08/01/2025
"I’m a tech-forward founder who transformed the barrel industry by bringing eCommerce to a legacy space. No roadmap. No investors. I bootstrapped Midwest Barrel Co. from a garage startup into a global platform. Just vision, grit, & a deep ambition to build something very needed.
I’ve built infrastructure from scratch, led a cross-country company relocation, created entirely new markets, & earned three consecutive spots on the Inc. 5000 list. Along the way, I was honored to be named a Most Admired CEO (2024), made the Inc. Female Founders 500 list (2025), & featured on 60 Minutes for our industry-defining approach.
But even with all that growth, I couldn’t ignore a different kind of gap. One that was quieter, more personal, and far harder to solve.
I hit a wall with my health. Not in a dramatic, headline-worthy way, but in that quiet, confusing, deeply frustrating way so many women do. I was dismissed, misdiagnosed, told it was stress or aging or hormones. My autoimmune disease & struggle through infertility meant I cobbled together support: my trainer, my clinicians, random Google searches, ChatGPT threads, and my own intuition. But I kept thinking… “Why is this so hard? Why isn’t there one place that sees all of me?! My body, my goals, my timeline, my full life stage?”
These nagging questions persisted. The truth? The system isn’t built for us. So we’re building what should’ve been there all along - the women’s wellness platform that I need. That you need. HERstage isn’t an option. It must exist.
It’s not another fragmented solution, but a true integration of clinical care, fitness, nutrition, & community, all powered by AI insights. A place where women don’t have to justify their symptoms. A place where we meet you with your own data, resources, and most importantly, access. Whether you’re chasing your next PR, trying to figure out “what stage am I even in?!”, picking up your very first barbell, or just looking for answers after being gaslit by the system for years.
This isn’t a pivot for me. It’s the most personal growth stage yet. And it’s the one I’m most proud to build. One platform, one integrated data layer, one empowered user. HERstage."
