AUGUST 2021 VIP SUPERMOM Samia Gore

MOTHER • WIFE • AUTHOR • NUTRITIONIST • ENTREPRENEUR

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTWON MAXWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

Before launching the first Black female-owned nutritional supplement company in the market, Samia Gore was already making headlines thanks to sharing her personal wellness journey with a large base of Instagram followers highlighting the challenges of losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle. The busy author, wife and mother of four sought safe, effective and organic supplements she could use on her own health journey as she battled to lose 80 pounds after giving birth to her last child.

“I really became interested in health and wellness in my mid-30s when I realized my metabolism and energy levels were not what they used to be when I was young,” says Gore. “I wanted to be the best version of myself, both physically and mentally, for my kids and for myself. I wanted to make sure their mom would be here for a long time, which is why I started looking into natural alternatives.” When she could not find what she was looking for on the market, Gore left her daytime job as a public servant to focus full-time on creating a natural solution for others, especially for women of color like herself. By 2017, Gore had created a natural solution with the help of renowned doctors, a Black female nutritionist, and a team of chemists.

In just a few years, her company, Body Complete Rx (BCRX), became a successful wellness brand of plantbased, vegan supplements formulated with a complete wellness journey in mind. Gore’s self-funded wellness and lifestyle brand has grossed over $10 million in sales in just under four years and been credited for changing the lives of thousands of consumers worldwide. BCRX’s natural, vegan supplements, which enjoy a celebrity following, provide a range of benefits based on customers’ specific needs, including weight management, and improving

"I wanted to be the best version of myself, both physically and mentally, for my kids and for myself. I wanted to make sure their mom would be here for a long time..."

energy, skin health, and nutrition. Products include vegan protein powders, supplements, a Vitamin C serum, collagen-boosting powder, women and men’s multivitamins, and superfood bars.

Over the last few years, Gore has pivoted to a new lifestyle as an entrepreneur shifting away from a traditional 9-5 schedule. Through this journey, she has realized the importance of a work-life balance and the delicate balance of motherhood and entrepreneurship. “A typical day for me starts with focusing the first couple of hours on self-care,” explains Gore.

“When I wake up, I don’t check my email. Instead, I make it a priority to work out every single morning with a trainer. Once I’m done with my workout and ready to begin my workday, I create a list of daily goals and tasks I want to accomplish for the day, check my email, and check-in with my team to see what meetings are set for the day.

Every day as an entrepreneur is completely different, so some days I’m taking back-toback meetings, while other days I’m developing products with our chemist. At the end of the workday, I make sure to put all work-related things away and spend quality, uninterrupted time with my children and family.”

Every day as an entrepreneur is completely different, so some days I’m taking back-to-back meetings, while other days I’m developing products with our chemist. At the end of the workday, I make sure to put all work-related things away and spend quality, uninterrupted time with my children and family.” better mom, who is more productive and present in all aspects of life.

This month, Gore is launching her exclusive plant-based weight management supplements at The Vitamin Shoppe, making Body Complete Rx the first Black female-owned brand to launch in the retailer’s weight management category. Gore is also the only Black leader to sit on Vitamin Shoppe’s Wellness Council, an honor she hopes

will inspire her children to pursue their own dreams. “The process of getting our TRIM line of weight management supplements on the shelves at the Vitamin Shoppe has been extremely rewarding, but as a mom, the most gratifying part is sharing these milestones with my children, who have been my biggest supporters since day one,” explains Gore. “I work tirelessly for my business to thrive and succeed because I want to leave a legacy behind for my family.”

Gore takes pride in all Body Complete Rx has accomplished in just a few, short years and hopes to be an example for her kids that anything is possible as she continues to break boundaries in the male-dominated, nutritional supplement industry and as a Black female entrepreneur. She also enjoys that her kids, now between the ages of 7 to 19, want to be more involved in her business, especially in sampling products and giving their honest feedback.

Looking ahead, one thing is clear for Gore both as a mom and entrepreneur: life has many highs and lows, some days are good and others are challenging, but for every low she hits, Gore tells herself that she will soon reach a high, so she always keeps at it, no matter what life throws her way.

“Owning a business and being a mom is all about the journey and you have to stay on for the ride,” she says.