Over The Counter: Women’s Hormonal Wellness And The Power Of Herbs, With The SABI’s Hilary Metcalfe and Anna Cave-Bigley
Executive Summary
In this episode of HBW Insight's Over the Counter podcast, we chat with women’s health start-up The SABI about the power of herbal medicine for hormonal wellness.
“Inspired by a series of painfully honest conversations they had about their hormonal and emotional challenges,” The SABI markets a range of herbal infusions aimed at alleviating some of the impacts of painful periods and hormonal imbalances, such as digestive discomfort, sleep disruption and anxiety.
The SABI founders Hilary Metcalfe and Anna Cave-Bigley tell HBW Insight about the difficulties of being a woman-led, women’s health startup in a male dominated world, especially when it comes to funding and research.
We also discuss the importance of getting the message right, both in terms of connecting women to their hormonal health but also distinguishing The SABI from less credible women’s wellness brands.
Timestamps:
2:00 Introductions
5:00 The power of herbs
11:45 The challenges of being a women’s health startup
17:30 The demand for natural women’s health products
24:50 Controversies surrounding natural women’s health alternatives
32:45 What’s next for The SABI
Biographies
Anna Cave-Bigley
Anna Cave-Bigley is CEO at The SABI, leading sales and strategy “with her signature drive and keen insight on everything from motherhood, hormone balance and mental health to strategy, sales and global operations.”
From being a founding member of the international practice for a leading London communication consultancy to spearheading international investment initiatives for the British Government, Anna has honed her operational business expertise over 13 years. She is mother to Lorenzo and Alfie, who “inspired her to co-found The SABI after her devastating experience with clinical postpartum depression.”
Hilary Metcalfe
Co-founder Hilary Metcalfe is a Harvard graduate and accomplished business strategist, who dedicated 12 years to impact investment, sustainability, and management consulting before her health intervened.
“Conventional medicine offered only a lifetime of medication for chronic migraines and my then-undiagnosed endometriosis. Determined to find a more natural approach, I became a certified holistic nutritionist, product developer and chef, building and selling a successful plant-based food startup in Amsterdam.” During this time Hilary began formulating the remedies and products that would become The SABI’s core collection.