DeepSummary
In this podcast episode, Polly Rodriguez, CEO and co-founder of Unbound, a sexual wellness company, shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with cancer at age 21 which led to early menopause. She talks about the frustration and lack of information provided by the medical system regarding her sexuality and quality of life. This experience inspired her to start Unbound to make sexual health more accessible and destigmatized for women and non-binary individuals.
Polly discusses the societal norms and stigma surrounding women's sexual health, where pleasure and procreation are often decoupled for women, unlike for men. She highlights the challenges faced by Unbound in advertising and operating in an industry that is still not comfortable with women's sexual autonomy and authority over their pleasure.
The conversation also covers Polly's upbringing, her career journey, the founding of Unbound, dealing with guilt and finding balance as a founder, goal-setting, practicing personal growth, and overcoming the fear of judgment. She emphasizes the importance of community, storytelling, and not being afraid to admit when you don't know something.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Polly Rodriguez's personal experience with cancer and the lack of information on sexual health inspired her to start Unbound, a sexual wellness company.
- There is a societal stigma and lack of acceptance around women's sexuality and autonomy over their pleasure.
- Unbound and similar companies face challenges in advertising and operating due to the stigma surrounding their industry.
- Finding balance, community, and practicing personal growth are important for founders to avoid burnout and guilt.
- Embracing the opportunity to learn and not being afraid to admit when you don't know something is a valuable mindset.
- Public perception often differs from the reality and challenges faced by entrepreneurs and companies.
- Storytelling and sharing personal experiences can help destigmatize and educate people on important issues.
- Prioritizing enjoyment and connecting with people is essential, even amidst the challenges of entrepreneurship.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “And so it's really hard not to become truly cynical and kind of heartbroken, because still to this day, we can't advertise the majority of our products on Facebook or Instagram or Snapchat or Twitter or the subway or tv.“ by Polly Rodriguez
- “I'm never afraid to not know something I'm never afraid of. I think throughout my professional career, I've always been taken aback by people who are like, well, I don't know how to do that because it's like, well, none of us know how to do anything.“ by Polly Rodriguez
- “And I guess the press thing is just one example of many examples in which I think we put forth a mask and a version of ourselves in a way that we want to be seen. But I know from experience that it's never the full story, and there's always a bigger story behind what you're seeing at the surface level.“ by Polly Rodriguez
- “I think it's so easy to get wrapped up in the guilt and the pressure of, like, I have to work 14 hours a day, or if it fails, then it'll be because I didn't try hard enough. And I think prioritizing one being a human being and saying, like, hey, maybe I do need to sign off at like, 630 so that I can go for or see some friends.“ by Polly Rodriguez
- “And so I guess the press thing is just one example of many examples in which I think we put forth a mask and a version of ourselves in a way that we want to be seen. But I know from experience that it's never the full story, and there's always a bigger story behind what you're seeing at the surface level.“ by Polly Rodriguez
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Episode Information
She Leads
Carly Malatskey
2/27/24
Polly is the CEO and Co-Founder of Unbound, a rebellious sexual wellness company with the goal to make sexual health accessible to all through elevated design, body safe products, affordable prices, and educational content.
As you will soon discover, Unbound’s inspiration stemmed largely from Polly’s experience at 21 years old. She was diagnosed with cancer that resulted in early onset menopause. Polly found herself shopping for a vibrator at a seedy shop next to the highway in St. Louis, Missouri - and this entire experience ultimately led to her founding Unbound with her cofounder, Sarah - ten years later.
Before Unbound, Polly earned her bachelors from Miami University in Business Economics and went on to work as a consultant at Deloitte before joining an early-stage YC-backed startup in the dating app space called Grouper. Perhaps, more than anything, she learned what it meant to work at a failed startup.
After Grouper, Polly decided to take the final leap in founding Unbound largely through her own personal experience with sexual health and wellness.
In this episode, we cover the following topics:
1. Polly's upbringing in St. Louis, Missouri
2. Her cancer diagnosis at 21 years old and the impact it had on her life during college + the mentality she learned from it
3. The frustration with the medical system that inspired the founding of Unbound
4. Societal norms and the stigma around women's sexual health
5. Founding journey of Unbound, including the challenges and frustrations
6. Reshaping mentality and prioritizing enjoyment
7. Dealing with guilt and finding balance as a founder
8. Goal-setting, practicing personal growth, and overcoming fear of judgement.
Polly's life-time craft she is honing? Storytelling
▶️ Video interview available on Youtube.
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