The Purest Protection Against Bladder Leaks

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alexandra Fennell, Co-Founder of Attn: Grace, located in Cambridge, MA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Attn: Grace is a female-founded, Certified B Corp.™ disrupting the $26B personal care market for older women. Our core collection of products is designed for the more than 19 million women in the US who experience bladder leaks. That's 1-in-every-3 women, and more than half of women 50+... so not exactly "niche." Despite Femcare making massive leaps and bounds toward greener and cleaner, we are the first (and only) body-and-earth-friendly line of incontinence products, offering clean ingredients, unparalleled performance, and a smaller environmental footprint. For women who have experienced skin irritation from the petroleum-based top sheets, bleaches, dyes, latex, fragrances, and plastic found in conventional products (or for any woman who rightfully doesn't want harsh chemicals against her most sensitive skin), we are here for you.

Tell us about yourself

I was still practicing law when the inspiration for Attn: Grace was born. At the time, my then 89-year-old mother-in-law was living this incredibly independent, curated lifestyle -- getting her nails done, her hair blown out, still driving, shopping at Saks... but at the same time, struggling to manage her bladder leaks. The chemical-laden pads from the big box brands irritated her skin and just didn't align with her overall lifestyle. We knew that the more than 19 million women in the U.S. who experience bladder leaks needed a better solution. And despite Femcare making massive leaps and bounds towards greener and cleaner alternatives to conventional products, it was pretty clear that this same change wasn't headed for this category anytime soon. So, we set out to change that and designed the first and only high-performance, skin-safe line of incontinence products for women, offering clean ingredients, unparalleled performance, and a smaller environmental footprint. It may sound crazy to those who haven't lived with bladder leaks themselves, but we hear from customers every day about how life-changing it's been to find a product that works without irritating their skin.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'm so proud of our team for so many reasons. But if I'm choosing one, I'd probably say getting our B Corp. Certification a few months ago. It's a pretty rigorous process that recognizes for-profit companies who utilize business as a force for good by setting standards for social and environmental performance. We're the first company in our space to be recognized as such, and it's an amazing opportunity for our team to harness the power of more conscious decision-making across every aspect of our business.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

For us, it's definitely been fundraising. We're a venture-backed startup that's both female-founded and focused on women's health and wellness. For context, female founders secured only 2% of venture capital in the U.S. in 2021, and women's health has historically been, and remains, grossly underfunded. We've definitely felt the combined impact of these two dynamics in the larger market.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Make sure you are building a business that's rooted in something that you love or tied to a mission that you are deeply passionate about. On the hard days – of which there will be many – that's what will keep you going, sometimes seemingly against all of the odds.
Build your network, surround yourself with people who have been there, and don't be afraid to ask for help.
Budget for and/or raise 3x as much money as you think you will need and assume things will take at least 3x longer than you anticipate.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://attngrace.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/attngrace/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/attngrace/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/attngrace
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-c-fennell-7180a161/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.