The honest version of how we got here goes like this: Sam was on holiday in Dubai when she saw a job come up, decided to give it a go, and five months later we landed. It was hot and a bit mad and absolutely brutal for the first summer, but we were all in. Six months after that Sam fell pregnant, which felt less like a plan and more like a body that had quietly decided we were ready. Now there's Freddy bouncing around the flat, Luna staring out of the window resenting every degree above thirty, a marketing intelligence company we run together at founda.me, and a commute Billy does to Abu Dhabi most days that would make most people quit.
What we noticed pretty quickly is that you can be more physically healthy in Dubai than you ever were in London, and a lot quieter about your mental health than you'd ever admit. The body bit comes almost for free here. The late-night takeaway, working-til-9pm, Friday-pub rhythm of our East London twenties just doesn't fit, the lifestyle is gym-friendly in a way London never was, and the heat slows you down before bad habits get a chance. So that's the easy bit.
The mind bit is harder. Sam misses London's culture, the walking, being close to family and friends, and the loneliness of not having any of that on tap is a real ongoing thing she's learning to sit with rather than absorb from other people. Billy mostly handles it by training, which works for him in a way it genuinely doesn't for everyone. Sam handles it through writing, supplements, and the slow, unglamorous work of figuring out what actually moves the needle.
Founda Wellness is the conversation we're having about all of that, in public. What we buy and use, what's worth the money, what was a waste, the things we wish someone had told us before we tried it. Honest about the bits that work and the bits that don't.
Two of us, two lanes
Sam writes about women's wellbeing, postpartum recovery, sleep, hormones, mental health, and the awkward overlap of trying to look after yourself while also trying to run a business with a small human attached. She's not a doctor and not a sponsored athlete, she's living it and writing as she goes.
Billy writes about performance fitness, marathon running, Hyrox and recovery. He's run several marathons this year while doing the Abu Dhabi commute, which probably tells you most of what you need to know about his approach to anything. He writes about the kit he actually uses, what earns its place, and what to skip.
How we review
We write about products we already like, products we want to try, or products we think more people should know about, and we always give the honest take. If we'd skip something, we'll tell you. If we'd buy it again, we'll tell you that too, and probably overshare about why. Many of the links on the site are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you buy through them at no extra cost to you. The full picture is on the disclosure page.
Get hold of us
Drop us a line on hello@founda.me. Or pop into our Pinterest DMs, link's in the footer. If you're a brand and you've spotted something here that fits your product, the same email works, pop "wellness partnership" in the subject so we know it's the right inbox.