Blush and Bloom

Period Pain, Body Literacy, and the Future of FemTech | Blush and Bloom Podcast | Ep. 40

#FemTech #PeriodPain #WomensHealth In this episode of Blush and Bloom, Gigi Kenneth speaks with Elle McCray, founder of ONYX, a FemTech company working to shrink the information gap between women and their bodies. Elle shares how her own experience with period pain, body confusion, online searches, and difficult doctor visits led her to start ONYX. She talks about why women need better access to credible, relatable information at every stage of their reproductive health journey, from puberty to menopause and beyond. They also discuss how Elle’s background in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and digital marketing shaped the way she thinks about women’s health. For Elle, everything is connected, from stress and environment to the conversations women are encouraged, or not encouraged, to have about their bodies. The conversation explores why period pain has been overlooked for so long, how shame shapes the way girls and women learn about periods, and why women’s health marketing needs to move beyond unrealistic images, stereotypes, and “pink it and shrink it” thinking. Elle also reflects on what it takes to turn a health problem into a product, how she found the right people to help her build, why community matters, and what it has meant to build in FemTech as a Black woman founder. This episode is for women, founders, marketers, and anyone interested in period pain, body literacy, reproductive health, and building health products that truly listen to the people they serve. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:10 Meet Elle McCray 00:46 From fashion and beauty to FemTech 01:47 Why ONYX started with period pain 03:48 Why period pain has been overlooked 05:53 Making women feel seen 07:52 The problem with women’s health marketing 10:24 Reclaiming pink 11:08 How FemTech founders can build trust 12:28 Turning period pain into a product 15:52 Finding the right people to help build 19:19 Building as a Black woman in FemTech 21:46 What success looks like for ONYX 📌 Links mentioned in the episode Elle McCray on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/elle-mccray/ ONYX website https://www.weareonyx.us/ 🌸 Connect with Asele Website: https://asele.tech App: https://asele.health Android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.asele.app Instagram: https://instagram.com/asele.tech LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/asele 🌸 Connect with Gigi Kenneth LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/gigikenneth 🎧 Listen Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6NEsMfkG3dvl0pYXU40Efi Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blush-and-bloom/id1832044848 💬 Question What is one thing you wish you had learned earlier about your body, periods, or reproductive health?

Building Better Support for Breastfeeding Mothers with Lileo | Blush and Bloom Podcast | Ep. 39

#FemTech #Breastfeeding #MaternalHealth In this episode of Blush and Bloom, Gigi Kenneth speaks with Jerome Derycke, co-founder of Lileo, a Belgian maternal care company helping mothers continue breastfeeding with better support, comfort, and guidance. Lileo combines an innovative breast pump, a lactation app, and a subscription-based service model designed around what mothers actually need during the early motherhood journey. Jerome shares what it took to build and test Lileo over four and a half years before their first sales, including testing prototypes with more than 160 mothers, learning from their feedback, and staying motivated through years of development, fundraising, and problem-solving. They also talk about building hardware in FemTech, why maternal health products need to go beyond functionality, what founders should know before building in women’s health, and how Lileo keeps mothers at the center of its product development process. The conversation also explores what it means to be a man building in FemTech, why storytelling matters in breastfeeding support, the role of startup communities in Belgium, and what keeps the Lileo team motivated through the challenges of hardware, fundraising, and product development. This episode is for mothers, FemTech founders, health innovators, and anyone interested in breastfeeding support, women’s health, and the realities of building a product that truly serves women. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:08 Meet Jerome Derycke 00:24 What Lileo does 01:23 Building for 4.5 years before first sales 02:17 The prototype moment that changed everything 03:05 Why maternal health needs more than a good product 03:49 What testing with mothers revealed 05:50 Advice for founders building products that take time to test 06:50 Keeping women at the center of FemTech 07:06 Why Lileo started a breastfeeding podcast 08:44 Sifted recognition and investor visibility 09:18 Being a man building in FemTech 11:30 A message for breastfeeding mothers 12:12 Building in women’s health without a medical background 13:27 What’s next for Lileo 14:04 Funding the business before revenue 16:17 Jerome’s favorite part of working on Lileo 17:29 What Jerome would tell his 15-year-old self 18:22 Where to connect with Jerome and Lileo 📌 Links mentioned in the episode Jerome Derycke on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeromederycke/ Lileo website https://lileo.com/en Lileo on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/lileomom/ Lileo on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lileo.mom/ 🌸 Connect with Asele Website: https://asele.tech App: https://asele.health Android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.asele.app Instagram: https://instagram.com/asele.tech LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/asele 🌸 Connect with Gigi Kenneth LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/gigikenneth 🎧 Listen Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6NEsMfkG3dvl0pYXU40Efi Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blush-and-bloom/id1832044848 💬 Question What is one thing you wish more people understood about breastfeeding or maternal health?

