How Robyn McLean’s Hello Period is solving a global waste problem

There are six million people in Australia who have periods. With the average person using 16-22 sanitary products, like pads and tampons, per period, Clean Up Australia estimates a single menstruator will use between 5,000-15,000 pads and tampons – most of which end up in landfill.

But there are solutions to the period waste problem, and there’s one business that’s driving this change.

Robyn McLean founded Hello Period in 2017, creating sustainable period periods like the menstrual cup and, the business’ latest product, the menstrual disc.

It’s Day 3 of Global Entrepreneurs Week, a week dedicated to recognising those who are paving the way for a better future with innovative business ideas.

Our friends at Women’s Agenda shared a Q&A with Robyn McLean.

Can you give us a brief description of your business?

Hello Period is an award-winning sustainable period care brand. We make reusable period care that is leak-proof, comfortable, cute and, according to our fannytastic customers, life-changing. We are the only brand in the world that has something for everyone – period cups and discs for all cervix heights as well as reusable pads and undies. All our products hold at least three times more than single-use tampons or pads.

What inspired you to start your business?

I’ve had dreadful periods my whole life and when I tried a menstrual cup, it instantly changed the game for me. But rather than feel joy, I felt pissed off that I hadn’t known about them earlier. I didn’t want my daughter to get stuck with the same uncomfortable, expensive, single-use options. The more research I did, the more appalled I was by the lack of innovation in the period care industry. It had seemingly been lumped in the taboo ‘let’s ignore periods’ basket and for too long people with periods just put up with it.

What are some challenges you have faced, and how have you overcome them?

Learning how to run a business has been the biggest challenge, haha. Honestly, it was never something that was on my horizon. My background is in journalism and marketing and I was quite happy to stay in that lane until my pig-headed determination got the better of me! I’ve learnt to ask lots of questions and not be afraid to ask for advice – people in business are so generous when it comes to sharing their own stories and I think that’s been one of the best ways to help me feel more confident. Even the most successful brands have a backstory that involves uncertainty and heartache at some stage.

Another challenge has been getting people to try something new. Tampons and pads have been the go-to products for the last few decades so convincing people to give something like a menstrual disc or even reusable pads a go can take a bit of education. We’ve created a fun brand that turns heads and tends to stop people in their tracks long enough to get them curious. That’s key to getting more people to give sustainable period care a go. Once they have – the most common piece of feedback we get is ‘I just wish I’d made the switch earlier!’.

Do you have a vision for the future of your business?

My vision is for Hello Period to be the world’s most loved and trusted sustainable period care brand. We want to engage, entertain and educate our customers about why reusable period care is the future. It’s my dream that my grandchildren will only ever see tampons and single-use pads in museum exhibitions on how people managed periods in the past. We want to be a world leader in driving this important change. Reusable options are seriously more comfortable and they not only save the user money, but they save a huge amount of waste. One Hello Disc or Hello Cup is the equivalent of over 2000 tampons.

Do you have any advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs?

If you’ve got a good idea, follow your heart. There’s nothing you can’t learn about business so, if you think you can do or create something that is different or fills a need, then go for it. Reach out to people in business you admire and ask them questions. But don’t expect it to be easy. There have been a lot of tears over the years and times when I have wanted to give up but I really believe in our brand.

We have thousands of customers all over the world who are so grateful that we have made periods easier to manage and that is so incredibly satisfying. When you have tough days make sure you talk to people – don’t bottle up your anxiety.

Being an entrepreneur is so much fun but it’s really hard too and it’s so important to look after your health – eat well, drink lots of water, and get plenty of fresh air. Do I sound like your mother? I could do with taking my own advice more, but when you are your own boss it’s easy to work seven days and not give yourself enough time to recharge the batteries.

This article was first published by Women’s Agenda.