Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sarah Hamill, Founder of Birds N' Bees Box, located in Austin, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Birds N' Bees Box is a reproductive wellness business making menstrual and sexual wellness more accessible and approachable. We deliver products and services like pads and tampons, STD testing, and supplements straight to your door and offer a community for asking questions and sharing stories. Our customers are primarily menstruators who face barriers to care ranging from cost, location, discomfort, and stigma. But we offer educational resources for anybody looking to expand their awareness and knowledge about their bodies, health, and relationships.
Tell us about yourself
I started Birds N' Bees Box with three school colleagues at the University of Texas's LBJ School of Public Affairs (two of who are in medical school to become OBGYNs!). We were all interested in reproductive justice and sex education, and after graduation, I took the business on full-time as our founder. I was born and raised in New Mexico, the youngest of four girls, in a family that seldom talked about sex (which, as I'm sure many of us know, is super common). In 2019 I became a victim of sexual assault, which began my journey of research on implementing consent-centered education in K-12 schools. Birds N' Bees Box is my way of helping guide menstruators (and their partners!) through their reproductive wellness, making informed decisions about their bodies, and engaging in safe and consensual intimacy.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Our biggest accomplishment has been our launch party! At the beginning of October, we had an event with 15 market vendors, raffles and giveaways, a sample bar, live music, and free food and drinks. Almost 400 Austinites came out to celebrate our business, and it was so! much! fun!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Being a business owner can be lonely- but I feel lucky to be in an industry that is so supportive of new founders and innovation.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Networking is your friend! The worst someone can do is ghost you or say no, but partnerships and collaboration are one of the best tools you have. I also heard from a fellow founder that any first product you launch might suck a little (compared to what it will become). And that's ok! The important thing is that you just start and get your idea out there. It will change so much throughout its lifecycle, and that's a good thing.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.birdsnbeesbox.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdsnbeesbox/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-hamill-mpaff-4023ba152/
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.
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