WoW Woman in Women's Health I Brianna Bitton, co-founder of FLO Vitamins & O Positiv
Brianna Bitton is the co-founder of FLO Vitamins & O Positiv, the first brand to launch a PMS gummy vitamin.
O Positiv & FLO Vitamins are at the forefront of female wellness, creating innovative products to address real, common issues that women of all ages experience. With a deep belief that small changes accumulate into major outcomes, FLO radiates positivity through tiny opportunities to take greater joy in health. Whether it’s contributing to a good day, month or year, FLO delivers meaningful health outcomes through little moments of joy and care.
Brianna, tell us a bit about your background and your projects so far.
I’m a former Disney Imagineer and had years of painful periods before I decided that enough was enough. While working as an LA-based celebrity interior designer, I found that PMS drained my time and nothing on the market proactively addressed my symptoms. My years of frustration led me to partner with my brother Bobby to create the ground-breaking formula for FLO, the first-ever gummy vitamin for PMS. Fast forward to 2021, and we have three successful gummy vitamins revolutionizing the wellness space with more to come throughout the remainder of the year.
How did you get into this industry? Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you had many challenges?
In 2018, I brought the idea for FLO to my brother, Bobby. With a heavy business background and experience in the startup world, Bobby was determined to bring my concept to life by challenging the wellness market and creating research-backed, plant-based products to fill gaps in feminine nutrition and lifestyle. After years of tasting, testing and consulting with numerous doctors/scientists, we landed on the winning formulation for FLO.
There have definitely been challenges along the way, but that’s what makes it so rewarding! It’s amazing to see how much FLO has grown since its inception and where we are going with the new product innovation and O Positiv umbrella as a whole.
How long did it take you to be where you are now? What was the biggest obstacle? What are the challenges of being in the industry you are in?
It’s been about three years since we started this journey with FLO. The biggest obstacle was really how little PMS and women’s wellness had been talked about up until then — with about 50% of the world’s population experiencing it at some point, it’s crazy to think how few solutions there were on the market! The biggest obstacle for us was formulating the perfect gummy vitamin. Since these ingredients hadn’t been used in a gummy before, it was imperative that we got the flavor, texture and formula right. It took years of R&D, but we finally got there!
What are your biggest achievements to date?
Our biggest achievement is by far helping women feel better. The fact that FLO specifically has been able to help women overcome the symptoms of PMS and make that time of the month more tolerable is an incredible feeling. Seeing the reviews come in is so impactful and keeps us motivated to keep creating products to help women everywhere.
What are the projects you are currently working on?
FLO has big things planned for the remainder of 2021 and beyond — be on the lookout for some awesome innovation in the coming weeks, including our debut product in the beauty category. O Positiv as a whole is really focused on serving a diverse set of women’s wellness needs — I’m continuously working on how we can best deliver meaningful health outcomes through little moments of joy and care.
Is the #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why?
Absolutely. The #WomenInTech movement represents an area that women had to work very hard to break into. With tech being a very male-dominated field, the #WomenInTech movement highlights the strides women are making in technology as well.
What will be the key trends in your industry in the next five years and where do you see them heading?
A lot of aspects of women’s health have historically been very “hush, hush.” Periods, PMS, pregnancy and menopause have all been topics of conversation for a specific time or place. I think that FLO and O Positiv have opened up the door for these topics to be at the forefront of the conversation, instead of whispered. I see this trend continuing over the next five years and evolving even more.
What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone who wants to start a career in this industry?
Follow your gut — if you find a hole in the market or have a product idea you think is worthwhile, it’s likely that other people will resonate with that too. Starting a business from scratch can be super intimidating, but if you find an audience, success and growth will come naturally.
Who are three inspirational women in your respective industry you admire?
Emily Weiss, founder of Glossier: she is such a huge inspiration to myself and women everywhere and is the definition of turning your dream and passion into reality! I also love that she is in the female beauty space so would love to get advice from her on creating such an impactful empire.
I love seeing what Set Active & Lindsay Carter are doing in wellness. Making stylish, attainable activewear for all body types. I also love to see the hype and community they have created around their brand.
I also love Melissa Wood Health and Jaqui Kingswell of The Pilates Class. Both women created stunning apps and systems to stay fit both physically and mentally during the pandemic, and I admire their brands and ethos so much.
Find out more about FLO Vitamins on their website.
Follow Brianna and FLO Vitamins on Instagram.
Connect with Brianna on LinkedIn.
This interview was conducted by Marija Butkovic, Digital Marketing and PR strategist, founder, and CEO of Women of Wearables. She regularly writes and speaks on topics of wearable tech, fashion tech, IoT, entrepreneurship, and diversity. Follow Marija on Twitter @MarijaButkovic and read her stories for Forbes here.