Mountain climb was catalyst to launch neck and back pain startup
Jason Frohlich, founder of Montreal-based Recharge Wave: ‘As I was climbing the mountain, I decided that I had another calling.’
Article content
This series explores how next-generation members of enterprising families are making a name for themselves.
Jason Frohlich started out working in the family business but an epiphany while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa led him to carve his own path. While his family was supportive, there were challenges starting a different kind of business outside the family fold.
“I’ve generally found that in situations where the next gen wants to forge their own path, the family has always been supportive, either extrinsically through financial support or intrinsically through coaching, mentoring, networking etc.,” says Gerry Meyer, founder and chief executive of Vancouver-based Meyer Advisory Group.
“Where the family is not supportive, the departure is likely a symptom of underlining unresolved conflict issues and both or either side of the relationship may rather separate than deal with the core issue.”
Frohlich is the president and founder of Recharge Wave, a Montreal-based health and wellness company focusing on touchless technology for neck and back pain relief, that is growing across the U.S. market. He is also president of StimaWELL North America, which offers electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) devices in North America to fitness, rehabilitation and luxury wellness markets.
He carved his own path, as his family, led by patriarch Julius Frohlich, owns Language Research Development Group, the market leader in online English and French language training to the Canadian Federal Government.
Please tell us a bit about your family’s enterprise.
“The family business is called Language Research Development Group (LRDG) and provides online English and French language training to the Canadian Federal Government. My father Julius Frohlich is the chief executive, and my brother Jeremy Frohlich is the chief operating officer, and the company recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary.
LRDG’s programs and services are used in dozens of Canadian government departments, by over 50,000 civil servants coast to coast and even on Canadian navy submarines.
Over [the most acute phase of the COVID pandemic], they have experienced 50-per-cent year-over-year growth due to their online presence and leadership – and were just awarded a major Canada-wide contract for online language training and testing.”
When did you decide to carve out a path for yourself away from the family business?
“It was a process over several years.
I started working for the family business in Montreal in 2006, fresh out of school. I had lofty ideals and wanted to engage in social entrepreneurship and transformative social innovation.
My father convinced me to join the family business as there was a need and promised to support my ideas once I got some traction and real-life work experience. I helped build their e-learning division from scratch, and the first generation of their learning management system and portal, which helped transform the company and led to the creation of their successful blended learning methodology.
I then incubated an e-learning company that provided services to the family business and to other industries.
The catalyst, though, was when I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa for the Children’s Hospital in Montreal over 10 years ago. As I was climbing the mountain, I decided that I had another calling and I wanted to directly engage in social entrepreneurship and transformative health and wellness projects.
I then started to participate in sports fundraisers every year for various local causes, such as the Ride to Conquer Cancer, and fundraiser runs from Montreal to New York City, and eventually my network and I organized our own fundraisers for children’s causes.
Throughout these events and experiences, I met all kinds of people, such as successful executives, entrepreneurs, and health professionals, who shared my passion for combining sports, wellness and having a social impact.
I got into half-marathons, marathons, triathlons, Ironman 70.3, trail running, and many other sports events. I interacted with a multitude of people who wanted to take charge of their health but didn’t know how to train, eat well and deal with their injuries so I then became passionate about helping people on their wellness journey.
I built a team, incubated a health and wellness startup and became a social intrapreneur with the support of the family business. We created a platform and app that helped people find health professionals based on their specific needs. We then surrounded these people with an ecosystem of health professionals who would collaborate to help them achieve their specific wellness objectives.
Eventually I pivoted into a company called Recharge Wave. Eighty per cent of North Americans have or are suffering from back pain and our Recharge Wave Mat device from Germany [offers relief] for neck and back pain and offers multiple therapies (E-Stim, TENS and heat and massage therapy) in one easy-to-use device. I continue growing this business today across North America and am always open to opportunities to engage in transformative wellness projects and further my social impact.”
