Hello everyone. Welcome to Question Everything, a podcast all about learning from the successes and the failures of those who dared to question everything. This podcast is part interview, part therapy, and part price is right. We have our own game board stacked with questions that'll make even the most successful CMO totally sweat. I'm your host, Ashley Walters, CMO and partner at Curiosity.

On today's episode, I sit down with Deeannah Seymour, founder of PhD Feminine Health, an independent, certified, woman owned and woman-run business reinventing holistic feminine hygiene and wellness solutions. She shares her journey and perspective on building a brand from humble beginnings to now being sold across more than 50,000 retailers and growing. Today, we talk about practical tips brands can use to get and stay on shelf.

How conviction is the antidote to fear. And trust me, it takes courage to be the only woman in the room. And finally, the importance TikTok plays in the marketing mix and how marketers should rethink its role. Now I'm going to give you a warning if hearing the word vagina makes you uncomfortable. This episode is not for you. If destigmatizing outdated cultural norms energizes you, then this episode is made for you. Tet's get started.

Check out more about the story of Deeannah Seymour by visiting this page of her website

Deeannah Seymour: Deeannah’s Introduction

Today is going to be an epic episode. We are talking vaginas. Our guest is Deeannah Seymour. She's the founder of PhD Feminine Health. Unsatisfied with expensive, inconvenient, and ineffective solutions for vaginal wellness and armed with a biology background, and 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry, she has reinvented feminine hygiene and wellness solutions to help millions of women feel confident and comfortable.

Her products are now available in over 50,000 stores including Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, Publix in the US and in Canada. PhD recently landed on the 2023 list, and Deeannah Seymour was named to the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Class of 2023. And she's also Curiosity's newest client. Deeannah. Yes, welcome to Question Everything.

I'm so excited to be here. Thank you so much for having me. We are excited too. So what's going on in your world? What's new? How are you doing?

Wow, it's a whirlwind right now. We had been in LA. First of all, I live in Nashville, so I was in LA most of last week. Now I'm in Vegas, and then I fly to Denver. All amazing conferences that, we're super excited to be talking about our brand to retailers and consumers. So great things are happening, and we're getting gearing up to for a massive launch at Walmart.

Yes. So super excited about that. And very, very grateful to be working with Curiosity.

Oh, well, we are to you are from the moment I met you. You are so inspiring. Your story is incredible. Your brand and business is incredible. And I think your intentions, for what you want to do for the category and for the women shopping in this category are just, incredible. And so I cannot wait to unpack all of that today. Are you ready? I'm ready.

Let's go. All right, let's go. Let's pull up the game board. So, as you know, we've got 12 super secret questions on our game board. And then a little fun question that will tackle at the end. But the power is complete and in your hands. So go ahead and pick your favorite number.

Learn about feminine hygiene tips for teenage girls from the blog of Deeannah Seymour

Deeannah Seymour: Being One of the Few Female CEOs in the Feminine Hygiene Industry

Let's see. I'm going to go with three, number three. Okay. 

So I could not believe this when I heard that that this was true. So you wouldn't think that it's true. But you're one of the few female CEOs and founders in the feminine hygiene industry. What challenges has this presented, and is there an opportunity for more women business owners to solve problems that men just don't think about?

Right. I was astounded to find this out myself. I, and now we are actually the only, certified woman owned company in that aisle. Which means to have that certification means we are controlled. Majority shareholder is a woman. And I feel like that's so important because, you know, we're making products for women that women need.

And, you know, our product should have been brought to market years ago. Yeah, but the only people who were in that aisle at the store were those big legacy brands, you know, like Monistat’s and Summers Eve and Vagisil’ss and such, who really, were risk-averse to such huge innovation. So, it is such an exciting time to be a founder in the feminine care, feminine hygiene aisle.

You know, you've got other brands that are really innovating in addition to us. And, it's the perfect opportunity, perfect time for women to be entering into that category. Because we know, you know, as women, we know what women want and what we need.

