Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Trung Tran. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Trung, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

At Salus Health, we diverge from the standard healthcare approach by broadening the scope of cardiac care beyond conventional diagnostics and treatments. Typically, heart patients undergo standard tests—stress tests, echocardiograms, Holter monitors—and when these come back “normal,” they’re often told they’re fine and just prescribed medications, despite ongoing symptoms like chest pain, heart palpitations, fatigue, and anxiety.

We recognized early on that many of our clients felt dismissed or confused because their symptoms persisted even after doctors reassured them based solely on standard testing. This traditional approach overlooks crucial elements such as hormonal imbalances, inflammation, nutritional deficiencies, metabolic issues, and emotional stressors—all deeply interconnected with heart health but often overlooked by typical medical assessments.

At Salus, we offer a much broader perspective. Beyond standard diagnostics, we look holistically at comprehensive biomarkers—including stress hormones like cortisol, markers of inflammation, vitamin deficiencies, and other cardiometabolic factors. We then connect these findings to a person’s lifestyle, emotional well-being, and environmental influences. This depth and breadth of care empowers patients who previously felt stuck or frustrated by unexplained symptoms.

For example, we had a client named Heather who experienced persistent heart palpitations, anxiety, and fatigue despite multiple standard tests showing nothing significantly wrong. Once she joined Salus, we uncovered underlying hormonal shifts linked to perimenopause, nutritional deficiencies, and chronic stress contributing to her symptoms. By addressing these overlooked factors holistically, Heather was able to significantly reduce her symptoms, regain her peace of mind, and experience a meaningful improvement in her quality of life.

Another impactful example is our client Brandon, who had lived with type 2 diabetes and high triglycerides for over two decades, frequently experiencing severe anxiety and physical symptoms including heart palpitations, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Despite standard cardiology tests repeatedly coming back as inconclusive or normal, Brandon knew something was off. At Salus, we dove deeper, evaluating biomarkers like ApoB, cortisol levels, and inflammation markers. We discovered significant metabolic and hormonal imbalances driving his anxiety and cardiovascular symptoms. Through targeted lifestyle interventions, nutrition adjustments, and personalized support, Brandon experienced remarkable improvements—not only in his physical symptoms but also in his emotional resilience, dramatically reducing his anxiety and reclaiming joy and confidence in his daily life.

This expanded approach matters profoundly because it validates patient experiences, resolves the frustration of feeling misunderstood, and provides actionable paths toward lasting wellness rather than simply settling for “normal” test results.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Trung Tran, and I’m the co-founder of Salus Health, a wellness startup dedicated to transforming the lives of people struggling with heart health challenges, anxiety, and chronic stress. Salus Health was born out of a deep desire to shift how we approach heart care—not just medically, but holistically, with empathy, human connection, and comprehensive lifestyle support.

My journey into this field began somewhat unexpectedly. Growing up in an entrepreneurial family in Vietnam, building something meaningful was always in my DNA. During college, I studied international business across three continents—at USC in Los Angeles, HKUST in Hong Kong, and Bocconi University in Milan. But it was during a gap year spent in Vietnam at the height of the COVID pandemic that my true purpose crystallized. I joined a healthcare startup that was building technology to help hospitals manage COVID patients, and the experience opened my eyes to both the enormous challenges and transformative opportunities in healthcare.

After returning to the U.S., I co-founded Salus Health in 2022 alongside my partners, Kostas Nikolakopulos and Dr. Karim El-Sherief, an interventional cardiologist. Initially, Salus focused on remote monitoring of cardiac patient vitals, but after speaking to hundreds of heart patients, we discovered a deeper issue: people were left feeling anxious, confused, and frustrated because the healthcare system often dismissed their symptoms if standard tests came back normal. They faced persistent chest pain, palpitations, anxiety, and fatigue, yet felt misunderstood or overlooked by traditional medical care.

Recognizing this need, Salus pivoted to offer something genuinely different: a holistic wellness platform that addresses the often-neglected aspects of heart health—including hormonal balance, inflammation, nutrition, emotional well-being, and lifestyle factors. Our approach is truly integrative, combining advanced biomarker testing with personalized coaching from functional medicine experts, therapists, dietitians, and movement specialists, all under one supportive community.