More from Canadian Family Offices
- Family businesses risk future without ESG emphasis: report
- Life in single-family offices was lonely, so Steve Ivacko sought greater community
- McCain family’s Daymark Foundation takes hands-on approach to mental health
- Living costs go skyward in the most expensive cities for expats
What challenges did you face in following your own path?
“When I decided to carve out my own path, I was now on the periphery of the family business and, back then, the intrapreneurial terminology and concepts were still new, especially for family businesses.
People were mainly talking about succession planning, not incubating startups outside of the fold. I was a bit naive and didn’t yet have the vocabulary to express what I needed and had limited mentorship in the new space I was targeting.
I did not know what I did not know and had to fast-track my education. I also tried to address major social issues without enough collaborators and stakeholders to support me on this journey.
I received support and encouragement, but I could no longer leverage the acquired knowhow from the family business, and its network did not extend to the new wellness markets and industries that I was now engaging with.
I wish back then I had a support network of other young intrapreneurs in family businesses that were carving out their own path and programs to help coach and elevate us. It would have been so nice to engage with these peers, as sometimes I felt quite alone.
Luckily, I loved what I was doing and still do today. When people thank me with tears in their eyes for helping me address their physical pain, it helps recharge and replenish my soul and makes it all worthwhile.”
What lessons did you take with you from your family’s experiences?
“My family taught me resilience and mental strength and that if you have health and love, you can overcome almost anything.
I am the grandson of holocaust survivors who escaped communism and emigrated to Montreal with almost nothing. They built a new life, worked very hard and transcended poverty, racism and many hardships.
My father was a taxi driver and worked hard to pay for his university education. When he graduated, he started a long career with technology companies, which opened doors for all of us and helped raise the family to a different social status.
My mother was an inspiring elementary school teacher and helped transform the lives of many children. There was a strong emphasis in my family on education, culture, knowledge, learning languages, and reading. From a young age I gained a voracious appetite and passion for reading and history and have been grateful to have been given the opportunity to travel and experience the world from many different perspectives and lenses.
Given what my family went through, they also imparted to me the importance of ‘tzedakah’ (charity) and the Jewish concept of ‘Tikkun Olam’ (to repair the world).
This upbringing, the experiences, the values and the work ethic, help fuel my inner fire, transcend pain and act as a reminder for me to be grateful and to help those less fortunate around me.”
Has your family been supportive of your journey?
“They have been very supportive. It was not always smooth sailing as there were differences of opinions, personally and professionally, but I was treated as an intrapreneur and provided with an office, access to resources and some financial support. I will always be appreciative of this.
Like all families, we have had our ups and downs and sometimes disagreements can be intense and emotional given how direct we are and how stubborn we can be. But we always overcome and remember our past and the importance of maintaining a strong foundation and family bond.
I know my father has always wanted me to succeed and feel accomplished and the family has my back. He did consider me a bit naive at times, and maybe I was, but I enjoyed what I was doing and still do today, and I like to think that I have had a positive impact on people and their wellness journey.”
Can you offer any words of advice for other next-gens who might be starting out on their own, unique path?
“Surround yourself with mentors, coaches and advisors and don’t stay local. Mobility is key, especially for transformative social ideas, regardless of where you, your family, and your family business is located.
Build an MVP (minimum viable product) and validate it before you move forward. Allow people to challenge you and your assumptions and take heed of what they say. You will go through a rollercoaster of emotions but be resilient and fail quickly.
You can fall into and out of passion with your ideas and projects. Things change and you and your environment are constantly evolving. Passion is not equal to perseverance. Passion equals perseverance plus fun. Once you stop having fun, your mental strength will be further challenged, so always search for, and find a middle ground in your endeavors.
It is of the utmost importance to have a good balance between the personal and professional. Work hard but enjoy time with friends and family whenever you can. These special moments will help fuel your passions and re-energize you. Take care of your mental and physical health and enjoy the ride!”
Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Please visit here to see information about our standards of journalistic excellence.