Xeba Zareie: Founder of Preme

Episode 736

On this episode of The Kara Goldin Show, I’m joined by Xeba Zareie, Founder of Preme — the gut health brand making daily digestion support simple, science-backed, and actually doable for even the most sensitive stomachs. What started in her Dallas kitchen has become a line of low-FODMAP prebiotic powders and drink mixes, co-developed with a functional medicine doctor, that are redefining what gut care looks like.
Before launching Preme, Xeba spent years battling chronic gut issues with little relief from conventional medicine. After discovering functional medicine and the power of a low-FODMAP diet, she set out to create products that not only worked for her but could help countless others struggling in silence. Today, Preme stands out for its transparency, third-party testing, and clean sourcing — offering the only FODMAP-friendly prebiotic beverage on the market. Xeba opens up about the highs and lows of starting a wellness CPG brand, why she chose to focus on prebiotics over probiotics, and the lessons she’s learned about building with integrity and intention.
Whether you’re interested in health, wellness, or the grit it takes to launch a consumer brand from scratch — this episode is packed with insights and inspiration. Now on The Kara Goldin Show.

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Transcript

Kara Goldin 0:00
I am unwilling to give up, that I will start over from scratch as many times as it takes to get where I want to be. I want to be you. Just want to make sure you will get knocked down. But just make sure you don’t get knocked out, knocked out. So your only choice should be go focus on what you can control. Control, control. Hi everyone, and welcome to the Kara Goldin show. Join me each week for inspiring conversations with some of the world’s greatest leaders. We’ll talk with founders, entrepreneurs, CEOs and really, some of the most interesting people of our time. Can’t wait to get started. Let’s go. Let’s go. Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Kara Goldin show. Super excited to have our next guest. Here we have Xeba Zareie, who is the founder of Preme, the gut health brand that’s making digestion support simple, effective and actually doable for people with the most sensitive stomachs. So this is a challenge that obviously so many of us have, and I love that Xeba is taking a little bit different, unique approach to this, also founder that has had her own issues and with battling chronic gut issues for years, and decided to take that extra step and develop products that she knew worked so well. I love that she found functional medicine, and this is part of a low FODMAP diet. I can’t wait to hear more about that, and instead of keeping the knowledge all to herself, like I said, the fact that she has gone all in and developed incredible skews around it from her Dallas kitchen, so prebiotic powders and drink mixes that are science backed, transparent and trusted. So this is isn’t just another wellness brand. So you have to listen very carefully as we talk to Xeba all about it, and definitely you’re going to want to try her products when you are finished listening. So thank you so much Xeba for joining us today.

Xeba Zareie 2:18
Wow, that was such a warm welcome. Thank you so much for having me. I’m just like, honored to be here,

Kara Goldin 2:22
super, super excited that you’re here. So for someone listening, who is just hearing about Preme for the first time, how do you describe it? Maybe in a few sentences.

Xeba Zareie 2:35
Yeah, we’re gut building powders. We have a line of gut building hydration powders. So they’re electrolytes with prebiotic fibers and leaky gut support, and then we just have an unflavored, gentle prebiotic that’s safe and gentle for anyone with IBS or who’s struggling with bloat, or who just maybe has a sensitive complexion and wants to have a gentler route. So yeah, that’s Preme.

Kara Goldin 2:57
That’s That’s awesome. So you dealt with your own gut issues prior to starting preem. So can you talk about your own experience and maybe the frustration around products that were out there that were supposed to be helping you that weren’t?

