Solving Hidden Health Crises Through Mission-Fueled Innovation With Alice Li

Alice Li is the Founder and CEO of First Day, a wellness company that offers science-backed gummy multivitamins designed to support the health of families, particularly children and women. Motivated by her family’s experiences during the Great Chinese Famine, Alice established First Day in 2019 to address nutritional gaps and prevent “nutritional trauma” in future generations. A Yale University graduate with a background in consulting, she collaborated with academics and health experts to develop effective, evidence-based supplements. Under her leadership, First Day has grown into a nine-figure brand, emphasizing transparency, trust, and accessibility in the wellness industry.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[3:50] Alice Li shares how her family history of famine inspired her mission to improve global health
[11:36] The moment Alice realized she wanted to leave consulting and create something with a lasting impact
[16:04] How Alice and her co-founder launched First Day with no prior experience and total conviction
[23:58] How to choose aligned business partners and avoid capital-first decisions
[27:14] First Day’s mission to help a billion people become healthier
[33:34] Why great execution matters more than strategy in building a successful business
[56:36] How to assess grit and resilience when hiring for early-stage roles
[1:01:56] Alice’s shift from founder to CEO and managing a seasoned executive team

In this episode…

What if the food we eat every day no longer nourishes us the way it used to? With modern agriculture altering nutrient content and convenience diets compounding the problem, millions unknowingly face a quiet nutritional crisis. So how can today’s entrepreneurs create scalable, science-backed solutions that address this urgent health challenge?

According to Alice Li, a mission-driven wellness entrepreneur and former strategy consultant, solving hidden health issues starts with education and empathy. She highlights how the decline in nutrient density — known as “vanishing nutrients” — leaves consumers vulnerable, even when they believe they’re eating healthy. The result is a growing health gap that can’t be ignored. To counter this, she believes founders must combine clinical-level efficacy with approachable brand storytelling to reach families where they are. Alice explains that great execution, not just bold ideas, is what truly drives transformational impact in this space.

In this episode, host John Grover sits down with Alice Li, Founder and CEO of First Day, to talk about solving the hidden health crises through mission-fueled innovation. She discusses the surprising root causes of nutritional deficiencies, how to build trust in a saturated wellness market, and why execution trumps strategy for startup success. Alice also shares her hiring philosophy and how she evaluates grit in early-stage teams.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments

“You’ve envisioned a version of the world and a future that doesn’t currently exist.”
“Execution is where the magic happens, and that’s actually what gets you to the goal.”
“I think human potential is infinite — I think almost everyone is capable of almost anything.”
“You can make tough calls with a lot of kindness and still be true to your values.”
“Not being afraid of competition, to me, just means the prize is actually really, really big.”

Action Steps

Prioritize execution over strategy: Focusing on consistent, high-quality execution drives real results and outperforms perfect planning alone.
Hire for grit, not just experience: Identifying candidates with resilience and drive ensures stronger team performance through challenges.
Lead with mission-driven urgency: Grounding your team in purpose while acting quickly creates momentum and sharpens focus on impact.
Build brand trust through clarity and empathy: Clear, approachable messaging around complex products helps consumers engage and remain loyal.
Coach team members toward excellence: Investing in developing high standards across your organization elevates performance and supports long-term scalability.

Sponsor for this episode…

EO San Francisco

This episode is brought to you by EO San Francisco.

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is a global, peer-to-peer network of more than 14,000+ influential business owners with 198 chapters in 61 countries.

If you are the founder, co-founder, owner, or controlling shareholder of a company generating over $1 million a year in revenues, and want to connect with other like-minded successful entrepreneurs, EO is for you.

The EO San Francisco chapter enables leading entrepreneurs in the Bay area to learn, grow, and achieve greater success.

The EOSF chapter was founded in 1991, and today we have over 100 members in industries ranging from marketing to agriculture to tech and professional services.

To learn how it works, or to come do a test drive come join us at www.eonetwork.org/sanfrancisco/.

This episode is also brought to you by my company, Pacific Crest Group.

Pacific Crest Group provides outsourced CFO, Controller, and bookkeeping services. You can learn more about us at https://www.pcg-services.com/

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