From Marine Corps to Multi-Million Dollar Ventures: Jeff Sands’ Journey

In a recent episode of Pivot to Profit, host Pam Jordan spoke with Jeff Sands—serial entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder of Glow Natural Wellness and Glow Investment Group—about his journey from growing up with a scarcity mindset to building multi-million-dollar, purpose-driven ventures.

Raised in Vermont in a single-parent household, Sands learned early on that money was scarce and often viewed with suspicion. After earning a degree in political science and serving as a Marine Corps officer—including a deployment to Iraq—he transitioned into the corporate world. While he achieved success, he found corporate values at odds with the integrity and loyalty instilled in him by the military.

Seeking greater alignment, Sands and his wife spent time living as nomads in Costa Rica, Mexico, and Nicaragua, an experience that gave him confidence that he could start over at any time. When his wife, Michelle, became a naturopathic physician, the couple saw an opportunity to create a business around her expertise. They launched Glow Natural Wellness, bootstrapping through five challenging years before finding their breakthrough: virtual hormone replacement therapy for women. This high-demand, underserved niche transformed the company, which now employs 55 people and has earned back-to-back spots on the Inc. 5000 list.

With Glow running smoothly under Michelle’s leadership, Sands shifted focus to Glow Investment Group, acquiring and optimizing businesses—particularly in the health and wellness space—by leveraging other people’s capital and labor. His investment model centers on purchasing profitable, values-aligned companies and increasing their value through operational improvements and cross-promotion.

For Sands, purpose outweighs profit, but he has found that when a business is built around passion and service, wealth often follows. This wealth, he says, can then be used to create greater impact, from charitable initiatives in Peru to supporting other entrepreneurs.

Sands’ advice to business owners is straightforward: build with purpose, protect your profit, and create systems that free you from day-to-day operations so you can focus on high-value growth.

Want to hear more from Jeff? Follow him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyrsands/ and https://www.instagram.com/glownaturalwellness/?hl=en