We can't believe our first season of the podcast is over.
All 19 episodes of our podcast, The Period Feels, are now streaming EVERYWHERE!
If you’re about to embark on a cross-country road trip or need entertainment as you deep-clean your room, here’s the link + descriptions of all 19 episodes for you to choose from <3
Trailer Episode
We’re obsessed with periods and we’re not ashamed of it.
Just like the experience of menstruating, building a company is a beautiful and empowering journey that can be ridiculously challenging.
We’re doing both! Meet Nadya (she/her), Neddy (she/her) & Sam (she/her), the team behind the inclusive & sustainable August period care brand.
In this podcast, we’re going to talk about what we’re learning along the way about entrepreneurship and period health as we build the next gen lifestyle period brand, August.
1. Welcome to The Period Feels!
Welcome to The Period Feels, a podcast that answers the period questions you’ve always had, but didn’t know who to ask.
The Period Feels is a podcast born out of a surplus of questions that August leadership were constantly fielding from our community, and the team is here to give you the answers.
August was co-founded by host Nadya Okamoto, and joining her on the mic is August’s Creative Producer Sam De La Cruz and Content Director Nadya (Neddy) Eddy.
In this inaugural episode, we answer a question from a community member who wants to know about the individual journeys that eventually brought them together, which turned out to be a combination of serendipity and a love for accessible period products.
And wasting no time getting into period talk, we share our first period stories and how our conversations about periods with friends and family have evolved over the years.
2. Understanding Endometriosis
Have you ever experienced period symptoms and wondered if they were outside of “the norm”? What is “the norm” anyway – Irregular periods? Severe menstrual cramps? Migraines? Inability to function in day-to-day functions?
In this episode of The Period Feels, Nadya, Neddy, and Sam unpack some easily accessible, yet potentially confusing, definitions of endometriosis – some capable of complicating an already-murky conversation around the disease.
We then call upon the experts, starting with Sam (she/her) (on TikTok and Instagram), a 22-year-old stage 4 Endo Warrior, who has gained a social media following for her honest portrayal of what it’s like to live with endometriosis.
We also hear from Dr. Dan Martin (he/him), Scientific and Medical Director at the Endometriosis Foundation (EndoFound), who helps us understand what can and should be expected from doctors when you’re exploring period pain and confusing symptoms.
3. Sustainability and Greenwashing
What is greenwashing?
It’s when companies use misleading marketing tactics to give you, the consumer, the false impression that their products and processes are environmentally friendly. And while there are tons of companies (like us!) out there making positive changes, there’s just as many green-washers using fancy jargon to mislead you.
And since Gen Z is all about holding brands accountable for their carbon footprint, Neddy links up with August Chief of Staff Chesley Chan (she/her) to play a round of “fact or cap”, where they target buzzwords and bust open the mythical figures companies use to give you the impression of sustainability.
Neddy is then joined by Priscilla Tsai (she/her), Co-founder and CEO of cocokind, a skincare company dedicated to conscious product creation, powered by plants, is cruelty-free, and continues to be a leader in sustainable business practices.
4. Gender Inclusive Period Talk
It might be your first instinct to categorize menstruation as a feminine/women’s issue–but this episode calls on you to think about it in a deeper and different way. Nadya Okamoto is joined by Chesley Chan, Chief of Staff for August and Max Payne (they/them), a former engagement lead for August, for an eye-opening discussion on the need for expanded support and education in the period space that is gender inclusive and affirming as a human biological process.
Max then takes the lead to sit down with Schuyler Bailar (he/him), an internationally celebrated inspirational speaker, author, and advocate, as well as the first transgender NCAA D1 men's athlete, for a discussion that unpacks trans inclusion, body acceptance, mental health awareness, and an exploration of the word “menstruator” as either reductive or inclusive.
Check out Schuyler’s book HERE!
And definitely considering participating in Schuyler’s AMAZING gender literacy program called LaneChanger! (All of Team August completed this training!)
5. Building August with Co-Founders Nadya & Nick
Starting a company is a huge undertaking, but today’s guest has done it twice (and he’s only 23!).
Nick Jain (he/him) is the Co-Founder and COO of August, the sustainable period product brand behind this podcast, and he did it alongside the show’s very own Nadya Okamoto (Co-Founder and CEO).
