We’re thrilled to present the latest addition to Afluencer’s content lineup – our podcast series featuring insightful conversations with influential brand owners. In this inaugural article, we have the privilege of introducing Wendy Post, the visionary founder of The Birth Mark, as our esteemed guest.
Meet Wendy Post: The Mind Behind The Birth Mark
Wendy Post, the innovative mind driving The Birth Mark, takes center stage in the Afluencer podcast series. With a wealth of experience in the world of influencer marketing, Wendy shares captivating insights, challenges, and triumphs that have shaped her brand’s journey.
Podcast Premiere: Delving into the The Birth Mark Universe
Join us in exploring the enchanting world of The Birth Mark through the eyes of Wendy Post herself. We’ve embedded the riveting YouTube podcast video below, offering an exclusive glimpse into the transformative power of influencer marketing.
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Key Takeaways
00:00 🌟 Wendy Post’s background and founding of The Birth Mark
– Wendy Post’s 23-year journey as a labor and delivery nurse.
– Witnessing a maternal death that inspired the creation of The Birth Mark, dedicated to maternal health advocacy.
06:15 🌎 Importance of Maternal Health
– Maternal health as a global conversation and human rights issue.
– The impact of maternal health on public health indicators and society.
– The broader scope of maternal health beyond childbirth.
08:05 🧐 Misconceptions in Maternal Health
– Misconceptions about maternal health being solely about childbirth.
– The persistence of risks in childbirth, despite medical advancements.
– The importance of mental health in maternal care.
– Inequalities in maternal care based on systemic biases.
– The collective responsibility for maternal health.
09:39 📦 The Birth Mark Product Line
– Description of The Birth Mark’s product line, including birthing boxes for various maternal needs.
– Emphasis on education and support through curated boxes.
– Breast pumps and lactation products to aid breastfeeding.
– Wendy’s journey from her previous successful company to founding The Birth Mark.
11:44 🚀 Marketing Strategies
– Marketing through social media, pop-up events, and e-commerce.
– Collaborating with influencers for reviews and spreading awareness.
– The focus on customer feedback and continuous improvement.
14:35 📞 Contacting The Birth Mark
– Ways to get in touch with The Birth Mark, including Instagram, the website, and email.
– A mention of the unique stories featured on the website, inspired by real patients.
Transcription Insight: A Peek into the Conversation
Gain an insider’s perspective as we burrow into the transcription of our engaging conversation with Wendy Post. Discover the strategies, anecdotes, and wisdom that have fueled The Birth Mark’ success, all captured in this in-depth transcription.
In Conversation with Wendy Post, Founder of The Birth Mark:
Brett:
Welcome to our influencer podcast. This is our first one where we’ve got someone representing not only a brand, but also a movement. We’ve got Wendy Po. Here, founder of the Birthmark brand and Mission, committed to the advocacy, support, and education of birthing rights. Wendy, welcome. As I mentioned at the outset, love the shirt. Thanks for joining us. Can you give us a little background about yourself and what brought you to this point of founding the birthmark?
Wendy:
Sure. So my journey in the field of nursing really started 23 years ago. Most people don’t realize this, but I’m a labor and delivery nurse. I was just passionate about helping moms and their newborns, making sure everybody got the best care that they could. But like many journeys, there are moments that really shake us to our core. And so early in my career, I witnessed a maternal death, and the patient was my very age. It was profound, it was traumatic, and it led me to take a detour. So I left labor and delivery and went to ER, hoping that I’d come to terms with it. And I came to realize that it wasn’t about running from the trauma, but channeling it into something that could be transformative. And so it birthed the birthmark in me, and really a company that’s entirely dedicated to championing maternal health rights, the outcomes of moms and their advocacy. So it’s my tribute and commitment to ensure that moms get the best care they can. And so we have three branches. We have a foundation, we have an academy for education, and then we have a for-profit for products.
Brett:
That’s awesome. That’s awesome, Wendy. Yeah, thank you for the story and background. Took me back. I’ve been in the delivery room twice, and the first time was, I mean, I could only imagine what you went through. We had a, I don’t know, a moment where it says dead sit down. Okay. And all of a sudden there’s nine nurses in the room and everything ended up being okay, fortunately. But I mean, it’s scary moments, right? Touch and go where there’s so many moving parts to the whole
Wendy:
Delivery process, delivery process. But when it happens, it happens fast. You could be fine. And then in a moment’s notice that changes. That conversation completely changes.
Brett:
It was, yeah, well,
Wendy:
People really should be prepared for that,
Brett:
Right? And I think as a woman, you’re more, you see the long view, the whole nine month process as men were asleep until the day of or the day before. We’re just not wired that way. But then it does happen fast. I mean, we had a long 33 hour process, but then all of a sudden, you’re right. It all happens. Comes together at once, I guess, so to speak. So talk about the birthmark, Wendy, the goal vision that you had for it. How long have you been thinking about this? I know you’ve had your 23 year nursing career, is that right? Long time. So how long has this been formulating in your head and what were the steps you took to get moving towards the birthmark
Wendy:
Without specifically giving my age? I can tell you that it’s been 15 years plus in the making.
