Wellness for Women by Women - hey freya
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Cecilia Tse, Co-Founder of hey freya, located in Portland, ME, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
hey freya is the only end-to-end solution to control burnout through at-home biomarker testing that informs proprietary, personalized insights and supplements for millennial women.
Tell us about yourself
After incorrectly being told I was ‘one in a million’ when diagnosed with amenorrhea as a teenager (the correct stat is 1 in 25 per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), I had convinced myself that “I didn’t want to have kids of my own anyway.” Nearly two decades later, after going through IVF and giving birth to my first child, the marked opportunity for improvement in a woman’s experience concerning her health became alarming. I knew I just had to contribute whatever skills and energy I could muster to help make a difference.
What motivates me each day is feeling the charge to empower all people, particularly women (who disproportionately are not taken seriously by the medical professionals they get access to), to prioritize their own health and well-being and not feel guilty doing so. I’d like to do what I can to ensure my daughter and all other women out there don’t feel overlooked and make potentially life-changing decisions based on interactions with those we are taught to trust and be able to rely on. I’d like to equip women with easy access to the necessary knowledge and agency to ask questions when they don’t feel satisfied with a response they’ve been given and to find the solutions they’re looking for much more efficiently.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Taking the plunge and deciding to do it!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It’s a societal change that my co-founders and I all share a deep passion for shifting, so we are eager to get going and going with speed. Being so early, we are always trying to maximize our impact with what limited resources we have access to. It’s challenging but incredibly energizing at the same time!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do it. You never know if you’ll enjoy it or if it will work out unless you give it a go.
- Surround yourself with good people. It’s cliche, but my co-founders and I essentially “dated” each other for several months before committing to building this together. Here is a great summary of the process we followed!
- My professional background includes several years of helping people empower their well-being. I personally don’t buy into anyone promoting a “you have to work 24/7 to be successful” mentality. Start-up life should be no different. It’s whatever you choose to make of it.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.heyfreya.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heyfreya.co
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyfreya.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/heyfreya/
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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