New Chapter founders say new venture called byOM will “radically innovate” botanical skincare

Paul and Barbi Schulick. Photo credit: Jeff Woodward Photography

Paul and Barbi Schulick, the founders of the dietary supplement brand New Chapter acquired by Procter & Gamble in 2012, have announced a new venture called byOM life LLC (Dummerston, VT) after recently parting with the pharmaceutical giant. With this new endeavor, the Schulicks say they plan to “radically innovate” the botanical skincare space, while also planning on returning to the nutraceuticals market by the summer of 2020. ByOM Life will also take a new approach to doing business that focuses “on nourishing and helping the body, work-culture, and the entire world community,” according to the company’s press release.

“With byOM life, Barbi and I are again forging a one-pointed vision of healing for the benefit of people and the biome,” explains Paul Schulick to Nutritional Outlook. “Profit, though surely expected, will be less the focus than the prize shared with others. We have learned that a life of service to the whole brings not only personal satisfaction but ignites consumer loyalty. Unique to byOM will be a vow from the start to build a culture of ownership, love, and trust with far more listening and daily discipline that draws on meditative awareness for sustenance and clarity.”

The Schulicks appear to be drawing on their experience of launching New Chapter, the company’s acquisition by P&G, and the pair’s eventual departure from P&G to inform their new venture with a new perspective of what their ethical responsibilities are as business owners. Botanical skincare also provides a new avenue with which to explore health and wellness and bring something new to the table, they say.

“When my path suddenly changed course with P&G, I needed to find a new trail where I could still practice my craft,” says Paul. “Fortunately, attending to the body’s largest organ, the skin, was an immediate and obvious answer to the conundrum. The majority of topicals, when formulated, demonstrate little to no awareness of the importance of addressing this incredibly fascinating and important microbiome and the interdependence of the skin with every other organ system of the body.”

When describing byOM’s approach, the Schulicks use the terms “radically innovate” and “radically transparent” that make evident the ambition behind this new brand. “In formulation, ‘radically transparent’ has multiple meanings,” explains Paul. “I want to be uniquely revealing as to how the formulation is sourced, why it is designed and created the way it is, and what the intended impact will be on the whole-body system or biome, particularly suited to, but not limited to, our skin.”

To help realize this new vision, Kelli Rooney Hanzalik has been chosen as president of byOM. Hanzalik was a key sales executive behind the $100 million growth of New Chapter. “We have had the good fortune to work with Kelli for more than 20 years. She was instrumental in bringing New Chapter to its leadership position in the nutritional supplements arena and is able to wear the necessary ‘many hats’ required of a new venture as she holds a myriad of talents from finance to operations to sales,” says Paul. “She is a long tested, ideal partner for me and Barbi, balancing and building on our skills and a perfect strategic choice for leading a growing team for byOM life.”