Brianna Bitton kicked off her career as a Disney Imagineer, launched an LA-based interior design firm and eventually found her way into femtech after struggling with her period for years. Eventually she had enough of having to arrange her work schedule around debilitating cramps and other PMS symptoms. While searching for options to alleviate her ailments, she realized that the market was full of hormone-interfering products, which sparked her to develop an all-natural solution: FLO. The scientifically-backed gummy is designed to fight PMS with a mixture of vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO ingredients.
While FLO has been on the market for a while, the newest addition, GOGO, is designed to help with healthy digestion and bowel regularity. The addition of more SKUs addressing feminine nutrition and lifestyle is already planned.
In our recent interview with Brianna we spoke to her about her path into femtech, the DTC space and future plans for her company.
Brianna, please tell us more about your background and journey working for Disney as an Imagineer to interior design to starting a women’s health brand!
I had years of painful periods before I decided that enough was enough. While I was working as an LA-based interior designer and Imagineer at Disney, 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.
What do you think differentiates FLO from other brands in the market?
FLO is the first brand to launch a gummy vitamin targeted at combating the symptoms of PMS. We were able to create a proprietary blend of vitamins and botanicals that have been used for years to help alleviate the symptoms of PMS, and make it a fun, delicious experience to take in the form of a gummy! In addition to being the first, our product is science-backed and designed to fight PMS with a mixture of vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO ingredients. Beyond our product, FLO creates a space to discuss common feminine wellness issues in a fun and positive way, which I think is super important!
How did you go about launching FLO? Did you bootstrap? Did you raise venture funding?
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.
We launched FLO without venture funding at first. The idea was that if we could make a product that worked, we’d find an audience. It took a lot of design thinking and storytelling to simply communicate that this was even possible for people: a PMS Gummy Vitamin?! It wasn’t easy. But when uptake started to accelerate, we were really excited to grow the product FLO into the company O Positiv is today.
Comparing your work in interior design to your work in the women’s health space: In what ways are the businesses similar, in what way do they differ?
It’s different! My interior design work is custom to my specific clients. When we make a vitamin, we’re launching something that is meant to attract a lot of different women. Making sure the brand resonates across all those different people is a separate skill, something I think we do at O Positiv well. The common thread throughout is that I have the opportunity to bring creativity to both my career as an interior designer and to O Positiv. Whether it be a living room or a photo shoot for our new vitamin launch, it’s so fun to establish a creative direction alongside our team and find ways to form an aesthetic.
The DTC space is getting a lot of attention currently. What are some trends you’re seeing and are there other DTC companies – in women’s health or beyond – that you’re excited about?
The emphasis on women! One of the major reasons O Positiv has been so successful has been because of our acknowledgment of issues women have been dealing with silently for centuries. Companies like us, who are female-led and focus on issues that have been previously ignored, are making serious inroads that are finally advancing women’s health to where it should be.
What are your plans for FLO for the remainder of 2021 and beyond?
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. The brand is expanding to serve a diverse set of women’s wellness needs — through it all, we will continue to deliver meaningful health outcomes through little moments of joy and care.