Brett:
We’ll need to see ID for that. I’m not sure to verify. Definitely
Wendy:
Nearing that 20 year mark where you don’t want to believe that it’s true. You hear the stories, you go to the barbecues, you talk to family and friends, and you don’t want to believe that these are the realities that are happening in the hospital that they are. And so you’re really trying to grapple with how do you rectify that and how do you make a difference? And I thought by going to the hospital that I would, and I really quickly realized that it’s really going to be the community grassroots effort that’s going to make the difference. So that’s what really birthed it. The goal and vision is really to bring to light the disparities and the challenges that we’ve kind of highlighted, ensuring that all moms, irrespective of anything, background, financial ability to pay, disability, whatever it may be, that they have equal access to hair and that care is quality driven and that it’s rooted in patient safety, that they have informed consent, that they have education, that their rights are supported and advocated. And that’s really the vision. That’s what we are about. A world where maternal healthcare is prioritized, where a birth story is celebrated and tragedies are a thing of the past.
Brett:
Yeah. Do you feel that maternal health in general is buried a bit in the conversation or not given the attention that it should be? Just be more talked about in general, as you said, and really celebrated?
Wendy:
I think that maternal health should be more discussed and prioritized in a global conversation because it’s not just about the wellbeing of a mom. It’s the fundamental health to families, to communities, and to societies at large. It’s a human rights issue. So every mom has the right to a safe and a respectful birth, but disparities still happen. So highlighting the pressing need for attention is definitely paramount. It’s a public health indicator. So the status often serves as a litmus test for the overall healthcare of our country’s infrastructure. Morbidity and mortality rates are going up. They’re not going down. And so policy needs to intersect that There’s economic implications. When moms are healthy, they contribute more effectively to their families and their economy. But on the other hand, when a mom has complications, this leads to long-term health costs and it also reduces their productivity to society. There are some intergenerational impact. So healthy moms that give birth to healthy children set the stage for healthier generations, but moms that have complications, have ripple effects, and that affects their children and their future. So it’s broader than birth. It’s not just about the act of childbirth. It’s really preconception, prenatal, postnatal, mental health, nutrition, and education.
Brett:
Makes sense. As you were going through that, I thought about just the state of the healthcare health in general in our country today, right? It’s all focused on after something bad happens. We tend to be pretty good at acute care and really not good at all at preventative type of anything. And that goes, like you said, beyond the maternal health and the birthing process. And this is just in general. I mean, we don’t tend to go to our doctors to get productive preventative health advice and that that’s kind of across the board. So it’s great that you’re bringing this to the forefront, especially on the maternal health side. What large misconceptions do you see today in maternal health that you see often and that you could share and that we should really bring to light
Wendy:
That it’s only about childbirth. A lot of people believe that it’s just the act of giving birth, but like we said, in reality, it’s preconception, prenatal, and postnatal. And it’s that holistic view, the mental health of mom, the emotional and physical wellbeing of a mother. It extends so far beyond just the delivery room. And that modern medicine has eliminated risk, right? In 2023, nearing 24, I can’t believe I’m saying that medical advancements have reduced mortality and morbidity, but they still exist. And no childbirth is without risk. Irre respectable of where and when it takes place. And that’s a reality that we come to grips with in labor and delivery daily. Mental health is secondary. I think that’s one of the greatest misnomers that I hear. There’s often an overwhelming focus on the physical side, and we’re sidelining the mental wellbeing, postpartum depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions really affect moms, and they deserve just as much attention as the physical ailment does, especially post covid.
You’re seeing a lot of moms that have been traumatized from losing family members and friends, or maybe even being affected multiple times or infected in pregnancy. So there’s a trauma related effect to that. All maternal care is equal, and that’s not true. Unfortunately, all care is not equal care. Some groups really face higher and lower quality care due to systemic biases and resource limitations. Maternal care only belongs to us, is women. It’s our responsibility we birth, so we need to handle it. And that’s far from the truth. Maternal health impacts everybody, partners, families, communities, societies. It’s a collective responsibility to ensure that everybody gets safe, maternal care, and then that education equals preparedness. Just because a woman is well educated, that doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s fully prepared for childbirth or the challenges that childbirth will bring her. So every woman, regardless of her education, her financial, she deserves equal support and education in maternal health.
