Blog: Flip the Script: How Better Stories Can Revolutionize the Wellness Industry

The wellness industry loves to sell one story: You’re not enough. Your body isn’t enough. Your habits aren’t enough. Your life isn’t enough,

It’s all packaged up in sleek campaigns and guilt-laced taglines that thrive on shame and self-doubt. The promise? Hustle hard enough, buy this thing, do more—and then you’ll be worthy. Let’s call it out for what it is: wack.

Here’s how I’d flip the industry if it was up to me:

Wellness isn’t about fixing what’s wrong. It’s about flourishing. It’s about showing up for yourself—not because you’re lacking, but because you’re already worthy. Let’s break it all the way down:

What if wellness brands didn’t make wellness didn’t feel like work? Let’s tell stories of ease, abundance, and flourishing. At The Ash Nicole Agency, we help founders stretch their passion and expertise into stories that call in their most aligned clients.

The Story They Tell:

Your transformation starts with what’s missing.

It’s the classic lack-based marketing: “You’re not happy because you’re not thin/strong/centered enough.” Cue the before-and-after photos, hyper-restrictive programs, and “no excuses” mantras that thrive on guilt.

How I’d Flip It:
New Angle: Your transformation starts with what you already have.
Instead of doubling down on insecurities, let’s tell a story of abundance. Imagine this: the campaign tagline reads, ‘You are the foundation of your own wellness.’

Example: For a fitness brand, I’d scrap the predictable before-and-after photos and tell durability stories instead. Like the mom who started with 15-minute walks to clear her head and now sprints after her kids at the park. The message? It’s not about perfection—it’s about freedom, vitality, and feeling alive in your own skin.

Feel better. Live better. Let’s shift wellness from how it looks to how it feels. Let’s tell stories of wholeness and growth. At The Ash Nicole Agency, we help founders stretch their passion and expertise into stories that call in their most aligned clients.

The Story They Tell:

Look better, feel better.

This is the industry’s bread and butter. They market wellness as an aesthetic achievement—your body is the before-and-after, your skin is the proof of purchase. It’s narrow, exclusive, and it alienates anyone who doesn’t fit the glossy “ideal.”

How I’d Flip It:
New Angle: Feel better, live better.
This story shifts the focus to how wellness feels, not how it looks. Let’s celebrate diverse bodies, lived experiences, and the joy of movement, nourishment, and rest.

Example: For a skincare brand, I’d reframe the narrative entirely. No more wrinkle creams as “correction tools.” Instead, skincare becomes a daily act of self-respect. Picture this: someone applying moisturizer in the soft light of their morning routine—not to shame fine lines, but to honor the person they see in the mirror.

You are the foundation of your own wellness. Start from strength, not lack. Let’s tell stories of wholeness and growth. At The Ash Nicole Agency, we help founders stretch their passion and expertise into stories that call in their most aligned clients.

The Story They Tell:

Do more, buy more, hustle harder.

Here’s the narrative wellness companies love: complexity. It’s in the fancy gadgets, the endless supplements, the convoluted routines that feel like a second job. They want you to believe wellness is work.

How I’d Flip It:
New Angle: Simpler habits, bigger impact.
Wellness shouldn’t feel like a chore. Let’s tell a story that’s all about ease—the little things that create a big ripple effect. The campaign might ask: ‘What if wellness didn’t feel like work?’

Example: For a mindfulness app, I’d highlight micro-moments of peace. The busy professional taking one intentional breath before walking into a high-stakes meeting. The parent practicing gratitude in the carpool lane. Instead of glorifying hour-long meditation marathons, let’s focus on the power of small, meaningful changes that fit into real lives.

Why It Matters
Stories aren’t just marketing—they shape how people see themselves. In an industry as personal as wellness, you’ve got a choice: tell stories that perpetuate shame, or ones that spark confidence and trust.

When you flip the script, you don’t just sell products—you sell possibility. You create brands that people want to rally behind. You build movements that matter.

So, what’s the story you’re ready to rewrite?

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