Xeba Zareie 3:14
Yeah, so I was chronically constipated, as they would say. You know, I just normalized that. But what I didn’t understand is that every time we’re having a bowel movement, we’re detoxifying ourselves, and so any day that you go without one, you’re pretty much building up toxin levels in your body. So I you know we’re exposed to so many toxins in our country that you know not detoxifying today in modern society can actually have really bad impact on your health, and it can become quite systemic. So I was fortunate enough to work with a functional medicine doctor who helped me with root cause testing, and I learned that I had, you know, toxic black mold. I had SIBO, which is small intestinal bacterial overload overgrowth. I had h pylori, just another bacterial overgrowth. Like, I literally had so many different types of gut illnesses. It was as though the universe was like, No, we need her to understand everything that can happen. And, you know, I spent a lot of nights just like writing on the floor, like not understanding why I couldn’t just be normal, or why I couldn’t just eat like what everyone else was eating. And you know, when you spend a lot of your life restricting and being on different, you know, diets like, you know, the FODMAP diet is really helpful for anyone who’s had IBS. It’s, it’s just a list of, like, different carbs that you know, can ferment in the gut, which ends up creating gas and bloating in people who have a hard time digesting foods. So having to be on like, you know, more restrictive diets can even further impact your gut. I realize like your emotions and your physical health are so intertwined. I have one. Learned, especially when it comes to gut health. So, you know, I really was motivated to find ways to indulge while following these more, like restricted, you know, health conscious diets and just maximizing pleasure without, you know, feeling like I was going to feel inflamed the next day because I was loading up on sugar and just finding natural ways to find indulgence. So yeah,

Kara Goldin 5:26
so you decided to come up with this. So this is your first physical goods company, your first company that you founded, but also first physical goods and CPG company. So would you say it’s harder or easier than you thought it was going to be?

Xeba Zareie 5:45
I think it’s much harder than I thought it was going to be. You know, there were so many things I didn’t understand that I’ve now understood about the grocery store. I was like that girl who picked up every single package at the grocery store and turned it over and like, looked at the ingredients, and I wanted to really understand why there were all these filler ingredients and everything, like, why was everything packaged so small? Like, why, you know, why? I just needed to know all these questions. And then, you know, we originally started with a refrigerated pudding, a cold chain pudding, a short shelf life. And that really opened my eyes to the reality of this industry, like the costs of shipping, the, you know, shelf life issue. Like most, and I hate to blow everyone’s cover, but most brands in the grocery store have like, an eight month to one year shelf life, because you need that time just to get to the shelf, you know, just to get to who you’re trying to, you know, feed and nourish. So, you know, it’s all been really interesting seeing how we can toe the line of staying really, you know, minimally processed and healthy and premium, while also reaching the amount of people that we want to reach. It’s such like a compromise I’ve learned of, just like so many brands have to end up adding these, you know, preservatives, just to, like, get their product into the store. And I just started to really understand

Kara Goldin 7:10
that, yeah, definitely. So you started, I guess, what was the timeline like when you had this idea that you wanted to come out with products, start a company, and actually get it to market. You talked about the pudding. I’d love to hear kind of how long took to get that initial stage out.

Xeba Zareie 7:35
Well, I think it’s a long road for me, because I was, like, also dealing with my debilitating gut illness that I like, wasn’t working full time anymore, but I was, you know, barely getting out of bed, making these oatmeals. And I just remember being like, I need to create this alternative, something more luxurious, like, I can’t do this every day. There should be other things I was going to ere one. I couldn’t find anything. So this was like, I was ideating, dreaming of this, like the beginning of 2020 or, sorry, the end of 2020 and then, I would say, by March of 2022 I started, like messing around in my kitchen and trying to figure things out. And we did sort of a soft launch alongside snack shot, you know, where we started sampling to customers and seeing what they would like. And then we went into retail the following year. So like, 2023 we did a little bit of, like, small stores in LA and I was self producing. So I was, like, afraid to grow. And we were delivering to people, like, hand delivering, and I was just losing so much time, like, trying to deal with all the logistics that I really, really thought, like, how can I stick to my core mission? My core mission is helping as many people as possible get functional medicine type of resources without having to pay out of pocket for a functional medicine doctor. How can I reach as many people who need this? And that would mean like having a product that I can ship, you know? So that really changed, you know, my my goals. So then I pivoted, and we ended up, I create all the products myself, because when I talk to most manufacturers or food scientists, they don’t really understand these ingredients that I like, love to work with. So it’s me and my like friends who I know who have got issues testing out different stuff together, and it’s my functional medicine doctor like advising me on certain science fact ingredients. So by, by the end of, like last year, summer, we started producing and getting everything going. And we launched end of January of 2025, this year with powder.

Kara Goldin 9:41
I love it. That’s great. So how many skews Do you currently have?