That's right. Have you like, met any like, significant challenges or anything being a woman owner, founder, CEO, you know, going up against all of these men who are backing these feminine hygiene products?

Check out more about the story of Deeannah Seymour by visiting this page of her website

Deeannah Seymour: The Challenges of Going Up Against Major Corporations Run by Men

Yes. We have caused massive disruption in the category with the introduction of our hero item, the boric acid suppository. You know, we were the first to bring them to market. And other major companies, of course, took notice because we were, eroded their market share. And one day I will write a book about what has happened to us as a result.

But it's truly like a David and Goliath story. And small woman, no brand having to go up against these major corporations that are, you know, run by men. And it's really sad to see that so many of these corporations, operate, as a source of fear. And they're our intentions are we just want to improve the lives of women and our hearts are in it for the right reason.

So, it has been very challenging. And, there's some things right now that I can't talk about, but  yes, one day I will be able to. And it's taken a lot of courage. There have been days where, you know, I just was completely eroded and beaten down and exhausted. But, as you know, I feel like it is my duty to continue on this path.

But we kind of blazed the trail within this category, and I feel like, now it's ripe for other disruptors to join as well.

And you're not afraid of those disruptors? I really like that. You told me, like, you know, bring it on. You know, we're not. It's not a competition here. With that, we're all doing something great for women, and we can celebrate that.

Absolutely. And there's space, you know, for many more, many others. yeah. Because the innovators, who are coming into the category, I feel like are also doing it for the right reason. That's great. With conviction comes courage. I love that the more convicted we are, the more courageous we can be in some of our decisions and the situations we put ourselves in. Absolutely. Absolutely set it perfectly.

Learn about feminine hygiene tips for teenage girls from the blog of Deeannah Seymour

Deeannah Seymour: The Challenges of Airing a Feminine Care Product

All right, let's go back to the game board. That was good. Okay. That was all right. All right I'm going to go with number seven. Number seven. We're going down a row here okay? 

So let's face it. People are uncomfortable saying the word vagina. In fact I said today, let's just count how many times we say the word vagina. Yet you are the first brand to say it on TV. I can't even believe that that's true. But I've heard it is. So just walk us through the boardroom.

When you were making that decision, do we say or do we not? What challenges did you face? Were the networks all like, yeah, great? This is going to be easy. Let's air it. How did that happen?

We, there's a product for vaginal odor. So how do you not say the word vagina, right? I mean, hello, we were grateful to you that we were working with an agency who wanted to push the boundaries. Yes. And truthfully, you know, we thought it was highly likely that it wouldn't air on a lot of channels. But we knew that there were ways around it to air on connected TV.

And so it was a huge challenge because when we aired on connected TV and it was very successful. And then we tried, to have a cable buy and it did not go so well. So, you know, it was also discouraging because how many times do you hear erectile dysfunction? You know, ED, all the time on TV.

And not only have we faced this, with our TV commercial, but also, I was talking to the, Lauren Wong, the founder of Flex. That's just the other day, and, she's become a part of the sisterhood of the disruptors in the feminine care aisle, and she experiences the same thing, you know, talking about period and and bleeding and blood, on Meta, and others as well.

So it's just, I feel like we're we're chipping away at it. And, at some point, the tide has to turn, right? I mean, because 50% of the population has a vagina, and we have to talk about it because it's such an integral part of our being and who we are. So, anyway, it's been a huge challenge.

But, again, I think we can't just sit back and not try and not do it. That doesn't get us anywhere. So hopefully this next go round, we will have even more success.

Check out more about the story of Deeannah Seymour by visiting this page of her website

Deeannah Seymour: Removing The Shame and Stigma Associated with Vaginas

And a big shout out to your agency fancy. They do great work and they say the campaign was so lovely and such a huge step for women, not just your brand. Because I think about it like you walk down the aisle and you're like, you're kind of ashamed and embarrassed, and it doesn't have to be like that.

