Swanson Vitamins’ Ava Krekelberg on Combating Digital Isolation and Reclaiming Spontaneous Human Connection
“I would love to inspire a movement that challenges society to actively reclaim real, spontaneous human connection.”
I had the pleasure of talking with Ava Krekelberg, a young marketer finding her footing at the intersection of corporate strategy and human behavior. Raised in Prior Lake, Minnesota, Krekelberg belongs to a unique micro-generation. She is an early 2000s kid who remembers the exact moment the internet morphed from a casual household novelty into an all-consuming reality. Her childhood was defined by a distinct balance, featuring “plenty of time spent outdoors, which taught me a lot,” alongside the slow rise of the digital age. This environment provided “a grounded perspective on family life without a lot of modern digital distractions, which was great.”
Her parents provided an early masterclass in work ethic and adaptation. Krekelberg watched her mother shift from a corporate career to becoming a stay-at-home parent, discovering photography while raising two daughters. Later, her parents risked security to build a business from scratch. Her father began brewing beer in the family garage, a passion project that expanded into co-manufacturing and eventually a full-scale commercial brewery facility. Spending her youth in that environment offered a front-row seat to the realities of entrepreneurship. Beyond business skills, her grandparents passed down deeper values centered on humility and local ties. “I have always been enamored by how easily my family connects with people,” Krekelberg notes, explaining how walking into local shops still prompts inquiries about her mother’s well-being. This upbringing laid the groundwork for a career focused on personal impact and deep relationships.
Her academic journey at North Dakota State University began during a period of global upheaval. Entering higher education in the fall of 2020 meant navigating the isolation of pandemic lockdowns. It was an era that upended the typical milestones of networking and face-to-face collaboration. “Entering college during lockdowns is an experience that does not get discussed enough,” she says, recalling how it derailed standard expectations for her peer group. Initially uncertain of her path, she shifted her focus from history education to criminal justice before finding a home in psychology. She made the Dean’s List and co-founded the campus chapter of Letters of Love, a nonprofit creating emotional support cards for hospitalized children. Her focus eventually settled on consumer psychology, analyzing how the human brain processes information within a marketplace context. For Krekelberg, using a scientific understanding of human behavior became an essential asset, allowing her to analyze raw data patterns and understand why a customer engages with content or makes a purchase.
Krekelberg began her career journey before her senior year of college, starting as an intern at Swanson Vitamins before transitioning to a full-time role after graduation. The legacy brand, established in 1969, offered a lean operational environment where ideas could be tested quickly. Coming from a nontraditional business background, and guided by her mentor, Krekelberg adjusted to the sharp learning curves of corporate life. “The best piece of advice I ever received was to simply slow down and ask questions,” she reflects. Letting go of the need to appear omniscient changed her approach, transforming daily operations from isolated contributions into genuine teamwork. In time, she became known as the resident “Swiss Army Knife” by being curious enough to understand the bigger picture. Being open and versatile has given her the opportunity to collaborate across channels and turn complex challenges into actionable solutions.
Today, she operates as a key player on the Swanson brand team, helping the legacy company navigate a crowded wellness market that exploded after 2020. Swanson recently shifted its branding back to “Swanson Vitamins” to emphasize its history of quality and transparency. The role presents a multi-channel challenge, requiring consistent messaging across traditional print catalogs, direct-to-consumer websites, Amazon, TikTok marketplaces, social media, and beyond. Her work focuses on brand storytelling, content strategy, guiding PR initiatives, channel management, and leadership.
Despite the fast pace of modern marketing, Krekelberg attempts to maintain a steady personal routine, using morning meditation, daily outdoor breaks, and a focus on what she terms “classic ‘Midwest nice’” communication. Looking at the broader culture, she expresses concern over the growing isolation brought on by modern conveniences like delivery apps and self-checkout lanes. “I would love to inspire a movement that challenges society to actively reclaim real, spontaneous human connection,” she says. For Krekelberg, putting phones away and approaching daily encounters with basic curiosity is essential for keeping human perspective alive in a digital world.
Yitzi: Ava, it’s such a delight to do this with you. Before we dive in and talk about your amazing work, our readers would love to learn about Ava Krekelberg’s personal origin story. Can you share the story of your childhood, how you grew up, and particularly the seeds and the genesis of all the amazing work that has come since then?
