Episode 015: Winged Women’s Wellness
In Shake It Off Episode 15 Jess Mulligan, who is the co-founder of Winged Women’s Wellness.
Jess is a toddler mom and co-foudner of a business that is rapidly taking off. Her supplements are in Whole Foods, Sprouts, Wegmens, and many other natural health shops, boutique markets and food stores.
Kendra and I talk with Jess all about her product line specifically formulated to support women with stress, sleep, mood, and skin and how it came to be. We hear about her journey with stress and how she copes when she’s juggling all the things.
You can find all the podcast episodes at https://www.drlaurenhodge.com/podcast/
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Kendra Till
Welcome to shake it off a podcast that gives you the tools, strategies and stories to optimize and prioritize your physical and mental health.
Lauren Hodge
Hi everyone and welcome back to Shake It Off Podcast. Today, Kendra and I are speaking with Jess Mulligan, who is the co founder of Winged Women’s Wellness, a supplement product lines specifically formulated for women to support our stress, and sleep and mood and skin. And Jess is incredibly inspiring. She is a toddler mom and a co founder of a business that is rapidly taking off, her supplements are in Whole Foods, Sprouts, Wegmans, and a lot of other natural health shops and boutique markets.
Jess I have to tell you this, I struggle with sleep, and I know whenever I was looking for solutions, firstly, and something to get me back on track, I learned from sleep researchers that when we’re sleep deprived for an extended period of time, the emotional center of our brain is basically blown. And so that’s why when I haven’t slept, for example, I feel like a toddler and can cry at the drop of a hat, and I’m so emotional. My sleep is so much better now, but I do struggle at times, so I tried a lot of different sleep supplements. I even set up all these different sleep routines that I have, over the years I’ve basically tried probably like six or seven different sleep supplements. Then I tried the Winged Sleepyhead supplement, which is that blend of L theanine, five HTP and melatonin, and it is literally the only thing that has worked for me.
This is not an advertisement guys, like I’m just saying, it is a Christmas miracle because I started taking this last year, and I literally cannot speak more highly of this. I know different things work for different people, and it might not be like a miracle cure for everybody. But for me, it has been incredible. So I’m very grateful for you and your team for creating this Sleepyhead blend, and for everything that you do.
Kendra Till
Yeah, Jess, it’s so nice to have you joining us today. We are so excited, and we have a lot of questions for you today. We’re really curious about your story and your own personal experience with stress and sleep deprivation and moods, etc. So I guess even going back to the start, what ultimately inspired you to start Winged?
Jess Mulligan
Sure. Well, Winged was started from a low point in my life, actually, which I think a lot of great things come out of right when it’s when we get really really uncomfortable that is often a catalyst for great things and major change. But about four years ago, I went through a series of pretty significant life changes in a really short amount of time. I felt like everything about my identity was like rapidly stripped away, like relationship change, job change, lost some loved ones, things like that. My dog that I had had for 16 years. It’s like a sad country song. But I had for about a solid year I had really debilitating anxiety for the first time in my life. And I was always very easygoing growing up, my nickname was smiley, I could literally sleep anywhere I slept standing up once on a train, my grandma will tell you, I was nine years old. Other things that I always took for granted and never thought twice about them. And then when I went through this period of this anxiety that was like straight up debilitating, it manifested in so many ways, sleep in a major way with my sleep, but also social anxiety. I was all of a sudden very uncomfortable in my own skin, and not just with strangers, even with people that are close to me that I’ve known my whole life. Like I just felt like I couldn’t authentically connect to anyone around me.
So I dove into the research and I was like what is going on? Am I ever gonna feel like myself again? Is this just the new me, like God I hope not, you know, did a lot of different things, I went to an endocrinologist, like really dove into therapy. I went to South America did Ayahuasca, I did a lot of things, and I think that that many of them helped. One of the things was a specific protocol that my business partner Tim who’s a Master Herbalist put me on. There were different herbs and botanicals that were really studied to help women specifically balance hormones. And then I was on other things for stress like CBD. So I was taking like eight different supplements really for stress and anxiety and sleep. And I started to feel better, and I remember, there was one night and a light bulb went off, I slept through the night, and it was the first time I slept through the night in eight months. And I woke up and I was like, holy shit, I’m cured. I mean, it was still a long road ahead, you know, still rears its head at me even today. But I just started to wonder why there were no specific blends that were designed for women’s bodies, which ours are.
