Ep. 55 Linda Biggs

On this episode, I am joined by joni co-founder Linda Biggs. Joni is a period supply company that offers a variety of sustainable products. We talk about our experience with getting our periods and how the stigma around menstruation is changing in a positive way. We talk about what it means to be sustainable in the period product industry, why they decided to market their own dispensers', period poverty and what is next for them.

Joni is on a mission to make period equity possible. They use at least 5% of their revenue to provide period products to their non-profit partners who ensure they get into the hands that need them most. These partners are instrumental in advocating for new period equity policies and initiatives across Canada.

All joni Products | joni (getjoni.com)
21st century period care ™ (@get_joni) • Instagram photos and videos


Ashley (@filledupcup_) • Instagram photos and videos
Filled Up Cup - Unconventional Self Care for Modern Women

Transcript

0:00

Welcome to the Filled Up Cup podcast. We are a different kind of self-care resource. One that has nothing to do with bubble baths and face masks, and everything to do with rediscovering yourself. We bring you real reviews, honest experiences, and unfiltered opinions that will make you laugh, cry, and most importantly, leave you with a filled up cup.

Ashley: 0:32

I am very excited today. I have Linda Biggs from the brand, Joni joining me today. Thank you so much for being here.

Linda: 0:40

Thanks, Ashley. I'm excited to be here.

Ashley: 0:42

For anybody who doesn't know, can you explain what Joni products are?

Linda: 0:47

Yeah, for sure. Joni is a 21st century period care brand. So we say that because we make sustainable period care pads and tampons and dispensers accessible to everyone who needs them. So we do that through our online channel in retailers and at school, at work and wherever. People who menstruate are essentially.

Ashley: 1:06

Which is so great. I feel like the conversation about sustainability and really what's in our pads and tampons just doesn't occur enough. Can you explain why yours are different than say, some of the other brands that we traditionally think about on the market?

Linda: 1:23

Yeah, I mean, I could take a step back and just in terms of like the industry in general, you know, Back in the thirties, 1930s essentially was when we first started talking about. The euphemism, feminine hygiene, and it's a euphemism that was created by marketers because at the time there was something called the Comstock Act. And that act prevented anyone from being allowed to talk about reproductive health, including menstruation. You'd be fined or jailed. And so marketers created this euphemism, feminine hygiene to cell Lysol Douching products. Douching was another euphemism for. Birth control because birth control was illegal until the sixties. So fast forward to the sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties, and we're still kind of lagging behind. We're not talking about things, we're not using the right, you know terms for our body parts and for menstruation. In fact, we said the word period for the first time on television. Courtney Cox did, I think it was in 95. And then Red Liquid wasn't shown until 2019. So like not too long ago.

Ashley: 2:28

which is really so crazy when you think about it.

Linda: 2:30

Exactly. And I think this history and context is important because, we feel like we've come a long way, but ultimately the products that are owned by just a few companies have not really changed much in that time period. I think organic cotton has been one of the biggest. Innovations in this space. There's also very little requirements for organizations for these companies to list what those ingredients are. Clearly and transparently on the packaging,

Ashley: 3:01

which is really scary and it's bonkers really, because it internally goes into our body thinking about tampons are like very close thinking about pads that it's so weird that it wouldn't be something that they'd be like, well, we probably should be careful with this. It was like, nah, we have one product. It's good. Let's just keep on this standard quo..