Like, we can celebrate our vaginas and, like, walk into the aisle with some confidence, right? That's why you're there.

Yes, absolutely. And also, I feel a big part of what we do is trying to remove the shame and the stigma associated with vaginas, health issues, concerns because it's totally normal. I mean, it's just like, you know, other parts of your body aren't always, well, sometimes that happens with our vaginas too. And there are solutions, you know, holistic solutions available, like the products that we make to help women feel their most confident and comfortable.

It's funny, one of our sayings, and we have it on our backs. We just gave out like 2000 bags at the Expo West last week, but it says Happy Vagina, Happy Life, right? Because yeah, it's so true. And it was so incredible to see the men who came up to our booth who were like, you know what? That is so true. And I'm going to take this from my wife because we need to celebrate that. 

And, so we're really sparking a conversation not just with women, but also with men, which is wonderful. All right, let's go back to the board.

Learn about feminine hygiene tips for teenage girls from the blog of Deeannah Seymour

Deeannah Seymour: Having Sessions with Buyers Through ECRM

All right. Here. You know what? Let's just go for 11 since we're going to knock out the row. Let's go.

Number 11 okay. So I saw this a little bit in our intro, but your products are available in over 50,000 retailers. And we know there's like a big push for Walmart coming up. Talk to us a little bit about, you know, for some of our listeners out there who are maybe in a more early stage than you are, and they're just now building their retailer relationships, any advice you can give them for, like getting on shelf, staying on shelf, any roadblocks or challenges that you faced and have overcome?

Oh goodness. I feel like I could talk about this for a couple of hours at least, you know. It's interesting. I'll tell the story of how we were able to achieve that. We launched on Amazon back before Amazon Prime was really what it is today, in 2014 and we used that success, that story of our success on Amazon.

And I went to an ECRM. ECRM is something a lot of young, newer brands will go to because it gives them the opportunity to have sessions with buyers. So it's like speed dating with retailers is pretty much what it is. So you're at a table and then every ten minutes, a new retailer will come to your booth and you get to share your story.

So we did that, you know, really, we didn't know what we didn't know. And it's never been more true with our launch on retail. But because of our velocity at Amazon and we had a story, right? So we had the story of the reviews of women and how this product was changing their lives. And the velocity. I mean, within six months, we took over the number one bestseller in our category, this no name brand.

Check out more about the story of Deeannah Seymour by visiting this page of her website

Deeannah Seymour: Forging The Right Relationships

And, we happened to have two really great buyers who were able to see that story and realize, okay, there's a huge potential here because there's nothing like this product on the market. So it's really doesn't happen a lot, but I've been told by people in the retail industry that this is kind of unheard of.

But we did land target chain wide and CVS, nearly full distribution at both stores. Those were our first retailers that we won. And because of the way I knew health care, professional marketing, that's what I knew. Having spent 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry, I knew it worked. So I knew that once we got on shelf, that it was so important to have the buy in of the medical community.

And we worked hard to do that. And have been hugely successful in doing so. But it's one thing to get on shop and it's another thing to stay there. You know, you celebrate after you win and get the planet gram and there you are. But then it's kind of like, oh, crap, what do we do?

Because we've got to have great marketing and a plan to stay there. So it's hugely important we've learned and we have fantastic brokers that we work with who have great relationships and it's about so many things in life. It's all about relationships, right? So we work hard to foster those relationships and constantly communicate with the buyers about the brand.

You know, any time we go viral on TikTok or Instagram, we make sure we send them that week so that they're informed because they see a spike in sales as a result. Any awards that we receive, you know, any, new marketing plans and we're constantly meeting with them, in person or over Zoom just to communicate. And, you know, as long as you have a plan, for your lodging, that's one of the reasons we've been caged to all because of this massive launch at Walmart for us.

