WoW Woman in Women's Health I Daniella Peri, founder and CEO of Yoppie

Daniella Peri is the CEO and founder of London-based, full-cycle-care brand Yoppie. Prior to launching the company in 2016, Daniella worked in a number of different roles including as a consultant and legal assistant. In 2019, she was named in the InspiringFifty Nordics.

Yoppie is a menstrual healthcare brand helping customers manage their entire cycle through personalised product subscription plans and expert digital resources. Currently available in Sweden and the UK, Yoppie’s products include PMS supplements, period care, hormonal skincare, and a newly launched range of condition supplements targeting the symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Endometriosis. The company also provides educational resources via its website, including scientifically-backed articles and interactive webinars designed around topics requested by its online community.

Daniella, tell us a bit about your background and your projects so far.

In 2016, I took a career break from my job at a consulting firm to ascertain what I really wanted to do. I have always been interested in owning my own company - as a child, I used to tell adults that I wanted to be a CEO when I grew up. During this break, a friend and I came up with the idea for a menstrual care brand that caters to managing cycles in an effortless, eco-friendly, and modern way, by supplying customisable and organic products - in part inspired by my PCOS, which made managing my cycle quite complex.

We initially started as an online tampon subscription service, though today we are very much a full-cycle brand with products that cater to the entire menstrual cycle.

How did you get into this industry? Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you had many challenges?
My career started in earnest when I dropped out of college. I have always found it easier to learn by doing, and I couldn’t wait to get started under my own steam. After leaving school, I knew I wanted to work under entrepreneurial people who had the same mindset as me. I have worked at a number of  companies in that time - mainly young, agile companies where I could be hands-on in my role and help them overcome difficult business challenges. My roles included legal assistant, fashion buyer, and project manager. However, I always knew I wanted to start my own business - which is what I eventually got the chance to do. 

Shortly after we launched, my friend and business partner left the company as she decided that it wasn’t her calling - though we remain great friends.

How long did it take you to be where you are now? What was the biggest obstacle?
I first launched Yoppie in 2016 as a period care subscription company, but between then and 2019, when we launched our pioneering full-cycle offering, we were working hard to get the company to where we are right now. Today, we are a menstrual healthcare brand helping customers manage their entire cycle through personalised product subscription plans and expert digital resources. What we are building is a whole ecosystem to enable people everywhere in the world to manage all aspects of their menstrual health through their smartphones. That’s the goal.

I’m fortunate in that I haven’t faced any major obstacles with Yoppie’s journey so far, though it’s always difficult to raise capital, no matter the business, and market dynamics are always changing. This adds another layer of complexity to funding negotiations. On a more social level, I have learnt the hard way that it’s impossible to please everyone at once; conflict is part of business, but it doesn’t have to be unhealthy. 

What are the challenges of being in the industry you are in?

There is a real need for education within the wellness industry, especially when it comes to the importance of full-cycle care. I want the conversation around menstrual health to be far more in-depth than it is now, and I want Yoppie to be the centre of this. I truly believe that our service is a cornerstone of wellbeing and lends itself to a futuristic but practical way of gaining a diagnosis, and in turn finding the products you need off the back. Nowadays, apps like Gorillas, Zapp, and Deliveroo mean that almost everything is available for delivery at the touch of a button - why should menstrual care be any different? 

What are your biggest achievements to date?

The biggest achievement as I see it is the fact that we are making a real difference in our customers’ quality of life. With our most recent supplement launch which is specifically designed to target the symptoms of PCOS and endometriosis, which we know can be debilitating for those living with these diagnoses, we have already had fantastic feedback from our customers. Seeing real people use statements like ‘life-changing and how they feel like ‘a different human’ or ‘can’t believe the difference’ in reviews of our supplements still gets me emotional, and so proud of the work that we do. 

What are the projects you are currently working on?

We have a particular focus at the moment on developing our digital resources, which consist of medically-backed articles, webinars, and Instagram Lives with nutritionists and gynaecologists from our Scientific Advisory Network, as well as an ever-growing social media community. This is a key component in helping to educate and empower women all over the world. Alongside this, I want to further diversify and expand our range of products so that every customer’s needs are met. 

Is the #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why?
I am a firm believer in representation and equality in all walks of life, particularly in entrepreneurship. Giving women the platform to build up their ideas is essential, and there is still so much work to be done on this front.

What will be the key trends in your industry in the next five years and where do you see them heading?

In five years’ time, I think personalisation will be treated as a must, rather than a ‘luxury’. There will be little room for blanket approaches when it comes to healthcare overall, and in particular when it comes to cycle care. Personalisation is about inclusivity. And inclusivity should never be viewed as a trend. Instead, I hope to see my industry work hard over the next few years to create a lasting shift which ensures that menstrual healthcare providers cater to everyone who can benefit from the products and services that they provide. 

What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone who wants to start a career in this industry?
Trust your gut. Sometimes, it takes a few days for your rational brain to catch up with an intuitive feeling, which almost always turns out to be right. However, it often seems counterintuitive to trust a ‘feeling’ when the evidence might be pointing to making a contradictory decision. 

I’ve also learnt that a good company is made by good employees, and surrounding myself with smart, hard-working people has taken the company into entirely new avenues. Good employees push you out of your comfort zone and challenge you - and I need to know that my colleagues won’t just agree with me for the sake of it. This is what builds trust. 

Who are three inspirational women in your respective industry you admire?

I look at the career of Emily Weiss, CEO and Founder of Glossier, for inspiration. Since starting Glossier in 2014, Emily has overseen its growth from a simple cosmetics provider and blog to a global lifestyle brand. This is a vision I share for Yoppie; we strive to emulate the close-knit community that Glossier have built, and are well on our way having created an engaged community of customers. I also hugely admire Elina Berglund, CEO of Natural Cycles - her focus on using natural and holistic medicines to manage contraception, as opposed to pill alternatives, has been a huge inspiration in the approach that we take at Yoppie. 

I am a huge fan of Tania Boler, CEO and Founder of Elvie, and absolutely love their bold, head-on advertising and marketing strategy. They represent women as they truly are - unique, individual, and beautiful - which is as important now as it has ever been. 

Find out more about Yoppie on their website.

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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.