Nick sits down with Nadya to talk about the ins and outs of being a Gen Z entrepreneur: designing a product and supply chain, fundraising (and how far $2.5 million will really get you), what it means to be a direct-to-consumer business, and the complications of navigating the legal side of starting a business when you don’t have a law degree.
And Nick doesn’t leave without sharing what he considers to be the most important skill he’s cultivated as a founder and leader.
6. Eating Disorders and Periods
This week’s episode explores the intersection of eating disorders and the menstrual cycle.
Neddy is joined by August teammates Elena Gadekar (she/her) (Customer Care Associate) and Davi Nova (she/her) (Brand Designer) to kick off the conversation on the correlation between eating disorders and menstruation.
Elena then dives in deeper with Johanna Kandel (she/her), Founder and CEO of the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, which is the leading national nonprofit organization that provides education, referral, and support for all humans experiencing all types of eating disorders, as well as support for their loved ones.
With Johanna’s expertise and lived experience and Elena’s history as a ballet dancer coloring the conversation, the two discuss how eating disorders affect the whole body, how athleticism plays a part in both eating disorders and the menstrual cycle, the types of amenorrhea, and if and how eating disorders can affect fertility.
7. Menopause 101 with Stacy London
Nadya, Sam, and Neddy are back together with some big questions about menopause, and Stacy London is here to shed some light on the subject.
Stacy (she/her) is the former co-host of TLC’s What Not to Wear, as well as a stylist, fashion consultant, author, and editor, and she is now the Co-Founder and CEO of State of Menopause, a personal care and lifestyle brand that seeks to provide symptomatic relief and open up the public conversation around menopause.
Stacy gives us an epic lesson on the physical, mental, and emotional impacts of menopause, gender inclusivity, sex drive, and who is standing in the way of medicinal remedies for some of the most common symptoms of menopause (here’s a hint…it’s not women).
This episode busts open myths around aging and the sexualization (or de-sexualization) of women and girls in relation to their menstrual cycle.
8. Discussing Roe v. Wade: Pro-Abortion
Trigger Warning: this episode discusses abortion in detail, including a personal abortion story.
The recent news about the possible overturning of Roe V. Wade is an agonizing reality. The topic of abortion is so closely linked to periods and personally to the members of our team, so it’s time to talk about August’s stance on abortion.
Unlike the other episodes, this one is a conversation between Nadya, Davi and Neddy with no guests or community call-out. In this episode, the trio discuss navigating personal & company values and Davi shares her abortion story.
9. Mental Health and Periods
May is AAPI heritage month, Mental Health Awareness month, Masturbation Month and more, so hosts Neddy and Davi brought in a guest who’s down to talk about it ALL: Stephanie Lee (she/they), Founder and CEO of selfmade.
This episode covers so many exciting things, including design updates from team August, busting stigma around masturbation, and how to hack your skincare routine as a time to bolster your mental health.
10. Ableism and Periods
Ableism and chronic illnesses and their linkage with periods are rarely addressed, even though periods are related to everything from packaging accessibility to application of the period care products themselves.
On today's episode of the podcast Nitika Chopra (she/her) of Chronicon and Hannah Olson (she/her) of Chronically Capable & Disclo are here to get the conversation around ableism in the period space started.
11. Addressing Period Poverty
Research shows that period poverty impacts around 500 million menstruators worldwide, and Lynette Medley is working to reduce that number.
Lynette (she/her) is Founder and CEO of No More Secrets Mind Body Spirit Inc. and The Spot, and she sat down with us to clarify what period poverty is and how we can actively work to address it.
August is a proud supporter of No More Secrets and we donate products to them Plus! We cover the tampon tax in all U.S. States where it still exists except when legally not allowed.
Founded in 2012, NMS MBS Inc. is a sexuality awareness and consultative organization. Their mission is to decrease mental health disparities in underserved communities and end societal stigmas.
12. Postpartum Periods with the Midwife Mama
Sarah Pringle (she/her) is a certified nurse-midwife whose realistic and educational TikTok videos, featuring things like a demonstration of a cervix opening during childbirth, have gone viral with millions of views, leading 1.6 million followers and features in Buzzfeed and The Sun.
In this episode, she joins Nadya to unravel myths and misunderstandings about what to expect in your first postpartum period. They also get into the subject of IUDs and the truth about pain management during the insertion and removal process.