So it's important you can't just sit back and hope that the item sells. You really have to have a very cogent, buttoned-up plan for your marketing efforts. But there's opportunities like ECRM to get in front of buyers. But it's so, so important. They love a brand story. They love to hear why you came up with a product.

You know, especially it was fulfilling a personal need. And the story behind the brand is hugely important to buyers. But also having a story of success, whether that, you know, DTC, your e-com, Amazon. If you demonstrated success, maybe in the natural channel and you want to make a move over into brick and mortar, an FDM, but, yeah, it's making sure your presentation is done correctly and you're really speaking the language.

Learn about feminine hygiene tips for teenage girls from the blog of Deeannah Seymour

Deeannah Seymour: Advising Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Do you ever talk to, like, aspiring entrepreneurs and share your thoughts and advice to help them?

I couldn't even tell you how many entrepreneurs that I have helped mentor along the way, because I've made so many mistakes. Yeah, I tell the story that when I got the award letter from Target, I didn't even know what it said. I mean, there were acronyms on there that I didn't know, like MOD. What’s a MOD? So here I was looking, Googling all of these acronyms and I onboarded at Target without a broker, which is unheard of, and a TVS.

So we did this kind of blindly. I ended up hiring a consultant to help me figure it out. But the folks at Target were so sweet and the supplier helpline, they knew me by name, like, oh, it's Deeannah Seymour again. I talk to every operator they have, but we got through it.

Oh, I love that vulnerability. How many times have I been in a meeting and googled something that I didn't know? So many?  ell, and it's taught me, you know, just raise your hand and say, what does that mean? Yes. Oh, it's so important. I wish I would have learned that a lot earlier in life. Same. Amazing. Oh, thank you. Thank you for those stories. Yeah. All right. Let's go back to that game board.

Check out more about the story of Deeannah Seymour by visiting this page of her website

Deeannah Seymour: Faith Over Fear

Awesome. Let's go number one, okay.

So your background is in biology not business. Why were you the one to take on solving the gap in the feminine hygiene industry?

That's a great question. I never had a business class in my life. Yeah. A biology degree worked in the business of science for 20 years and loved it. And, you know, it's so interesting how I loved my job that I had. And I really thought I was going to retire from it because I was a single mom of two kids that provided all the security that I need that I thought I needed, you know, the health care benefits, a company car, a pension plan.

You know, I was going to have my healthcare nearly paid for me when I left. And, I, you know, this product works. Acid suppositories completely changed my life. And I had been suffering with my own vaginal health issues after being on a ton of antibiotics, and everything was just disrupted. So I found this ingredient, boric acid.

And I was looking for something backed by science because that was important to me. And I found all these studies that had been done on it conferred with a lot of ObGyne and like, yes, we love it. But we can only get it in a compounding pharmacy. And I was like, why in the world is that so? I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason.

And you know, it's like everything was lined up and it's like, so I was being guided, right? My daughter's ice hockey coach had a manufacturing facility that made holistic products. And what are the odds of that? Right. So I went to him with that idea. He, you know, had the courage to start making a vaginal suppository when he didn't know anything about it.

And it it took off and it's after that happened and I started seeing these evangelical reviews of how this product was literally changing the lives of women, many of them who had suffered with fashionable odor for decades. And I felt a moral obligation to bring this product to market. And I just was I had this overwhelming sense that everything was going to be okay.

And, I kind of made my motto, you know, faith over fear at that point because I just felt it was going to work out. I didn't know how, but it's a layer upon that to the 20 years that I was in my pharmaceutical job. I can't explain it, but I always had this feeling that I was made for something different.

I was great at it. I loved it, but there was this nagging feeling, and I had no idea what that meant. I just felt like this is not what I'm supposed to be doing. I knew it inherently. And, you know, I feel like we all have that intuition, especially women, that I feel like that's our superpower and that we need to lean into that.

