...and how to build a brand.Liberating and taboo-busting, Rachael Newton (former hedge fund lawyer turned entrepreneur) is part of a new wave of founders, thinkers, and advocates throwing open the bathroom door and reshaping the policies, products, and possibilities of period care. In this episode, Rachael tells us how she designed Nixit, the revolutionary, reusable menstrual disc after she realised her tampon waste took so long to break down it would likely survive the apocalypse alongside the cockroach. Rachael assessed the alternatives in the market and found them wanting. (Hell, there are more gadgets to poach an egg than there are period products). So she started from scratch designing a new type of reusable menstrual disc that could be worn for 12 hours. In doing so, Rachael has not only changed how people manage their periods but also how they relate to their bodies.She also tells us about the moment she put down her law books to become a femtech founder, about the risks and the loneliness along with the pinch-me moment of the pinging of sales. If you’re curious about starting something new, building a brand with purpose, or simply rethinking your period, Rachael’s story is a smart, grounded reminder: you don’t have to go with the flow. Not in your career. And definitely not with your period.To find out more about Nixit: https://nixit.com/pages/menstrual-disc(00:00) - Welcome to The Wobbly Middle
(00:17) - Personal Updates and Reflections
(00:39) - Discussing Period Stigma
(01:54) - Introducing Rachel Newton
(03:38) - Rachel's Career Journey
(05:14) - Challenges in the Legal Profession
(07:55) - Relocating and Career Shift
(10:00) - The Birth of Nixit
(15:11) - Developing the Product
(26:09) - Branding and Marketing
(30:51) - Entrepreneurial Insights
(33:39) - Final Thoughts and Farewell
THE WOBBLY MIDDLE is a podcast about women reinventing their careers in midlife.JOIN THE CONVERSATION: NEW EPISODES drop every second Wednesday. Follow now so you never miss an episode.SHARE YOUR STORY: Made a left turn in your career? We’d love to hear about it. Write to us at
[email protected]—your pivot might just be the nudge someone else needs.SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER: thewobblymiddle.substack.comLEARN MORE ON SUBSTACK: thewobblymiddle.substack.comFOLLOW US on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook @thewobblymiddleABOUT THE HOSTS:Susannah de Jager has just relocated to Abu Dhabi, where she’s podcasting, consulting with start-ups, and occasionally advising on scale-up capital. After leaving her role as CEO of a boutique asset manager, she asked the all-important question: what next? Five years later, she’s following her curiosity —The Wobbly Middle is for her and every woman doing the same.Patsy Day is a lawyer on a break. As an intellectual property specialist, she has worked on everything from anti-counterfeiting to publishing and from London to Ho Chi Minh City and back again. Patsy lives in Oxford and is currently immersed in podcasts producing SafeHouse Amsterdam (out 2025) and co-hosting, The Wobbly Middle, a podcast about women reinventing their careers in midlife.
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