Linda: 3:20

Totally. The bar is so low. So it's like these are the products that you have options for. Use them. Like, that's it. That's been like sort of the status quo and when we kind of see them as sometimes as a bit of a commodity, right? Like are they all the same? I'm gonna find the cheapest option, but when you really start digging into it, at least for me, like my own personal experience as someone who menstruates, I realized that I resonated more with a shoe brand. Than I did with a period care brand. And then I was like, why is that? I literally menstruate every single month. It's such an intimate experience that I have for many years of my life, yet I don't resonate with any brand out there. I think it's because there's no incentive for them to change. It's a product that people need. They're gonna buy it to cover those needs. So the bar has just always continuously been very low. And so I think a lot of the grassroots companies, Joni, as a perfect example, is really saying we have had enough, the times have changed. I. The world has changed, but this industry hasn't changed with it. I don't frankly wanna see women running through fields of flowers with smiles on their faces when I'm menstrating like I'm a, you know, a cis woman and I don't necessarily need pink and purple on my packaging. I just think that there's so many stereotypes and I think that then particularly, Perpetuates the stigma and the shame and the hiding of like, the discussions and the conversations around it. So with Joni, we really looked at, okay, how are we going to do everything differently? It literally is a value of ours, different on purpose. We're transparent with all of our ingredients we're super transparent with our values. Our products are designed to be. Sustainable in every aspect that we can based on the technology available. So our wrappers are compostable. B p i, compostable. You could literally put them in your green bin In Canada, wherever that's available, our pads are made with bamboo, it's a much more sustainable crop. It uses much less water to manufacture Then. Organic cotton. All of our materials are all natural. You can literally cut up our pads and put them in your home compost. And some compost facilities in Canada actually take soiled pads and diapers so you can use them. I know Toronto is one of them. So we're looking at it, you know, yes, reusable options are gaining popularity. We love that we're actually gonna bring in a line of our own, but there's always gonna be a need for disposable. And so how do we make disposable more sustainable? And I think if we take the approach is what we're doing is looking at it as innovation, as steps forward. Just like your cell phone, you're not gonna have a cell phone for 30 years. Yeah. The technology changes. So I think the technology when it comes to menstruation, and anything related in this space needs to take that same innovative approach. And that's sort of where we are with Joni. And that's what really makes us different is that we're constantly listening to our customers. We're constantly looking at how can we do better in this space so that we're keeping the bar high for people who met straight and just our community.

Ashley: 6:22

I appreciate that too because I think, like you pointed out, those conversations aren't happening enough. I don't know why in 2023 it's still the case, but. It seems like there is so much shame and stigma and it's like people menstruate. They like half the population will get periods that it doesn't need to be this weird, mystical like whisper. Oh, no thing that it's like, mm-hmm. It happens. We deal with it. And again, it isn't like running through a field of flowers. It's literally

Linda: 6:55

like, I don't know, anyone had that experience

Ashley: 6:58

on a couch with like a water bottle. It needs to be that conversation of like, how can these products be functional for us? Mm-hmm. And I think too, it's like we are realizing more where our products are coming from, creating more waste, all of those things like if we don't take care of our planet, we're not gonna have it. So finding products that you can feel good about that have a little bit less, you know, of that. Transportation costs, the mm-hmm. Garbage costs, all of those kind of things. And leaning into even your communities saying, I have this product I wanna use, where is the nearest facility? Bringing attention to the people so that more recyclable options are available in all of the communities, especially for the ones that don't have green bin pickup. Mm-hmm. And then also what you pointed on is really important too, because I know. Thinking about sustainability that we do, try to cheer on those reusable products, which again, is great. Mm-hmm. But we also forget the privilege and the costs that generally come around with that. If you're a homeless person or a person that can't afford to go spend$45 on a pair of underwear, generally speaking. Throwaway ones really are the only option. And again, we don't wanna create a product that, People are stuck using one that has more chemicals. So even if the price point isn't exactly the same, giving them a product that's accessible to them, but also something that is not gonna prevent future, health problems or something where they're stuck using with a lot of chemicals. That was a really ranty way of saying that, but

Linda: 8:34

No, I agree. There's so many variables here. So I grew up With We struggled. My mom was an immigrant. And we didn't have a lot to go around. There was three of us that menstruated, including my mother. That's four. And so I remember we waited in food bank lineups and got basically the donated options, which were always the like, no name brands to everything. And they were like, the really, like thick pads. if you're having a donated product given to you, be happy with what you get. What I feel strongly about is that sustainable. High quality period. Care without chemicals should be accessible to everyone. Yes. Whether you can pay for it and like having it at a price point that is fair. For those who can afford it in a way that they want, like however they wanna get it, it's accessible. But also for people who can't necessarily afford it, they should also have the dignity of having a really high quality product that's not plastic based is like the bottom of the barrel option, just because they can't afford it. I strongly believe that, and I think that plays into the strategy that we have in terms of where Joni is available. And so the Joni dispensers really, you know, working with organizations who support this idea of accessible period care for their teams and also potentially for like the. People who use their services. That is a really important aspect for us.'cause that's just making accessible options, the sustainable options more accessible. So I think that things are changing slowly. People are becoming more aware. I mean, social media is just a huge educator in a lot of ways. And so people are learning more about, Ooh, I didn't know this existed. I didn't know there were chemicals in this. Now I'm able to make an informed decision. And I think that's the most important, sometimes the best period care is a period of care you have access to. Yeah. But if you now have the, information that you need to make a decision and you have the ability to make a choice. You are either voting with your dollars or you're able to make a choice that works best for you. And that's what's most important for us.