What sets us apart is our relentless commitment to go beyond conventional cardiac care. Rather than simply treating symptoms, we seek to uncover and resolve underlying root causes. We connect the dots between physical health, emotional resilience, and lifestyle habits, empowering our clients with clarity, confidence, and a structured path forward.

I’m most proud of the incredible team we’ve built—a top-tier group of dedicated experts who genuinely care about the people we serve. I’m proud of developing a product that truly meets our clients’ needs, going beyond surface-level solutions and addressing the holistic factors that influence their health. And above all, I’m proud of the lasting impact we’ve had on our community and the many lives we’ve positively changed.

For potential patients, followers, or anyone feeling stuck in their heart-health journey, what I want you to know is this: you are not alone, your experiences matter, and real solutions exist beyond the standard medical care. At Salus, our mission is to ensure you feel heard, validated, and supported—providing the comprehensive tools and compassionate guidance you deserve to reclaim your health, your peace of mind, and your life.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

My biggest piece of advice for managing a team and maintaining high morale starts with who you bring onto the team. I strongly believe in hiring and partnering with what I call “missionaries”—individuals who genuinely believe in the long-term vision of what you’re building. When people align deeply with your mission, their motivation, resilience, and dedication naturally follow, creating a positive and committed workplace culture.

Once you have the right people, it’s essential to truly understand their personal beliefs, missions, and goals—both professionally and personally—and recognize how these intersect with the broader vision of the company. Taking the time to have open conversations to understand each team member’s individual aspirations allows you to clearly map out pathways for their growth within the organization. People who see a clear path toward achieving their own goals alongside the company’s objectives feel a stronger sense of purpose, engagement, and loyalty.

Finally, aligning incentives with these shared goals is crucial. Whether it’s through financial rewards, opportunities for professional advancement, equity, personal development, or meaningful recognition, creating incentives tailored to individual and collective success ensures that the team feels genuinely valued and motivated.

When team members know that the company’s success directly supports their personal and professional dreams, morale remains high, retention improves, and productivity naturally follows. This approach not only builds stronger, happier teams but also drives sustainable long-term success.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

There have been two major pivots that profoundly shaped the trajectory of Salus Health.

Initially, when we launched Salus in 2022, our focus was on providing a remote monitoring platform that tracked cardiac patient vitals and seamlessly communicated data directly to physicians. While this seemed promising, we quickly learned through direct conversations with hundreds of patients that simply having more data wasn’t enough. Patients continued to experience anxiety, confusion, and frustration because standard testing often didn’t capture the deeper reality of their health issues. They needed more active support and guidance.

Recognizing this, we made our first key pivot: from remote monitoring to a remote cardiac rehabilitation solution. We expanded our offering to provide virtual, structured cardiac rehab programs, primarily focusing on exercise and physical rehabilitation. This pivot aimed to offer patients greater clarity, active engagement, and tangible tools to improve their heart health from home.

But even this didn’t fully resolve the deeper, underlying concerns patients repeatedly expressed. Many patients still reported symptoms such as anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and persistent heart palpitations—issues traditional cardiac rehab didn’t fully address.

This realization led to our second key pivot: transitioning from a simple virtual cardiac rehab model to a truly holistic wellness program. Instead of focusing solely on physical exercise, we began incorporating comprehensive biomarker analysis, personalized nutrition, hormone balancing, emotional support, stress management, sleep improvement, and targeted lifestyle interventions. We built a multidisciplinary team that included dietitians, functional medicine health coaches, therapists, breathing and mobility experts, and movement specialists, all working collaboratively to address the root causes of each patient’s health challenges.

While both pivots involved significant shifts in strategy, team structure, and vision, they ultimately allowed us to deliver precisely what our patients truly needed: personalized, holistic support that addresses the full breadth of their health and emotional needs. These pivots transformed Salus Health from a narrowly focused tech-driven monitoring solution into a comprehensive wellness platform that genuinely changes people’s lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.salushealth.io/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salusrecovery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salusrecovery
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@salusrecovery

Image Credits

Trung Tran