WoW Woman in Femcare | Martha Silcott, Founder of Fab Little Bag
Interview by Anja Streicher
How many times have you found yourself in a situation where you had your period and there was no bin or a way for you to dispose of your tampon? And even if there was a bin, how pleasant was the experience? Wrapping your tampon in tons of toilet paper to then throw it in the bin isn’t the best option, but that’s what we do since there wasn’t the other way. There is now. I’m very happy to introduce you to Martha Silcott, Founder of Fab Little Bag.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background and the story behind starting Fab Little Bag.
I fell into financial services and became an IFA straight out of Uni by accident - after running my own practice in the City for 7 years I found myself in corporate-land creating a totally new service that reunited people with their lost money from investments they had made but lost track of - This was with Experian and then I was headhunted to capita to build a similar solution. After that i had a few Account Manager type roles but all the while FabLittleBag (or my tampon bag as it was then referred to) was in my head. Inspiration for FabLittleBag was born out of frustration one day when sitting on the toilet at a friend’s house. Doing what all binners have to do, I wrapped my tampon up in toilet roll, went to put it in the bin – but – there was no bin, so I had to do “the Handbag Smuggle” There had to be a better way. There wasn't, so I invented one.
It took me 7 years to get my patent and over 5 m FabLittleBags have now been sold world-wide; that’s a lot of “Gobsmacked FLushers converted into Binners and a lot of tampons and pads that have been kept out of the rivers, oceans and off the beaches which makes me happy! I have also done as much as I can to help to break down the taboo around periods over the last 4 years.
2. If you could describe Fab Little Bag in three words, what would those be?
In three words: A bloody Godsend!
In three syllables: Fab-U-Lous!
3. We started talking about period, but it seems like we never talk or discuss how we dispose of our sanitary products. What are you experiences, is period still a taboo, when will we start talking about disposal of our tampons and how do we motivate women to start opening up about the challenges they’re facing in that area?
I knowww! Disposal is the taboo within the taboo! The general taboo around periods is definitely cracking now, which is great and I think that the younger generation are growing up with much more openess around it. However there is still plenty of cringiness and embarrassment and awkwardness in many quarters. It is crucial to involve men and boys in the debates and discussions, quite often women and girls can have negative responses as a direct result of the reaction and verbal declarations from men and boys around them. There is also massive cultural differences as to how periods are viewed and treated and talked about. Social media has, on the whole had a hugely positive impact in my opinion, challenging, encouraging, opening up discussions and introducing some humour - essential to any taboo subject. In terms of progressing this and continuing to make leaps forward, we must TALK! Talking about periods helps to break down the taboo - the reason disposal is still ultra taboo, is no-one talks about it - you have sisters sharing a flat, one a binner, one a flusher and neither of them knowing this , each assuming that the other (and everyone else) simply does what they do - its is bonkers . hence almost without exception, every female I meet I ask: Are you a flusher or a Binner - I am guaranteed to have a conversation, stranger or not!
4. How do we teach young girls to think of and talk about period with pride?
I always remember Gloria Steinem’s essay “If men could menstruate” and have to agree that in that case “Clearly, menstruation would become an enviable, worthy, masculine event: Men would brag about how long and how much. Young boys would talk about it as the envied beginning of manhood. Gifts, religious ceremonies, family dinners, and stag parties would mark the day. To prevent monthly work loss among the powerful, Congress would fund a National Institute of Dysmenorrhea. Doctors would research little about heart attacks, from which men would be hormonally protected, but everything about cramps. Sanitary supplies would be federally funded and free.”
Yes - I do agree - however, a lot of progress has been achieved in just the last 3 years: When I first launched FabLittleBag no-one was really talking openly about periods, now, periods are definitely ‘out’ - everyone is talking about them in one way or another, books are being written, exhibitions, and social media is packed full of period related posts; they are almost fashionable! The sad fact of Period Poverty has in fact had a hugely positive impact in increasing awareness, helping to break down the taboos, and from Jan primary and secondary schools will all receive free sanitary products for students. We have had an explosion in innovation from the rebirth of the Cups, to underwear you can bleed into, reusable pads etc- fantastic! There is a lot more to do, but I feel like we are now on that road. I am intending to launch a campaign to make all employers have a period box of supplies on site as a mandatory requirement- being caught short a work is no joke and supplies should be there so deal with it.
Periods are private to each individual, I advocate an ‘each to their own’ approach; I am strongly against women judging other women as to how they choose to manage their own period. If they want to use disposable pads, then Cuppers, leave them alone, if they want to use Cups, then, no need to label as ‘disgusting’, whilst I encourage no more “sleeve smuggling” when go the the loo at work, neither do I promote waving your tampon in the air making a huge declaration - unless you really want to?! Just because to want privacy does not mean that you feel shame. Shame has no place when discussing how we feel about periods, and it is important that we do everything we can to educate girls, women AND men so that this normal bodily function is treated in a relaxed, open and normal way...
5. What was it like starting a business for you? What were some of the challenges you’ve faced so far in your entrepreneurial journey?
In a word, hard! Could write a book…. Work-wise; manufacturing is just ghastly, fraught with challenges and stress; is the machine going to work? Is the product fit for purpose? Is the colour right? Is the adhesive the right strength? Did the order make the ship? Did we forecast the correct amount and the correct SKU’s? Juggling everything on a shoe-string budget is not fun, having clear ideas of how you want things but not being able to action those due to lack of finance/skills is frustrating. I knew nothing about any aspect of this journey, other than selling, so I needed to learn quickly about manufacturing, the materials, the eco impacts, packaging, branding, marketing. Then there are the challenges that come with bringing a newly invented product to market in a taboo subject where even the women's mags do not want to discuss the issues…Trying to convince male buyers, to stock you, male FM managers to see the need, and male investors to back you has been tricky. Still trying to overcome many of these! It can also be lonely as no-one else sees it all and ultimately has responsibility in the same way that you do as the founder.
6. What’s the one thing you wish you knew before starting a business?
I am actually pretty glad I didn’t know a lot of things as not sure I would have done it! Ignorance is bliss when it comes to starting a business from scratch on your own!
7. Tell us more about the experience of pitching Fab little bag to retailers and bigger companies. What is it like pitching a solution to a problem only a woman understands? What would be your advice to female entrepreneurs pitching products for women to a male investor or a retailer?
Pitching for investment has been interesting, we knew that men would at worst turn off immediately, and at best not be able to empathise. So we asked some of them to pretend to be a binner and handed them tampons and pads and got them to do the Loo Roll Wrap and then compare that experience with using a FabLittleBag. Often it was not until they had taken some FLB’s away and their wife or daughters told them how good they were that they truly believed! People like to invest in people like them on the whole and given the vast majority of investors are middle aged white men, well, it has its challenges! My advice is to as much as possible enable the men to sympathise. Experience, feel the pain of the problem that you are solving and be as brave and daring as you can. Do not under any circumstances under sell yourself, or your numbers.
Follow Fab Little Bag:
Website: https://www.fablittlebag.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fablittlebag/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fablittlebag/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FabLittleBag
This interview was conducted by Anja Streicher, Chief Marketing Officer of Women of Wearables. She is passionate about women's health, supporting women in business and is still trying to figure out how to balance motherhood and business.