So that’s really the big differentiator with Winged versus a lot of other supplements on the market. We are specifically designed for a woman’s body. So for example, in the Sleepyhead product that is helping Lauren, there’s chaste tree berry in it and chaste tree berry helps balance hormones and women and often women have estrogen and progesterone peaks and valleys when they sleep, and that can wake us up. It’s like taking this holistic approach that is really very very targeted, and very very specific. So through this process, I also was talking to so many women in my life, and that there was a common theme, like so many women that really looked like they had it all together on the outside, like on Instagram or whatever. So just like so many women that really looked and we’re balancing so much, handling so much, were having these bouts of overwhelm or anxiety almost every single day. So really, like learned through that period, that this is something that wasn’t unique to me that there is a big, like stress epidemic in this country.
And it’s only gotten worse after we all and through COVID, the collective like shitstorm I don’t know if that’s a good way to put it. Yeah, we all went through people are in sleeping people are very, very stressed out. So, you know, that’s like our singular focus is how do we make products that can help women overcome stress? Because when you’re stressed, you can’t sleep. When you’re stressed, you have no energy, you’re when you’re stressed, it affects your skin. Yeah, so that’s what Winged is. And the brand name Winged means that when you’re on solid footing, solid foundation, and you’re not bogged down by stress, overwhelm, anxiety, that’s when you take flight.
Lauren Hodge
That is, it’s like the ultimate freedom whenever you can ride the waves of stress or manage stress or work through it. I just think about your saying whenever we’re stressed, it impairs our ability to focus and to problem solve, and to just like function as a human. So whenever I was experiencing chronic stress, my big thing was sleep, like you’re saying, so it’s interesting that common factor. And then there’s also another number of things that were going on, but I thought to myself, if I can first start, if there’s only one thing I can do it’s to get my sleep right. And to start getting hopefully eight hours, I was for basically like four years getting about three to four hours of sleep, just because of my workload and convincing myself that that was okay. I didn’t look into the science, I don’t think I wanted to know, I was just like, I’m fine. I can do this, I got this, and then it all came crashing down. And it’s so interesting you mentioned that around wanting to look like you’re okay on the outside. Because I would say that was my key priority was I just wanted to look like I had it together. Because I didn’t want to be a big red flag walking around work. And I didn’t want everybody to be like, oh, she can’t hack it or whatever.
Kendra Till
So many, and how your relationships get affected. I mean, it’s just a whole flow on effect from that foundational sleep aspect.
Jess Mulligan
100% I’m so happy that it seems you know, there was I think like probably five to 10 years ago, everywhere would be like hustle, hustle, hustle, hustle and grit hustle and grit like five hours I get up at four in the morning and do XYZ and it seems that the wellness community is now like very backing away from that. Study after study that getting restful sleep is a key factor in longevity. It’s just so important for for everything we do. It’s counterintuitive, but our bodies are actually like really hard at work when we’re sleeping. They’re repairing everything, you know, just setting up for the next day. So when you’re not giving your body the chance to do that work your I mean, you guys know, it’s not a good place to be.
Lauren Hodge
Yeah, I mean, it does make sense. In hindsight, I’m like, well, no wonder. Like, everything came crashing down.
Jess Mulligan
I know, I sometimes think like, at the time, you were probably like, what is wrong with me when I did that? And then, you know, of course, hindsight is 2020. Like, I look back, and I’m like, I just want to give that girl a hug and say, like, it’s understandable what you’re going through, you’re not going crazy, like, it’s just a lot, babe. But at the time, you’re like, why can’t I overcome this, and especially women that are, you know, I don’t know if type A is the word, but we’re like uncomfortable with the fact that we can’t figure it out.
Kendra Till
It’s kind of switching the off button really, isn’t it?