Ashley: 10:34

I think with my generation, nobody really talked about periods. I have a almost 16 year old daughter, and I know for her, It is something that they do have the access to social media. They do look at these things and are more aware of the changes that they're making for their bodies. So I think social media is great for that, for having the information at their fingertips. One thing that you touched on that I think is so fantastic that you prioritized in your business that you don't really see in others is that you do have like an actual dispenser that. You can give to organizations or businesses can buy. Why was it important for you to include that in your business?

Linda: 11:13

So we work with a lot of nonprofits across Canada, and when we launch, because we're a social enterprise, we give back 5% of our revenues to nonprofits to ensure that they have what they need for their communities. It's a really important aspect for our work, and we were hearing from them that. It's not just enough to get donations that will never solve the period poverty problem. You know, the status is one in three women under the age of 25 in Canada are unable to afford period care each month. They have to choose between groceries and period care, you know or go without. So we learned from that that the solution to move us forward with period equity in Canada is going to. Take a variety of approaches. And so we wanna work with organizations that believe in period equity, that believe in more equitable workplaces. And we're giving them that full turnkey solution. So you have a dispenser, you have sustainable products, and now you're able to provide these options to the people on your team because so often A lot of entry level positions. For example, it takes a lot of your take home pay to cover for period care products. So if you're able to just not have to worry about that, or for example, not miss out on work, you're making more money, you're not missing out on school. Like there's just a whole systemic solution here, which is why we moved forward with it and that was our priority. And labor codes have actually changed in Canada. So, Actually just last week the Canadian government has written into the labor code, just like toilet paper. Federally regulated organizations are now going to be required to provide pads and tampons to their workers. We're talking about millions of people that are being impacted here. And it's just a start. It's a starting point, right? It's not a perfect solution, but I feel like that is a step in the right direction to ensure that people have what they need at work. We're not required to carry toilet paper around. We shouldn't be required to carry menstrual products around too, because 26 of the percent of the population menstruates, that's a huge, significant number. We should be able to support them with that,

Ashley: 13:15

which is really, really, it's a huge win. And I would love to see schools follow suit.

Linda: 13:20

Mm-hmm. Yes. They're going, they're coming. There's a lot of schools that are looking into it and I think, you know, half of the battle is. A lot of people that are in the positions, in the facilities roles don't menstruate themselves and they're sort of not really aware of the problem. But more and more are, and I think it's really great that they're looking into not only just saying, okay, well let's just slap any dispensary on the wall and any product on the wall. Then they're check the box. That's the solution. It's like, okay. What is our organizational values? What are the strategic goals in our organization? The D E I initiatives, are we part of the UN sustainability goals? We're looking at it from a very high level strategic perspective and Joni aligns with those goals. And so you're not only checking off those boxes, but now you're actually adding value in different ways as well. And it makes'em the heroes, which is great. Like that's what we wanna do, right? And it gets these products into more people's hands, which is really important.

Ashley: 14:14

Which it really is. And I really do like the fact that more businesses do have to start thinking about that. I saw on your website that you guys are working towards, is it the B Corp?

Linda: 14:26

Mm-hmm. Yes.

Ashley: 14:27

Can you explain what that is a little bit for people that don't maybe know?

Linda: 14:32

Yeah, so B Corp is an organization. That is a collection of businesses that have committed to using business as a force for good. So what it does is there's certain metrics you have to collect a certain number of points to even be considered a B Corp. There's a whole like six month process that goes with that. But once you are. You actually have to change your shareholder structure and your incorporation structure as well. So it proves, and it shows that you're committed to making everyone a stakeholder and everyone meaning your employees, your suppliers, your community. Like it looks at it from a larger lens of just. If you are a company that has investors, for example, of just looking to make your investors happy, you're now looking to see how can I leave a positive impact on everything that I touch? All of the touch points. So it's a really exclusive group of businesses that have committed to this. But I really believe it's. The way forward. Like I strongly believe that social impact and economic prosperity do not have to be mutually exclusive. But this capitalist society that we've lived in or are living in, tells us otherwise. So I think these new models just show like, yes, we could build wealth, we could build a company that's very successful, but we can also then make our communities better. We can also contribute to people doing and things well and excelling. Our communities, and I think that ecosystem is so critical for businesses going forward.