Brett:
Love that you brought it to the forefront with the birthmark and realizing that when you’re in the healthcare sector, you’re, you’re limited in terms of the types of advocacy you can do, and now you’re in control of your own destiny. You’ve got this company, you’ve got these products, your brand influencers you work with, and we’ll talk about that in a moment where you can really spread the message here. And then also, you’re in control of your own everything, which is awesome. So let’s talk about the birthmark. As we mentioned, company dedicated women’s right, reproductive justice and health advocacy, health education, especially on the maternal health side. What types of products are you producing? What types of products are you selling with the birthmark? Currently,
Wendy:
We have a birthing box. There are 12 different types of boxes. So it can be somebody who was a surrogate or an adoptive mom. It can be a mom who may have need for support, wasn’t expecting to get pregnant, got pregnant, and just really needs a lot of items to get her started. And it might be a postpartum mom or a mom that has preeclampsia or diabetes. So we have a curated line that’s dedicated to mostly everything you can experience in pregnancy. It is ethnically considered. So depending on which mom or which artist prototype you most relate to, you can buy a box that has everything for the need to start from pregnancy to the end. So for example, if you have preeclampsia, we have a preeclampsia box with a specific education book that tells you how to check your blood pressure, how to dip your urine, if there’s protein present, how to communicate with your doctor and what to look for, what are the signs and symptoms, and if it’s getting worse, how do you know you’re getting into something called health syndrome? So we really get into the need of education, but also being able to be your own champion and having your family and support people be able to help you through. So that’s part of the products. We also have breast pumps. So we have a lactation box that comes with a wireless breast pump. So moms have a hand free experience when they’re trying to pump or nurse for their baby. So there’s a whole curated line that’s just dedicated to maternal health.
Brett:
That’s great. And how are you marketing the product line today? I can see when you’re describing it, there’s lots to it. So it lends itself to, I don’t want to say maybe storytelling or just sharing, right, where we want to have longer form, or we can hear what you’re offering here. So how are you currently marketing? Is this a social media base? We
Wendy:
Try through social media, we do go to popups. The e-commerce is pretty steadfast. We use your influencers, right? We have influencers that do reviews our products and tell us what they think about those products and make recommendations on how we can improve. And then we do a lot of giveaways. We want actual moms to review our products and tell us what they think, how we can improve or change. And we also just provide customer feedback. We do not script. We want to know exactly how those influencers feel, how the customers feel, and we take every piece of comment, recommendation, and even some of the constructive criticism to heart and make those changes to impact our communities.
Brett:
That’s awesome. Is this your first company, Wendy? It feels like it’s your fifth or sixth.
Wendy:
It’s my second. My first one doesn’t, very successful, but it taught me so many lessons that I think it prepared me for this one to be.
Brett:
I was going to say, I mean, I know you’ve been in the nursing world for, but it feels like you’ve done this before, customer feedback standpoint. This is great. On the influencer side, I do have your collab up, and we’ll get a link under this in the show notes so our influencers can apply, and I see what we’re looking for. Specifically the mom parenting, baby health focused influencers to help, again with the product feedback reviews, spreading the word. Wendy, can you tell us what types of influencers and creators and micro influencers specifically you’re looking to work with today?
Wendy:
Sure. I actually would love to have some male influencers. I want to hear the father’s voice. I’d like to hear from aunts and uncles and people who’ve been to the bedside, who’ve supported moms, and who have a different eyewitness perspective. So it’s really any influencer that aligns with our mission and our values at the birthmark and are really passionate about advocating for maternal child health. They’re always welcome to collaborate with us. We believe in creating meaningful partnerships that really resonate with our brand’s ethos and the influencer’s audience. So if they wanted to reach out to us or work with us, the best way to reach us is by email. We can be reached at hello@thebirthmark.net, and we review every inquiry and we make it a priority to respond within 24 hours.
Brett:
Well, that’s great. Thank you, Wendy. Shout out to my fellow dad influencers out there. Well, my fellow dad’s out there, but our dad influencers, this is a great collab to take a look at the birthmark as well. As Wendy said, you can email her, we’ll have the link again, so you can apply to the collab, and we’ll get your application over to Wendy for review as well. This has been great. Really enjoyed the chat. Wendy, before I let you go, how can our viewers, readers, users, everyone get ahold of you, follow you, and stay tuned to the birthmark?
Wendy:
Sure. So we’re on Instagram. Our handle is at underscore the birth mark. We also have a pretty strong website www.thebirthmark.net. And again, we can be reached by email at hello@thebirthmark.net.
Brett:
I like your website a lot, by the way. Yeah, it’s a very nicely designed, it’s a beautiful website. So thank you. We’ll get the link to the birthmark, we’ll get the Instagram link. We’ll get all this good stuff on the show. Thank you. Show
Wendy:
The women that you see is a real story. So they actually we’re birthing women throughout the 23 years of experience. These are each women that we created that really existed.
Brett:
Oh, is that right? Where are they on the site? Is that on the blog here?
Wendy:
They’re all over the site. So all of the artists sketches that you see are actual patients that we’ve cared for over the years.
Brett:
Oh, that’s awesome. Oh wow. Okay. Yeah. I see. Okay, cool. That’s great. Alright, birthmark.net. We’ll get the link to the site. Thanks again, Wendy been really great talking
Wendy:
With you. Thank you, Brett, this has been amazing. Thank you so much.
Brett:
Thank you.
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Reflecting on a Journey of Innovation and Influence
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Did you miss the previous podcast session? Press here to catch up with episode 11, where Armesha Lynn of Breathe Easy Infusion talks about Taking a New Product to Market With Influencers.