Lauren Hodge
So yeah, I have a question. How do you manage, you know, running a business? And like the stressors that come along with that, along with having a family and all of that? What are your big strategies? And how do you manage it all?
Jess Mulligan
I think the biggest difference for me the last couple years has been just being more relaxed about everything, about not feeling really overwhelmed if I don’t get to all the emails, and prioritizing, like starting the day with, hey, if I can get like these two big things done, then I feel really good about about what I you know, whatever it might be, my gosh, it’s done in a day. My early 30s, I was so like, oh, my gosh, I used to fall asleep with my laptop in my lap, like I was such a workaholic. And I really helped so much of my self worth to like doing and producing. The biggest change has just been kinder with myself. And I think I rationalize it, because I’m like, hey, if you get out of the hamster wheel, you are going to be a better leader, you’re going to be able to like think more strategically than if you’re constantly going going going. So maybe that’s why I feel good about it.
Lauren Hodge
And you can be really creative, I feel like right, like when you give yourself the space in your day, I love that strategy of prioritizing one or two things each day and saying, okay, if I can get those things done, I’m happy. And then other things, if they can happen, great. But that’s the priority.
Jess Mulligan
It’s so easy to answer emails and get in the minutia, unload the dishwasher, like whatever, you know So oh, let me go organize my son’s jean drawer or something like that. Just being kinder with myself and realizing. There was an epiphany, I went on a vacation once and I gave my laptop. It was like a wellness retreat, and I did not have my laptop or emails for a week. And I noticed by like Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, I hardly got any emails. And what I realized is there’s so much work that gets created by answering emails and the back and forth.
Lauren Hodge
As soon as you reply to an email, there’s something else for you to do. Because usually it’ll come back.
Jess Mulligan
It’s like, how do you manage that? Like, maybe you do it all on one day, a week or two days? I mean, I know that’s not realistic, because obviously we have 911 things but I think time blocking, which I’m starting to do a lot more of and I can definitely can get better at but I think is probably one of the most effective things for time management is just, hey, I’m gonna do emails in these two hours. It’s so hard. It’s so hard not go to your email. But the days when I’m able to actually block out are without a doubt, like the most productive and efficient days.
Kendra Till
Yeah, just being able to compartmentalize it and focus on that. Yeah, I’m the same I if I do that I feel like I’m flowing.
Jess Mulligan
It’s hard, it takes a lot of discipline.
Lauren Hodge
I have to color code things too when I time block because then I know like, which part of the project I’m working on and it helps me, like the biggest thing I think for the last like three years of time blocking has been getting realistic about what I can actually do in a set amount of time for whatever it might be if it’s emails, or if it’s like working on a specific project or doing a slide deck, and I think I can like finish it all in this amount of time. I’m starting to get realistic about what I can do, which is nice, because I used to overshoot it daily.
Jess Mulligan
We overshoot, and then we disappoint ourselves. I think it just chips away at our integrity that we have with ourselves. So that’s yeah, it’d be like kinder to myself. Like, I don’t want to make broken promises. I’m gonna be like, yeah, I’m probably not going to be able to do it.
Kendra Till
Yeah, and feeling okay saying that, you know, being okay saying that.
Jess Mulligan
Lauren, I would love to see your time block color coded. Send it to me.
Kendra Till
And Lauren is always a post it note queen. I’ve always, when we lived together, Lauren had just like post it notes, and I just used to love all of her post it notes everywhere.
Lauren Hodge
I just moved recently, so I had took down all the post it notes that were at my apartment, and I like saved them because I feel like they’re really important. They’re always like messages from books or whatever. Those are your main parties like prioritizing your main strategies or prioritizing, and really making sure that you’re kind to yourself about, like, what can be done and what you’re not able to do?
Kendra Till
I really like that. And just I really love your singular mission of helping women feel good. I just love the simplicity of it. Yeah, how it’s all encompassing. So I just think that’s a really powerful statement. What would you say is one thing that helped your business to successfully launch and take off?