Xeba Zareie 9:46
We have three skews. We have just an unflavored, gentle prebiotic fiber that is IBS, SIBO, safe. It’s science fact, organic, allergen friendly and low FODMAP. Up. And then we have two hydration powders. They’re gut building hydration powders. They have prebiotic fibers along with other gut supportive ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, collagen, trace minerals. And we have a hot cocoa that’s like this sweet and salty hot cocoa. Thank you. The gut, just like needs warmth, especially for women, and soothing and like we still need, you know, our minerals and our electrolytes. So I wanted to put that together, and then we have a cutie lemonade that’s, you know, has apple cider vinegar. It’s a bit more tangy and tart, so it’s a bit more enlivening for someone. Maybe you don’t need soothing. Maybe you need something that’s like hydrating and going to support you and energize you. So I wanted to have two different skews for two different moods kind of thing. And the Kiwi lemonade is so good. We use real New Zealand green and Goldin kiwi fruit. And One serving is the equivalent of eating 1.5 kiwis. And you know, Kiwis are all the rage right now, like everyone’s eating them for digestive support. I personally noticed when I have one or two servings of the Preme cube lemonade that I’m like, no longer chronically constipated. I love it so much. It has hyaluronic acid, which, you know, everyone uses and thinks of it for anti aging, but it has scientific backing to support leaky gut, which no one’s really talking about right now in the health world, like it’s starting to become talked about now. But you know, rebalancing the microbiome is one thing which is great. The prebiotic fibers are there to help the good gut bacteria grow and help the bad bacteria die off. But does it matter when you’re drinking all these supplements, if you can’t absorb your food, and leaky gut is just like a common phenomenon now, because, like, 90 plus percent of people are exposed to glyphosate in this country, and now they’re starting to connect that glyphosate and kind of has a correlation with leaky gut and also just stress refined sugar. So almost all of us are experiencing some degree of leaky gut, I would say. And so having an everyday beverage that is supporting leaky gut and having an everyday beverage that’s supporting your microbiome, I think in today’s society is crucial. You know, we’re all getting set up to fail when it comes to our gut health in modern society.

Kara Goldin 12:11
So how do you typically like use your products? So you’ve got three different ones. How do you typically use them like when you get up in the morning to Yeah,

Xeba Zareie 12:21
I love the gentle prebiotic fiber when I know I’m not going to be able to get all my fiber in for the day, because it’s six grams of fiber for one serving. I really love it in my coffee. You can’t taste it like it’s really grounding with the coffee to me, because I can get a little like, Ooh, my cortisol is rushing with coffee. I really like it when I’m traveling and I know I’m not gonna, you know, I’m gonna be eating out a lot. I’m not gonna be getting on my fiber, like, that’s when I love to use it. Or for people who just, like, you know, they don’t want to be healthy, they like this because you can’t taste it like my aunt puts it in her Pepsi, you know what I mean. But she’s getting her fiber. So just whatever your favorite beverage is, like if it’s a tea, coffee, water, even people like it, or if you just already drink your element, but then I really love the Kiwi lemonade, like before after a workout, it’s just so enlivening and refreshing, and you just feel the hydration, personally, for me, like it’s so good and it’s not too sweet, but it will like jump start your metabolism. So I always like to make sure I’m doing it, like, before or after a meal, and then the hot cocoa I love personally, like at night or in the afternoon, like, instead of a second cup of coffee, like, do not reach for the second cup of coffee, you’re depleting your minerals every single time you drink caffeine. Try this instead. You’ll have a resurgence of minerals, and you’ll actually get energy instead of, you know, numbing, the part of your brain that tells you if you have energy and are not. So, yeah, I love those, especially when you want a cozy vibe.

