Womaness: Modern Menopause Products Found at a Target Near You

https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/seq5tp/Womaness_final_-_4_20_21_310_PM6bcrc.mp3

EPISODE SUMMARY:

As co-founders of the brand Womaness, Michelle Jacobs and Sally Mueller are entrepreneurs whose brand is helping to change the conversation surrounding menopause and midlife women. In today’s episode, we spoke to both Michelle and Sally about their brand, their goals, and how they products can help all midlife women.

First, we asked how Womaness got started, and Michelle and Sally told us how the idea originally came from their experiences surrounding midlife. Both women realized that there are little products for midlife and menopausal women that work well, are appealing, and are affordable at the same time. They strove to change the narrative and utilized their branding and product expertise to create Womaness together. When asked about the process of creating the brand itself, they talked about how one of the first things they did was form a focus group of women. Within the group, a common theme amongst most women was the desire to have a brand that addressed a multitude of different menopause issues and symptoms, and Michelle and Sally were inspired to ensure that their products would accommodate a plethora of women and issues, not just a select few. They then had experts in supplements, skincare, and more professional fields offer feedback and insight into product ingredients, branding, packaging, and the legalities of creating a brand.

When asked what makes Womaness different from other brands, Michelle and Sally spoke on how Womaness addresses a variety of issues and symptoms that occur due to menopause. Some of the issues their products help with are skin hydration, brain fog, hair and nails, joint pain, inflammation, hot flashes, and decreased libido. We then brought up their vibrator, discussing how great it is that Womaness’ vibrators come in discreet, non-flashy packaging. Michelle and Sally said this was intentional, for they wanted women to feel comfortable and confident buying their products. Other Womaness products are packaged to look luxurious and beautiful, and by doing this, Michelle and Sally hope to reflect how midlife women should be viewed: as sexy, beautiful and vibrant women. For product prices, all Womaness products are affordable. The most expensive product is $40, with other products averaging at about $21 each. Skincare products range from $20-$25. It was important to Michelle and Sally that their products not only worked well but were affordable to all women, so they purposefully ensured the prices of their products remained accessible. Finally, when asked where customers can find Womaness’ products, they told us all products can be found both in Target stores as well as online on the Target website.

Michelle Jacobs and Sally Mueller

About Michelle Jacobs:

Co-founder and COO at Womaness, Michelle Jacobs is a strategic development leader with a sweet spot in brand building, leading sales (e-commerce and traditional), branding, partnerships, licensing, logistics, inventory planning, and financial management. She’s worked across multiple categories from home to health, décor to baby, for both start-ups and established brands.

Michelle began her career in licensing and then spent a few years at a digital media agency, leading client relationships for Polo, Ralph Lauren and Lancôme. After earning her business degree, Michelle marketed billion-dollar brands like Centrum and Advil to every store from the corner bodega to Costco.

Michelle then spent a decade with Time Inc., launching and developing the licensing and retail business for Real Simple, Cooking Light and InStyle magazines with mass retail partners including Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Bjs Wholesale Club, and Crate & Barrel.

Michelle was recruited to QVC/HSN to manage the retail rollout for The Joy Mangano brand (yes, that Joy Mangano-aka inventor of the Miracle Mop and Huggable Hangers).

Many years and many brands later, with Michelle now in her late 40s, the entrepreneurial urge hit, and she knew it was time to establish a business of her own. She co-founded Womaness, a brand that is changing the conversation around menopause through innovative products that offer solutions from head to toe (and everything in-between). Womaness provides trusted advice on symptoms from hot flashes to sleep issues to fine lines, and support from an inspired community of women who exude Menopositivity-a dynamic, joyful outlook that embraces who we are today.

Originally from Long Island, Michelle is a New Yorker through and through, earning her BA from Colgate University (in Hamilton, NY) and her MBA from New York University. She lives in Larchmont, NY with her husband and their sons, Eli and Max.

About Sally Mueller:

As the co-founder and CEO of Womaness, Sally is a consummate business builder specializing in retail and brand innovation. Her trend-forecasting Midas touch has benefitted companies such as Target, Who What Wear and VERSED skincare, among others. She is a seasoned executive with impeccable entrepreneurial acumen. Sally spent over two decades of her career at Target Corporation, first in Apparel Merchandising and then in Marketing, helping to build the bullseye from a regional discount retailer to one of the world’s most recognized and influential global brands. She developed and implemented Target’s designer program and Design for All platform, transforming the regional discount retailer into a global phenomenon.

Previously, Sally launched her own company, Whyse Branding, where she formed a licensing relationship with Who What Wear and successfully launched the consumer products line in Target stores and ultimately achieved international distribution.

She was named Chief Brand Officer for Clique Brands, overseeing their Consumer Brands Division, where she launched Joy Lab at Target, incubated VERSED skincare and expanded Who What Wear internationally.

Sally’s encore is creating a revolutionary consumer hit with the introduction of Womaness, a brand that is changing the conversation around menopause through innovative products that offer solutions from head to toe (and everything in-between). Womaness provides trusted advice on symptoms from hot flashes to sleep issues to fine lines, and support from an inspired community of women who exude Menopositivity-a dynamic, joyful outlook that embraces who we are today.

Recognized as an industry leader, Sally is renowned for her business intellect in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle sectors. Her impressive accomplishments encompass all areas of brand creation and management, from consumer insight and launch strategy to global sourcing and design and manufacturing to operations and marketing.

Dedicating most of her adult life to helping women look and feel great inside and out, she has followed in her entrepreneurial mom’s footsteps. Sally’s first job was working in her mom’s beauty boutiques, helping women choose their right skincare and create their beauty routine.

A lifelong Minnesotan, Sally and her husband reside in Minneapolis, adapting to their empty nest status now that their two grown children, Mary and Andrew, are out on their own.