Learn about feminine hygiene tips for teenage girls from the blog of Deeannah Seymour

Deeannah Seymour: Don’t Fear an Opportunity

And when this opportunity presented itself, I was like, this is it. Like, I knew this. What I’ve been was being guided all along for this reason. So that's why I knew, like, I shouldn't fear this. What's the worst possible thing that can happen? I fail, right? So what? I was so good at my job that I knew that I could go and get another job and, but I would regret it for the rest of my life.

Not taking this, opportunity and trying to make it work. And also because of the lives I was improving, you know, the millions of women who would try the product and, it worked so well for them. So that's kind of, Why me? I don't know, I think I was chosen for it. Yeah.

Usually everything aligned to the point where, not to say we've had so many challenges and so many dark days throughout this past, nearly ten years. But when I look back, it's just remarkable what we've been able to achieve as a team. So by me, I mean, I guess why not me, right?

Not me. I love that. Why not me? That's right. I mean, it does take a little bit of a leap of faith, but I love how you used that 20 years to your advantage that you didn't waste 20 years. You needed that time to be ready to take on this new challenge. And I know you've talked a little bit about your age when you founded the company at 42.

You know, if 42. So I don't know if you want to get into that at all. But I also found that really inspiring. Like the difference between when men start companies and when women start companies and the stigma around that.

Yeah, but you know, what I've learned since is that that's pretty much the average for female entrepreneurs is in their 40s. That just when they really take that leap and you set it perfectly. It is every experience. And my wife had led me to that point. You know, the fact that I majored in biology, you know, that I loved science. I was in the business of science. 

And it all was layering and setting me up to be successful. And even those experiences that may have been painful for me, I was able to draw upon and, learn from and, you know, one thing to that is important to note here, like I told you, I was going to retire from that company because I loved it so much.

I feel like so. And I was so comfortable, you know, like I said, I feel like there's many times in life where we have to be made uncomfortable to get us to make a change. And that's one of the reasons, too. You know, I was a single mom that was what I thought I needed. But then I, actually had a manager who was not a member of my fan club, and made me very uncomfortable, even though I was a top performer.

Check out more about the story of Deeannah Seymour by visiting this page of her website

Deeannah Seymour: The Feeling of Wanting to Own Something

It was just I couldn't do anything right. And but that was a huge part, you know, I was like, okay, this is not what I meant, meant to do, and made for something bigger and better. And I am grateful every single day for that experience because without it, I don't know if I would have, you know, gone into the really uncomfortable business of being an entrepreneur as a single mom.

But it's so interesting that you say that I had such a similar story in my own life. Very comfortable, very confident. I was going to retire at my last job. I absolutely loved it. And I had an also negative experience with a male leader boss. And it was like the one time I took a step back and said, okay, is this it for me?

Is there something else? Is this really what I meant to do? And I've also always had that nagging feeling like I want to own something. I want to be a part of something bigger. I want to grow something. I didn't need a job. I had a great job. But what was I going to put my whole heart and passion into a career?

What was I going to build? And it's funny, but then the opportunity for Curiosity came around right around that time how like, everything just kind of aligned. Yeah, but you have to see it. You have to be present enough to see it that it's happening.

You absolutely do. And realize that it's okay that, you know, we go through valleys in life. because it's there when we get stronger and without those experience for each of us, you know, we wouldn't be who we are. So, Yeah. Oh, great.

Learn about feminine hygiene tips for teenage girls from the blog of Deeannah Seymour

Deeannah Seymour: Shaping a Leader and a Human

Well, I'm so glad you did it. Great leap of faith. Thank you. All right, let's go back to the board. Let's go for number five. Number five. Okay. You're a proud living organ donor. How has this experience shaped you as a leader and a human?

Wow. Other than becoming a mother, there's no single event that has shaped my life more than this. Truthfully, and I forgive me if I get emotional, but because it's such an emotional topic for me that itself could be its own podcast of how that came about. Again, it's like everything was happening for me to prepare my heart to be an organ donor.

