We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Allison Zaluski a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Allison thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I came up with the idea for an all-natural hard sour adaptogen candy because of my person experience with a panic disorder. It was specifically bad from 2020-2023 where I would get panic attacks almost every day especially while driving. There were many times where I’d have to pull over for a few hours, or have someone pick me up just to calm down. Everyone’s different, but I actually did try prescription medication for my anxiety and it somehow worsened it. Eventually, I started trying exposure therapy and coping tools to help me overcome my panic attacks which is truly what helped. I would force myself to go out, or go on drives on the highway, but I’d bring different tools like sour candy, ice packs, etc. to help me ground myself in case of a panic attack. The specific day I came up with Grounding Sours, I was driving about an hour away (I was still at MSU) and I started having a panic attack. I pulled over to get sour candy and for some reason the idea popped in my head. I wanted something cleaner, but also something that had added herbs and adaptogens to really calm you down. I did research to see if it existed and while there were definitely different supplements and gummies, I didn’t see anything like mine. I wanted a hard candy specifically because when I would have panic attacks, when I chewed it made them worse. I immediately brought this idea up to MSU as my minor was entrepreneurship, and people liked it. That’s when I decided to actually go through with the business.

Allison, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Ever since I was a little kid, I always knew I wanted to start my own business. I used to set up fake shops in my bedroom when I was 6, and I remember thinking it was so much fun.
I always told myself that whatever business I start, it will come to me randomly, and that is totally what happened.
I graduated from MSU in 2024 with a degree in marketing and entrepreneurship which has really helped as well.
I overall wanted to created something that benefited other people who struggle with the same issues that I did, not just myself. I wanted to create a community and a safe space for others to feel empowered and not alone. Especially because of the shame and embarrassment I always felt after having a panic attack, I wanted people to know that they do not have to feel that way and that it happens to more people than they think.
Re-Route provides innovative tools to help fuel your peace, not your fears. While we only have Grounding Sours at the moment, there will be a lot more coping tools and products in the future.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I’m very responsive with my customers. I always respond to their comments and I’ve even reached out to some of them through DM (mostly repeat buyers) just to ask for there feedback and see if there was anything I could do to improve the brand and product. I’ve found that community is the most important thing with my business, and that even when we scale, I still want to keep a community of those who understand what it feels like to struggle with different aspects of their mental health and those who feel ashamed or embarrassed of it. I want to hopefully empower others to take control of it, and not let it take control of them.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

When I first began my business, I was still at Michigan State University. It was my senior year and I applied to the Launch program and got in! They helped me fund most of my initial costs including beginning with my food scientists. While I’ve applied to a ton of pitch competitions and grants, I’ve completely bootstrapped the rest of my business with my own funds from serving/ working in marketing. Because I am about to scale my business, we are now about to fundraise with angel investors to be able to complete large scale production and more. This is much needed as I will definitely not be able to pay for large scale on my own.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.reroutewellness.com
• Instagram: @Reroutewellness
• Linkedin: Allisonzaluski
• Youtube: Re-Route Wellness
• Other: TikTok @reroutewellnessofficial