Kara Goldin 13:52
And what is the sweetener that you’re using? I know you have the unsweetened version, but what is the sweetener that you’re using? We’re

Xeba Zareie 13:59
using a date and coconut sugar combination. They’re just natural sugars. You know, we’re using a such a small amount of date sugar that it’s still considered low FODMAP, even though dates can sometimes be considered high FODMAP. I wanted a natural sweetener because I personally noticed for my gut health, even when I drink organic cane sugar, I still feel this like inflammatory response, and so I just wanted to sweeten it, and it’s only one gram of sugar per serving. We have less than, like, point zero, 1% of stevia, organic stevia leaf, just to, like, tie it all together. I don’t even legally have to probably list that on my thing, but I just want to be transparent, and that’s what we use to kind of tie the flavors together. But it’s not sweetened with stevia. So no, so was

Kara Goldin 14:49
so was there a moment when you realized that this wasn’t just a personal fix, but a business that was, like, really worth building? I mean, obviously you wanted to solve. This problem for yourself, but I love you know, are there any stories out there where people are like, Oh my gosh, thank you so much for developing what you have with Preme. I love hearing that. If you could share something,

Xeba Zareie 15:15
yeah. I mean, I’m not here to, like, change anyone’s behavior, but I do want to create recipes that are appealing to people who are having a hard time being healthy, if that makes sense. And I my very first customer was a woman who worked in my kitchen. Her mother was like, bedridden from diabetes or not diabetes? No. She had something going on with her stomach. I think it was sorry. This was so long ago. She had, like, some sort of stomach issue that was causing her debilitating pain, and she just couldn’t get out of bed. And it had been months like that, and they couldn’t afford, you know, out of care help. So I just, I just gave her some puddings, which we use the same periodic fibers and puddings as we do hot cocoa is literally almost the same recipe just in powder form. And we, I gave her puddings. And literally, after like, I think, a month of using the puddings, like having like, one a week, or one a few days, or something like that, she just told me, like her mom, she’d never seen her mom so energized. She was out of bed again. She was like, playing games with people. She was walking the dog. Like just hearing what a transformation, like a little bit of prebiotic fiber and like good ingredients can do for some people who are just really struggling, I’m just like, that is the best thing ever. Like that has made my whole journey. It’s like the why I do this for and then also, just like seeing people who, you know, they come and they buy one bag from me, and then they come back and they’ll buy, like, eight bags from me. And it’s just such a nice, like, motivating, like, Okay, people are really responding to this. And it’s not just me who likes this, you know,

Kara Goldin 16:53
I love it. So you worked with Dr Julia Juliana Juliana Juliana King, to make sure that these products actually delivered results. Were you seeing her ahead, like you were working with her? And that’s how you guys started thinking about these products. But for anybody who’s thinking about you know, maybe they’ve got an idea for a product. How did you go about, like, actually deciding that we should go launch these

Xeba Zareie 17:27
I was so I was I stopped working. I was working in TV and film on my dream job, and I just realized, like my job was making me sick, because it was, like these 12 hours stressful days, and I needed time to kind of get my life recentered. So I started, actually a freelance. I accidentally started a freelance business while I was kind of dealing with gut issues, and I started realizing, like, I had all these clients, and I was helping them with their podcast, and I didn’t love having clients. And I was like, I want customers, but I was really sick. And when I was sick, I just kept dreaming of this, like alternative, and I just really felt so strongly that so many people were getting sick with gut issues. And I just felt so strongly that not enough people knew even that probiotics are causing you harm if you don’t need them. And like, you need probiotics, and no one was talking about it. And, you know, I was in the mecca of like health and still, like in LA and still like air one didn’t reflect that knowledge. And it just, I think when I worked with the Maxwell medicine doctor and I realized how much she benefited me versus just traditional Western medicine, it just shocked my whole world that, like I just felt like I had to become in service now of this like issue. And it really became like an act of service for me to just, really, just okay every single time it feels hard, like or any single time it feels daunting or like I can’t do that, or I can’t handle that, it’s very much like, who is going to do this? Like you are seriously, like, the person in the corner who cares so much about this and won’t shut up about it, and I spend all my free time on it, that it’s like, it just made sense to pursue it. But, yeah, I think it went from like I had an idea of what I wanted it to taste like, to I just got lucky and, like, stumbled upon some of you know, it’s like, it meets you there kind of thing for anyone who’s wanting to start something like, you don’t have to know every single step forward. You just need to know, like, a couple steps in front of you. And just like, follow those urges and those Inklings, because they’re not there by accident. They’re there on purpose. And so I just started to really believe in those, those messages I was hearing and believing and just I wanted to, like, pursue something for myself. For once, you know, instead of supporting other people’s dreams,

Kara Goldin 19:50
how did you tell people that I actually have a product and and it’s for sale?