I had met when I was working in the pharmaceutical business, two women completely, one in Memphis, one in Knoxville, who were part of my account. And we both went through the process. That in itself is crazy because the number of living organ donors in the US per year, around 5000. So the fact that I met two within months of each other, and yet ended up donating a kidney to one of my friends’ little boys who was four years old at the time.

And, Jake ahas forever changed me. And if I could do it a million more times, I would. It was as much a gift to me as it was to him, and sorry, but yeah, it gave me a whole new perspective on so many things in life and just what really matters.

And, truthfully, it's changed my perspective on humanity, you know, on just my everyday interactions with people that life is so sacred and it's such a gift for all of us to be here and to make the most of every single day regardless of what we encounter or obstacles that we encounter. So, yeah, it's been, I tell people that it's like. And it was as much a gift to me as I was to him because it truthfully was. Thank you for sharing that. Yeah. Do you get to see Jake a lot?

I do, yeah. And he and his mom, we're friends still, and, you know, always seeing pictures of him and, you know, just can't believe that this little boy is now a teenager. It's just so incredible. And he's thriving.

And the crazy thing is he's a ginger, too. And his mom swears that after he got my kidney, he started loving dark chocolate, which I love. Tacos. Hello. And then, gingerbread. Like, he'd never liked gingerbread. He likes gingerbread. And I said, well, I apologize in advance for the tequila. Yeah, a few more years. Yeah, I got a lot of tequila, too. 

Oh, my gosh. I wonder if there is a scientific connection to that. I'm sure you read into it. Was blown away by his heart and palate change. So baby. That's Incredible. Incredible. Yeah.

Check out more about the story of Deeannah Seymour by visiting this page of her website

Deeannah Seymour: The Product Feedback

Well, thank you for sharing that side of you too. I think for you know, oftentimes we see all these leaders and you kind of only see one side of them and you think they're all business all the time. And and we're we're so multifaceted. And so I really appreciate that. All right. Back.

All right. Let's just go down to number nine. Okay. It's coming out. There we go. I love it. Okay. So PhD fills a specific and universal hygiene need for women. What has the feedback been like. And what about this has been most rewarding.

Gosh you could never have fathomed the impact that this product or company or products would have on women. you know. I talked about the reviews on Amazon and how evangelical the women were, but, truthfully, I mean, you know, the incidence of vaginal odor, the occurrence rate, it was like 25%. And, Caucasian women, 35% in Hispanic and 50% in African African-American women.

But regardless of your race, it's recurrent 50% of the time. And whether you have it and it's debilitating. And women, of course, it affects every aspect of their lives. You know, they don't want to have intercourse. They want to be intimate. They don't want to go to the gym. They don't want to, but a bathing suit on pedicure.

Learn about feminine hygiene tips for teenage girls from the blog of Deeannah Seymour

Deeannah Seymour: Improving The Lives of Women

Yeah, we talked about that. But it's a product so many times. And I mean, just the social, the emotional psychological impact that vaginal odor has on women's lives. And, so I've had now thousands of women come up to me with tears streaming down their faces and hug me like, you don't understand how much you've changed my life.

And also men. We've had countless men come up to our booth and say, you saved our marriage. You saved our relationship. You know, it's and we had no idea when we were starting this that that would occur. We knew that we were improving the lives of women, but we didn't know to that extent. And that's, I mean, every single day.

That's what keeps us going. And also positions the health care providers, nurse practitioners, are like Deeannah Seymour, your product has completely changed the way we practice medicine. And, so it's just been so edifying and so uplifting to hear these stories. And really, you know, we at our quarterly meetings for our company, you know, we talk about the difference we're making in people's lives because the people who are making the suppositories and other products in the factory, they know this and, they know what they're doing every single day is improving the lives of women.