Ava: It is a delight to do this with you as well. I grew up in a pretty normal family, if normal is a real word when it comes to families and growing up. I am an early 2000s kid, so I grew up during that unique transition period where the internet was just starting to become a major part of life. I had a wonderful childhood with plenty of time spent outdoors, which taught me a lot. It gave me a grounded perspective on family life without a lot of modern digital distractions, which was great.
I was raised by very hardworking and supportive parents. I watched them navigate a lot of professional shifts during my childhood, from working corporate jobs to my mom pivoting to become a stay-at-home mother. During that time, she picked up photography and explored her creative side while dedicating a lot of energy to my sister and me. Later on, I watched my parents take a big leap to start, own, and grow their own business. They worked incredibly hard to provide for us in a way that felt unique to them.
They owned a brewery, which was a lot of fun. My sister and I would hang out there and see firsthand how they built something from the ground up. My dad initially started brewing beer in his garage, which then grew into co-manufacturing, and eventually led to owning their own facility.
Growing up in that environment instilled strong values in me. My grandparents were also incredibly hardworking people who taught our family the importance of staying humble, being kind, and building authentic relationships. I have always been enamored by how easily my family connects with people. They have built such lasting relationships in the community. Even today, I can walk into local stores, and when people hear my last name, they immediately ask how my mother is doing. That is the environment I grew up in, and it shaped who I wanted to become.
I have attributed a lot of those upbringing values to my career. I knew I wanted to work closely with people, build strong relationships, and make an impact that felt deeply personal. It has been a wild ride so far, but I feel like I am definitely on the right track, and I owe a lot of that to a very positive and impactful childhood.
I would also love to provide a bit of context regarding my educational background, as I think it highlights an important experience for my generation. I graduated from college in 2024, which means I entered higher education in 2020 right during the height of the pandemic. Entering college during lockdowns is an experience that does not get discussed enough. It completely derailed standard expectations, and many students in my cohort missed out on early opportunities to collaborate in person, network, or test out various career fields.
I started my freshman year feeling incredibly scattered about my direction, shifting my focus from history education to criminal justice. Eventually, I took several psychology courses and realized that the discipline extends far beyond clinical therapy or school counseling. Psychology is embedded in everything we do. I decided to specialize in consumer psychology, focusing heavily on how the human brain processes information in a marketplace context.
Utilizing a scientific understanding of human behavior has been an incredible asset in my marketing career. It allows me to analyze raw data patterns and deeply comprehend why a consumer clicks a link, engages with a piece of content, or decides to make a purchase. While not coming from a traditional business school background meant I had to learn technical tools like advanced Excel and corporate acronyms on the job, those hard skills are easily trainable. Developing a foundational understanding of human psychology is much more complex, and having that academic base has allowed me to think more critically and advance rapidly in my career.
Yitzi: Please tell us the story of how you became one of the marketing leaders at Swanson Vitamins.
Ava: I work as a specialist, but we have a very lean team here.Swanson has given me the opportunity at every level to bring forth my ideas, test new concepts, and try different strategies, which I think is really special. The company puts a massive amount of value on its people, listening to their ideas, and allowing them to learn from both their mistakes and their team members.
I feel incredibly fortunate to work with such amazing colleagues. From the moment I started, I had an incredible mentor named Whitney Baumgartner. She is exceptionally smart and taught me almost everything I do today. She always guided me with grace and respect, and she showed me the immense value of mutual respect in the workplace. It felt rare to feel so deeply respected by a supervisor, especially someone you look up to and want to work hard for. Knowing that my ideas and my work truly mattered was incredible, and it helped me grow immensely.
I have only been with the company for a short time, but I feel like I have grown lifetimes. If anyone were to ask me, I feel like I could have been here for a decade because of how much I have been able to contribute, and my superiors have always recognized those contributions. I started here as an intern and worked my way up by putting my best foot forward driving measurable growth, learning as much as possible from the people around me, and doing everything I could to make a real impact. It has been an amazing journey, and I can certainly get into the nitty-gritty details if you would like.
Yitzi: There’s a saying that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a humorous mistake you made when you were first starting, and the lesson you took away from it?
Ava: I think one of my biggest early mistakes is something a lot of people face when they are just starting out in their careers or pivoting to a new industry. When you land a role, you are there for a reason. You are never there purely by luck; the company saw distinct value in you and you fit their culture. Because of that, you should always maintain confidence in your capabilities.
However, when you are new, that desire to prove yourself can sometimes make you afraid to ask for clarification. You are rarely the smartest person in the room when you enter a new industry. Early on, I used to be terrified of asking clarifying questions. I would encounter unfamiliar acronyms or feel completely unsure where colleagues were finding specific product metrics and reporting. I would try to dig through all the information by myself, which only left me more confused.