13. Expanding August with Erin Burk
August has officially brought on our first non-Gen Z employee – so how is she fitting in?
In this episode you’ll meet Erin Burk (she/her), Vice President of Business Development, who shares her career journey before she found August (including places like Uber, Deloitte…and her local wine shop), and how she came to learn about the August brand and how her conversations with Nadya began.
She’s handling a lot these days, as she’s responsible for all partnerships–so as products show up in hotels, office spaces, festivals, wherever…that’s Erin!
14. Uterine Fibroids with Tanika Gray Valbrun
Tanika Gray Valbrun (she/her) is an award-winning Journalist, Educator and non-profit founder with a passion for women’s health.
After her personal struggles with uterine fibroids including two myomectomies, Tanika’s passion for women’s health inspired her to create The White Dress Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support for women suffering from fibroids and to, raise awareness and for fibroid education.
In this episode, Tanika goes into further detail about her journey and how her organization can help you or someone you know with uterine fibroids.
15. Your First Gyno Visit with Dr. Heather
Have you been to the gynecologist yet?
Dr. Heather Irobunda (she/her) is an obstetrician gynecologist based out of Queens, New York, and she has all the information you could hope for ahead of your first visit–and then some.
Her time spent as an active duty OBGYN has set her on a mission to transform doctor-patient relationships, as she has witnessed a major gap in access to reliable information.
On top of that, she knows it’s hard to feel comfortable with your healthcare provider –especially for women of color. So she unpacks it all for us today, from first periods to IUD insertion and of course, your first trip to the gynecologist, so you can feel empowered when seeking medical care.
16. August Goes to Electric Forest
When we were offered an opportunity to pass out August tampons and our disposable pads and liners at the Electric Forest music festival, we jumped at the opportunity to share our products and take the team’s first official business trip.
The unforeseen bonuses exceeded our expectations – we got into conversations about menstruation with all types of people, because, spoiler alert … tons of menstruators were menstruating and needed that freebie!
The team also talks about getting #justiceforpads and how the news on the overturning of Roe v. Wade impacted our weekend as the news broke during our departure for Michigan.
17. Meet Ruby Moon + Importance of Accessible Education
You’ve undoubtedly seen Ruby Moon’s face (including those killer eyebrows) on August’s TikTok, but today you get to meet the person behind the social media account!
Ruby’s in NYC for Team August week and she’s ready to share everything, starting with her first period story – where she shouted out the (open) bathroom door to her entire family that she had started menstruating.
She also teaches us what it was like to grow up as a camp kid, how that influenced her studies and desired career path, and how it all eventually led straight to August.
18. Running the Inner Cycle with Claudia and Ruby
Last week you met Ruby Moon, and today Ruby takes the lead by sitting down with Community Director Claudia Ovejero (aka our Community Mama) to give you some behind-the-scenes details on how they work to run August’s Inner Cycle online community.
Both Ruby and Claudia have been with August since the very beginning, and they talk about their parallel journeys that sometimes finds them swapping roles…
19. Shame, Stigma, and Normalization of Periods
Libra synergy engaged! August’s creative powerhouses and fellow Libras Neddy and Ruby are on today’s episode talking about their personal and professional evolution of the normalization of periods –specifically their own…on social media.
Working for a company like August has pushed them well past what they assumed their comfort zones to be, but it didn’t start out that way–it’s been a lot of awkward TikToking from semi-public areas, but the journey has rewarded them in ways they never could have imagined.
20. Season Finale with the Original Crew
It’s hard to believe the first season of The Period Feels is coming to a close, but here we are!
Today makes 20 episodes of unpacking all things periods, including shame & stigma, chronic symptoms, endometriosis, mental health, ableism, Roe v. Wade, your period after pregnancy, and more, more, more. The original three–Nadya, Neddy, and Sam–come together one last time (for now) to reflect on the highs and lows of this adventure and talk about what’s ahead for Team August and The Period Feels podcast.
If you have feedback about Season 1 of The Period Feels, we’d love to hear from you in this survey!
Special thanks to our Executive Producers, Brittany Temple & Adell Coleman and our Distribution Company, DCP Entertainment.
Artwork by: Kevin Story Mintern
Listen to all 20 episodes of our podcast, The Period Feels, on any of the following platforms!
And join the #InnerCycle to continue destigmatizing periods and reimagine period care for ALL!
