Leadership is a skill, not a talent. It is a characteristic to be developed and practiced like any other. Some people were born leaders, while others have to work hard to become leaders. But beyond applied skills and techniques, leaders have another responsibility — that of giving back.
As such, many entrepreneurs and world leaders around the world give back through their corporate social responsibility. They give a significant amount of their time, money, energy, and resources to create philanthropic organizations and other great ways to give back to the community, thereby creating the mark of a true leader.
However, at the other end of the spectrum, there are those leaders who give back to the community on a much personal level. These leaders think about ways in which they can be useful to the people surrounding them.
Echoing a similar sentiment in their leadership, sisters Jodi, Lori and Kari Caden established Belly Bandit®, a company dedicated towards helping women look and feel their absolute best before, during, and after pregnancy.
Reaching the zenith of success with the brand, the sisters expanded Belly Bandit® into the lines of complete women’s wear, the Mother Tucker® Collection. And most recently in 2020, entrepreneurial Caden sisters introduced proof®, a female empowerment company to the world. With proof®, they brought a solution that delivers meticulously designed and expertly constructed leak proof undergarments for women ages nine to ninety for all kinds of leakage.
All in all, the Michigan-born sisterpreneurs who have a history of disrupting and reinventing the industry are bringing their heads together to create products that make women’s lives better, all through understanding, support, and empowerment.
“Women Face These Problems Everyday”
The story of Belly Bandit® begins from a Target aisle. Lori, who had then given birth to her first baby, was shopping for some cat food. There, she was mistaken by an employee for being pregnant, who offered to help her after seeing her postpartum body.
The thought horrified Lori who shared her experience with her sisters. While they were sympathetic to her, they were also inspired to find a solution to post-pregnancy blues. And after years of research and perseverance, not to mention, the sisterly support, the Caden sisters introduced Belly Bandit® to the world.
With its establishment in 2008, the Belly Bandit® brand has seen nothing but success as it revolutionized the maternity world by introducing the first doctor-recommended postpartum compression wrap. The concept for the Belly Bandit® came from reinventing and modernizing the ancient practice of postpartum compression.
Since then, the brand has evolved from their namesake Belly Bandit® Belly Wrap, into a much larger umbrella that encompasses maternity wear, support products, nursing bras, athleisure, and a complete line of compression shapewear called the Mother Tucker® Collection.
Fast forward, many years down the line, when Lori’s sister Kari was pregnant, the sisters found another solution related to postpartum leakage. They knew it was also a common problem for a lot of women and the perfect solution would be a leak proof product. And thus, they created proof®—expertly constructed leak proof undies for women aged between nine to ninety.
Towards Women Empowerment
For the Caden sisters the purpose behind starting Belly Bandit® was simple and clear. To develop solution-based products that empower women to look and feel their best during all stages of motherhood. Being well aware of the difficulties that accompany the road to motherhood and beyond, the sisters set out to create products that would provide solutions to many of the common ailments that mothers and moms-to-be experience on a daily basis.
With proof®, the goal was to design women’s underwear that had a functional purpose. This leak proof underwear provides protection against all bladder leaks, from the first period to postpartum incontinence, and all in between. Furthermore, since proof® is an external-use product, it reduces the chance of getting Toxic Shock Syndrome, which makes periods safer and more pleasant overall.
While developing these solutions, the sisters have always envisioned innovating and discovering new methods to serve as many women as possible and to assist them in living worry-free lives. As they state in their motto: “leak less, live more.”
Giving Back to Mother Nature
With a functional purpose, proof® is also one of their primary pillars of giving back to mother nature in sustainability. Proof Undies are a reusable alternative to traditional period and incontinence products, making it a great alternative to single-use plastics.
It is worth noting that 12 billion pads and 7 million tampons are dumped into the US landfills each year and constitute for 7 % of the world’s landfills. Not to mention that can take up to 500 years to decompose, and harmful to animals.
As such, proof® works as a more sustainable period product and eradicates the need to dump waste products into landfills and oceans. As a result, making the transition to proof® not only improves a woman’s life but also has a positive impact on our natural environment.
A Lesson for Emerging and Aspiring Leaders
Both the brands, Belly Bandit® and proof® were founded during periods of economic downturn. Belly Bandit® was created during the financial crisis of 2008, and Proof® was released at the same time when the Coronavirus pandemic took over the world. Despite these hard times, both brands have managed to thrive, thanks in part to the fact that the products were designed with a specific purpose in mind.
As such, for the entrepreneurs planning on releasing a product to the masses, the sister’s guidance is to base the product on a problem that they can solve and test them thoroughly. Consequently, making for a recession proof (no pun) business. They also emphasize that despite the hardships, a leader must keep moving forward one step at a time.
An Empowered and Sustainable Future
From grass roots – knocking on the doors in 2008, to educating people about modern day feminine care, to utilizing digital means to promote their products in the modern e-commerce world, the Caden sisters have come a long way in empowering women and sailing the oceans of the entrepreneurial world. Moving forward, the Caden sisters have set their eyes on penetrating the feminine hygiene industry even more and replicating the success that Belly Bandit® had with proof® in the coming years.