The best piece of advice I ever received was to simply slow down and ask questions. There were multiple instances early on where I tried to handle everything independently to prove my worth, and I ended up completely missing the mark, utilizing the wrong product data, or misaligning the messaging. It just created unnecessary confusion for the team.
The moment I stopped rushing through projects and let go of the need to appear as though I knew everything, the quality of my work improved drastically. Being intentional and asking questions can be magical. Your team members genuinely want to help you because you are all working toward a shared goal; success is never purely individual. Treating your daily operations as teamwork rather than a collection of isolated contributions changes everything. You can accomplish so much more when you leverage the collective knowledge and resources around you. It might not be a traditional comedic story, but it is a vital piece of wisdom: slow down, ask questions, and remember that you are all in it together.
Yitzi: Please tell us about any exciting new initiatives, products, or directions that Swanson is taking.
Ava: Swanson is going through an incredibly exciting phase right now. We have recently transitioned our branding back to “Swanson Vitamins” to firmly reclaim our identity as true experts in supplements, vitamins, and overall wellness. We are leaning heavily into our core pillars of quality, transparency, and integrity. I find this shift incredibly refreshing, especially given all the consumer noise and flashy marketing trends currently filling social media feeds. When you look past the surface, what makes a brand genuinely special is its commitment to being open, honest, and holding its integrity to a high standard.
We pride ourselves on being a high-quality legacy brand that handles our operations in-house. Our headquarters in Fargo, North Dakota, houses a massive facility. It features a state-of-the-art in-house laboratory and a giant manufacturing space where we fill, package, and ship our products. It is incredible to see. We want to show our customers that everything comes directly from us to their doorstep.
We also have a fantastic roster of internal experts, including pharmacists, registered dietitians, and nutritionists who deeply believe in what we do. We are focusing our creative energy on putting these experts directly on consumers’ screens. We want them to share their extensive knowledge and tell the brand’s story authentically through the Swanson name.
On the product side, we are highly focused on innovation by listening to our customer feedback and bringing their requests to life. For instance, we are currently launching a new product called Mellow Mag. We took one of our popular magnesium powder formulas and updated it to better align with current wellness trends and exact customer preferences. We are delivering it in fresh, convenient formats like single-serve stick packs for on-the-go stress relief, alongside our standard tubs. It is a delicious powder format that mixes easily into drinks, offering the exact same high-quality magnesium you would get from a capsule but in an enjoyable beverage with three fun flavors. It is an amazing alternative for individuals who dislike swallowing capsules.
My team is tasked with figuring out how to bring these innovations to the market. I spend a lot of time developing the narrative and storytelling for these launches, ensuring our messaging delivers real educational value rather than relying on aggressive sales tactics. We want people to understand the science behind what they are consuming so they feel entirely comfortable with their wellness routines. We work hand-in-hand with our experts, letting them tell these product stories in their own unique voices across videos, graphics, and copy.
We look deeply into consumer research to understand how people receive these narratives, testing whether visuals, specific messaging points, or the physical product format resonates the most. This scientific approach helps us continuously refine our content. Ultimately, this effort is meant to benefit the consumer. We want everyone who interacts with Swanson Vitamins to know that we listen to them, we support them, and we act as a true partner in their health journey rather than just another commercial brand selling a temporary fix.
Prioritizing your health is one of the most vital parts of being human. My core job is to ensure that Swanson Vitamins stands out as your trusted health partner, and translating consumer behavior into meaningful brand experiences is easily my favorite part of the job.
Yitzi: What has been the most challenging project or role you have taken on so far, and why?
Ava: In the marketing space, you encounter distinct challenges around every corner. One of the most complex aspects of my current role is navigating the dual nature of Swanson Vitamins; we operate as both a proprietary brand and a massive online marketplace. We host numerous partner brands on our platform, we are actively expanding into TikTok Shop, and we maintain a strong presence on Amazon, all while continuing to drive traffic to our primary direct-to-consumer website.
Learning how to communicate effectively across all of these distinct audiences is a significant challenge. The consumer demographics on our main website differ greatly from the audiences browsing TikTok Shop or searching on Amazon. Furthermore, when you look at individual marketing channels, our email subscribers, print catalog readers, and social media followers all require unique approaches.
