Vanessa

Five fitness trends to look out for in 2018

Posted on by Vanessa

Every new year brings along an in flux of fitness trends and innovations, so you have to be well-informed in order to know what to pay attention to and explore. So, we’ve prepared a list of our top five fitness trends that we feel will rule the year of 2018.

Boxing!

Boxing seems to have gained quite a lot of popularity lately and we have noticed that more people are incorporating it into their everyday workout routine. This may sound surprising, but if you consider its benefits you’ll understand why. Not only is this activity super fun and a great way to boost your adrenaline levels, but it represents a nice break from exercises that focuses mainly on the lower part of your body.

Group Training

Group training is not something that we haven’t come across already; however, this year will see this method of exercise increase in popularity. Firstly, we like the idea of this form of workout since you’re led by an instructor who can, along with other members of the group, motivate you to push harder and never give up. On top of that, this type of training offers various options, and you can choose what suits you the best, be that cycling, boxing or even a boot camp.

Technology

Technology is developing quickly, so it’s not a wonder that various high-tech gadgets have become an inseparable part of exercising, and the year 2018 will put an emphasis on their usefulness even more. For example, you can try out state-of-the-art heart rate monitors and activity trackers so that you can feel your body and know what it needs. Finally, make sure to compliment these gadgets with some fancy gym wear in order to achieve the trendiest look this year. However, aside from looking great, these cosy clothes will allow you to move freely and exercise more effectively.

Yoga

It seems that yoga is because even more popular because of the variety of its styles which allow you to show off some creativity as well. On top of that, it doesn’t only focus on your body, but it also trains your mind. Therefore, it’s hard to imagine a more effective activity for all those who want to blow off some steam and get in touch with their inner selves. Finally, you have to keep in mind that good health comes from within, so don’t neglect your soul and mind.

Personal training with professionals

Finally, personal training definitely falls under the category of the coolest fitness trend for the year 2018. And the main reason for this is that you can get assistance from professionals who will make sure that you perform all the exercises in the right way and that you won’t get injured easily. Additionally, fitness coaches are there to show you the latest equipment and introduce you to all the newest trends maintaining your interest in workouts and helping you stay motivated.

Let us know which ones you try out!

About the author

Samantha has a B.Sc. in nutrition, and has spent two years working as a personal trainer. Since then, she has embarked on a mission to conquer the blogosphere. When not in the gym or on the track, you can find her on Twitter, or in a tea shop. She also blogs at Ripped.me

Legendary singer, Mica Paris, talks new tour & women in music

Posted on by Vanessa

“This is a man’s world, but it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or a girl,” were lyrics sang by James Brown 50 years ago. For the most part, it’s still a man’s world, however, equality, diversity and gender have never been hotter topics than they are in 2017.

Although women have come a very long way in terms of respect and success in various industries, progress has been slow in bridging the gender divide within the UK music scene. One woman that has witnessed the changes in the music business and hopes to inspire a new generation of women coming through is vocal powerhouse Mica Paris.

The range, power, and sheer soulfulness of Mica Paris’ singing made an immediate impact on the UK music scene in 1988 when she released her debut, platinum-selling album, ‘So Good’ from which she had her first massive hit, ‘My One Temptation’ and from 1988 to 1998 Mica was rarely out of the charts.

Her career has spanned over 3 decades with no signs of slowing down. February 2018 will see the UK Queen of Soul honour the undisputed Queen of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald with a 5 day mini tour across England, a theatrical show about Ella’s life and an album Mica Sings Ella. She will also release a book on women in the music business in the summer.

Here she talks about her forthcoming shows and shares her experience on what it’s like being a woman working in a male-dominated industry.

On how she found out she could sing…
My grandparents found out I had the gift when I was five years old. I was singing Rupert the Bear and my grandmother started running around the house telling everybody that I had this amazing voice and that’s where it all started. Then I started singing in church and started winning awards. My first award I won at Wembley and I was 11. At a convention, Pentecostal Convention, which is a church body and it all kind of started from there. My grandmother was like my first agent. I mean from the age of nine I was singing in every church around the UK, Scotland, I was everywhere.

