Get to Know The Girls Co., the Company Dedicated to Making Periods More Bearable
As women, we almost all have one thing in common—our periods.
And while we all get them at different ages and stages in life, one thing remains pretty consistent across the board—we don't necessarily look forward to that time of month. Periods differ from woman to woman. One might have horrible cramps, while another barely notices them. So, what are you supposed to do if you deal with intolerable pain?
That's where The Girls Co. comes in. Their product is designed to alleviate period cramps, and we couldn't wait to find out more. Keep reading for our full interview with The Girls Co.
Sweety High: Tell us about The Girls Co. How did you get started?
The Girls Co.: The three of us (Abby, Zoia and Taimi) met in an entrepreneurship class at our university. We were all randomly placed in a group together for our semester-long project. This was crazy because there were only six girls in the entire class of over 50 students, so having three of us in a group together seemed like fate.
For our project, we were tasked with finding a problem and then creating a solution to that problem. We decided to focus on solving a problem in women's health, since we all knew from personal experience that this was an underserved area. We had all experienced painful periods in one way or another, as most women do, so we decided to focus on period problems. However, there are so many bad experiences that accompany a period from leaking, to cramp pain, to embarrassment and shame, and we weren't sure what to focus on, so we started talking to people.
We interviewed whoever would talk to us about their periods and found that one of the things that kept coming up as a problem without a good solution and something that was holding them back was cramp pain. So, we decided to focus on creating a solution for cramp pain. As we researched, we found that most solutions that weren't medication required people to be lying down or sitting, but, we have places to go, so those solutions aren't really practical. We began creating prototypes out of old clothing and household items. At the end of the semester, we had made a prototype that is actually fairly similar to our current product. We had received such good feedback from the people we tested it on, we decided to continue our class project and turn it into a business!
SH: Who is The Girls Co. for?
TGC: The Girls Co. is for anyone that has period cramp pain. It's for the girl who has ever not been able to go somewhere because her pain was so severe, or because she feels alone on her period because of the pain she's experiencing. We want everyone to know that you aren't alone! We want to bring you into our community where we can share our experiences and come together.
The three of us were coined "The Girls" by our classmates while we were in business school, and the name stuck, so we decided to use it for the name of our company. However, the name refers to us and is not meant to be exclusive, although we know that sometimes it can come across that way, but we truly want to be inclusive of anyone that experiences these pains.
SH: Tell us about the product. How does it work?
TGC: We created a thin, heated, wearable band that lasts all day to relieve period cramp pain. The band is made of a breathable and comfortable material that has pockets going all the way around where thin heat pouches are inserted. It's worn on the abdominal area underneath clothing, with the heat meant to last at least eight to 10 hours. The heat from the pouches combines with a slight pressure created from the band to help alleviate cramp pain. Our product is so thin, you can wear it under your clothing without anyone being able to tell. It's pretty much your best friend for period cramps.
SH: Is your product affordable?
TGC: We have strived to make our product as affordable as possible. However, we know everyone comes from different circumstances and what may be affordable to some is not for others. We gladly offer discount codes to anyone that needs them, just message us on our website or send us an email! We want you to get the relief you need, no matter how much money you have! We strive to be as accommodating as possible.
Our starter pack is $39.95.
SH: What is The Girls Co.'s main goal?
TGC: We want to help people not be limited by their periods and continue to go and do all the amazing things they want to while on their period. We also want to get rid of the stigma surrounding the topic of periods as well as other women's health issues. We believe that as we talk about it, the stigma will slowly go away and more innovation will be made in this field, resulting in better treatment for women. So many of us feel so alone during our periods every month, but we aren't! Lots of people are going through the same thing and we believe as we break down this barrier, we will feel camaraderie and strength from each other.
SH: Anything else our audience should know?
TGC: We want each of you to have better period experiences than we did. Don't be afraid of your period—yes it's messy, yes it's painful, and yes sometimes it's super annoying, but there is also something really cool and beautiful about it too. Learn more about it and the effects it has on your body because it's actually super interesting! The most important thing is to not be afraid to talk about it. Talk about it with your friends and family, and eventually everyone around you will be comfortable talking about it as well. Be kind to yourself and be kind to your body!
Hate your cramps? Look HERE for a list of foods that have been proven to ease period cramps.