Check out more about the story of Deeannah Seymour by visiting this page of her website

Deeannah Seymour: Dealing With Haters

And, you know, we talk about we're going to say we're going to our vision statement. So read a lot. Revolutionize women's health care, globally. And I feel like we're doing that so very proud. So have you had any haters?

Yes you have. Oh okay. Yeah, we have had several haters and most of it comes from lack of education, especially on the ingredients, you know, because, I mean, boric acid has been used for over 100 years in feminine care. Most of the time women would eat before gelatin suppositories. They would make a dish out of it because it works so well.

And it's interesting in my, family farm, Mississippi, and it's over 100 years old. In every single bathroom, there's a little jar of boric acid crystals, and but also boric acid can be used to kill ants and roaches. So we do get some haters, but, like, why would I put a, you know, so that's going to kill bugs off my vagina.

So but it's again, lack of education about the ingredient mainly. But now you know, it is insane to think about this that we were category creators at retail in the retail industry. That hardly ever happens. And we didn't know that at the time. We just wanted to put this great product out on the market. So now there's a lot more education around boric acid.

There's other people in this space. So but it's kind of like that rising tide lifts all ships because there's a lot more education on TikTok and, Instagram and, elsewhere, especially with physicians too, recommending the products more and more so very less haters now than there were at the beginning.

Yeah. I mean, haters gonna hate, hate hate hate, right? The positive voices in the lives you're impacting completely overshadow any of the negativity. Yeah. Absolutely. Love. Absolutely. And I don't let it get me down.

Good. It shouldn't. I have a folder in my email. It's called bad day emails. So anytime I'm having a bad day, anytime somebody says something nice about me, I file it into this folder. And if I'm having a bad day, I'll just pop it back up and be like, oh. I love that idea. I think everybody should do that. Yeah, that's great. 

Learn about feminine hygiene tips for teenage girls from the blog of Deeannah Seymour

Deeannah Seymour: The Insurgence Brands List

Okay, let's number eight. Number eight. Okay. I'm so glad you picked this one. So, I don't know if you just saw, but I just. Oh my gosh, you just been in Company’s 2024 Insurgence Brands list. So I got to know, like what does this signify for you. What does this mean. And for anybody out there, this list recognizes 97 brands that are growing at least ten times faster than their peers. It's like, huge, huge, huge news.

It's so we have been blessed to win several awards and but this I put on LinkedIn that it was a pinch me moment because truthfully, I was like, what? When you, I mean, I actually had this list right here that I didn't know this was even going to come up. But, Olaplex, Poppy, Botox, Celsius, Dude Wipes. Dude Wipes? Yes. So they were across from us at Expo and I went and spoke to them about you.

Good. Oh, like, We love Curiosity, so yay. Duke Cannon, Harry's Razors, Honey Stinger, Kodiak, Liquid Death, Mighty Patch, Momofuku and when I can't say that, I probably did say that with the ice cream. Those are just some of them. But, to be included alongside these just amazing, innovative, hugely successful brands was a, what happens? Well, it's like I and it was also the timing was perfect because at Expo West with so many people come by and congratulate us on making that very esteemed list.

But it's, you know, it's innovators and disruptive disruptors that might be reading that. That's pretty much who these people are. So it's yeah, it's just thank you for saying that. And, yeah. Well, congratulations. Thank you.

Huge deal. And what I love about it for you is like you wear this disruption hat so proudly. And I think a lot of these business owners do as well, at least what I know from Shannon at Lumi, what I know from the dudes at Dude Wipes, like, you really lean into this and it actually drives business performance.

So, just keep doing what you're doing, right? But like, let's just turn on the gas because me yeah. And it's like, okay, now how can we innovate in. Yeah. Other categories. And you know menopause that we've talked to you all about. So yeah, it's why we've hired a full-time product development scientist and a scientific advisory board and all these things. So it's, yeah. We're not going to stop or put us on the gas. We're going to innovate it even further. 