On singing Ella Fitzgerald’s music…
Ella Fitzgerald had her centenary this year and my very first memory of Ella Fitzgerald was when she had this advert on TV. I must have been about seven or eight, but I remember it coming on because she broke the glass and I was like, wow how did she do that? And back then, there weren’t many black people on TV so it was just like, there’s a black woman, she’s got an amazing voice and she broke a glass. That was the advert. I said I need to do that. I remember asking my dad, who’s this Ella Fitzgerald, who is it, and then he started to tell me everything about her, played all her stuff and that’s where it all began.

On why Ella Fitzgerald’s so special…
She’s an unsung hero. She’s the music behind everything really. You’ve heard her your whole life, but you don’t realise it’s her, this is what’s interesting. Like, so many adverts use her songs, and what’s unique about Ella is the way she sang. She had a very universal sound. Her voice wasn’t necessarily what you would call a black voice but she could turn it on if she wanted to. But she had this kind of sound very similar to how Nat King Cole had the sound that wasn’t necessarily termed as a black voice. It transcended colour. That’s why she was so unique and then she would be able to interpret all different types of music. She was very outside the box.

On why Ella Fitzgerald is overlooked…
The reason why people don’t really speak a lot about Ella is because she wasn’t a drug addict. And unfortunately she was good. So it was one of those things where people always sensationalise drama and tragedy, so at that time when she was really on the scene, it was her and Billie Holiday. Billie Holiday got all the press really because she was, number one, she was better looking, and number two, there was a lot of drug abuse and stuff like that. Ella outlived all of them, all the way to the end, she lived a really long life and the consummate worker. But I wanted to celebrate her, also to educate the young about her contribution to music and how she still influences us today, and how many singers have been influenced by her voice and emulated her style, she was incredible.

On doing a mini tour singing Ella Fitzgerald songs…
We’re going to do a proper tour instead of spot dates in 2018 because the album comes out in 2018, Mica sings Ella and we decided we’re going to do a mini tour from the 11th – 16th February, around the country. I didn’t really expect to get the demographic that we’re getting, which is, it’s young, middle and old that are coming to the shows and literally losing it. We’ve made it contemporary. I’m not trying to copy Ella Fitzgerald. What I’m doing is interpreting Ella in my way because it would be pointless to just copy. So this is why, it doesn’t sound exactly like Ella, it’s Mica’s version of Ella. And I think somehow that’s making the younger people want to come in and get, you know, everyone’s boogying. Believe it or not they’re all dancing and it’s all going off.

On what changes she wants to see in the music industry…
Personally for me, I want to see more people of colour in the music industry. I want them in the business. That’s what I want. We know we can do this with our eyes closed. What we need is executives who are black within the music industry, especially in the UK, we’re desperate for it. It’s not so much like that in the States but in the UK we need more, and I would say to all the young people, stop trying to be in front of the camera. Go behind the camera now. That’s what we need to do. We know we can do this, you know if I came in the industry now I wouldn’t even bother being an artist, I’d just go straight to working within the industry to bring people in.

On why women in the music industry tortured…

Because unfortunately there is no equality when it comes to the sexes yet. We’re still behind. I’m not a feminist, I love men. Trust me, you can see my track record, but it’s more to do with the way that society is set up. We still haven’t really moved forward with equality, so women are still expected to be in the home or having a job but coming home every night. The industry and being a singer in the music industry, you can’t really be that 9-5 type of wife or girlfriend, and so what happens is we have to take on the role of being sort of male because we’re out working all the time. So this dynamic hasn’t quite sit well with society. Women being like the man and running off!

 

On motherhood…
I’ve really had to juggle hard with my two children. I mean, one is an adult now but the little one is 11. I’ve had to juggle and I had a 15 year gap between my children. I could never have had them together. I had to do it that way because I’m constantly on the road touring and working and stuff like that. And thank God I have a great team of people around me. Mum, sis, nannies, I’ve got everybody helping me out. But it’s very hard for a woman to hold the children up, and the career up, and be famous, look good and do all that stuff, and all the other stuff. It’s tough for a guy to deal with. Most of the women that I research in this book, it’s always been the partner is the problem because the men have not quite gotten used to women being more in the front than they are.

On society…
Society hasn’t moved on. Society is still portraying the men as being the breadwinners of the family. So this is causing stress on relationships so the men can’t identify themselves as being with a woman that makes more money or is more famous than them. This dynamic is killing the relationship because the men can’t cope with it, because mostly they’re not used to it because society is telling them that’s not what’s supposed to be the case. See, so until women and men make the same money, sorry to go there but it really is, when we have the same wage then things change when that happens. People only think about money so until you change the money, people don’t really pay it any mind. The money dictates the decisions.

