Female Founder Friday: In Conversation with Raminder Samra, Founder of Period Harmony

From advertising powerhouse to femtech trailblazer, Raminder Samra is a woman on a mission to change the conversation around periods, one patch at a time. After a career leading bold brand campaigns for the likes of Channel 4 and Sky, she found herself in a familiar situation for many women: sidelined by period pain. But unlike most, Raminder decided to do something about it. Enter Period Harmony: a 12 hour, non medicated, menthol based dermal patch providing much needed relief for women across the world.

With viral marketing, a uterus mascot with attitude, and a product flying off the shelves in Boots, Raminder is building more than a brand: she is building a movement. I sat down with her to talk about founding solo, navigating stigma, and what it really takes to launch a product that works.

FC: Can you start by summarising your background and how you came to launch Period Harmony?

RS: Before starting Period Harmony, I was in the advertising industry for years. I worked in healthcare advertising, in house roles, and had amazing experiences at Channel 4 and Sky, running go to market campaigns. My role was always about building brands and getting people talking, which turned out to be pretty useful when it came to launching my own product.

The idea came from personal experience. I would be in meetings and find myself in so much pain I could not finish them. I would have to take time off because of period pain. The existing solutions were either really inconvenient, not suitable for women on the go, or they were medication, which does not work for everyone. There had to be something in between.

I kept wondering why we had not evolved better solutions for something that affects half the population, and that frustration really fuelled my desire to create something genuinely helpful.

FC: So what was the first step in developing the patch?

RS: I was using menthol based muscle relief balms, which worked to numb the period pain but needed constant reapplication. That gave me the idea: what if you could have that same soothing, numbing effect in a 12 hour patch?

I worked with a doctor, a pain medicine specialist, to create something that worked but did not enter the bloodstream, so it is safe to use alongside painkillers.

We wanted the patch to be flexible and suitable for various pain points, because period pain does not just occur in the lower abdomen. A lot of women get pain in their back, legs, and other areas, so it needed to work on multiple parts of the body. The final product is a dermal patch, completely non medicated and natural. It has low regulatory friction and allowed us to move fast and get it into the hands of women who really needed it.

FC: What about marketing, how did you approach that side of things?

RS: We launched about two and a half to three years ago. My whole strategy was to make it fun and bold. I wanted to make periods something we could actually talk about in a fun way, and that meant creating something that was shareable.

So I made a uterus mascot. She has got attitude and she lives on TikTok, where we have now got 1.2 million organic followers. She does funny content, educational stuff about endometriosis and menstruation, and of course promotes the product. It has grown into this content machine that is genuinely helping people and changing perceptions. The feedback we get from our community is incredible. People message us saying how they felt seen or educated by something we posted, and that just fuels us to keep going.

We have managed to use humour and creativity to open up conversations that used to be taboo, and that has been a massive part of our success.

FC: That is incredible. What kind of traction have you had from retailers?

RS: We have a big following in the US, which helped us win an Innovate UK grant to go pitch to US retailers. We are also stocked in Waitrose and Spinneys in the UAE, although all our traction there has been completely organic. I have not had time to invest properly in marketing for the UAE, but even without that, the response has been really strong. It shows how much unmet need there is globally.

We launched in 200 Boots stores in the UK and sold out a few times. That was a major milestone for us. We have got upcoming launches with Superdrug, Holland and Barrett, and a major US retailer very soon.

FC: And you are still a solo founder?

RS: Yes, but not alone. I have worked with freelancers and now I am looking to build a team, possibly with some fractional execs once we have closed our fundraising round. I am very ready to scale.

It has been a lot of juggling, doing product development, marketing, operations, but I have also learned so much. Having a team will help me bring more structure and give the business room to grow in the right way. I have been talking to amazing people and I am excited about what is next.

FC: What has been your experience fundraising as a female founder in consumer health?

RS: I have not experienced much stigma directly. I think our traction speaks for itself. If anyone questions us, I can show them the data, the proof of product market fit, the customer reviews.

But I have found that some investors just are not interested in consumer products. They prefer B2B SaaS. That is fine. It is all about finding the right investors who believe in the solution and want to be part of it.

I have learned not to take rejections personally. If someone does not get it, they are just not our person.

FC: Have you faced any challenges specific to being a woman or woman of colour in this space?

RS: Yes, I do think there are subtle biases. Stats show that women of colour get a tiny fraction of VC funding. You do sometimes get undermined or questioned differently than male founders.

I have learned that the best way to counter that is by being incredibly prepared. I know my numbers inside out, and I have built something that people want. That confidence, and having a real community of customers, goes a long way.

FC: Any advice to other female founders reading this?

RS: Just start. Seriously. Do not overthink it. There is no perfect time or perfect version of your idea. Start, take action, and trust yourself. Especially as women, we often think we need one more qualification, one more course. You probably already have what you need.

Also, do not be afraid to talk about your product. If it helps people, shout about it. Women’s health has been sidelined for too long, and we need more of us pushing it forward.

FC: What is next for Period Harmony?

RS: Launching in the US is the big one. That is a huge moment for us. We are also building partnerships with organisations like Your Endo Events and the Angry Uterus Club to support more women with endometriosis. We are not just here to sell a product. We are building a community and pushing the conversation forward around women’s health.

I would love to explore more product innovations down the line, and maybe even international collaborations. There is so much still to do in this space and we are just getting started.

You can follow Raminder’s journey and Period Harmony’s incredible growth on:

• Website: periodharmony.com
• Personal LinkedIn: Raminder Samra
• Company LinkedIn: Period Harmony

Author: Gideon Stott, Digital Marketing Executive at FounderCatalyst