Jess Mulligan
I think that it was probably actually I know, it was probably the targeting the really specific targeting, like figuring out that we wanted to serve one particular need, which actually ends up being a very big need with a big customer base. But you know, just being able to talk directly, I think a lot of businesses, especially like products, they try to be everything to everyone. And we are bombarded by offers and products and just so much noise all hours of the day, and we don’t want any more, right. But if somebody talks specifically to you, then you’re gonna listen. So when we originally launched in 2019, our products did have CBD in them. And we have some CBD products still on our website. But we, because we were specific to women, there were 3000 CBD brands that launched that year. By the way, if I had known that I probably wouldn’t have had started with CBD.
Lauren Hodge
I knew the market was saturated.
Jess Mulligan
The vast I would say 99% of CBD companies are not here today because we had we were really specific targeted to women, it was how we were able to get shelf space. You know, when we soft launched in March, and by July, we had orders for about 1000 stores, you know, because they were like, hey, this is different. This is a different thing to add to my assortment. So I just think anytime anybody starting a business, obviously make sure that you’re filling a need in the market. But then kind of think like really what is my competitive advantage and like how can I make sure that I am offering something that is different than what is already offered?
Lauren Hodge
I like that, did you guys do a lot of market research to determine that or I’m just curious about like the process.
Jess Mulligan
Yeah, it was really organic. It was it was a really organic situation. So it was I was basically having a mental breakdown. I was taking, like I spoke to you. And you know, I called Tim who had put me on all of… we had been at a company together for 12 years that had just gotten acquired that is actually now owned by Clorox. And we were talking about another nutritional supplement company. Isn’t that funny, Clorox bleach companies buying vitamin and supplement companies. So we were like, what’s next? And what are we going to do next? And that’s when I called him and I was like, wait, why are all these things you have me on? Why isn’t this in one product? Why don’t we do something like that? So he was the only man at the last company we were at so automatically, like, he was like, no, no, no. I can’t do something just for women again, like I want to be able to talk to the audience.
But you know, it was when just diving into the research. And so statistically, women are twice as likely as men to experience anxiety disorders, depression, and insomnia. So when we learn that, like, coupled with, you know, after I was also saying, Tim, I’m like this thing I’m going through. So many women are going through something similar, maybe not as severe, but people don’t feel good right now. Like, we got to help them. And then actually, there was like, this big body of research to back that up. He came around to it, but that was sort of the process. It was it was really organic, which was nice. It very much felt like the universe was so behind us on this.
Lauren Hodge
I bet a lot of work as well. But like, I can appreciate that that would have been great to know that like it was falling together in the perfect way. So then I’m curious, because I know the Sleepyhead products work for me. And you’re mentioned research on who do these, like stress and mood and sleep supplements typically work for? Like, what kind of women or what have you guys found there?
Jess Mulligan
Well, the majority of women. Upwards of 60% of women have sleep issues 60%, and anxiety, depression, insomnia is through the roof. Like I said earlier, we’re twice as likely as men to experience these things. Those numbers have increased even, you know, after COVID and everything women went through. So I think anybody, like you know your body, right? If you’re not feeling well, you’re not sleeping well, there is a good chance that something’s going on with your adrenal system or your endocrine system, which is your hormone system. Most of our products will help with your cortisol response, which is your stress response. And many of them also help with hormonal balancing.
So if you’re not feeling good, I would give it a try. You can always also, if you’re more comfortable and you want to verify what’s going on, which I always recommend, but not everybody has the resources or it’s inconvenient, you can do bloodwork that will test different nutritional deficiencies. It’s nice to do something called the Dutch test, which actually tests your hormones to see where you are on that. Estrogen dominance, which we’re launching a new product, which I want to tell you guys
Lauren Hodge
Tell us about it.
Jess Mulligan
It’s called Balance Babe, and it’s two veggie ccapsules a day two of these. So this addresses estrogen dominance, estrogen dominance is probably in fact, I think it is the most common hormonal disorder affecting women. And basically what estrogen dominance is, is when you have too much estrogen in relation to progesterone, and how do we get too much estrogen? Well, lots of different ways. But one of the things that’s so different today versus you know, 50 years ago is all of the endocrine or hormonal disruptors that are in our environment today. Pretty much anything that has a scent to it is is an endocrine disruptor.
