Clayton Thomas of ROOT Wellness: The Principle of Addition by Subtraction That Drives Absolute Wellness and Peak Human Performance

Let’s face it. It seems that everyone is under a great deal of stress these days. This takes a toll on our mental wellness. What are some of the best self-care practices that we can use to help improve our mental wellness and mental well-being? In this interview series, we are talking to medical doctors, mental health professionals, health and wellness professionals, and experts about self-care or mental health who can share insights from their experience about How Each Of Us Can Use Self Care To Improve Our Mental Wellness. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Clayton Thomas.

Clayton Thomas is co-founder of ROOT Wellness, a social sharing community focused on foundations of wellness; host of The Green Edition health and wellness show; and founder of The ROOT Brand. His 25 years of health and wellness experience includes developing business models of analytical testing in medical practices to improve the quality of care by identifying risks of the big three diseases: diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. The ROOT Brand produces products that are non-GMO, organic, vegan, gluten-free, and safe to help people detoxify, strengthen the gut, and focus the mind. Learn more at therootbrands.com/product.

Thank you so much for doing this interview with us. It is a great honor. Our readers would love to learn more about you and your personal background. Can you please share your personal story? What has brought you to this point in your life?

I was born and raised in a veterinary practice with parents that had a focus in integrative health for animals, which translated into humans and laid the foundation for my understanding of health and human performance. Through my journey as an athlete, in college, and after college, my focus on nutrition and wellness shifted to addition by subtraction. We’ve always thought of nutrition and wellness in terms of addition, what we add into life. I started to understand that every part of health and all of our issues pertain to one primary issue: toxicity — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Being able to remove those toxicities lays the groundwork to do good stuff to improve our health, wellness and performance. This is the foundation for everything I’ve been able to do.

What is your “WHY” behind what you do? What fuels you?

The pursuit of greatness. We are all made in an image of greatness. And it’s our goal to create the best version of us. Whether it’s in our spirituality, our relationships, athletics, or life in general, we always want to focus on greatness. There’s no point in pursuing mediocrity.

How do you define success?

Success to me now is predicated on service, not personal accolades. it’s predicated on what we’re doing for humanity, what we’re doing for animals, what we’re doing for the environment, and seeing how much of an impact we’re having on those.

Can you please explain what you mean from a personal anecdote?

We had a call today with one of our customers whose daughter was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries as a teenager. She was told at the age of 18 that she was infertile and was never going to have kids. And at the age of 23, after 18 months of using the Trinity Pack, ReLive Greens, and Immune Defense Shield, she got pregnant. And two days ago she gave birth to one of the healthiest babies the practitioners had ever seen. So to me, success means having an impact on multiple generations, whether it’s an autistic kid that’s been non-verbal for over a decade and started communicating with their parents, or an elite athlete who starts performing at a level that they’ve never seen before, or someone who’s been living in pain for a long time and those issues no longer exist.

What is the role of a growth mindset in your success? Can you please share 3 mindset mantras that keep you motivated, sane, and propel you forward?

A growth mindset is about creating big, audacious goals. You should have goals so high, people think you are nuts. If you achieve them, then it is outstanding, and even if you fall short, you have done some amazing things. But always be thinking beyond where your intention is to be.

The three mindset mantras are: See it. Believe it. Do it. See it means envisioning what you want to achieve because we have the ability to manifest it. Believe it means you own it. And then it’s a matter of don’t hesitate, but go for it.

You are by all accounts a very successful person. How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

We have built our entire business model around that premise. Our vision and the execution of it is based on the idea that companies should invest in their single biggest asset, their customers. So instead of spending money on advertising, you spend it on the people who are actually doing the real advertising for you, which is word of mouth. And you reward the behavior that creates the value for your company. The concept is quite simple: If you find a product that you like, you buy it. If you like the experience, you share it. If you share, you’re creating value.

With the old philosophy of the last 10 years, where companies would work with influencers, there’s always been a gap. You might have an influencer like a professional athlete who has a million followers on social media but their audience doesn’t equate to their influence. They might be paid by a company to promote a brand based on their audience, but the returns for that company are not commensurate with what they spent.

What we’ve done is create a concept of parity based on value creation. It’s all algorithmic, and it is infinite based on the real value of someone with influence in an environment where 6 billion people are all connected. If you have an audience and you share something you like with your audience, you create value. If your audience likes the same thing, they’re going to tell their friends as well. They should be rewarded for that, and so should you because you started that cascade of value being created.

