Decoding Well Lean: A Conversation with Phillip Duong

At Well Lean, we’ve worked hard to create a culture of sugar-free, keto-friendly, and diabetes-friendly organic food items. In fact, all our Shirataki products (Noodles, Pasta, Rice, Instant Noodles) are convenient to cook! We’ve helped consumers across the United States to manage their weight, eat organic Shirataki products, and fulfill cravings with zero guilt. After all, who wouldn’t like to indulge with a bowl full of scrumptious pasta in the comfort of their home? 

Behind the vision and thoughtfulness of Well Lean, is our founder - Phillip Duong. To bring our journey and idea closer to our readers, we asked him a few questions. Phillip’s answers not only inspire us to follow our heart’s true calling but also believe deeply in everything we do!

Read on for an interesting conversation behind the Shirataki revolution.

• What is the story behind Well Lean’s formation? What inspired you to start a venture like this? 

My mom had been suffering from diabetes for years and I wanted to help her find foods that were both satisfying and low-carb. As people are aware, regular rice, pasta, or noodles are quite harmful to diabetics as they disturb insulin levels and have a high glycemic index. I wanted to solve a major concern, not only for my mother but also for the 10.2% of the US population that suffers from diabetes. 

After endless research, I stumbled upon Shirataki, an amazing Konjac plant-based noodle with positive health benefits. With a unique cooking process, I was able to turn the Shirataki into delicious pasta and even rice that the diabetic community could enjoy. That’s how Well Lean was born and I am so thankful for the response everyone has given us!! It even helped me become healthier as I lost quite a few pounds. 

Read more about all the benefits of Shirataki products here!!

But the formation story would always ring a personal bell for me, as I am emotionally connected to the products. Anything is possible with hard work but I would not be where I am today without my mentors and friends that supported me along the way.

• Where do you see Well Lean in the next 1 year?  What is the brand’s overall vision, and how does it plan to stay relevant? 

We’ve come a long since our inception. We’ve focussed exclusively on the US market so far, but why limit the goodness of Shirataki? We have big plans for the next year and they’d probably include us going global! 

We were acquired by Warpfy last year and since then, we’ve been working behind the scenes to turn this vision into reality. With Warpfy’s acquisition, we have plans to expand Well Lean globally and are in the works to enter the shelves next year. I am more than grateful to have been a part of that journey. 

The brand will continue to stay relevant through new product launches and innovative alternatives for people to enjoy. As a survey suggested, 60% of Americans wish to eat healthier and clean up their diets to include more plant-based offerings. We believe that this trend would keep evolving and getting even bigger! Because we cater to these needs, Well Lean is likely to stay relevant and reinvent even more of the everyday food items. 

Our vision is to enable a healthy individual, and a healthy community as a whole. This itself ensures relevancy and scope for constant improvisation. 

• Did you always want to be a businessman? If yes, how has taking the plunge been for you? If not, what do you find the most striking and most challenging aspect regarding running such a business?

This would be exciting to answer because I love where I am in life right now!!

Yes, I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset and I also have a passion for food. However, I am from an Engineering background. In fact, I had a stable and well-paying career that could help me reach my personal goals. 

But as they say, when a vision clicks, it just does! That doesn’t mean the journey was convenient - starting a business from scratch is rarely ever a fairytale. But what makes it worth it is answering our true calling. For me, it turned out to be a business that solved real-world problems and has a positive impact. 

The roads in California are never smooth and I think the same goes for every business. In the beginning, I struggled a lot with time management and consistent sales. I was also in a lot of debt at first because starting a business requires a lot of capital. I maxed out my cards, obtained loans, and quit my full-time job. 

The initial few months were very stressful but I came to realize that overcoming life’s struggles is what brings me true happiness. With that being said, I don’t mind the bumpy roads anymore!!

• Can you talk a bit about IncretiBowl and why the brand launched Instant Noodles?

IncretiBowls are Well Lean’s new and delicious Instant Ramen Bowls with only 100 calories!! A typical ramen bowl with two servings houses more than 300 calories! This figure can be catastrophic when seen from the lens of daily consumption. The instant noodle market itself is growing exponentially every year and it doesn’t take much to realize their popularity. But are they healthy? This is what Well Lean strives to solve with IncretiBowl. 

Instead of the traditional egg-based ramen, IncretiBowls have Konjac as their base ingredient. This plant is found in Easter parts of the Asian continent and is rich in Glucomannan - a soluble fiber that boosts gut health. The same fiber is known to increase insulin levels gradually rather than all at once. This helps diabetics across the United States to indulge in a craving every once in a while.

To allow variety for our health-conscious consumers, we have launched three delicious flavors and all conveniently under 100 calories. We launched the IncretiBowl to help people enjoy a delicious snack at any time of day and to satisfy those cravings but minus any guilt!!

You can learn more about IncretiBowls and why they’re so special here.

• Any special message that you wish to tell our readers? Please elaborate! 

As a healthy food enthusiast, it gives me immense pleasure to find new ways to satisfy cravings. One thing that I’d like to share with our readers is constant feedback. If they have any food items in mind for Well Lean to revolutionize, we would be more than happy to accommodate! Who knows, maybe the next industry trendsetter would come from such a comment! 

Along with this, I’d like to extend a warm and sincere thank you to all our customers who have supported us on this journey. We hope to keep providing great products that you’ll enjoy!

Do you have a question you’d like to ask the brain behind our brand? Drop it in the comments section below and Phillip would be enthralled to engage with you! 

With love, 

The Well Lean Team.