Unifying our core brand messaging so that it remains entirely consistent across the entire company, while simultaneously tailoring the execution to speak directly to those localized audiences, requires a massive amount of strategic testing. The main challenge lies in mastering this multi-channel lens: establishing a cohesive narrative that spans print, email, Amazon, and TikTok, and then successfully breaking it down for each platform. It requires extensive prior planning and careful allocation of our team’s time. We have focused heavily on streamlining this cycle, and the momentum we are building is incredibly rewarding. Overcoming that operational hurdle and seeing positive consumer data is a fantastic feeling.
Yitzi: Amazing. There are a lot of other vitamin companies out there. In your own words, what makes Swanson unique, and why should people purchase their vitamins from your company rather than others?
Ava: You are entirely right. It is a very special brand. Following the events of 2020, the vitamin, mineral, and supplement industry experienced an absolute boom. The market skyrocketed, bringing a tremendous amount of noise with it. Consumers are constantly bombarded with flashy new startups and aggressive advertisements every time they scroll through social media.
Swanson stands apart because we are a proven legacy brand established in 1969. No company maintains a successful presence for multiple decades purely by chance; longevity is always a reflection of the brand’s underlying substance. We are intentionally highlighting our historic promise of trust, quality, and integrity to our modern audience.
These principles are backed by concrete actions. We operate a registered, Good Manufacturing Practices certified facility in Fargo, complete with our own internal testing labs alongside rigorous third-party verification. Every single employee working on our production floor undergoes specialized training to operate our machinery safely and accurately. Everything we produce is done in strict accordance with FDA regulations.
When you buy from us, you are receiving a real wellness solution manufactured directly by the company selling it, rather than a product from a startup that outsources its manufacturing to a third party and focuses exclusively on flashy packaging. Furthermore, because we maintain such an extensive product portfolio, we have the operational capacity to truly listen to consumer feedback and innovate responsibly. Nothing leaves our warehouse without passing through an exhaustive quality control process, because we recognize that personal health is far too important for shortcuts.
Yitzi: Regarding manufacturing, do you manufacture the vitamins in America in your own facility?
Ava: Yes, absolutely. We have some fantastic behind-the-scenes content launching soon that highlights our production space. Our internal laboratory tests every single raw ingredient, and we supplement that with independent third-party testing. The scale of our powder formulation and capsule-filling rooms is incredible to see in person. Everything from initial encapsulation to bottling and final packaging takes place directly at our facility in Fargo. In fact, our corporate marketing offices are located in the exact same building as the manufacturing plant, which is wonderful because it keeps us completely connected to the heart of our physical product.
Yitzi: One of the topics we recently explored was how wellness companies are combating misinformation. Can you share some of the steps your company has taken to combat misinformation regarding vitamins and supplements?
Ava: While I am not on the technical science team, our primary strategy against industry misinformation is radical transparency. We utilize our media channels to explicitly show our consumer base exactly how their supplements are made. If there is ever false information circulating suggesting that our products are entirely manufactured overseas, we can counter that directly by broadcasting real footage of our teams mixing, testing, and bottling formulas right here in North Dakota. Providing that visual proof allows consumers to verify our standards for themselves.
Additionally, we have built a streamlined pipeline between our customer service representatives and our internal wellness experts. If a customer contacts us with a highly technical question or mentions a health myth they encountered online, our support team immediately routes that inquiry to our certified pharmacists, dietitians, or nutritionists. We intentionally avoid automated AI bots for complex inquiries. When you call or message Swanson, you are guaranteed an authentic response from a qualified professional dedicated to providing accurate, science-backed information.
Yitzi: I have to be honest, meeting you and Whitney, you are among the nicest people. Is that how the rest of the company is as well?
Ava: Thank you so much! We like to call that classic “Midwest nice.” Yes, absolutely. The culture across the entire company is incredibly warm and collaborative. If I ever have a question or need assistance with a project, someone is always ready to step in and help. The business is genuinely built on a foundation of honesty, trust, and mutual kindness. It is incredibly sweet of you to notice. I credit a lot of that to how I was raised to prioritize meaningful relationships and treat people well. Plus, having a background as a psychology major definitely reinforces my belief that leading with kindness is always the best path forward.
Yitzi: Amazing. This brings us to our signature question. Eva, you have been very successful in your role and have clearly learned a lot from your experiences. Looking back to when you first started, can you share five things you have learned over the years that someone starting out today would benefit from?
Ava: Absolutely. While my perspective is naturally shaped by my career in marketing, I firmly believe these five core lessons apply to anyone entering the professional world today.