I created algorithms that track all of this. So for instance, say a basketball player has mental health issues. Mental health is a huge issue in professional sports. If we improve his mindset and he starts to perform better on and off the court, he’s going to let people who follow him on social media know that. He’s also going to reach out to his colleagues, or his colleagues may ask him what he’s doing differently. You start to see organic development and value creation. And when they look at the real monetization this kind of model will create for them, it can be greater than any endorsement deal. You can learn more about this model at therootbrands.com/product.

Can you share a mistake or failure which you now appreciate, and which has taught you a valuable lesson?

One lesson I have learned is don’t work with toxic people. If your gut tells you it’s not a good fit, it’s not going to be a good fit. Even if it might serve an immediate need, it’s going to be more expensive over the long run. As an example, I had what was supposed to be a business partner who I watched abuse his wife and his kids when I met him in person. He then turned around and stole a $675,000 down payment on a $50 million-a-year contract and sued me to keep the money. It was a costly experience. It was painful. Yet in hindsight, it was one of the most valuable experiences I could have had, because it was through that trauma that I was able to create ROOT and met my wife and partner, Dr. Christina Rahm, and we’ve been able to do everything that we’ve done.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

One of the most valuable traits is being willing to fail and accept it and know what failure is. It’s one of the greatest, greatest teachers, right? Failure’s not a negative.

The second part is knowing when to rest. Because as entrepreneurs we are prone to running hard constantly. But your brain, your body, and your spirit recover and regenerate at rest. So if you are not getting deep sleep, you are not going to be functional as an entrepreneur or as an operator. You can’t get maximum productivity if you’re redlining constantly.

Third, you have to create balance in your life. You can’t focus on the business constantly, because there are things in life that are way more valuable than anything that you’ll create at work. If you’ve got a wife, if you’ve got a husband, if you’ve got kids, if you’ve got family, if you’ve got pets, if you got friendships, the greatest investment you are ever going to make is in them. But in order to do that you have to create some semblance of balance in your life.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting new projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

We’re launching Rahm Roast, the first product of its kind on the coffee market and of the greatest coffee products ever. Rahm Roast is a trade secret coffee formulation created by extracting toxins, bacteria, fungus, and parasites, while adding detox properties and patent-pending silica-based formulations. With the introduction of Merci Dupre Clothiers, we’re actually bringing environmentalism into clothing and making it environmentally protective. This unique line of ‘Enviremware’ clothing has a protected coating of nano-biotech technology that offers an unbeatable barrier against hazardous toxins such as EMF radiation, heavy metals, viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungus. That is going to be outstanding. But the most exciting part for me is watching the continual perpetual growth of the baby itself, watching ROOT grow. It’s like what Agent Smith said in the Matrix: It’s the sound of inevitability. What has been proven now is that this concept of compassionate capitalism is not something that is conceptually an idea that works; it is a beast of performance. If you allow people to do what is our nature, it’s unstoppable. And if you continue to create value for consumers, they will continue to create value for you.

OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview about Self-Care. Let’s start with a basic definition so that we are all on the same page. What does self-care mean to you?

I define it as managing all aspects of our performance — physical, mental, spiritual, emotional — and incorporating all of those into your lifestyle every day from the time you wake up.

As a successful leader with an intense schedule, what do you do to prioritize self-care, and carve out regular time to make self-care part of your routine?

My wife and I have a set routine of the things that we do to get our day going. It’s also about making sure that you carve out the time, even during the day of a busy schedule, to do the things that you know you should do, but you think you’re too busy to do. Figure out ways to do them, because in making those choices, you will find that you are even more productive.

Will you please share with our readers 3 of your daily, or frequent self-care habits?

Taking the time to get a good workout and figuring out how to do it quickly and effectively. Connecting with those you love. If you don’t work with your spouse like I do, it’s taking the time to call them or shoot them a message throughout the day to say I love you. And then when you get home, shutting work off and spending time with your spouse and your kids and your pets.

One of the most important things that I do, and it’s kind of a mandate, is at least twice a day I throw the ball with my dog. And it’s funny because I’ve got this down from a timing standpoint. It only takes five minutes for me to go walk on the hill barefoot so I get grounded. I throw this little tennis ball and see the absolute joy that my goldendoodle has, not from just chasing the ball, but having me throw it for her. She’s getting her workout in, and I love watching her run with this huge smile, like “Do it again!”

