54: Changing The World, One Sex Toy at a Time with Polly Rodriguez

Now that I've got your attention, I'd like for you to meet Polly Rodriguez, Founder and CEO of Unbound, a sexual wellness company. Raised in the Midwest, this was not the path she saw herself taking early on in life, however after a cancer diagnosis in college and consequently a premature onset of menopause at the age of 21, she was compelled to dig when she found a lack of information in regard to it.

What started as a small quest to more comfortably purchase sexual wellness products, Unbound has now grown into a wildly successful business (despite multiple barriers and misconceptions to break down) that empowers countless women to explore their sexuality. Don't miss this inspiring story that proves that anything is possible!

--

Question Highlights:

• What thoughts went through your head when you were diagnosed with cancer?

• What is Unbound?

• Where did you get the idea for it and how did it get started?

• What was one of your biggest business challenges?

• Was there any hesitation about starting a company in the sexual wellness field? Were you worried what your parents would think?

• What does the landscape look like for women entrepreneurs?

• What has to happen in order for it to be easier for women to have a successful start-up?

• What initially drove you to give a portion of your business profits away? In This Episode You Will Learn:

• How Polly came up with her business, Unbound

• About the challenges of running a sexual wellness company

• How Polly overcame the stigmas and misconceptions associated with sexual wellness products

• Why giving away a portion of Unbound's profits boosts team morale

• Why getting cancer is a huge part of Polly's success

• Why it's so important to have a career that's more than just a job, that it has a purpose

• And so much more…

Polly's Thoughts…

"Everything's a good experience if you have the right attitude."

"If you can be really vulnerable and honest about what it is about human sexuality that interests you, you can just simmer in that awkward moment and why you're interested…and only good things can come from that."

"I had to be brutally confident that it would work out."

"Women, especially millennials, want a job that has a bigger meaning or purpose."

"It's not just about selling, it's about something more meaningful."

"Getting cancer was this weird gift that gave me permission to pursue a different path."

"Something that feels selfish can actually be a charitable act in a lot of ways."

--

From the start of her career, Unbound's CEO, Polly Rodriguez, has always been committed to elevating the customer experience from acceptable to exceptional. With a background in strategy consulting, she began at the firm, Deloitte, where she innovated new, thoughtful approaches to outdated customer tactics. Translating this skillset to an entirely different industry, Polly's next role was as Director of Growth for the YCombinator startup Grouper, which focused on the most flawed experience of all: dating in New York City (and subsequently globally). Yet, there was one interaction that continued to plague her — the process of shopping for, and finding, adequate sexual wellness products for the modern woman. It wasn't until Polly was diagnosed with cancer at age 21 and went through premature menopause as a result of the radiation treatment that she faced the disparaging barriers that women encounter when seeking to explore their own sexuality. Wanting to ameliorate the process of shopping for sex products — one that is often overwhelming and uncomfortable — she took her place as the CEO of Unbound, a sexual lifestyle company that specializes in subscription boxes, one-off thematic sets, and most recently an original collection. With the goal of helping women empower themselves through sexual exploration, Polly continues to innovate new and unprecedented approaches to a rapidly evolving industry.

Resources:

Unboundbox.com

-- For more stories and tips on becoming unapologetically wealthy, follow me @Chriswharder on Instagram and check out fortheloveofmoney.com.