On money affecting relationships…
Every female singer I know will sit down and tell you what I just told you. Many times the women singers, what we try to do is have the partner manage or get involved with their work just to appease them. But it still goes back to the man feeling emasculated. So then it goes wrong again. So you can’t really get it right until society changes or stay single. That’s an option. Just have visitors, that’s always an option. Just make sure the children are with the grandparents, not saying I do that by the way. (Laughs)

On advice she’d give her younger self…
It took me a long time to get my head around business. I was terrible. I was such a creative, let the accountants deal with it, lawyers, that’s the only thing I would have done different. I would have been more on top of my game with business because it’s so important…I got out of college, the contract was there and it was just like six figures. The 80’s was all about excess. No-one really cared where it came from we were just glad we had it. You got that big fat pay check and you were just down at Carnaby Street and then you went to the shop and bought your car. Range Rover or BMW or whatever it was, and that was what you did.

On how the music industry has changed…
Females have a lot more input and a lot more control. And that you know where your money is going, there’s more clarity now. In my time you just didn’t know what was going on, but you didn’t think about it because there was just so much happening. It was all private jets and flying here, flying there, hotels etc. But now it’s nice to see a lot of the younger artists, I find them to be quite on top of their game. They know who’s getting what, what percentage is what and stuff.

On sexual harassment in the industry…
I’m a 5’10” black woman. I dare anybody to mess with me. I never got touched in the industry. No-one messed with me mate. I can only remember one incident where someone tried to even remotely suggest, I’m going to put it there, suggest that we get busy and I turned round and I sacked him. One time. That was it, he was sacked, yeah. I’m Jamaican. That’s how we do it, we don’t play around, and the only way you could deal with me and take me, is if you had a few. There’s four or five of them or something, what can you do with that? But it wasn’t like that. I didn’t get any of that at all. And Harvey Weinstein, I’m like, come. Do you know what I mean? As long as he’s on his own I’ll tear that man up, I’ll break him in two. Believe.

On dressing classy…
Well I try, it’s not easy. My grandparents are ministers so we were always having to dress up properly. We couldn’t wear our Sunday clothes in the week. My Sunday shoes were for Sundays only. I’m the same with my children, and I drive them potty. Mum, I just want to be casual. ‘No, no casualness in my house, you must always look good.’ It’s true. My grandparents, man, my grandad, he wore a tie every day, suit every day, my whole life he had a tie on. Even my mum and dad, I come from a serious family of dressers, so I couldn’t let the side down, I’d get roasted. It’s important to always look your best and respectable.

Join Mica Paris for an extraordinary night of classic live music at the following shows:

MICA PARIS TOUR DATES 2018

LONDON                     11th FEBRUARY                       ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL

BRISTOL                     13th FEBRUARY                       THE FLEECE      

 
MANCHESTER          14th FEBRUARY                       RUBY LOUNGE

BIRMINGHAM          15th FEBRUARY                       THE JAM HOUSE

LEICETSER                16th FEBRUARY                       2FUNKY MUSIC CAFÉ

Tickets are available now: http://punch-records.co.uk/mica-paris-sings-ella-fitzgerald.html

 

 

What did Naomi Oni teach us about friends, jealously and envy?

Posted on by Vanessa

For the past couple of weeks I and many other people in the UK, have been  shocked by the national exposure; the BBC Three documentary: Acid Attack: My Story that tells the first hand experience of Naomi Oni, 25 who was brutally attacked with acid that caused lifelong damage to her face by her friend Mary Konye on 30th December 2012

I am incredibly inspired by the bravery of Naomi Oni who shared in detail her experiences in the BBC Three Documentary,where she spoke about her troubled friendship with her attacker Mary Konye, the night she was attacked, her recovery and what she has had to endure to repair the damage this experience has caused to her and family .

What I learned from watching this documentary was a cautionary tale about friendship and how important it is to be extremely careful of who you refer to as your ‘friend’.

I remember when I was as young as 10 years old, my Mum always told me to be careful of who I choose as friends and to not trust anyone or tell any of my friends my business and secrets. Throughout my childhood, of course I didn’t listen to my Mum’s advice and told all my business, shared my secrets and got betrayed by so many friends!

Watching Naomi’s story, I truly felt that I was extremely lucky that none of these betrayal’s had a devastating impact on my life and I was able to move on  and learn from these lessons.