Ashley: 16:02

It really is because too many. Businesses out there, or too many of the time, certain products will have greenwashing where it'll be like natural or organic, but there's nothing that actually says that it is. So for people that really are truly concerned with having things like that, looking for things like that B Corp and saying, okay, well this company's actually done their due diligence, this company, you could trust in it a little bit more because I think too many people kind of get caught up in the, well, I think this is good. So it's probably good. And it says organic, it says natural, it says all of these things, but it doesn't ever actually mean that.

Linda: 16:37

Yeah, it's unfortunate, like there's a lot of loopholes and I think that's where the greenwashing comes in. Like if you have a name, you can have like organic in the name, but you don't have to necessarily, if it's like, you know, a logo, you don't necessarily have to be organic. So it can be misleading and it will get people to pick it off the shelf and potentially use it. But if you dig in, It's disappointing. And I do think that there needs to be more regulation in that space. You know, we have heard of like quote unquote organic period care brands being called out because they, didn't disclose having, you know, chemicals in them. And that's part of the loopholes. I think, you know, certifications, third party certifications are also really important. So, you know, eco cert cots B P I F, SS C Is this organization committed to meeting those third party standards? So it's not a perfect solution. Like it, that's the thing, like it's not ever a perfect solution. But these third party certifications will guarantee that there's a certain level quality, a certain level of process sustainability, commitment to the workers, to the environment. And those are the things that are actually really important for. Individuals to look out for. And even question like when people reach out to us and say, Hey, can you give me more information on what this looks like. We're happy to do that, and then we add it to our FAQs because we know other people are gonna have more questions about that. And that just goes back to our transparency value of being like, okay, well what can we tell you so that you can make the best decision for you?

Ashley: 18:08

I think that's really all what people want. We just wanna be able to ask those questions to a human, not a bot, and really just make that informed decision because everybody's, I guess, like value system or everybody will have different things that they're looking for, but it's just basically saying, here it all is. And I feel like it's been a long time coming to come to that conversation because even to ask or even to have. The ability to not just send it out to a generic email that may or may not be responded to. I just feel like I'm so happy that we're here in the now.

Linda: 18:45

Yeah, I mean, it goes back again to having conversations that like shame and stigma and so like being able to advocate for yourself and being able to ask those questions and I think. What we try to do with our community is make it a safe space for that. So oftentimes at trade shows, we'll get fathers coming up to us and being like, this is what my daughter's going through. How can I best support her? And honestly, those conversations are amazing because it means, a couple things. We're creating a safe space for people to be able to ask those questions and that we're able to provide them with some information and education that where they might have gone without or maybe have gone to the wrong place for it. So I think that for us it's normalizing conversations and then making people understand, helping people to understand that advocating for themselves in this space is a power move. It's something they should be doing, and we encourage that,

Ashley: 19:38

which is so awesome. I think drawing men into the conversation, I think too many times they were like, it has nothing to do with me, but it's like, you might have a wife, a sister, a partner, Anybody in your life that it's beneficial to be able to be like, Hey, I have pads or tampons in my house, whether you are the one using them or not. I don't know whether you have young kids, but there was a cartoon, Big Hero Six did an episode about this cartoon character having, I guess it's like a robot nurse thing, but yeah. Had to go and help pick out all the products. There was like a transgendered person, there was grandparents, there was everybody in the aisle trying to help Baymax or whatever, pick out first time period products, right? So I think it's really just important to have more of those examples throughout society of like, Hey, this is a normal thing. It's not a weird thing. It's like you can hold a tampon in your hand and go to the bathroom and it doesn't have to be like, I don't know, some big, embarrassing thing.

