We’re wrapping up our Women’s History Month blog series with a wellness product that was designed by women, for women. Monica Grohne is the Founder and CEO of Marea, a drinkable PMS supplement for women. We admire Monica’s dedication to providing education, community and whole health solutions to women in all phases of their hormonal lifecycle.
What made you decide that now was the right time to tackle PMS?
I had always known that I wanted to be an entrepreneur but I wanted to start a business around something I was super passionate about. When I was experiencing extreme PMS and couldn't find the support, community or product that I needed I knew I could passionately tackle empowering women to take charge of their PMS because I needed that support too!
Monica Grohne, Founder and CEO of Marea
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
How do I pick just one? Every day is a new challenge, I think so far the hardest part was balancing a full-time job and launching the business. It felt impossible to be doing anything well and resulted in some serious burnout.
What has been the most rewarding part of being an entrepreneur?
Talking to the women we've helped and supported. I adore our customers and love hearing from them.
How do you see the brand evolving in 2021 and beyond?
I have so many things I want to tackle this year! We are currently working on expanding the flavor options of our drinkable supplement and building up our educational content by adding digital workshops and courses to our offerings. We will continue to grow with our customers and pay close attention to their wants and needs as we move forward.
What is your self-care routine?
There are a couple of things I do every day that really help me feel my best. First is spending a few minutes in the morning washing my face and layering all the different goops and serums. I always try to do this slowly and really enjoy the experience - it's like a daily facial. I also like to spend 10 minutes a day with a blank journal page getting to know myself better. I usually ask two questions, what things happened in the last 24 hours that I liked, found joy in or made me feel good and what things happened that made me feel bad or I didn't enjoy. I'll typically realize something about myself that I didn't know before.
How do you stay positive?
Honestly? I don't. Life, entrepreneur or not, is a rollercoaster. I've started to allow myself to feel the lows and know that there is an up on the other side.
Any other female-founded brands you want to shout out?
Where to start! I feel so lucky to have been able to connect with so many powerful females doing great things. A huge shout out to Aila, Kinfield, Hero, Rae Wellness, Oui the People and so many more.