Stress, Sleep, Gut Health, and Women’s Nutrition | Blush and Bloom Podcast | Ep. 38

#WomensHealth #Nutrition #Stress In this episode of Blush and Bloom, Gigi Kenneth speaks with Dr. Helena Fowler, DCN, a doctor of clinical nutrition, stress and sleep expert, startup advisor, and co-host of A Coach, a Nutritionist, and an Expert Walk Into a Podcast. They talk about the connection between chronic stress, gut health, hormones, sleep, and women’s nutrition, especially for high-achieving women navigating demanding lives. Dr. Helena shares the patterns she commonly sees in women dealing with stress-related health issues, including feeling tired but wired, afternoon crashes, underfeeding, and poor sleep. They also discuss how to think about nutrition in a time of conflicting advice, whether there is any truth to cycle-based eating, what women should know about iron, protein, fiber, alcohol, and exercise, and why variety matters more than chasing one “perfect” way to eat. This episode is for women who want a more grounded and realistic approach to nutrition, especially in a culture full of weight loss trends, misinformation, and pressure to do everything perfectly. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:21 Meet Dr. Helena Fowler 01:29 Wearing many hats across nutrition and startups 03:06 What led her into nutrition and women’s health 05:06 Stress, gut health, hormones, and sleep 06:19 Common stress patterns in women 07:22 Nutrition myths she would erase forever 09:02 How to spot trustworthy nutrition information 12:15 Cycle-based eating and seed cycling 16:22 Her podcast and what she loves about it 17:35 Startups she has advised, including Welltory and Nalu Bio 20:31 Chia seeds, fiber, and gut health 23:01 Iron, protein, alcohol, and exercise for women 29:26 HIIT, sprint training, and strength training 34:11 Nutrition as women age 37:47 One shift women can make today 39:34 What she would tell her 15-year-old self 40:34 Where to find Dr. Helena Fowler 📌 Links mentioned in the episode Dr. Helena Fowler website https://drfowlerdcn.com/ [https://drfowlerdcn.com/] Dr. Helena Fowler on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenafowler/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenafowler/] Mind the Gap Services https://mindthegapservices.com/ [https://mindthegapservices.com/] Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drfowlerdcn/ [https://www.instagram.com/drfowlerdcn/] Podcast: A Coach, a Nutritionist, and an Expert Walk Into a Podcast https://www.instagram.com/walkintoapodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/walkintoapodcast/] Resources Dr. Helena recommended: Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic [https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic] NutritionFacts.org https://nutritionfacts.org/ [https://nutritionfacts.org/] Gaples Institute https://www.gaplesinstitute.org/ [https://www.gaplesinstitute.org/] Drug Nutrient Interactions https://www.drugnutritioninteractions.com/ [https://www.drugnutritioninteractions.com/] Linus Pauling Institute Drug Nutrient Interactions https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/drug-nutrient-interactions [https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/drug-nutrient-interactions] Medscape https://www.medscape.com/today [https://www.medscape.com/today] 🌸 Connect with Asele Website: https://asele.tech [https://asele.tech] App: https://asele.health [https://asele.health] Android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.asele.app [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.asele.app] Instagram: https://instagram.com/asele.tech [https://instagram.com/asele.tech] LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/asele [https://linkedin.com/company/asele] 🌸 Connect with Gigi Kenneth LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/gigikenneth [https://linkedin.com/in/gigikenneth] 🎧 Listen Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6NEsMfkG3dvl0pYXU40Efi [https://open.spotify.com/show/6NEsMfkG3dvl0pYXU40Efi] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blush-and-bloom/id1832044848 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blush-and-bloom/id1832044848] 💬 Question What is one nutrition lesson you wish you had learned earlier as a woman?

