Wired Women: Tania Green
6:26 AMWired Women profiles successful women with ties to Boston who are pursuing their passions. These women serve as an inspiration not only to myself, but to women and girls everywhere who are eager to make waves in their field. These fab women will be sharing their stories twice a month while sharing their experiences. This week I'm profiling Tania Green, the gorgeous, local entrepreneur behind PMS Bites (read more about PMS Bites on Style-Wire).
Style-Wire: I see
you constantly celebrating successes; when you founded PMS Bites did you
imagine things would blow up this quickly?
Tania Green: The last five months
have totally been a whirlwind, and I'm loving every second of it. From the
start I knew I had a unique and delicious product, and I knew that with enough
passion, energy, and hard work, I could make it a success. So going in my attitude
was very optimistic and I expected a lot. On the days where I had some
self-doubt, usually PMS days =), I would just remind myself that I
had the courage to try something new and risky and that's how awesome stuff
happens. The media attention was definitely unexpected, but I have been having
so much fun with it!
SW: What
is it about Boston that makes launching a business like this achievable?
TG: Boston is a breeding
ground for innovative ideas and vast networks of people who are hungry to help
and pay it forward! When I was first starting out and had absolutely no idea
how to start a business, I would leave my 9 -5 job at the time and go to as
many networking events and meetups as possible--sometimes I would go to 4 -5 a
week (check out the Consumer Goods Meetup,
it's amazing)! People in these groups have started businesses before and are
happy to share tips and tricks and pitfalls. My advice is to put yourself
out there, share your idea, and take as many lunches/coffee dates that you can
stand. You never know who you will meet in Boston and how they can help you
grow! Now I am a 2015 finalist for MassChallenge, the
world's largest accelerator for startups--and it's here in Boston!
SW: What's
an average day like for you?
TG: There are a couple of
habits/disciplines that are consistent in my life in order to maintain personal
happiness. I keep my phone outside of my bedroom so I am not tempted to check
emails when I first wakeup. I'll meditate for 10 minutes, make my bed, drink a
glass of water, take vitamins, eat breakfast, and workout at Title Boxing Club on Causeway Street. I
just realized that eating right, resting, and working out is so key to having a
productive and happy day. So many people say "You're going to lose
yourself in your business/eat unhealthy/gain weight, but that's not really an
option for me; I can't sell a healthy product if I don't lead a healthy
lifestyle. If I don't take care of myself, I can't take care of my
company.
From there, every day
is different, which is the best part! I'm either in meetings trying to
establish partnerships or I'm training people on how to make the bites, or I am
searching for a co-packer to make the bites and handle fulfillment. It really
depends on what the priority is for the week!
SW: You're
a one woman show, what keeps you motivated?
TG: PMS Bites is my
passion. I always knew I had the ability to branch out on my own and lead a
company, but I didn't know what I loved. When I realized that PMS Bites was the
idea that I could give my entire life to, I hit the ground running with such
fury. I am motivated by the problem I am trying to solve. 80 - 90 percent of
women experience one or more of the 150 symptoms of PMS. These symptoms can
last an average of 7 - 10 days out of the month. That's 122 days out of the
year where we are not functioning optimally. I want to help women take those
122 days back!
SW: Occasionally
you get some anti-feminist flack for your product catering to women's
"time of the month," how do you deal with that? Do you consider yourself
a feminist?
TG: I believe in, fight
for, live by the true definition of a feminist; a person who believes in the
social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. PMS is absolutely a
disadvantage; up to 150 symptoms (bloating, cramping, irritability), that can
last 1/3 of a woman's month. Men don't have to contend with that--ever. So if
there are healthy lifestyle choices a woman can take to reduce symptoms and
take control of her month so she can get out there and kick some ass, why
wouldn’t that be a good thing?
SW: Clean
eating is an important aspect of your business, how difficult was it to create
a product that was gluten free, vegan, and all natural?
TG: For me it was super
easy because I believe that food is fuel and the right foods can heal your
body. When I first started out, someone I was talking with loved the name PMS
Bites, but wanted me to take the less expensive path and just make a chocolate
chip cookie. People would still buy them because it's cute and everyone loves
chocolate chip cookies, but I knew this was the cheap way out. My whole
business is founded on reducing triggers for PMS, and sugar is the biggest one.
When you eat sugar, blood sugar levels spike and give you this temporary high.
Then you crash and your symptoms feel way worse than before. On top of that,
women can feel bigger and more bloated, unhealthy, and guilty for eating so
much sugar. It's a vicious cycle. PMS Bites provides women with a healthy
alternative that we can crave, enjoy and not feel guilty. The best part is I
ship them to your home the week you need it most! You can also find them at all
Equinox gyms in MA.
Learn more about Tania & PMS Bites on her website and Like PMS Bites on Facebook!
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