I felt like I had it all. My events agency Xphyr Brand Experiences turned over approximately $20 million in 2016, with offices in Sydney and Singapore.
I had a team of talented people and our clients were some of the world’s most innovative technology brands, including Google, YouTube, Spotify, Houzz and Twitter.
But behind the scenes, I was undergoing a daily struggle and it caught up with me.
I was running a successful business, doing what I thought I loved and what I was good at – but I was a mess.
I was stressed, anxious and had no work/life balance. The world in which I worked was pretty much 24/7 on call. When I was diagnosed with late onset diabetes, I was forced to reassess my priorities.
I knew something had to give. The need to find a more balanced approach to work and life, both mentally and physically, resulted in a deeply considered recalibration.
This involved looking carefully at everything I was putting on and in my body.
It wasn’t just quitting sugar and reducing salt – it was shampoo, body wash, tampons etc – it all got a review.
I found myself looking at ingredients on everything from food to my conditioner and skin creams.
Once I started really looking into the products I consumed on a daily basis It occurred to me that I had no idea where the tampons I used came from, nor what ingredients they contained.
How many tampons had I used in my life? This sparked the idea for my new business, Liverpool St, an organic tampon delivery subscription service.
Did you know that the average woman uses between 8,000 – 11,000 tampons during her life? Think about it.
That’s a lot of tampons. And above all else are actually inserted into our most intimate and delicate area.
The more I read and investigated the more I questioned. I firmly believe we should be more aware of the chemicals used in the manufacturing process and contained in the majority of tampons on the market.
At Liverpool St, we’re passionate about supporting women looking after their health.
We realise that a lot of Australian women are increasingly conscious of what they eat and what they put on their skin, with regard to the use of wholesome produce and natural skincare.
Despite this, they don’t think twice about what they use during their period!
Liverpool St, delivers organic, natural, cotton tampons to women around Australia, including rural areas, on a monthly basis.
It just made sense to me offer convenience alongside health.
The decision to wind back a business I’d worked so hard to build in favour for an online start-up was not an easy one, but it was the right one.
We only get one shot at this life, after all. With Liverpool St, I wanted to establish a positive and upbeat community for women where we break down the discussion taboo of our cycles and support each other with our daily struggles.
It’s about more than delivering tampons.
In the months to come Liverpool St will be expanding its product and service offering to deliver a wider variety of monthly needs for women. Stay tuned!
