How did Julian go from singing to the Queen to running a successful healthcare website? Read on for how his life went from one scale to the other.
Talk us through your background – what was your career to begin with?
“I’m actually a musician by background! I was the Queen’s personal chorister as a child, which was a wonderful honour. My career, though, has been in marketing: first across a number of major drinks brands, and more recently for myself as a consultant working across the wellness and supplements space.”
Why the transition?
“It was a natural evolution, really. Consulting to brands in the supplements space by helping with launch strategy, creative, and communications gave me a real window into both the opportunity and the gap in the market. I joined Cannaray initially to lead on the marketing side for our CBD and supplement products, and from there the idea for what became Cannaray Wellness started to take shape.
How does Cannaray Wellness work?
“There are plenty of brands selling supplements without any means of establishing whether those products are right for the individual – or whether they’re actually working. There are diagnostics businesses offering home or clinic blood tests, but with no ability to act on what they find. And there are high-end clinics offering consultations and treatments, but at a price point that excludes most people. Nobody had brought all of that together. Cannaray Wellness is built around that missing middle: you can benchmark your health through blood work, receive prescribed treatments, access the right supplements, and crucially monitor whether those interventions are making a difference over time. That end-to-end model is what makes it genuinely exciting.”
What was it like starting a business from scratch?
“Challenging – and deliberately so. The barriers to entry in this sector are significant. You have to demonstrate robust treatment protocols, clinical safety and efficacy, and a standard of care that patients can trust. That’s before you even get into building a brand and an audience who believe in what you’re doing. Launching any business is hard; adding clinical complexity raises the stakes considerably, but it also raises the quality of what you’re building.”
Have you made any mistakes in your business to date?
“I’d frame it less as mistakes, and more as the inherent challenges of operating in a fast-moving space. The GLP-1 market in particular is evolving at a remarkable pace, and the real ongoing challenge is staying ahead of what patients and consumers need while maintaining full clinical compliance. That balance requires constant attention – it’s not something you solve once.”
What has been your greatest accomplishment to date?
“Getting it off the ground is genuinely the foundation, and that can’t be underestimated. Our partnership with Tough Mudder [mud run and obstacle course] is something the team is particularly proud of. And from a commercial perspective, the thing I find most satisfying is that we’ve managed to sustain and grow the core business while simultaneously launching a parallel venture. That’s not easy to pull off, and I’m proud of the team for making it work.”
Let’s talk social media. Why do you believe it’s so important to brands these days?
“It’s indispensable, particularly in this space. For us, social media is where we build community, establish credibility, share patient and customer stories, and bring our world to life. The brands doing this best aren’t just broadcasting, they’re creating a sense of belonging. That’s what we’re working to do.”
So what is your goal when it comes to your business?
“To help as many people as possible feel better, every day. That’s genuinely it!”
Finally, please tell us one thing that nobody knows about you… until now.
“I rather gave that away in the first answer! Beyond that, it’s fairly unglamorous: my left leg is about half an inch shorter than my right, after I shattered both legs aged 15. I’m perfectly fine now, but it’s the kind of thing you don’t tend to lead with.”
Find out more about Cannaray Wellness by visiting www.cannaray.com