Linda: 20:39

I love that. I haven't seen that. I'll have to look into that. I have two daughters. They're 11 and 13, and my oldest is menstruating. So yeah, I understand. Like now I'm living through them. That whole, experience of getting your period for the first time and then you know, how it feels to like take product to school. I really think that the generation is changing, like they're definitely more open to having those conversations. But I also think, you know, Your culture and the belief that your parents have also play a role in how you absolutely sort of at least start, like my mom is from Mexico. The culture is very hush, hush about periods you don't use tampons. Because that impacts potentially your virginity, like those type of things. I know that's not the only culture that thinks that, but and I was a competitive swimmer growing up, so it was a really awkward conversation to have like when my period when I had, when I was menstruated and I couldn't use a tampon with my coach. I think that what I'm hearing from that generation is that they are looking to their peers more and being more open to having those conversations. Like I read a stat not too long ago that said the number one source for information and essentially like influence for people who menstruate is our companies. That's the number one way they get information. And two is friends and three is parents. And so I think like, As a company, we have such an obligation to make sure that we're, there to support them in the right way. And to empower them to be able to again, like advocate for themselves and it, being able to speak up when they feel like something's not right. cause I think oftentimes, we're told to grin and bear it. And I think that again goes back to the shame and stigma. And now we're dealing with health issues and there's like a whole cycle of not good things. So I'm excited for the generation that's coming up behind us.'cause they're like, you know, they're saying, Hey, listen, it's a bodily function. Yeah. And you know, get over it. We're all here, like, every single one of us are here on earth because of menstruation. So I think dads have such a key opportunity to play a key role in that conversation.

Ashley: 22:48

I am so excited for our kids mm-hmm. That they have the ability to get the information, but to also not feel weird about it. Yes. Going back a couple steps, you had mentioned that you work with organizations and kind of try to help with period poverty. Can you tell us about some of the organizations that you donate to and how you chose the ones that you did?

Linda: 23:10

Yeah, so we launched, I think it was literally the day the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. It was a really wild ride that first year, but we launched the social enterprise. And so we had partnered with United Way period Perce, period pacs. A lot of the, like moon time sisters, a lot of the organizations that we knew were really supporting The period poverty space, and we wanted to make sure that we were providing them with ongoing products so that their community could rely on what was being given to them. Because oftentimes when you're relying on a nonprofit to provide you with. Period care. You take what they have available at the time, and sometimes it's a pad and sometimes it's a tampon, sometimes it's a reusable product. Like you literally do not have a choice. So we wanted to make sure that people could choose bodily agency. So we would work with each organization to determine like what they need and provide them with that product. So right now we're in over 20 organizations across Canada. The bigger ones being like period purse moon Time Sisters, United Way, mamas for Mamas. There's a whole host of them and what we found is that there is, especially over the pandemic, like periods don't stop for the pandemic. So there was a huge need because people stopped donating period. Products. People were donating food when they were just sort of running out. So. The way that we give back 5%, sometimes it looks like product, most of the time it looks like product. And so to date, we've donated over 115,000 products across North America.

Ashley: 24:45

That's amazing.

Linda: 24:47

But we also help with, say, educational opportunities or sponsorship opportunities because sometimes it's a matter of, like, for example, you know, a father's circle. Helping dads get together so that they could, learn about their daughter's first menstrual cycle and then how best to support them. And so then we would fund something like that, or we would donate product. So I think for us, it's just a matter of enabling the folks that are working, the nonprofits that are working in this space and have been doing so for a very long time to help them however we can. That's a big, big part of our mission.

Ashley: 25:27

I think it's so important to create that social aspect of it.'cause I think that is how conversations change and that is, something that a lot of people missed out on when the pandemic was happening and that we sort of. You know, being online more, we forget we really need to build that community with each other. Mm-hmm. And that, you know, if technology stopped tomorrow, we still need each other. We still need that ability to connect people. So I think that's really great to include that into your business plan. So whether it is the education or just knowing, hey, we're a community together, we got this basically.

Linda: 26:06

Yeah, I mean, it's gonna take a team to make changes in this space. And so we worked with period coaches. Like I didn't even know that was a thing, to be honest, before I started Joni. So we worked and we met and worked with a lot of period coaches who really like just enlightened us in terms of what they do and how they support. People in this space and we worked with nonprofits who are really passionate about this area. We work with just individuals who just truly believe that, at you know, ambassadors at a university who really wanna bring this into their university. Like, there's just a lot of passion in this space. I think almost everyone, regardless of your background you have experienced some level of going without. When it comes to menstruation, some level of like, oh shit, I don't have the products that I need right now. And I think that empathy goes a long way to help people understand, like, I could not imagine what it would be like if I had to deal with this on a month to month basis. How would that impact my education? How would that impact my opportunity to earn a living? How would that impact my dignity?

