Kate Glavan and Emma Roepke of New York City (NYC) are the masterminds behind the meme page @seamossgirlies on Instagram as well as the podcast What the F*ck is Sea Moss? Debunking the Wild World of Wellness. I had the pleasure of interviewing them and taking a closer look at their building of a small empire of (mostly) teenage girls who, like Kate and Emma, are interested in all things health and wellness and the crazy trends beneath it all.
Her Campus (HC): You guys run @seamossgirlies on Instagram. What inspired this?
Kate Glavan (KG): After we started the podcast in November, we were spiraling at night and started talking about weird wellness topics or foods we saw at the health stores.
Emma Roepke (ER): Kate and I are addicted to Twitter and the sarcastic meme culture that comes with it. I think we made it as a way to make fun of ourselves and some of the ridiculous stuff that the wellness industry promotes.
KG: We both had vaguely known each other for a few years when we both moved to New York from some mutual friends in college. I invited Emma to some “influencer” event in Brooklyn. We immediately connected after realizing we both had similar backgrounds with eating disorders, growing up in the Midwest and going to bed at 10 p.m. unlike most of the people our age.
ER: We both went to college in New York and were in the same social circle. I remember us occasionally talking to each other in Instagram DMs and then Kate invited me to an influencer event. We left early and walked three miles to get vegan Asian food and had a really deep conversation about our history of eating disorders and how that has impacted and influenced our relationship to health [and] wellness. This was the first time we each felt truly understood by another person our age.
HC: You both went to college in NYC and recently graduated. What did you major in?
KG: My concentration at New York Univeristy was in political communications, digital activism and environmental justice.
ER: I attended the Fashion Institute and majored in fashion business with a specialization in buying/planning, along with a minor in ethics and sustainability.
HC: You both talk openly about transitioning from veganism to slowly incorporating animal products back into your diet like eggs and fish. What would you say to people trying to do the same but maybe feel guilty about it?
KG: I often think about the labor rights issues involved in our food system. We did a two-part podcast episode about food and climate change and in that episode series, we discussed how not many vegans talk about the human rights side of our food industry. Are your farm workers supported in a union, paid a fair wage, under safe working conditions? Being vegan does not absolve you from the other ways you still can be contributing harm to our planet through your diet—no choice free or fair under our current system of capitalism.
ER: We mention this in the “Food + Climate Change” episode, but animals are an integral part of regenerative agriculture which is one of the best ways to address climate change and our current food system. There is a sustainable and ethical way to consume certain animal products that does not contribute to Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations or CAFOs. Additionally, so many plant-based alternatives contain GMO soy, are sprayed with harmful chemicals and use lots of plastic in their packaging.
HC: What are your dream jobs, assuming that social media is temporary?
KG: U.S. Senator or Supreme Court Justice.
ER: Ideally, I want to be my own boss and be able to integrate both fashion and wellness into my future career.
HC: What are your favorite wellness god must-haves?
KG: Ashwagandha, Coconut Yogurt and Sauerkraut.
ER: Coconut Yogurt, Chlorophyll and Magnesium.
HC: Quick: Kombucha or Zevia?
KG: GT’s Kombucha.
ER: Zevia has a special place in my heart but going to have to go with our king GT’s Kombucha.
HC: In what ways are you guys trying to save the planet at the moment?
KG: Focus on multiplying my own passion for environmentalism by educating others on U.S. government and politics through my newsletter.
ER: Leading by example and sharing my knowledge with family and close friends.
HC: Lastly, you started a community platform on Geneva. What was the motivation behind this? What’s been your favorite part about it so far?
KG: We wanted to engage with our podcast listeners and create a safe place in the wellness industry for younger, diverse and smart voices to be heard. Most of the loudest voices in “wellness” promote tone-deaf, elitist aspects of health like telling people to pop pills or spend hundreds of dollars on products. We want to reinvent a narrative in wellness that is rooted in a community first—then finding what works for you.
ER: Our podcast listeners and most active followers on our meme page are mostly young people who have recovered from an eating disorder and are still trying to reclaim their health. We wanted to create a positive and welcoming community for people to connect and interact with like-minded people—it can be lonely being a young person who is driven and interested in health [and] wellness.
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