Check out more about the story of Deeannah Seymour by visiting this page of her website

Deeannah Seymour: The Power of TikTok

So, all right, I think we have time for one question. One more question. there's one I really want to do, I never do.

Okay, you put your hand, I pick. Okay. Do we know which number the TikTok questions behind? Pause for dramatic effect. Here we go. Okay, I've got to get you talking about TikTok because I know it's been just such a huge part of your business. And like, the organic side of TikTok, the TikToks that you don't plan for, you don't know about.

It's just these people going out and experiencing your product and wanting to talk about it, good or bad. You know, like we love them all. So there is this TikTok out there. You played this for me, I died laughing. I've showed it to at least 37 people since then. I watch it all the time because I'm obsessed with this woman.

We'll link to the TikTok for all of our listeners out there so you can watch it. It's the best minute and a half you'll have today. It's so true.

But she just so accurately captures like the stigma around of hijab, vaginal odor, and like the looks she gets, you know, at the store when she's picking up the product and she's so raw, authentic. So just like, talk to us about TikTok, what it means, like the power you've seen behind.

Oh my goodness, there's no more powerful platform, right? It's just, and I love that these women are just unabashedly unashamed. Just sharing all their personal moments and challenges and like, this gal and. Yeah, of course, we don't know when these are going to happen. And most of the times we've gone viral on TikTok have been from just women talking about our product and how it changed their lives.

You know, or like this gal who, you know, faced some, a little embarrassment from the store employee for buying a vaginal odor product. But, it is, you know, that video alone showed, you know, ten x increase in sales. So the power of TikTok is just really, really, amazing. And to know now that Gen Z uses TikTok as their Google shows the importance, right?

It's not going away. And as brands, we really have to lean into that and make sure that we use it for for education. because we have to make sure that the right information is searchable for them based on, the ingredients of our products. it also community building, like when she posts products like, okay, women who are watching that, like, I'm not alone.

You know, we shouldn't be afraid and ashamed to talk about our vaginal health. And I love that that she did that. And, so it's funny, we put on a sign into, like, a hotel or whatever I have to tell my business neighbor or wherever. And like, in the back of my head, I'm like, sure enough, indeed.

And then I just start laughing every single time. And I think with someone from our company, we both look at each other. We don't have to say it. We just laugh because we're both thinking the same thing. But anyway, yeah, it's been a huge part of our growth, too. so yeah, we're going to be leaning into that more, you know, this year.

Learn about feminine hygiene tips for teenage girls from the blog of Deeannah Seymour

Deeannah Seymour: Closing Remarks

Yeah. So thank you so much. This has been a ton of fun. We have one final. Okay. Dot fun rapid fire question for you if you're into it, okay? Go. So it's this or that at the top of your head. You just got to pick one. Are you ready?

Here we go. Hot chicken or barbecue? Ooh love that.

Concert or hockey game? Ooh hockey game.

Okay, rock or country. Oh, I got to go rock. Okay. I'm surprised by that one. 

Okay. Skydiving or Dollywood? Gosh. Oh, this is tough. I would probably, I don't know, I've been skydiving one time, and I don't know if I could do it again. It was amazing. But I'm going to pick Dollywood. She's the queen. I love Dolly. Yes.

Thank you so much. Oh. Thank you. This has been so much fun. Do you know how many times we said vagina today? Somebody hopefully was keeping. 20! 20! We'll say it a few more times before we end. Happy vagina. Happy life. Your happy vagina, happy life. Love it.

You're incredible. We're so excited to welcome you to the Curiosity Family. I cannot wait to help you continue to tell your story. Keep doing great things out there traveling and I'm sure I'll see you soon. Yes! Thank you so much for having so excited about this partnership. Good. So. Yeah. Bye bye.

Check out more about the story of Deeannah Seymour by visiting this page of her website