Ashley: 27:13

Toilet paper just doesn't cut it.

Linda: 27:15

No, I mean, especially after you had kids, I can tell you that much. It's like everything changes. Toilet paper doesn't cut it.

Ashley: 27:23

I think so many people that don't have those things that you were talking about, like with the education and with what period coaches do. I think if you just think, ah, pad or a tampon are almost like the next step up. I think a lot of people are like, oh, why don't they just deal with toilet paper? And it's like, it's not that simple. And it is one of those things. Your body changes as you age. Things grow it's not a one product fits all, and it's not a, this is what I started with, this is where I'm at now. Like you really do end up needing different things at different times during the month.

Linda: 27:56

Totally. I don't know why we have it in our heads that it's this like either or, like either I use this or I use that. Like most of the time it's like either I use reusables or disposables. Either I use pads or I use tampons. But this is like a holistic solution that you could build for yourself. Maybe you wanna use a reusable pad'cause you're, at home for a couple days, maybe you wanna use disposables'cause you're traveling. Maybe you wanna use a cup or tampons like, Why can't we look at it as we can implement a variety of different solutions based on what our needs are. And you're totally right, like menstrual cycles change potentially for a lot of people throughout their lives. And so again, looking at it as like, how do I take care of myself? What is working for me now? What is it that I need now? And not being like, oh, well I've only ever used tampons. Now I have to use pads. Oh my gosh. Well, that's okay. That's okay. You use what works for you.

Ashley: 28:51

Yeah, absolutely. And you talked about wanting to create or having a reusable product coming up shortly. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Linda: 29:01

Yeah, I mean, we created Joni because we, again, going back to that either or, we believe choosing what works best for you. So sometimes you wanna incorporate some reusable products into your menstrual cycle. So we are looking at reusable pads and we are looking at some period underwear and we actually have a patent pending on a cup. That is great for folks with Hand mobility issues, like if you look at cups, a lot of times there's a lot of fear in releasing the suction and how you're going to do that if you potentially have hand mobility issues, which restricts people with those disabilities to be able to use it. So we created like a one finger pull cup and so these just will take time. I mean, there's a lot of things you have to look at when you're looking, especially with insertables they're considered medical devices, so it'll just take time. But that's the long-term goal for Joni, is to be able to provide like a full range of both reusable and sustainable products. Going back to that accessibility piece, just being able to buy it all in one place and just making it easy.

Ashley: 30:08

I love that. I love the idea of like a one-stop shop. Mm-hmm. I guess like my ableism, I would've never really considered the disability aspect of it. So I think that's a really fantastic that you did.

Linda: 30:22

Yeah. We don't think about these things because many of us don't experience them. It's not a lived experience that we have to go through. And so oftentimes A lot of the things that we take for granted in our day-to-day are things that are major barriers for other people, or their options become quite narrow because there's not a lot of them. So I think the more we can take a variety of different lenses when we're looking at solutions for menstrual cycles I think it's gonna be better for everybody.

Ashley: 30:53

Oh, absolutely. Are you still selling Joni strictly online or is it both online and in stores?

Linda: 31:02

We are online with our D two C, so we subscriptions free shipping anywhere in Canada, but we're definitely rolling out to retailers. We're in over 350 stores, so we've got some exciting news coming up that we'll announce later in the year. But you know, healthy Planet Pharma saves London drugs. Love that. We have a store locator on our website. So as we get new locations We will add that there. So if you're in an area that you're not sure, you can just look it up there and if you can't find any, let us know. We try to reach out to those retailers. But going back to the accessibility piece you know, there's some people in Canada that pay three times, four times what someone in a city will pay for a box of pads. And so retail isn't a solution for them because those products are gonna cost$30. So we created our D two C because then you can buy organic products that are shipped to you for free for six bucks, you know, and we find that that's a fair price. And that then just expands our accessibility points meeting people who menstruate where they are.

Ashley: 32:05

Can you tell me a little bit about your subscription services and what that looks like?

