Urine incontinence isn’t the sexiest problem to solve. But it is a critical wellness solution for millions, today. In this episode of the Reclaim podcast, host Destinee Berman sits down with Alexandra Fennel and Mia Abbruzzese, co-founders of Attn: Grace to explore why they left successful careers to innovate in women's incontinence care, how they validated demand in an "unsexy" category dominated by two giants and the unexpected customer insights that shaped their product strategy.
What You'll Learn:
• How to validate demand in unsexy categories using low-cost testing
• Why product innovation requires understanding category-specific constraints
• The competitive advantage of direct-to-consumer in intimate health categories
• How to turn customer feedback into product differentiation
• The power of complementary co-founder skills in solving complex problems
• How to stay committed when advisors question your path
• Tune in for insights on making this unassuming category purposeful, profitable and rewarding.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & The Birth of Attn:Grace
00:33 How Mia’s Mother Inspired a $100M Category
04:53 Using Fake Ads to Validate Demand in Overlooked Categories
07:06 Why Women's Health Categories Stay Stagnant
10:39 The Nonwoven Industry Gatekeepers and the "Aisle of Death"
15:34 Cotton Doesn't Work for Urine - Expert Mentorship is Critical
18:45 D2C is Your Competitive Edge in Intimate Care
22:32 CAC Optimization: Retail as Discovery Channel and Trust Builder
25:49 Making the Business Work as Married Founders
29:50 The Entrepreneurial Journey of Control, Creation and Meaning
36:05 Both Financial Success and Mission Alignment Matter
37:27 What's Next: Product Innovation and Expanding Women's Voices
38:41 Key Takeaways & Closing Thoughts
Episode Resources:
Alexandra Fennel on LinkedIn: /alexandra-fennell-7180a161
Mia Abbruzzese on LinkedIn: /mia-abbruzzese-4ab4221
Attn: Grace Website: https://attngrace.com
Destinee Berman on LinkedIn: /destineehberman
Future Digital Website: https://www.scalewithfuture.com
