Meet Rochelle Stern | Founder & Bladder Health Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rochelle Stern and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rochelle, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
West Coast Mint was created to help people recover from and prevent Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) as well as heal from Interstitial Cystitis (IC). Health experts say that 1 in 2 women will experience a UTI in their lifetime, and once you get a UTI you are more likely to get repeat infections. Men can also be affected by this common health issue.

I created this company along my own healing journey to share as much information as possible, in the hopes that it will help others. I thought this would be a great foundation for a site focused on bladder health – single source to provide vital information and support with compassion and understanding.

In addition to a clean diet I found supplements to be an important part of the recovery process. This led me to launching the company with our own brand of D-Mannose and partnering with some of the top supplement companies for bladder wellness, inflammation, immune support and more.

The company philosophy is based on Quality, Efficacy and Honesty.
I saw a need to create a company that offers high quality supplements and products along with an information platform so that people can spend more of their time healing instead of doing endless research.

Our own brand of D-Mannose works great to help with UTI Prevention and can be taken around events that might trigger a UTI such as intimacy, exercise, travel etc.

D-Mannose is a naturally occurring sugar prevalent in many plants, such as cranberries, apples, and blueberries.
D-Mannose provides a preferred surface for the E. Coli bacteria to attach to, preventing them from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract and bladder. The E. Coli bacteria are then removed from the body during urination.

D-Mannose is a simple solution for many women and men who are affected with these bladder issues and our goal is to raise awareness about the value of this supplement.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As a supplement company, we differentiate with end-to-end quality – from sourcing through to packaging. Our core belief is that consumers have the right to know exactly what they are consuming and the product’s point of origin. Our goal is to be transparent in an otherwise unregulated industry. You may not be aware, but the FDA does not require supplement companies to disclose where the product is sourced. They are only required disclose where the supplement was packaged/made. We find this to be so misleading and believe consumers deserve better.

We started with sourcing our Non-GMO D-Mannose from the EU and just recently shifted to the US facility once it became available. We package our products in a Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) facility in California.

Our D-Mannose is available in both Powder and Tablet forms.

Customers can purchase the D-Mannose directly from our website.
We also have a wholesale option where healthcare professionals and stores distribute the products directly to their patients and customers.

We are very proud of the video we put together to explain how our D-Mannose works in an informative and lighthearted way. We are continuously featured in Vyond (the software used to make the video) as their highlighted video.

In addition to our D-Mannose, we are proud to offer over 100 premium supplements and products for bladder wellness, inflammation & immune support. We have the same high standards for companies we partner with as we do for our own D-Mannose.

I had a lot of support from my wonderful family, friends, physicians, and practitioners, but starting a business from scratch is never smooth. It takes time to establish trust as a new company and to educate people about the value of our products and the quality difference among various brands. I learned to be patient and persistent.

I feel fortunate to work with an amazing supplier and manufacturer.
You never know how the market would respond and I am very grateful for the amazing support of my customers. I have met some incredible people through social media and this wonderful wellness community.

You are never ready to understand how your life will change when running your own business until you make the leap! Your business becomes so much a part of your life that the ups and downs impact you directly.

I believe we should approach everything we do in life with thoughtfulness, which drives my day-to-day decision making.
“Be Healthy. Be Thoughtful.” is our motto.

Watching the sunset on the beach can be very healing and inspiring.
I came up with the company name after seeing the elusive Green Flash.

The inspiration for the company name and logo is based on:
• West Coast – Healthy lifestyle inspired by the beaches and scenery of Southern California.
• Mint – Synonymous with health, perfection, manufacturer of currency, serene color, refreshing herb.
• Sun Icon – we want to uplift our customers and warriors with sunny, cheerful and hopeful image.
• Coin Logo – representing the value of your health as the most important investment you can make.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of my favorite places in Southern California are:

Rutabegorz Restaurant – Orange County
Meals are super-healthy and delicious. Excellent customer service and the historic house converted into this restaurant is very charming.

True Food Kitchen: their menu makes it easy to eat healthy.

Santa Monica Pier: iconic and always a fun time.

Santa Monica Shopping promenade: beautiful shops and entertainment.

Huntington Beach Pier: beautiful sunsets and lots of attractions.

Disney Land or even just to walk around Downtown Disney: lots of fun shops and restaurants.

Aquarium of the Pacific: family friendly and the largest aquatic museum in southern California.

Venice Beach: artistic and very entertaining.

Laguna Beach: love to explore the area and local shops.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am forever grateful and thankful for my amazing family — in California and Toronto — for all of their support along my healing journey and encouragement to start this company.

I was fortunate enough during my healing to have met some of the best healthcare practitioners — both in western and alternative disciplines. They were also very supportive of my idea to create this company.

The following two practitioners are based in Southern California and specialize in complex health issues.

Dr. Marc Sklar
Reproductive Wellness
www.reproductivewellness.com | Phone: 858-381-2281
Dr. Sklar helped me early on in my healing journey to customize an effective treatment plan. I owe much of my healing and knowledge to him and his practice!

Dr. German Zermeno
American Institute of Natural Medicine
www.drzermeno.com | Phone: 657-233-9016
Dr. Zermeno is very caring and has highly effective treatment options for chronic health conditions.

I am very grateful for all of the wonderful friends and professionals I have met along the way who are also working hard to help others with similar health issues.

Website: www.westcoastmint.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westcoastmint/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/18479754/admin/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/west_coast_mint

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westcoastmint

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhGIsg7eq_A&list=PLLT8MwbdMj66F1kfv-sjG0bdy7M3HX_lk