114: Polly Rodriguez | CEO & Co-Founder, Unbound

She Leads

Polly is the CEO and Co-Founder of Unbound, a rebellious sexual wellness company with the goal to make sexual health accessible to all through elevated design, body safe products, affordable prices, and educational content.

As you will soon discover, Unbound’s inspiration stemmed largely from Polly’s experience at 21 years old. She was diagnosed with cancer that resulted in early onset menopause. Polly found herself shopping for a vibrator at a seedy shop next to the highway in St. Louis, Missouri - and this entire experience ultimately led to her founding Unbound with her cofounder, Sarah - ten years later.

Before Unbound, Polly earned her bachelors from Miami University in Business Economics and went on to work as a consultant at Deloitte before joining an early-stage YC-backed startup in the dating app space called Grouper. Perhaps, more than anything, she learned what it meant to work at a failed startup.

After Grouper, Polly decided to take the final leap in founding Unbound largely through her own personal experience with sexual health and wellness.
In this episode, we cover the following topics:
1. Polly's upbringing in St. Louis, Missouri
2. Her cancer diagnosis at 21 years old and the impact it had on her life during college + the mentality she learned from it
3. The frustration with the medical system that inspired the founding of Unbound
4. Societal norms and the stigma around women's sexual health
5. Founding journey of Unbound, including the challenges and frustrations
6. Reshaping mentality and prioritizing enjoyment
7. Dealing with guilt and finding balance as a founder
8. Goal-setting, practicing personal growth, and overcoming fear of judgement.
Polly's life-time craft she is honing? Storytelling
▶️ Video interview available on Youtube.
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