Every year on March 8th, International Women’s Day (IWD) serves as a powerful reminder of the progress women have made in business, leadership, and beyond. It is a day to celebrate achievements, acknowledge challenges, and continue advocating for equality and representation. As a female founder, International Women’s Day is a moment to reflect on the journey, the hurdles overcome, and the vision for the future.
Women entrepreneurs have long faced unique challenges in the business world, from access to funding to breaking into male-dominated industries. Yet, despite these obstacles, women continue to start and lead successful companies, creating impactful products, services, and communities.
The Journey of The Earthling Co.
I started The Earthling Co. in 2017 with no money and no experience, but what I did have was a passion to leave a positive impact on the planet by creating accessible, low-waste alternatives to personal care.
As a woman, it felt exhausting sifting through the endless female-marketed products and options on the shelves – I ended up wasting a lot of money, plastic, and time just trying to figure out what would be the best shampoo for my hair. I wanted to create a simpler routine that made me look good while having a minimal impact on the planet.
In 2019, I realized our Shampoo and Conditioner bars were a hit and decided to double our business down on that product. 2020 rolled around, and I got incredibly lucky as an online-only business during quarantine. I got to see how much interest there was in safe products and simplified routine, and decided that this could impact MORE than our showers.
In 2022 I started to really expand our skincare and body care collections in an effort to ditch the waste in those routines too.
2023 brought some more difficult times and was a tough year across the board. We had to lay off most of our team to just keep the business afloat.
Fast forward to 2025, and I’m working on introducing more hair treatment products, accessories, and more to our line-up.
Women tend to juggle a lot in their home lives, so offering products that are less wasteful and actually work, while also creating more time and space for women to enjoy their lives is the biggest business win for me. When people are enjoying our products and seeing them benefit their lives, it makes all of the hard work worth it. My goal is for my products help you accomplish more, by consuming less.
Supporting other Women-led Businesses
As a female founder, I hope my small business and story will inspire other women to do what they love and pursue their passions. I love learning and connecting with other women business owners and enjoy celebrating their success. When women support women, we create a ripple effect of empowerment that benefits individuals, businesses, and entire communities.
As of today, Earthing is still 100% bootstrapped and I don’t think I will ever say I’m an expert at what I do. Everyday brings a different challenge or obstacle so I don’t think I will ever consider myself an “expert” but as long as I continue making progress and moving forward, I will succeed. And if any other female founders are reading this out there, as long as you keep going, you will succeed too!
Be sure to support your female-founded businesses today and everyday by sharing posts, talking about their brand or products to your friends, or by making purchases when you can. Every bit of support will help women-led businesses get the recognition they deserve.
-Emelia
