software for an industry you love. It could be, starting a new company for something that you feel like you've always wanted to exist, but you haven't been able to find it. So you can start it yourself, you know?So I think finding, like, kind of really making that list of when you think about what fulfills you inside or brings you happiness.
So that's like the inner circle and then figuring out how to be involved in that in some way, shape, or form. I do think internships are a great way to actually know if you like something or not. So those are good. And then my other words of advice would just be to be patient. I think, it's really easy to just take the biggest, best salary out of school. But I would really think about is this the best role? And if you're deciding between two jobs and one is maybe the industry or the exact job you want, but the other one pays more money, but you're like not that excited about, whatever it is, let's say you're choosing between a makeup brand and a food brand, and you're like, I'm a foodie. I love food. I get so much enjoyment from food, but this makeup brand is offering me more money. I would absolutely take the food one if that's speaks to you and, and brings you more happiness, because I think ultimately you'll end up working harder and being more excited about it, and the money will come.
And negotiate. There's so much more information now for you than there was for me as far as what salary range you should be in and what the job comps are. Most jobs are actually posting salaries and things now pretty transparently, which is amazing. It wasn't like that at all when I was starting my career. So, be educated and ask for what you want and definitely take the job that is more fulfilling versus the money.
Lauren Stenger: Well, thank you so much for sitting down and having a conversation with me.
