Julia Cheek (Everlywell) on Revolutionizing Diagnostics, Shark Tank and Biohacking

Many people say the healthcare system is broken. Julia Cheek, is trying to fix a key part of that system: diagnostics. 

Julia is the founder and CEO of Everlywell, the pioneering at-home health testing company that turned diagnostics from something that happened to you into something you control. Since launching in 2015, Everlywell has become one of the fastest-growing companies in consumer health and has raised more than $200 million—proving that convenience, access, and empowerment aren’t just buzzwords—they’re the future of medicine. 

In this conversation, Julia tells Sammi about the moment that inspired her to build Everlywell after her own frustrating lab experience, what really happens after a Shark Tank deal, and the split-second leadership calls she had to make during the pandemic when the company scaled almost overnight. She also shares what she’s betting on next—from the future of at-home diagnostics and biohacking, to how insurance needs to evolve for proactive healthcare to actually work. 

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Here’s what Sammi covers today with Julia:

00:00 Julia Cheek’s Social Currency

01:42 The Lab Nightmare That Sparked Everlywell

04:18 Early Pushback—and Why Julia Built Anyway

08:47 BTS of Shark Tank

14:03 The Breakthrough Moment in Consumer Trust

18:55 Building a Team for Speed in Healthcare

21:37 Scaling Overnight During COVID

28:10 AI, Telehealth & The Future of Diagnostics

32:55 The Role of Insurance

44:17 Social Currency Corner: For Health Founders

48:30 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

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