Host: Sandy Dedeian
Guest: Roxane Champagne Duval founder of Alea Protection
For more information about Alea Protection, you can visit their website or follow them on their social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
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Period products have remained relatively unchanged for decades, despite growing concerns about health and environmental impacts. Enter Roxane Champagne Duval, the innovative mind behind Alea Protection, a company set on revolutionizing the world of period care with a mission for cleaner and more accessible period products. In this episode of The Rectified Podcast, Roxane shares her journey, the unique business model of Alea Protection, and the significant strides they’re making in the period product industry.
The Genesis of Alea Protection
Roxane Champagne Duval, an entrepreneur with a penchant for building businesses, embarked on a new mission after becoming a mother. The experience of motherhood and the pandemic made her rethink many aspects of life, including period care. She began questioning what exactly goes into period products and realized the market was filled with products containing synthetic fibers, plastics, and chemicals. This awareness sparked the creation of Alea Protection, a brand committed to offering period products made solely from organic cotton and natural, biodegradable ingredients.
The Dual Mission: Clean and Accessible Period Products
Alea's mission is twofold: ensuring that period products are clean and accessible. The brand’s products are meticulously crafted using organic cotton, eschewing synthetic fibers, plastics, or harmful chemicals. This results in a healthier option for users and a more sustainable choice for the planet.
Roxane also emphasizes Alea’s commitment to accessibility. Recognizing the need for period products to be readily available outside the home, Alea Protection has introduced a turnkey solution for organizations. This solution includes distributing vending machines stocked with their organic products, making it easier for companies, schools, and other organizations to provide these essentials to employees, students, and customers.
Navigating Legislation to Create a Unique Business Model
One of the significant turning points for Alea Protection was the introduction of a new legislation in Canada on December 15th, mandating that federally regulated enterprises, such as banks and transportation companies, provide free period products to employees. This legislation played a pivotal role in kick-starting Alea’s business model. With impeccable timing, Alea launched its products right as this legislation was enacted, opening up a whole new pool of 500,000 employees who now needed access to period products in their workplaces.
This legislative change has allowed Alea to partner with almost 100 organizations across Canada, installing over 1,200 corporate bathroom dispensers and reaching over 25,000 menstruators daily. The unique distribution model of making period products available in corporate settings not only serves a direct business need but also acts as a form of brand exposure and education for the wider public.
A Spiritual Awakening in Branding and Marketing
Having started her career in the luxurious avenues of L’Oreal, Roxane is no stranger to the power of branding. Her vision for Alea was clear: a minimalistic, Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic that departs from the typical pink and blue packaging of traditional period products. This shift aims to normalize period products as a source of pride rather than embarrassment.
Roxane collaborated with graphic designers to bring her vision to life. Despite being conscious of the cost, Roxane championed a strategic approach—launching initially with minimalistic, unbranded packaging to test the market and validate the business model before heavily investing in custom wrappers. The positive feedback cemented her belief in the brand, leading to the introduction of personalized wrappers that maintain Alea’s sleek and modern aesthetic.
The Entrepreneurial Philosophy: Delegate and Focus
Roxane advocates for the importance of delegating tasks that are not within one's expertise to avoid wasting time. Early in Alea’s journey, she spent two and a half months attempting to build the website herself, a decision she later recognized as a mistake. She advises entrepreneurs to invest in professional help where necessary to ensure a swift and successful market entry.
Additionally, Roxane underscores the importance of leveraging available avenues of support, such as loans from organizations like Futurepreneur, which provide not only funding but also valuable mentorship. She emphasizes the need to work networks and secure sufficient capital to support inventory-heavy business models.
Building Confidence and Iterating on the Business Model
Starting a business from scratch, especially one as innovative as Alea, comes with its fair share of insecurities. When Roxane first pitched her business model, the initial reception was a mix of intrigue and skepticism. Through numerous pitches and iterations, she fine-tuned her concept, adjusted pricing, and refined the product design based on feedback, ultimately arriving at a solution that resonated with customers.
Marketing and the Future of Alea Protection
Alea Protection’s unique distribution model already acts as a natural marketing tool; however, Roxane plans to invest more in social media and PR campaigns to bolster the brand’s presence. The organic exposure from their dispensers has directed significant traffic to their website and social media pages, prompting further investment in these platforms.
Roxane also highlights the importance of storytelling in marketing. By sharing her story and mission, she aims to educate the public about the importance of switching to safer, healthier, and more sustainable period products. This approach not only builds brand authenticity but also fosters a loyal customer base.
Reimagining Period Care with Purpose
Alea Protection is more than just a period product company—it’s a movement toward healthier, more sustainable, and accessible menstrual care. Roxane’s journey from questioning conventional products to creating an innovative solution showcases the potential of purpose-driven entrepreneurship. Through Alea, Roxane is setting new standards in the period care industry, one biodegradable product at a time.
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