Lauren Hodge
This is so interesting to me, because I don’t know a lot about hormones at all, so I’m curious about that. So anything that has a scent to it.
Jess Mulligan
It’s unfortunate, but like to tell you guys this, but I saw this thing on social media, And I think it’s pretty true. They said, the fragrances of today are like the secondhand smoke of yesterday. And they are just in everything. You know, garbage bags come with your laundry, your dryer sheets, all of your beauty products. So a really important thing to do is start buying unscented, I promise your laundry, it’ll be fine. It’s not going to smell like lavender. Our cleaning products, like there’s a great, there’s a great online product called Branch Basics. I recommend that for cleaning products, but we’re just really like assaulted from everywhere with these endocrine disruptors and it’s caught and there’s a lot in our food, there’s so much. So basically what can happen when you’re in estrogen dominance, these are the signs of it. Really bad PMS, cramping, weight gain, irritability, mood swings, breast tenderness, that’s another one. Just not feeling good, feeling lethargic.
So you can do a Dutch test to determine it. Or you can, you know, go on the checklist online, look up estrogen dominance. And if you’re checking all the boxes, there’s a good chance that you have it. So I got my bloodwork done and did a Dutch test. And I found out I was in estrogen dominance. And I also got my first mammogram around the same time, I was told that I have an elevated risk of that, which I don’t want to name but anyway, I elevated risk of breast cancer. And so I really dove into the research is about a year and a half ago on what can I do to… estrogen fuels cancer as well. What can I do to you know, try to control the situation? It isn’t really something you can control. But anyway, I tried that. And one of the things I learned at the same time was that estrogen dominance can cause breast cancer and different cancers. So how do I get the excess estrogen out of my system, I started taking these three products Dim, which is basically from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale.
Okay, so this is an extract from that because you have to eat a ton to get the amount that’s in a pill, calcium blue krait which you can you pull the bad estrogen out estradiol and then it has to go metabolized through your liver and your lipid pathways. So calcium lootcrate does that and then burdock root, which also helps her liver pathways. I’ve been taking all of these for about a year. This together is probably about $80. So I will say one of the craziest things is my PMS has completely disappeared. I do not even know when I’m getting my period anymore. Because it just shows up. I have no cramping. I have nothing. Okay, so a passion project of mine. There wasn’t this specific combination on the market, you have to buy it separate. So I’ve been spending a lot of money on it. So I said can we put this together so that’s what Balanced Babe is so Balanced Babe. Those things dim, calcium blue krait, burdock root and also trans resveratrol from Japanese knotweed, which is a antioxidant that’s also going to help you detoxify through your liver. So this is gonna be like a superstar product for hormonal imbalancing.
Lauren Hodge
We’ll put a link in the show notes to that and to your website, but also to that product so that people can go and check it out.
Jess Mulligan
I’m excited. I’m so excited. I think it’s gonna be really a game changer for women’s health.
Lauren Hodge
I think all of your products are, especially with the hormonal imbalance that we’ve all experienced and absolute where can our audience find you on like, what’s your website or Instagram?
Jess Mulligan
Our website is wingedwellness.com, and our Instagram is @wingedwomen and then we’re sold that retailers like Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, all the different health and wellness stores throughout the country. Wegmans, like you said earlier, Vitamin Shoppe so we’re we’re pretty widely available. My personal Instagram is @luckyjess917, if anybody listening has a question about any of our products, you can feel free to DM me and I’d be happy to help you in any way I can.
Kendra Till
You can find me at kendratillpilates.com or on Instagram @kendratillpilates. Or if you happen to be in the Bluffton or Hilton Head area, you can do a private or group class with me at The Montage. You can find Lauren on drlaurenhodge.com. Her online course Flow is available right now with strategies to help you get unstuck prevent burnout set habits to manage stress and enhance your mindset. Links or resources that we’ve mentioned are included in our show notes. If you liked what you heard today and find the tips useful, please give us a five star review on iTunes podcast or Spotify and tell us what part you liked about the episode today.