Linda: 32:11

So we basically support folks picking what works best for them. So you could go in and pick some pads, some tampons depending on what your needs are. And then you pick your cadence. So whether you want them monthly, every other month, or every third month. And that could change even on by the product type. So for example, somebody might use liners every month, but they only need like super or Our overnight pads maybe once every three months. And so you can set that up and then we just ship it out based on that cadence and you're able to go in as your needs change. Say, you know, you've had kids and now you need our super and our overnight. You can update your products anytime. You can pause your subscription. We really wanna make it easy for folks to be able to just have that peace of mind knowing that this is coming every month or whenever you need it, and not have to worry about. Running to the store store. I was that person. I was like, I always like, it's almost like I hate filling my car up with gas. It's just like, I always leave it to the last minute'cause it's just annoying for me. And so the same thing with Period Care. I was like, I'll get it, I'll get it later, I'll get it later. And sure enough, you know, my menstrual cycle will start and I'll be like, ah. So we wanted to avoid that. And I think especially over covid over the pandemic People weren't going into retailers as much, and just keeping people safe that allowed them to stay home, but still get what they needed.

Ashley: 33:29

And it's the mental load of, you know mm-hmm. Yeah. Of having to remember that one extra thing. So I always love it when it comes to my house because then it's like, Oh, I forgot that this was even coming. It's like, no effort really, other than your initial order. So yeah, I always lean into companies that have subscriptions because it's one less thing that I have to deal with because it is one of those things of like having to get gas or even grocery shopping or then you start adding in all of just the things that, traditionally speaking, women or primary caregivers have to be responsible for that. Anything that we can sort of brush off is, awesome.

Linda: 34:09

Yeah. And, again, it's like depending on how you like to access your period care and so many people are looking to get that off their plate. Other people only wanna buy what they need at a retail store and others can't afford it. And so they, you know, thankfully will go to a nonprofit that has Joni products and are able to get it there. So it really is about meeting people where they are.

Ashley: 34:31

Thinking about the fact that you're called Joni, can you tell me where your name came from?

Linda: 34:38

As a Canadian, you know, we all, most of us will know Joni Mitchell while we're not affiliated with Joni Mitchell at all. She's definitely an inspiration. She's like a woman in Canada who was a trailblazer and really led the way in a category where women were not accepted. And so I came up with Joni because it was a sticky, I really like visually what it looks like. I like how it's neutral. It's not hyper-feminine. It's short. We had a marketing mentor and we were running through a few different names and I mentioned Joni and she said, I just got goosebumps. So I was like, that's it, that's what it is. I love that. So I often get called Joni. My co-founder, Jesh, actually, funny enough also sometimes gets called Joni. And we take it I love the name, but yeah, it's not my name. But it's just one of those business things where it was available and we really loved it and felt like it worked for the business.

Ashley: 35:37

I love when it comes together and it's just that like organic mm-hmm. Dump aha moment where it was like, it has to be this.

Linda: 35:44

Yes. Well actually we were originally, and I really wanted to call the business unapologetic.'cause that was the vibe, right? Like, I was just like, we're unapologetic about menstruation, but it was a little too long. So from a marketing perspective it wasn't the best one. But Joni, I feel has that essence to it.

Ashley: 36:01

It definitely does. Well, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell everybody where they can find your products online?

Linda: 36:09

So we're at GetJoni.com in the US and Canada. In Canada. We provide free shipping for subscriptions. In the US we provide free shipping for subscriptions over$15. You can find us at retailers across Canada. Our store locators on our website. So if you're in an area in Canada, There's likely a retailer that we're close to you. And then of course, you know, if you're at schools we're working with Sheridan College we're working with McGill. We're working with a lot of institutions across Canada. And so you could potentially find Joni at your school or in your organization. And of course if you want to bring Joni in we're here and we're open to having a conversation. We would love to hear from you.

Ashley: 36:48

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining me.

Linda: 36:50

Thank you, Ashley. It was awesome. It was really fun. Thanks for having me.

36:54

Thank you so much for joining us today for this episode of The Filled Up Cup podcast. Don't forget to hit subscribe and leave a review. If you like what you hear. You can also connect with us@filledupcup.com. Thanks again for tuning in and we'll catch you in the next episode.