Whilst I was watching this documentary, there were many times my jaw almost touched the floor as Naomi recounted her friendship with Mary and how after she attacked Naomi with acid, Mary texted her the following day writing “OMG, I can’t believe it!” and then even came to her birthday party before she was charged with the attack!

Your own enemies can be one your best friends-what this taught me was to be even more cautious about who I invite into my personal and intimate space. Especially with the massive consumption of social media, people can become even more enraged with jealously and envy based on what they deem to be a successful life and become resentful if they are not happy with their lives. Of course this does not apply to everyone and I am not suggesting that you do not make any new friends or suddenly cut people out of your life but there are always signs about certain individuals that we sometimes choose to ignore and dismiss, and I am going to make a conscious effort to listen to my gut and pay attention to these signs. I hope you do too.

 

What I hope for our  generation is that we learn to have more compassion for one another, let things go, be forgiving, understand the consequences of actions, focus on your own life and try to bring positivity and love into the world.

We thank Naomi Oni for her bravery and courage in sharing her story: She has an amazing and bright future ahead of her.

 

Getting confident with former WNBA player, Chantelle Anderson

Posted on by Vanessa

Chantelle Anderson is a 6 year WNBA veteran and an award-winning medical sales representative turned confidence coach. She specializes in helping others build the confidence they need to get what they want. Chantelle’s joy is infectious and she leaves others inspired and equipped to succeed.

Her mission is to provide a million women with the tools to build confidence in themselves, walk in their full potential and impact the world in a positive way.

We caught up with Chantelle to find out more about her wonderful journey, how to deal with transitions in your career and to get some confidence tips for 2018!

So you spent 6 years playing in the WNBA, what an amazing achievement. What was this experience like?
Playing in the WNBA was a dream come true. As cliché as it sounds, it’s totally true. In high school I had posters of the Women’s Olympic Team and Lisa Leslie all over my walls because I wanted to be just like them. And through four years of college that was always the goal in the back of my mind. It was a ton of hard work, injuries, days I didn’t want to go to practice and lots of tears. But I remember calling my sister during my senior year and telling her how WNBA scouts were coming to my practices and the prediction was that I’d be picked in the first round. We were so excited that it was actually going to happen and it made
everything worth it!

How was the transition from having to leave the WNBA and move into a completely different career and to start again? 
The great thing about sports is that it prepares us to be successful at anything else we could ever want to do in life. But the hard thing about sports is that it’s so self-consuming that when I was done, I didn’t feel prepared to do anything. It was hard trying to find myself apart from basketball while at the same time trying to figure out what that next step was. The whole transition was difficult. But thankfully basketball prepared me to handle it. It was like the transition drills, in going from offense to defense, that I had practiced my whole life. So I did the same things: kept moving, paid attention to everything that was happening, played to
my strengths and just did the best I could. Eventually I landed in the right place!

You experienced incredible success as a medical sales rep, it seems that you have the special gift of nailing whatever you put your mind to. How did you approach your new career and become successful? 
Thank you! I think it goes back to applying everything I learned in sports to everything else I do. But if I had to give specific strategies that were constant, I would say:
1. Figure out who you are and build confidence in that. After I retired from the WNBA, I spent the next year intentionally working on me and getting to know myself outside of basketball. I didn’t realize it would have such a lasting impact at the time, but it really changed everything that would come after it. At the end of the day, we are the constant in
everything we do and so it’s important to work on us and build confidence in ourselves.

2. Work.
Sounds like a given but so many people don’t do it enough. One of the things that I always did was go all in to anything I was doing at the time, and do everything I could do to be successful in that. Sometimes we let fear stop us from going all the way in but that will always hold us back from getting where we want to go.

3. Talk to everyone.
Seriously, networking and making friends is a skill that you need. I rarely go anywhere without
leaving with a new friend or business connection. The importance of networking has to be a
conviction of yours.

4. Treat people like they’re famous. Lol.
Seriously, from being in the public eye – especially in college – I noticed that people always treatedme like I was important. But when I went to the pros and was no longer a star (relatively), and then again after I stopped playing altogether, people stopped treating me like I was important. It was a really sucky feeling, but I realized that most people were treated like that their whole lives. So I decided to be different. From then on, my goal was to treat every person I meet like people had treated me when I was “somebody”. It made all the difference. So many of the opportunities I’ve gotten are simply because I treated someone like they were important regardless of what their title was.

