Building a 6M Following (and a Period Empire) with Nadya Okamoto of August | #3

How do you build a period care brand that’s unapologetically bold, digitally native, and actually different? On this week’s episode of Hot Takes, Big Stakes, Lana Elie sits down with Nadya Okamoto—activist, author, and co-founder of August—to unpack exactly how she turned a mission into a movement (and a movement into a business). With over 6 million followers and major shelf space in Target and Whole Foods, Nadya’s story is anything but ordinary. From launching a nonprofit at 16 to raising a $2M pre-seed and turning period stigma into cultural currency, this is an inside look at what it really takes to build a brand that breaks taboos—and the internet. Chapters: 00:00:05 Intro to Nadya Okamoto 00:06:05 How Being Bold Helped Grow Nadya and August’s Social 00:10:35 Balancing Being an Operating Founder and Creating Content 00:16:45 Getting Into Retail and Partnering with Big Names in Retail 00:19:45 The Difference In Shopping Experience Between Direct To Consumer and Retail 00:24:00 5 Years Into The Business and The Next Steps 00:27:55 Mental Health, Taking Care of Yourself, and The Value of Sleep 00:35:50 Hot Takes 00:44:20 Conclusion Whether you’re building a brand, scaling a mission, or just learning to say “period” out loud, this one is unmissable.   More on Nadya Okamoto: Instagram: @nadyaokamotoAugust: itsaugust.co   More on Natalie Holloway: Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalieholloway/ “Bala” Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bala/  “Balacize” Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balacize/  Substack, “Working Out in Heels”: natalieholloway.substack.com  Book a 1-on-1 Call: https://intro.co/NatalieHolloway  More on Lana Elie-Meyers: Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lanaelie/  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lana-elie-875b383a/