Xeba Zareie 19:57
I mean, Instagram has been great for sharing. Sharing, you know, social media, but a lot of like community sharing. So like when we sold at honey high in LA, that was really fun. Like, just anyone who goes to honey high, which is such a mecca on the east side of La of just like health food, like they associated Preme with honey high. So getting to share that community together just kind of build the brand up a bit more, and that’s how you know it just all becomes word of mouth at the end of the day. And so it’s like, what exposure are you getting as a brand? And so, you know, leveraging social media, leveraging other stores, and then leveraging other brands. So like, if you know, sharing audiences even with other brands or even creators on Instagram. But yeah, it was a lot of like, I’m just calling my friends and Lily DMing them, and like, do you want to support? I just, like literally any person I’m crossing the street. You’re drinking that electrically. Are you sure you do like that one? Like, do you want to try this one? You have to be like, your number one. Like, annoying. Business person, sales person,

Kara Goldin 21:01
I love it. Did you ever think that you’d start a brand and a CPG company?

Xeba Zareie 21:07
No, no, which is crazy in retrospect, because I just love food so much, and I’ve just always been obsessed with packaged foods and like, what goes into them, but I always thought like I would be in storytelling, like I was a communications major, you know, I worked in TV and film. I was working my up the ladder. I was really enjoying I was good at it. I really, you know, thought words were so impactful for people and that you could really change the hearts and minds of, you know, people watching movies. But yeah, you know, ultimately, I’ve always wanted to help people. And I was like pre med for a hot second. So it’s kind of full circle that I’m getting to help people with food. I think

Kara Goldin 21:47
I love it. So what’s one small decision you made early on that ended up having a massive impact? You talked, I guess, about the switching from from the format of being a pudding to a powder. But are there any others that have such a massive impact?

Xeba Zareie 22:08
I would say that’s been the like, such a big impact. And the second impact, I would say, is, you know, not having it all on my shoulders. I think we’re all afraid to kind of invest in our own businesses. Especially I’m bootstrapped, like, knowing when is the right time to add that extra investment into your business is super scary. But ever since I’ve taken the leap to kind of like, invest a little bit more in marketing and invest a little bit more, and you know, just how we’re getting the word out for premium, like, it has slowly changed my whole attitude towards the brand and towards the company, like no longer does it feel all on my shoulders, and then I get overwhelmed, and then I can’t function as well. Instead, I feel like I have a team. It’s not just all on my shoulders, and I have professionals guiding me and helping me. So I don’t feel like I don’t know what I’m doing all the time. Yeah, but yeah, I think a lot of people take too long to invite, like, other people in who who know what they’re doing to, like, get that professional insight that you need with an industry that’s so close knit. Like CPG,

Kara Goldin 23:16
yeah, definitely, definitely. So today you’re available where outside of your own website.

Xeba Zareie 23:23
We are waiting to do retail for just a hot second. We want to just understand our E com business. That was on purpose. We are with health elite, live healthily.com it’s a low talk shop that’s online. And then if you want to buy us in Europe, you can buy us at per cup.com. So we’re available, kind of all over for now, online, and we’re about to enter Amazon soon.

Kara Goldin 23:46
That’s super, super exciting. So what’s the big bet you’re you’ve made with Preme and kind of the future of get health? There’s a lot of pre biotics and and probiotics out there too, but the uniqueness of pream Enough so that you’re working on this full time, you’re all in but for a founder out there who’s trying to figure out, should I go and start this idea? I mean, what would you say? Not an idea competitive with with yours. I’m saying, like, when, if you’re trying to figure out is, is my idea, like, enough of something, like, how do you how do you determine that?

