Women Behind Womaze, A Family-Founded Toolbox for Self-Care

February 17, 2020

In honor of Valentine's Day last Friday, we wanted to highlight a female-founded company that's all about love - as it relates to self-care. Womaze, founded by a family of three sisters and their mom, is a life toolbox for self-care, mental health, and personal growth. These women are on a mission to help people love and accept themselves so they can bring that same love and acceptance to the world.

In this feature, the Wiser women shares with us what sparked the idea for Womaze, how they see it transforming the self-care industry, and their individual decisions to pursue their passion as a family. Read along to soak up their incredible career advice for ambitious women, such as yourself.

Womaze

What sparked the idea for Womaze?

It all started with our family group chat. When Becca and Leah left for college, our family decided to create a chat that was filled with positive messages, inspiring quotes, and empowering videos and articles about personal growth. The goal was to help each other navigate the life transitions that we were each going through (Hannah was starting high school and our mom was starting a new job). The tools we were all discovering were so helpful and life-changing that Becca created her own “toolbox” based on the chat. She then started sharing that toolbox with her friends, and they loved it and found it incredibly valuable. We knew we were onto something. About a year after creating the chat, Hannah was brushing her teeth one day and came up with the idea of turning our group chat into an app that could reach millions of women. The rest is history.

How do you see Womaze transforming the self-care industry?

A few years ago, you would walk into Barnes & Noble and pick up a self-help book if you wanted to change your life for the better. Today, we’re always on our phones and pretty much everything we read and watch is through technology. Womaze brings practical tools and support right to your fingertips instantaneously. In the past, the majority of self-help resources have been geared toward older generations. Womaze is geared toward young women (even though it’s helpful for women of all ages and backgrounds), which is the generation that needs these tools the most.

What is your current progress with Womaze and what are you most excited for in the future?

Womaze launched less than two years ago, in April of 2018, and the journey has already been greater than we could have dreamed of. Thousands and thousands of people have joined our community, we’re hosting monthly wellness panels with Bloomingdales, and we’re building a network of amazing women through our guest curator program. As far as what we’re most excited about . . . getting Womaze into the hands of as many people as possible is our fuel. Life can be full of ups and downs, and we want people to know that they are never alone in their experiences -- they are supported, valued, and loved within the Womaze community. We’re excited to bring these life-changing tools and resources to women everywhere and to reach millions.

Personal

[Becca] What prompted you to take a leave of absence from George Washington University and pursue Womaze full-time? What’s next?

Taking a leave of absence from school was a decision completely based on my gut-instinct. My logical mind told me that it was crazy to leave school and that I should do the “safe” thing and wait until after I graduated, but my intuition screamed “YOU HAVE TO GO FOR IT. Now is the time to do this and you have to take the leap.” So I listened to my intuition (it never steers me wrong!). I also knew that if we were going to pursue this dream of ours, we had to be ALL in. Taking a leave of absence allowed us all to be fully committed and give Womaze the best chance possible.

[Corin] What empowered you to leave your previous career and focus on Womaze?

When you have a team of people (especially if they’re your daughters) who are making a big change right alongside you, it makes those leaps of faith a lot easier. The biggest motivation for deciding to pursue Womaze full-time was knowing that every one of us had to give it our full attention. I also felt that, at 53 years old, this was an amazing opportunity to pursue my own dreams. I had pressed pause on my passion to help support the family for many years, and Womaze has given me deep fulfillment and a sense of contribution.

[Hannah] How is finishing up high-school and running a startup simultaneously been? Did you expect this to be your career path? What’s next?

Being in high school while simultaneously running a company has been the most amazing learning experience of my life. Being a teenage girl, I'm experiencing so many emotions for the first time while also learning (and sharing) tools for how to navigate them. Being a part of the demographic that we’re reaching is incredibly helpful because I feel like I have a deep understanding of what our community needs. It’s also allowed me to embrace my role as the teacher and the student. As Sophia Bush says, “you can be a work in progress and a masterpiece simultaneously.”

Advice

What is your advice to businesswomen in their early careers?

Lack of experience can actually be your greatest asset. The fact that three out of the four women on our team are under the age of 22 could have been seen as a disadvantage, but it was actually the greatest advantage. Instead of doing everything “by the book,” follow your instincts and be creative about how you do things. It’s the out-of-the-box thinkers that truly make a mark.

What is your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Whenever you doubt yourself (and you will…) ask yourself “why not me?” Why couldn’t you be the one to invent that product or disrupt that industry or do whatever has been calling to you? The only difference between people who succeed and those who don’t is that the ones who succeed are willing to jump even when they don’t know the outcome. Trust yourself, be resourceful, ask for help, and try and try and try again.

What is your advice to individuals starting a business with family and/or friends?

Set boundaries very early on. This is something we talk about a lot because we’re in a unique situation! We’re a family who is living together and working together from the same house. Make sure to treat each other with respect and kindness, especially because these are people you love and care about. Schedule time to hang out just as family/friends (and try to leave the work talk behind) so you still maintain a strong foundation. Lastly, try to seperate old family patterns that don’t serve the company and focus on the shared vision you all share.