5. Have the courage to change what you don’t like.
Whether it’s within your self, in a job you hate or a relationship that isn’t giving you what you need,change it! People say don’t settle and that’s key. But none of us want to settle. What gets in our way is that we lack the confidence to believe that we can get better and then the courage to try. That’s one thing I’ve always had a strong conviction about. When I stopped playing basketball, I refused to stay at a job I didn’t love – sports spoils you in that way – and so I didn’t stop moving until I found that thing. I established my non-negotiables, did the work to build what I wanted and then I found the courage and faith to jump into it.

A lot of women struggle with imposter syndrome, what would be your advice in tackling this? 
Imposter syndrome sucks! It’s something very close to my heart and a big reason why I developed my Visible Confidence course. Some of the keys to beating it are to realize it’s a problem, address the root issue, fight it every day and surround yourself with people who will fight with you.

Do you think confidence is something you are born with or can anyone develop confidence? 
Confidence is definitely something we’re ALL born with. You remember when you were fearless as a kid,right? We all have it. But then life teaches us that we shouldn’t be confident as we get older. And from there, it’s definitely a skill that we need to rebuild. It’s not for the select few. Any and everyone can – and should –work to build confidence in who they are and what they do.

Many people let fear hold them back from making life changing decisions, how do you help your clients overcome fear? 
Yes, fear is a huge thing for all of us. When I work with my clients, I help them see fear differently, give them specific weapons to fight it with and then get to the bottom of where it’s coming from so they can lessen it all together. No one is or will ever be fearless. Being confident takes away the excuse of fear and allows you to succeed anyway.

Tell us about your online course Visible Confidence and why did you create this program?
Yes, this course is my baby! Haha. My coach used to say that in basketball, I guarded myself far more often than any one else guarded me. And so I worked really hard and became a player that was unguardable in a lot of situations. But when I left basketball, I found out that guarding myself was costing me a lot more than a missed shot or a lost game. It was costing me money, missed promotions and failed relationships. So I decided I didn’t want to guard myself in life either, and figured out a way to stop doing. So I created the process behind Visible Confidence because I needed it.But I turned it into a course because when I went through the process, it changed everything about my life,how I felt about myself and what I was able to do professionally. When I saw the difference, I wanted to help others and see them experience that same thing. And so now I take 8 weeks (and longer if needed) to give women all the tools they need – that have worked for me and others – to live a more confident life in every area.

Who in your circle gives you encouragement on your down days?
I have an amazing circle of women around me. The people I’m most likely to call and talk to when I’m down are my sister/BFF, Kristin, and my best friend, Lee. I also meet with my spiritual mentor, Helen, once every week to talk and get advice. If something is going on, I’m calling one of those three. Haha.

Who are your role models and influences? 
In a lot of ways, my role models are the people in my inner circle because I make friends with people I admire and who I want to be like in certain ways. I think that’s really important for all of us. But there are other people who I look to for career/fashion/hair inspiration and ideas. There’s too many to name but the first ones that come to mind are Nicole Walters and Gabrielle Union.

What else do you have coming up? 
I’m super excited to launch the next cycle of my Visible Confidence Course in February, 2018. My new book, also titled Visible Confidence, is coming out next week and then my TEDx Talk called “Saving Yourself the Cost of Insecurity” that I just did will be posting on the TED site in January. I also just began a partnership as one of the new Voices of Women of Faith so I’m happy to have the platform to share about my faith as well. It’s shaping up to be an amazing 2018!

The best way to keep up with everything that’s happening is to go to VisibleConfidence.com and join my email list, because I send out weekly confidence tips as well as updates. I also announce a lot of stuff on Instagram @MissChantelle.

 

Five things we are looking forward to in 2018

Posted on by Vanessa

Happy New Year!

2017 was a fantastic year for us as we reached 287,274 women online and offline.We cannot wait to see what is in store for us in 2018 and around the world. We are particularly excited about:

1. The Mayor of London launched on New Years Eve his 12 month #BehindEveryGreatCity campaign to mark 100 years since women won the right to vote. It will highlight the role London played in women’s suffrage, mark the progress that’s been made on women’s equality over the past 100 years and tackle gender inequality. There will be plenty of events and projects to support women and girls in the City to reach their full potential. Check out the launch video below featuring celebrities such as Naomi Campbell,Laura Whitmore and Tinie Tempah alongside firefighters, police officers, TfL engineers and Sadiq Khan to champion the fact that it is the achievements and contributions of women, from all walks of life, which make cities like London great. We can’t wait to continue our contribution of supporting women and girls in this beautiful City we call London!

