In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Lauren Wang, the Founder & CEO of The Flex Co., a top-selling sustainable period care brand known for creating a more comfortable period for everyone
After suffering from chronic yeast infections for 15 years related to tampon use, it dawned on Lauren that it was time to change the status-quo--not just for herself, but for menstruators everywhere. She set out to create period products that were more innovative, sustainable, and made for the 21st century.
Launched in 2016, The Flex Co. has now become the leading brand in sustainable period care, holding a whopping 43% share of the market, and more than doubling its revenue annually throughout the pandemic. While the products offered are clearly in-demand, most of The Flex Co’s success can be attributed to Lauren’s marketing expertise and her genuine desire to understand her client’s needs.
Tune in today as we discuss why it took five years for Lauren to commit to launching The Flex Co., and why she didn’t want to be her own company’s CEO starting out. We dive into how her upbringing helped her build the resilience and financial savvy to make a success of her company, and how she moved into an industry she knew very little about after a career in marketing.
Lauren gives some great advice to fellow female founders, including why listening to customers is more important than listening to investors, why it’s key to understand the areas that you are most passionate about, how to think about growth & marketing, and so much more!
In this episode, we'll talk to Lauren about:
* Welcome to Lauren Wang, CEO, and Founder at The Flex Company. [00:49]
* Lauren's upbringing, and how it affected the way she thinks about finances. [03:29]
* Why the jump from a stable marketing job to being an entrepreneur was not something Lauren expected to make! [05:19]
* How Lauren’s personal health journey inspired her to found The Flex Co., and how she grew into the role of CEO. [06:58]
* Where the idea for the Flex Disc came from, and the design aspects Lauren had to consider when developing her products. [10:31]
* The catalyst that motivated Lauren to move into product design [17:11]
* Why Lauren finally gave up her full-time job to work on The Flex Co. and the process of fundraising. [20:58]
* How the focus on customers gave Lauren the confidence to pursue her idea, and why it’s core to The Flex Co’s success. [23:21]
* The role Amplify and Y Combinator had on the birth of The Flex Co., and Lauren’s advice on where to find resources. [26:56]
* Going viral: how Lauren’s marketing expertise gained her 10 000 pre-orders before launch! [30:25]
* The challenges Lauren faced, and how she maintains her resilience. [32:53]
* Why women don’t back themselves as entrepreneurs, and how Lauren overcame this. [35:11]
* How being honest with yourself about what you’re passionate about will help you succeed. [38:13]
* The common mistakes Lauren sees female entrepreneurs make. [39:53]
* Some of the early indicators that hinted at the success The Flex Co. was heading for. [43:49]
* Balancing the investors and values alignment. [46:31]
* How Lauren educated her potential customers about a novel product: humor! [48:09]
* What’s next for Flex: the release of plant-based, and reusable discs, and something totally new. [49:35]
Follow Lauren:
* Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenschultewang/
* Flex Website: https://flexfits.com/
* Flex Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flex/
Follow Yasmin:
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/
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