Leading While Bleeding: Women’s Health and Leadership at Work | Blush and Bloom Podcast | Ep. 37

#WomensHealth #WomenInLeadership #Burnout In this episode of Blush and Bloom, Gigi Kenneth speaks with Karen Orton, founder of Scoutess Consultancy and co-founder of Steer24, about women’s health, burnout, leadership, and the workplace systems that were never designed with women’s bodies in mind. They talk about why women’s health should be treated as a leadership and organisational issue rather than a soft wellbeing topic, how burnout is showing up for women at work, and why Karen believes leadership needs to be redesigned around rhythm, energy, and sustainable performance. They also discuss the idea behind the Leading While Bleeding Summit, the fear many women have around speaking openly about health at work, and what more supportive workplaces could look like in the years ahead. This episode is for women navigating demanding careers, founders building healthier workplaces, HR and people leaders, allies who want to do better, and anyone interested in the future of women’s health at work. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:21 Meet Karen Orton 02:17 Women’s health at work 06:30 Why burnout is getting worse 09:13 Cycle awareness and performance 13:33 Leading While Bleeding Summit 17:52 Creating change inside organisations 21:07 Talking about health at work 25:54 What better workplaces could look like 30:01 Women in tech and AI 32:32 Books that shaped Karen’s thinking 36:05 What Karen would tell her younger self 37:52 Where to find Karen 📌 Links mentioned in the episode Karen Orton on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-orton-5993a720/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-orton-5993a720/] Scoutess Consultancy https://www.scoutess.co.uk/ [https://www.scoutess.co.uk/] Steer24 on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/steer24/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/steer24/] Books mentioned: Shared Sisterhood by Tina Opie and Beth A. Livingston https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60484057-shared-sisterhood [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60484057-shared-sisterhood] From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58100575-from-strength-to-strength [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58100575-from-strength-to-strength] Leader as Healer by Nicholas Janni: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60682573-leader-as-healer [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60682573-leader-as-healer] 🌸 Connect with Asele Website: https://asele.tech [https://asele.tech] App: https://asele.health [https://asele.health] Android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.asele.app [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.asele.app] Instagram: https://instagram.com/asele.tech [https://instagram.com/asele.tech] LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/asele [https://linkedin.com/company/asele] 🌸 Connect with Gigi Kenneth LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/gigikenneth [https://linkedin.com/in/gigikenneth] 🎧 Listen Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6NEsMfkG3dvl0pYXU40Efi [https://open.spotify.com/show/6NEsMfkG3dvl0pYXU40Efi] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blush-and-bloom/id1832044848 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blush-and-bloom/id1832044848] 💬 Question What is one way workplaces could better support women’s health without treating it like an afterthought?

Miyara Health and the Future of Perimenopause Support | Blush and Bloom Podcast | Ep. 36

In this episode of Blush and Bloom, Gigi Kenneth speaks with Dr. Sanjana Rao, PhD, co founder of Miyara Health, about why perimenopause and menopause are still misunderstood and why so many women feel unprepared when symptoms begin. They discuss how perimenopause can start in your 30s, why different ethnicities may experience menopause at different ages, and why hot flashes are not the only symptom to watch for. Dr. Sanjana also shares how tracking symptoms can help women advocate for themselves when they feel dismissed in healthcare settings. The conversation also covers misinformation online, what to look for when deciding who to trust, and why workplaces need to take menopause support seriously. Links mentioned Dr. Sanjana Rao on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sraophd/ Miyara Health: https://www.miyarahealth.com/ Miyara on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miyara_women/ Namaste Switzerland: https://namasteswitzerland.ch/ Miyara app download: https://onelink.to/m9cwnb