How Tom Staverosky Is Inspiring a Shift from Pharmaceuticals to Natural Wellness

From rural Pennsylvania to leading ForeverWell, Tom Staverosky is on a mission to transform healthcare.

Driven by a passion for natural medicine, he’s challenging conventional approaches and empowering others to take control of their health. In this Q&A, Tom shares his journey, lessons learned, and vision for a healthier future.

Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory” and how you grew up?

Photo by ForeverWell

I was born and raised in Everett, PA, a very rural area of western PA. My Dad was a trucking executive with a small firm headquartered in Bedford County, PA. Mom, Dad, two brothers, and one sister.

I was born in 1953, so it was certainly a more innocent time and a more fearless time. We rode our bikes everywhere. Played baseball and football on the vacant fields in the neighborhood.

If you were home during the summer months, you were being punished. There were lots of kids of all ages, and everyone played outside.

I have no doubt that my love of nature began back then. When I was 15, we moved to eastern PA, an hour outside Philadelphia. I graduated from Pottstown High School in 1971 and headed to Duke University.

I married my high school sweetheart, and after we both graduated from college, we settled in Reading, PA, where I still live.

I majored in political science and education, thinking maybe I would be a lawyer or a teacher, but I had no strong desire to pursue either after graduation.

Several careers found me, including time in banking and commercial real estate. I even started my own real estate business at one point. While they all helped to provide for our young family, none of them stoked my passion.

Can you tell our readers about the business you created? How did you get started?

In the late 1980s, I met some gentlemen who had a small business attempting to exploit a novel technology for protein fermentation. I did a bit of business brokerage and agreed to raise money to assist with their venture.

My efforts resulted in my buying an interest in the business and getting directly involved in the daily operations of the company. The whole story of how I met these guys can only be described as divine intervention.

The technology has specific industrial applications, which we pursued initially with several starts and stops with the poultry industry and the fishing industry.

We ended up making a nutritional supplement for folks dealing with protein metabolism issues.

Our market was the holistic medical community. I never really knew there was a viable alternative to my primary care physician and expected to meet quacks and charlatans.

Man, was I wrong and ignorant. I was quickly fascinated by the field and truly found my passion.

ForeverWell is an extension of that passion. We marketed a couple of products to some degree of success, but not sustainable success. I guess you could say it got me to my

retirement years, but in the process, my passion was fueled by the learning opportunities that existed in the natural/functional medicine world.

I couldn’t get enough and sat in lecture halls and read all the books. The end result is my clear understanding of where and how healthcare is broken and why it is so expensive.

ForeverWell will shine the light of awareness on how and why our healthcare system must evolve.

I’m content to spend my retirement years sharing my story with others. My goal is to reduce our reliance on the pharmaceutical approach to health and wellness.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

Photo by ForeverWell

It’s a bit of a sad tale as my company ended up failing.

With the help of some doctor friends, we designed two nutritional supplements, one targeted at improved digestive function and one designed to support the detoxification pathways in the liver and kidneys.

We also conducted a study to test the two products in the treatment of migraine headache sufferers.

All went well, and we received publicity from several migraine support groups that fueled some modest growth. We were at around $10,000 per month in sales, and it was time to make the next batch of product.

The main ingredient was unavailable, and there were no viable substitutes. My company came to a screeching halt. I was stunned by the circumstances, and long story short, I had to shut my company down and file for bankruptcy.

I chose to work for a company in the health and wellness space and managed to get back on my feet. The only thing that remained of the company was the name: ForeverWell.

What is the mission behind your brand?

While ForeverWell was formed as a product company, I’ve long realized that my deepest passion was teaching. Thus, the last iteration of ForeverWell will be an educational company.

For years, I tried to write a book about my experiences in the natural medicine world, and I would get so deep into the weeds that I said to myself, “No one is ever going to read this!” During Covid, I sat down one day and wondered, “What is it that I really want people to understand?”

The result was a 35-page pamphlet titled The Pharmaceutical Approach to Health and Wellness Has Failed Us, It is Time for Change.

Photo by ForeverWell

My mission is to share with all who will listen why natural medicine should replace pharmaceutical medicine in the treatment of chronic and autoimmune disease.

What is the biggest advice you have for an entrepreneur who is just starting?

• Be passionate about your efforts. If your efforts don’t stir your passion, the days will get much longer.
• Strive to maintain balance, particularly with your loved ones. Running your own business can become overwhelming and all-consuming, but if you don’t take time for your significant other and children, you will be out of balance in your life.
• Neverstop  Business trends and markets evolve. Don’t assume you already know it all.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before becoming an entrepreneur?

My initial adventure involved others who had a controlling interest in the company; I was a minority owner. I failed to fully understand that their motivation was not the same as mine.

If your venture involves partners, spend some time being sure you are on the same page as to goals and objectives.

What do you think is the greatest challenge for women in creating wealth/ abundance? 

I think feeling like their dreams are too big and having that attitude and energy foisted upon them by others. Sadly, all too often by the men in their lives.

We expect friends and family to be folks we can count on to be supportive and provide encouragement and emotional support, but that is not always the case. Often, friends and family can be our biggest obstacle.

What advice would you give someone who is feeling blocked by that obstacle?

Finding a mentor, someone who sees and honors your potential and supports your dreams, can be very valuable. That person can be male or female as long as they can see the truth of your determination and the clarity of your vision.

What is next for you? Where do you see your company in 5 years?

I hope to continue writing and speaking on the subject of inspiring our healthcare system to evolve beyond its focus on the pharmaceutical approach to health and wellness.

Initially, I thought I would be writing to my fellow baby boomers, but I’ve come to realize that I need to reach my children and grandkids’ generations. The baby boomers have already made their decisions about healthcare.

I intend to be speaking on college campuses and sharing my message with all who will listen. Additionally, I plan on remaining an active senior and hope to do some traveling and see some of the world before my days are done.

What is the best way for readers to connect with you?

I welcome any and all questions, comments, and connections. The best way to connect is via email at tom@foreverwell.com.

Tom Staverosky

I am an expert in natural/functional medicine and the founder of ForeverWell. I was blessed over the last 35 years to learn from many of the leaders and innovators in the natural medicine movement. I am determined to inspire my fellow citizens to demand an evolution of our healthcare system away from the dominance of the pharmaceutical approach to the treatment of chronic disease. I am the author of The Pharmaceutical Approach to Health and Wellness Has Failed Us: It is Time for Change. My work has also been featured on Alternative Medicine Review and The Journal of Medical Practice Management.