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Never underestimate the power of pissed off moms.
Courtesy of subjects/Glamour design
Because, well, they might just get together and start a business that revolutionizes womens health.
Which is exactly what happened when Perelel founders Alex Taylor and Victoria Thain Gioia met in 2019.
The date was, appropriately for two Los Angeles dwellers, at hip grocery store Erewhon.
We were both actually breastfeeding at the time, says Taylor.
So were like, You got 30 minutes?
And from there, their womens health and vitamin brand Perelel was born.
But they were undeterred.
Thain Gioia says, We were like, We need to pull together experts to actually create these products.
We didnt want to be the next Instagram brand.
Looking at women of today, what are todays womens diets?
Where are those gaps?
In February 2024, they announced a$10 million donationto two different research institutes to fund womens health.
But it shouldnt just be on businesses like theirs to carry the funding burden, they argue.
And ED affects less than 15% of men, while PMS affects 90%-plus of women.
The math is not mathing.
Glamour: What advice would you give to other women who are trying to start a business?
Alex Taylor:You have to have clarity in your vision and stay steadfast.
And candidly, because that comes from an authentic place for us, its so hard every day.
We cry a lot.
And I think thats really important, especially if youre going to start a company now.
Whats your proudest achievement with the company?
You were the only person that knew I was going through this.
But you guys supported me.
Or when people send us a picture of their baby and invite us to their baby shower.
Those things make us feel the most proud.
Taylor:Theres a reason why the crying emoji is probably our most used when we message each other.
Its more than anything we could have dreamed and hoped.
Talk to me a little bit about the current campaign as well and the petition.
Taylor:So we just launched our campaign called the Perelel Universe.
Fast-forward to 2021, and still, funding research patterns favor men.
Women make up half the population, we create the future.
We literally birth the people of tomorrow, and theres so much about our bodies that we dont know.
In our Perelel universe, the idea is that what if womens health was taken seriously?
What if fertility support was accessible?
What if the fourth trimester wasnt an afterthought?
What ifhormonalwasnt a bad word?
What if research reflected our bodies?
Thain Gioia:Our petition got 9,000 signatures in less than a week.
Taylor:So we do love men.
Thain Gioia:We do.
We have some male investors.
Were like, Women.
The market is women.
And theyd be like, I mean, how long have you been pregnant for?
But its also, its not just like poof, youre pregnant and then poof, youre not pregnant.
Taylor:Also it wasnt even just about pregnancy.
Its years of the journey.
We want to support women throughout their whole life cycle, and they just didnt care.
Thain Gioia:It was crazy.
Theres 4 million live births a year.
Theres 40 million millennial moms.
Even if we just had to be only moms, its a 4 million market size.
And theyd be like, Well, I just dont know if the opportunity is big enough.
Or theyd say, Let me ask my wife what she thinks.
Taylor:That was the worst response we got.
Do you have a favorite product you now sell?
I had to go to CVS to get pads and get a heating pad and all of that stuff.
And I was just like, This is just is so shitty.
We need to do something for this person.
I was totally alone, I hadnt really shared my pregnancy with anyone.
I had no control over this moment.
And we were like, That moment needs to be seen.
We need to give her something different.
I didnt want to take my prenatal, I didnt want to see a baby on a bottle.
Taylor:And its something we still do to this day.
You both have families and run this fast growing business.
What time to both of you wake up?
What does a typical morning look like?
Working out is my sanity and the only time I feel like is me time.
Though my kids are usually up and join me for the back half.
Then I get them fed, changed, and hair brushed.
Taylor:I wake up at 5:45.
I give them breakfast, I clean up breakfast.
I help get lunches packed, and then we somehow by some miracle make it out the door together.
Usually, Ive forgotten something for school, so thats always fun.
Its really not an elegant process, to be honest.
How do you take your coffee, both of you?
Taylor:I mix mine with two scoops of collagen protein, and Ive been adding raw milk.
Occasionally, I add in some creatine.
Thain Gioia:I do collagen, creatine, two sweeteners, and almond milk.
What were your childhood dream jobs?
Thain Gioia:I wanted to be a doctor, which kind of plays out.
What were your first actual jobs?
It was an era.
Thain Gioia:I also worked at a clothing store, but then I also helped with the finance.
I was the bookkeeper.
Whats the best piece of money or career advice you’ve ever gotten?
Taylor:Always live below your means is a good one.
Ive always liked that.
Just do the next right thing.
Its never guided me wrong.
It was definitely not the perfect time to start this business in 2020.
Taylor:I have to share this quote that really struck me the other day.
It said, The only thing worse than starting something and failing is not starting something.
What’s the last great book you’ve read?
Taylor:Unwell Womenby Elinor Cleghorn.
Its a really incredible and empowering book, and I loved it so much.
Everyone must read it.
Thain Gioia:I foundCloud Cuckoo Landby Anthony Doerr incredible.
Whats your biggest vice, both of you?
Taylor:Chocolate, easy.
Thain Gioia:Dirty martinis.
What’s the best parenting advice youd give a new mom?
Thain Gioia:Mine is to practice good enough parenting.
Your kids are happy and fed and healthy and thats good enough.
You dont have to be this picture-perfect Instagramjust do whats good enough for you.
