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No strangers to carving out a path of their own, founders Sally Mueller and Michelle Jacobs spent much of their careers dominating the world of brand strategy and development for giants like Target, Pfizer, and HSN. When Sally began experiencing a range of issues from dry skin to lack of sleep, symptoms later all connected to menopause, she found herself surprised that there was no focus on solutions for women as they enter the next phase in the journey of womanhood.
“We saw a lack of focus on this woman who was over 45 and into her 50s. Marketing, products, and startups were all focused on Millennials. It was time to celebrate this woman and all she has achieved.”
After speaking with long-time friend Michelle, both women were led to question “ Where do women in their 40s and upward go to find solutions and inspiration?” By combining their fierce branding know-how, Sally and Michelle found their answer, zeroing in on women’s health and wellness products. Bringing their personal journeys to the forefront, Sally and Michelle founded Womaness, the brand dedicated to taking the pause out of menopause.
Health and wellness care for women in the United States lag far behind it’s counterpart countries in terms of access and education, knowing firsthand that women are quite frankly over being overlooked and ignored, Sally and Michelle set out to shatter the traditional idea of menopause.
“We want to be the first brand women think of when they think of menopause, offering them a collection of innovative products that they deserve."
Developed with a panel of menopausal experts including gynecologists women’s sex and health experts, nutritionists, and skincare experts, Womaness offers a wide collection of skin and body care, feminine care, sexual health, and vitamin supplements. Providing head-to-toe solutions for women throughout menopause. Beautifully packaged, Womaness products are cruelty-free, vegan, dermatologist- and allergy-tested, and formulated without animal-derived ingredients, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, artificial colors, formaldehyde, mineral oils, estrogen, phytoestrogen, or added hormones.
Knowing their customers intimately, they of course were the exact women they were appealing to, Sally and Michelle successfully launched Womaness during the Covid pandemic with placement in two major retailers, Target and Ulta. But success for them was to offer women more than amazing products. They wanted to also hold open space where women could be seen, heard, and uplift each other.
“It’s really about having a place for a community of women to get information, inspiration, and most of all, education.”
Adding community builders to their resume, the branding mavericks have carved out a path for women to live their best lives because the party does not stop or “pause” after 40. With the ‘Ness newsletter and a private Facebook group aptly named, The After Party, women have access to content where they gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their bodies, and the wholeness of womanhood.
Having reached the impressive $1 million milestone in revenue sales and fostering a vibrant and fierce community, Sally and Michelle are looking towards growth by continuing to meet her wherever she may be. Her, being the 5o million women going through menopause in the US. Wanting to be a steady, accessible solution for their customers, Sally and Michelle gleaned an opportunity to implement a DTC subscription program for their brand.
After seeing an overwhelming response on a few key products such as their “Let’s Neck” serum, it was clear there was an opportunity to engage this loyal customer base. After considering multiple subscription solutions it was apparent Smartrr could provide an intuitive shopper experience and make it easy for us to set up the subscription program on the back end.
“Our partnership with Smartrr lathers on yet another layer to our understanding of “her”, our ideal customer. The advanced analytics acts as a guide for us to test and learn what our customers are looking for in a subscription experience. For example, how much to discount, which frequency setting s we should offer and which products we should consider selling together. It's exciting to think of all that's to come for the Womaness brand and it’s subscribers thanks to Smartrr.”
From shattering glass ceilings to redefining womanhood and femininity by their own terms, the women of this modern era are truly creating a league of their own.
"Women at this stage of life are the coolest, smartest, most interesting women we know. They deserve a place. That place is here - with Womaness"
Gone are the days of shame and making menopausal women the butt of a joke. As a brand, Womaness drives forward with the mission to understand menopause and empower women to take control of their own health. There is no more ignoring or forgetting women as they get older. Women 40 and up are now the healthiest, wealthiest, and most active they have ever been, welcoming younger generations to look forward to getting older. With powerhouses like J.Lo and the founder of Spanx, Sara Blakely, who are both over the age of 40, the golden girls crew are of the likes we have never seen before, and they are, quite frankly, Womaness rockstars.