Xeba Zareie 24:32
Yeah, so I am, like, a researcher at heart. Like I just research in my spare time, and way before I started Preme, I like, really researched who’s out there. I love to, I think it’s really important just know the players in the space. Like, if anyone mentions a brand to me, I’ve already heard of them. Probably, like, I know who’s who. I know what’s going on, even if it’s an emerging brand. Because I like to have my finger on the pulse of, where are the trends going, where are the holes in the market that you know what you can fit. Ill and you know who you can be, and also really study your competitor. I mean, a lot of people say, put your blinders on. I love to study my competitors like it doesn’t affect me. Like, yeah, sometimes when they’re growing faster than you, but I think it’s good to grow slow sometimes in CPG and have more of like, a foundation for yourself. But what I’ll say is just like, know who you are serving. Know who you want your ideal customer to be, and understand that customer and like, maybe you have an idea, but like, the idea is allowed to evolve based on your customer feedback. And I think it’s so important. Like, Preme has become what’s become, not just because of me. It’s become what it’s become because of the people who have bought Preme as well, because I take their feedback to heart, and I want to, I want to improve based on like my clientele. What I’ll say is, like, not every gut brand is is owned by a woman, and you know, when women are disproportionately impacted by gut health, so I try to create, like, a very feminine leaning brand that like women can come and feel like it’s a community, like, a lot of times supplements just feel like sterile and like medical, and there’s no kind of community. There’s no community behind it. And then I’ll say the ones that do have community don’t have efficacy. They don’t really have emerging science tailored recipes. There is emerging science that shows that too many probiotics can actually cause harm and inflammation. So why would you have probiotics in an everyday beverage for everyday consumers? I don’t understand. That’s why we use prebiotics instead of probiotics. Also, like most prebiotic fibers on the market are high FODMAP high FODMAPs can cause bloating, and most people looking for gut stuff are already bloating. So why are we having bloating fibers in most gut brands? We always try to stay FODMAP friendly, and look FODMAP as a result of that. So we try to lay on we’re creating an inclusive community around gut, gut health and like for people to just better understand what it all means like. So it’s not just about the product, it’s about the platform and the community that we’re creating as well.

Kara Goldin 27:08
Definitely. So for anyone listening who’s dealing with gut issues, what’s the first thing that they should try tomorrow? I guess if you have a product that you’re most proud of. You’ve got three, so it’s not too much for people to take on, but if you had one that is just kind of the Halo for the overall brand, what would you say it would be?

Xeba Zareie 27:33
Well, kiwi lemonade is our most popular. But I would say, if you are really struggling and you’re not sure what’s going on, I would just start with the unflavored. Personally, it’s better to just start there. The Kiwi lemonade is fond mat friendly, whereas the hot cocoa and the unflavored are low FODMAP. So if you’re bloating, like every day at everything you eat, start with the hot cocoa or the low FODMAP. But if you’re just having some periodic constipation or you don’t know what’s going on, you know, just something lighter, I would say, go for the Kiwi lemonade. It’s super amazing. It’s enlivening, like you’ll be surprised by how much 200 milligrams of trace minerals can truly benefit your health, like that alone, that alone,

Kara Goldin 28:16
yeah, yeah. I totally agree too, that I think it’s, I mean, the products are, are so terrific. So I think you’ve done such a nice job, and it’s a great taste. And I don’t like sweeteners, natural or not, and it’s so little that you’re using in these two so and just enough to give it a taste that is, that is really, really nice. So I’m so happy that you guys came out with this. So Xeba, thank you so much for joining us today on the show, and good luck with everything. I know you’re just getting started and going into major distribution soon. So I’m really, really excited to see where you take preem and thank you for developing such an amazing company around an initiative that you saw as super important. So thank you.

Xeba Zareie 29:11
Your words mean so much to me. It’s been so nice to be on here with you. Thank you so much. And also for trying frame like that means so much

Kara Goldin 29:17
to me. Thank you again, and thanks everyone for listening. Thank you. Thanks again for listening to the Kara Goldin show. If you would please give us a review and feel free to share this podcast with others who would benefit and of course, feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode of our podcast. Just a reminder that I can be found on all platforms at Kara Goldin, I would love to hear from you too, so feel free to DM me, and if you want to hear more about my journey, I hope you will have a listen or pick up a copy of my Wall Street Journal, best selling book, undaunted, where I share more about my journey, including found. Building and Building hint, we are here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Thanks for listening, and goodbye for now.

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