2. The Black Panther movie is set to be the film of the year with an all-star line-up that includes Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker! Black superhero’s are finally getting the spotlight they deserve and we feel this will be a game changer in the film industry of demonstrating the power of the black dollar and pound! So make sure you go out and support this incredible movie.

3. International Womens Day 2018 will be back on the 8th March. This years’ theme is ‘Push for Progress’ celebrating the progress of women all over the world. In the light of the viral #metoo campaigns and the bravery of so many women sharing their experiences this International Womens Day will be especially poignant. We hope it becomes the start of real change in the experience of women in the workplace across all sectors.

4. Queen Beyonce will be performing at Coachella in April 2018! Get ready to watch Queen Bey slay post twin babies and see what she does best. We will be sure to tune in on Beyonce’s performance and cannot wait!

5. The Royal wedding. Prince Harry will marry US actress, Meghan Markle in May 2018 at Windsor Castle. As Meghan will be the first Princess of mixed race heritage, this has sparked debates and frank conversations on race and inter-racial relationships in the UK. We are eager to see what impact Meghan will have on this issue in her new role and of course we  will be tuned in for all of the wedding highlights, celebrity guests and also most importantly Meghan’s dress!

Share with us in the comments section what else you are excited about in 2018. We wish all our readers’ a happy and successful year in advance!

Amaka Uche

Follow Amaka on Twitter @amakauche247

Five mins with Affi, Founder of Freda

Posted on by Vanessa

Freda is a period subscription service that has a strong focus on natural and eco-friendly period products as well as social responsibility. You get natural periodcare products exactly when you need them, and a portion of every purchase helps women in developing countries get access to the products they need as well.

We caught up with the Founder, Affi, to find out more about this wonderful brand and the ethos behind it.

What made you decide to start Freda? 

I used to be a market analyst advising companies on new product launches and provided strategic advice to a few start-up projects.  Experience taught me that the best ideas were always the most simple ones – as a woman, as a daughter of refugee parents, and the mother of a teenage daughter, I was saddened by the images of refugees fleeing their countries of origin and being stuck at various European borders or in refugee camps and one question that kept popping up in my mind was how did the women and girls manage their periods.  The answer after some research was they don’t manage.  Cultural taboos around menstruation had pushed the provision of any period products under the radar.  The same taboo had also somehow deterred women from scrutinising the ingredients of their pads and tampons.  Many of us buy our products on auto-pilot, assuming they’re made out of cotton because subconsciously, the decades of adverts espousing cotton-like comfort has made us think our tampons are cotton – the one ingredient missing!

What makes Freda different from other subscription boxes for periods? 

We have developed our own myth busting brand, in partnership with our manufacturers who have 70 years of experience in this field.  So although we’re one year old, we do come with significant experience.  Our manufacturers have all the environmental organic certifications and comply with all the global industry standards and that’s why we can ship worldwide.

We also have a giveback pledge at the core of our business.  We want to be more than just a period care company, we want to reboot a stagnant market and make it more transparent, more accessible and more sustainable.

Why should women consider using organic tampons and sanitary pads over the brands found in pharmacies and stores?

Like all other consumer products like food or beauty products, there has been a move towards stripping out chemicals and additives and we can’t see why pads and tampons, which are the most intimate product a women uses every month for almost 30 years of her life, should be exempt from this.  It’s all about having a viable alternative and giving women a choice.

You support a lot of charitable causes that provide support for girls in deprived countries with accessing products to use during the time of the month. Why do you think the world has not gotten a grip in ensuring that girls around the world can experience this time with dignity?

The fact that there are 5000 euphemisms for periods may explain the lack of dignity and access.  The terms sanitary products and feminine hygiene imply periods are dirty and therefore linked with shame and embarrassment.

What needs to be done to address the above? 

Open conversations – periods are private, not secret.  No more shoving tampons up our sleeves.

What have been some of the challenges in starting a business and how have you overcome these? 

Periods are not sexy so in a world of social media, it’s hard to get people engaged with a product that they have never had a reason to think about.

What does the future look like for Freda? 

When we don’t have to talk periods!

To find out more about Freda visit their website here