How To Find Unique Ways To Fund Your Business with Arion Long of Femly

May 8, 2023

Our Entreprenista of the Year: Arion Long has always been an overachiever; she started college at 15 years old. But one thing that threatened to hold her back was her periods. After going to many gynecologists, she found one that not only listened to her, but told her something that would change the course of her life.

Today, we sit down with Arion Long, CEO and founder of Femly, an eco-friendly and organic feminine care company that disruptively provides organic products in a smart dispenser in restrooms nationwide. She shares what personal reason led her to start Femly, AMAZING fundraising tips, how she built her team, and so much more.

“I realized after going to a doctor that my symptoms were linked directly to chemicals and the period care that I was using. And when I couldn’t find an option that was eco friendly and sustainable, I launched Femly to meet demand, but I had no idea what I was doing.” – Arion Long

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

Arion shares about her background and how that led her to start Femly (0:45)
Arion’s unique way of finding resources that helped her start Femly (3:06)
Arion tells us about the mistakes that helped her grow (4:56)
Arion discusses her marketing strategy (9:09)
Arion talks all about her fundraising journey [you don’t want to miss this] (15:47)
Arion shares the difficult parts about fundraising (24:01)
Arion talks about building out her team (26:21)
Rapid fire questions (31:54)
Arion gives advice to others going through a hard time (34:35)
Arion shares her vision for the future of Femly (38:43)
What being an Entreprenista means to Arion (39:31)

Resources Mentioned:

Our Favorite Quotes:

“We had an incident in our third month where we went viral on Twitter, and when you got about 10,000 orders, and we had to refund more than half because we just didn’t have capacity.” – Arion Long
“So currently, we are selling a dispenser that I created and patented-–and that went viral with 70 million views—into restrooms, at colleges, hospitals, hotels and beyond.” – Arion Long
“So we think of ourselves as like your auntie holding a good glass of wine telling you what to avoid to throw off your pH.” – Arion Long

Connect with Arion:

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

Join our Entreprenista League community of women founders! You’ll have access to a private community of like-minded Entreprenistas who are making an impact in business every day, special discounts on business products and solutions, exclusive content, private events, the opportunity to have your story featured on our website and social channels, and MORE!

Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

Become An Entreprenista!

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of The Entreprenista Podcast – the most fun business meeting for female founders, by female founders. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Be sure to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us reach more amazing female founders, like you.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn and for more exclusive content, tips, and insight, join the Entreprenistas Facebook group and visit the SocialFly website.

Share it!

Posted in Entreprenista

Disrupting an Industry with Alexandra Keating of Uni

Like many Entreprenistas, Alexandra always knew she wanted to run a business, and she has—multiple businesses, in fact. When she became obsessed with the fact that the personal care industry uses a lot of single-use products, she knew the solution and she knew her next business. Today, we sit down with Alexandra Keating, founder of…

The DHL Express GoGreen Giveaway is Helping Entreprenistas Go Global in a Sustainable Way

In Partnership with DHL Express We speak to eCommerce founders every day that are looking to launch, scale and grow their businesses. One of the biggest things to consider for growth: international shipping – but the question remains, how do small businesses ship internationally and is there a way to do so sustainably? In a…

How to Deal with your Team’s Burn Out

As an Entreprenista, your business is not just a job, it’s a passion. You put in long hours, sweat and tears, and endless effort to make it successful. However, this can often lead to burnout, especially during times of high stress. And with May being National Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s important to address this…

Tapping Into The Creativity with Catalina Escallon of Noodo Studio

While Catalina Escallon is an artist, and by definition, a creative person, she realized that a lot of people did not view themselves that way as they got older. So she and her partner decided to start a studio that helps people realize that there are many ways to be creative. In today’s episode, we…

Building Your Personal Brand with Stacey Ross Cohen of Co-Communications

Stacey grew up around entrepreneurs, so it’s safe to say that being a business owner is in her blood, and she has been doing it successfully for well over two decades. But her newest passion is helping the next generation make sense and leverage the digital age to build a personal brand that helps them…

Learning The Heart and Soul of SEO with Meg Clarke of Clapping Dog Media

Like many Entreprenistas, Meg left the corporate world once she had kids and started to work on her own. She had experience with web design, so that’s what she did, before she realized that having the perfect website is meaningless if no one finds it. So she dug in and learned everything there was to…

Social Media Marketing 101 with Sarah Bugeja of Later

Sarah has spent her career constantly learning new skills—both on the job and off—to further her career. She also mastered learning when it’s time to move on to the next opportunity. Now she’s here to share her story and also her tips and tricks regarding all things social media. Today, we sit down with Sarah…

Mamaprenista Candice D’Angelo reflects on Launching ‘The Selling Lab’

Below is a brief introduction about Candice D’Angelo and her business, The Selling Lab: Candice D’Angelo – a corporate dropout with 12+ years of sales experience – is the founder of The Selling Lab, a sales training agency where online and offline businesses alike come to level up their sales skills and build custom trainings.…

Founder Jené Hernandez, of Mixology Marketing, on Helping Businesses Stand Out and Achieve their Marketing Goals

Hello Jené! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: As one of the leading marketing agencies in Los Angeles, Mixology Marketing blends creativity and strategy to create bespoke marketing experiences for our clients. From digital marketing and social media to content creation, website development, and impactful events, we take a unique approach…

How To Create The Best Brand Message For Your Business with Xindi Soh of By Xindi

Over the course of her business, Xindi has had to confront herself and get a grasp on who she is, what she stands for, and what she wants. But the ride hasn’t always been what she was expecting. Now she preaches leaning into the hard stuff and believing in yourself, and it seems to be…

Katherine Wallisch on Empowerment Consulting for Parents and Clinicians of Non-Speaking Children

Hello Katherine! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: As a speech-language pathologist specializing in Autism and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), I have created a comprehensive empowerment program for parents and clinicians. My name is Katherine Wallisch, and I am the mother of a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter. Growing…

Digitizing Art For A Business with Sally King McBride of The Letter Nest

When Sally’s friends and family started having children, she looked for gifts that would be meaningful and lasting. As an artist, she decided to create watercolor name paintings. Soon, the commissions started flooding in and she had a proof of concept for a business. In today’s episode, we sit down with Sally King McBride, founder…

When Being an Entreprenista is in Your DNA with Carrie Shaw of Copper

Carrie’s career path is quite the story: she started in product management and stayed in that for over a decade before switching to marketing and falling in love. After she had been with Copper for a couple years as CMO, she was offered the CEO position and almost turned it down, but she didn’t. Now…

Founder of “Inside the Bubble with Harli G”, Harli Gawronski, on Providing Ambitious Women a Platform

Hello Harli! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: I am a Podcaster, Purpose Cultivator and Human Resource Business Partner. My credentials include RightPath, SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), and DiSC Trainer. I am passionate, energetic, and purpose-driven all while maintaining authenticity. I don’t make excuses for who I am and will not…

Kristen Elworthy on Founding Seven Hills Communications and Embracing Her Desire to Story Tell

Hi Kristen! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business: I’m Kristen Elworthy, and I’m the founder of Seven Hills Communications. We’re a PR micro-agency that works with mostly female-founded and mission-driven companies and personal brands in both the consumer and B2B space. Our wheelhouse is working with startups and emerging brands, and…