- First, take the time to thoroughly learn your company’s brand history and core identity. Understanding where your company originated and what it stands for gives immense meaning to your daily responsibilities. Just as personal self-awareness is crucial for individual growth, knowing your brand’s roots helps you realize that your daily efforts are contributing to a much larger, collective goal.
- Second, understand that you must remain a lifelong learner, regardless of your career stage. It does not matter if you are entering your very first entry-level role or stepping into your tenth corporate position; there will always be room to grow and someone new to learn from. Industries, technologies, and consumer habits evolve constantly, so you must commit to evolving alongside them.
- Third, never be afraid to voice your ideas. Early in my career, I was often hesitant to share my opinions because I worried about overstepping boundaries or presenting an unpolished concept. The reality is that everyone in the room is collectively working to solve problems. True innovation happens through collaboration, and voicing a unique perspective might be the exact spark needed to help a teammate build something spectacular.
- Fourth, remove the fear of failure from your mindset. Every successful professional has encountered setbacks and made mistakes; it is an unavoidable and necessary part of professional development. The mistake itself matters far less than your subsequent response. Acknowledge the error, analyze what went wrong, extract the lesson, and apply that knowledge to perform better moving forward.
- Fifth, actively support the people around you. No matter how much success you achieve or how high you rise within an organization, you are never too important to lend a hand to a colleague. Bringing a positive, supportive attitude to your workspace directly elevates the company culture and has the power to completely transform a teammate’s day.
- As a bonus sixth rule, it is equally vital to recognize and articulate your professional limits. Being transparent with yourself and your leadership team regarding your workload and mental bandwidth preserves your energy. Honoring your boundaries allows you to bring a higher level of positive focus to your daily tasks while ensuring you can return home to your personal life feeling genuinely refreshed.
Yitzi: Since you work for a wellness company, could you share some of your personal self-care routines that keep your body, mind, and heart healthy?
Ava: Working in this industry has completely transformed how I view self-care. For my physical health, taking a premium probiotic every single day has become a non-negotiable staple; it keeps my digestive system balanced and makes me feel wonderful. I have also learned the critical importance of daily hydration. I always start my morning with a large glass of water, often adding one of our electrolyte hydration packets if I am feeling particularly drained, which instantly boosts my physical energy.
For my mind and soul, I dedicate time to meditation every single morning. I adopted this habit about six months ago, and taking those quiet moments to ground my thoughts before looking at a phone or computer screen has completely shifted how I handle daily stress.
I also make it a priority to step outside every single day, regardless of whether the weather is freezing cold or incredibly hot. Removing myself from digital screens and stepping out of the office to breathe fresh air brings me an immense amount of peace. Finally, I actively prioritize genuine human interaction. Taking the time to converse deeply with family, friends, or even a stranger provides a social connection that truly fuels my day. My daily wellness checklist is simple: take your probiotics, stay hydrated, spend time in nature, meditate, and always lead with kindness.
Yitzi: This brings us to our final aspirational question. Given your impactful work and the platform you are building, you have the ability to influence many people. If you could spread one core idea or inspire a movement to bring the most good to the world, what would it be?
Ava: I would love to inspire a movement that challenges society to actively reclaim real, spontaneous human connection. In recent years, small talk has developed an unfortunate negative stigma, and the convenience of modern technology allows us to completely bypass basic social interactions through delivery apps and self-checkout lanes. We are losing those brief, meaningful moments to connect with a grocery cashier, a retail worker, or a server at a restaurant.
You truly never know who you might meet or what perspective you might gain simply by approaching a stranger with genuine kindness. I have had casual, brief conversations with cashiers or waitstaff that unknowingly sparked creative concepts that I later implemented into my marketing strategies, or simply provided a bit of positivity that turned a frustrating day around.
As a society, we are letting convenience isolate us from one another. My challenge to the world is to put the phones away, step outside, and approach everyday encounters with curiosity. Saying a simple, kind hello to a stranger in a grocery store can restore a sense of community and significantly enrich both your personal life and your work.
Yitzi: Ava, it has been an absolute joy speaking with you today. I wish you continued success, excellent health, and many blessings. I look forward to our next interview next year to hear about all the exciting new developments.
Ava: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me and for asking such thought-provoking questions. I would absolutely love to return next year; there will be plenty of exciting innovations to share!
Swanson Vitamins’ Ava Krekelberg on Combating Digital Isolation and Reclaiming Spontaneous Human… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.