Another important thing that I’ve learned is never go to bed angry. My life is stressful. My wife’s life is stressful. And there are times where her frustration, her stress from external sources, is put on me. This might lead to me having to leave the bedroom for a little bit. But there is never an instance where I’m not able to crawl back into bed, because the one thing that is of the most importance is being able to cuddle to reconnect. That is the magnetism between a couple.

This is the main question of our interview. Based on your own experiences or research can you please share 5 ways that taking time for self-care will improve our lives?

First, make sure you are getting the nutrients you need to perform at your best. At ROOT, some of our products to help you do this are Clean Slate, which safely assists the body’s natural ability to remove environmental toxins and heavy metals; Restore, to protect and regenerate the microbiome and strengthen the gut; and Zero In, a natural alternative to synthetic stimulates designed to support increased attention span, concentration and mental acuity.

Second, learn how to give your body the nutrition it needs to address your specific issues. Dr. Rahm’s “Cure The Causes Cookbook” includes recipes from a range of nutritional disciplines that address auto-immune disorders, antiviral directives, bacterial infections, fungal overgrowth, and parasitic cleansing. It includes anti-cancer regimens, and protocols for chronic health issues including arthritic disorders, depression, dementia, autism, Parkinson’s, and Lyme disease.

Third is getting enough sleep and rest. Getting enough quality deep sleep is critical for your brain, heart, and overall health; in addition, it gives you the vitality and energy you need to do everything you want to do in your life and your business.

Fourth, and another crucial aspect of self-care that I touched on above, is connecting with others, starting with your family and loved ones but also extending out the wider circle of people in your life. This is backed by research you probably read about recently that found lonely people are 50% more likely to die prematurely than people with strong social relationships.

Finally, self-care comes down to figuring out the things that please you and making sure you fit those into your life. Do you like fishing? Make sure you go fishing. If, like me, you enjoy throwing the ball with your dog, go throw the ball at the dog. If you want to play golf, get out and play golf. Don’t set those things aside to tell yourself that you’ll do them later. Because if you sacrifice the things that make you happy, you are going to sacrifice your productivity. And not taking the time to slow down is going to make it so you can’t run fast.

Next question. Sometimes we learn a great deal from the opposite, from a contrast. Can you please share a few ways that not taking time for self-care can harm our lives?

You’ll wear yourself out in your burnout if you try to run constantly. I had this conversation with my kids about Elon Musk. Elon Musk talks about only sleeping four hours a day and he’s miserable. He looks horrible. He had to hire a new CEO. So if you choose not to take care of yourself, you will pay for it one way or another. You’ll either pay to take a break and enjoy yourself and rest, or you’re going to pay for it for not doing it.

What would you tell someone who says they do not have time or finances to support a regular wellness routine?

You may be thinking that taking the time out of your day to do the things that you need to do to take care of yourself will lead to a lack of productivity in business. If you’re a real entrepreneur and a builder, actually taking care of yourself is going to do a couple things. One, it’s going to make sure that you are going to continually be productive. Second, you’re setting the example for everyone around you on how they need to behave. Because if you look and function like trash, your staff is going to become trash. Your life is going to become trash and that is even more expensive and more detrimental than taking the time to take care of yourself.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)

If I could have breakfast with someone right now that would be an interesting conversation and I know I could have influence with it, it would be Kanye. Here’s why I want to meet with Ye. He’s not bipolar. He’s actually got three separate personalities. He’s been traumatized. He’s completely toxic, which we can fix. We know Ye has influence because Adidas is losing $1.3 billion by not working with him. He has influence with his audience. I want to take a guy like that and go, “Ye, you sold a lot of shoes and you made a lot of money. You want to change the shoe market? What if you had your shoes and instead of having them go on the aftermarket, we brought them into a model that allows all of your fans to start sharing those shoes with a link? That way, whoever buys them first can share them with friends and it’s monetized all the way through.” Someone with his level of influence is able to start participating with their community and allowing people to create value. Because when did people of influence stop using their influence to do good stuff? They never did. It’s always been about an individual — it’s about me, me, me. What if we change the narrative and make it about we? What if you actually start working with and creating value for the people that follow you? What if you start changing lives?

What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?

You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and at therootbrands.com/product.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.

About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.