1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: Hey, she Pivots listeners at Emily. Before we hop into 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:09,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: today's episode, I have some very exciting news. She Pivots 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:14,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: has been nominated for not one, but two Webvy Awards. 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:16,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: These are a huge deal in. 5 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:20,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: The podcast world and the best part the winners are 6 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:21,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: decided by you. 7 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:24,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: That means we need you to help us win. 8 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: And we're up against some pretty big names, just some 9 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:33,159 Emily Tisch Sussman: little old guys named John Stewart and Anderson Cooper, and 10 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: I think I could retire early if we beat them, so. 11 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:39,480 Speaker 2: Every vote counts. Here's what you can do to help. 12 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: Head to the link in our show notes and click 13 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,879 Emily Tisch Sussman: on both the links, hit vote on she Pivots, enter 14 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:46,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: your infoh and bloom. 15 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:47,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: You're done. 16 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: Then, if you have time between school drop offs or 17 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: your next meeting, share it. Share it, Please post on social, 18 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: send to a friend, add it to your newsletter, whatever 19 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:00,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: helps spread the word. And before we jump into today's episode, 20 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:00,959 Emily Tisch Sussman: I want to just. 21 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:02,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: Say thank you. 22 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: You are what makes the show happen and why women 23 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:09,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: feel compelled to share their stories. I'm beyond grateful for 24 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:11,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: this honor and hope we can show the world just 25 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: how powerful these stories can be. It's all for now, 26 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:17,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: go Vote. 27 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,040 Laura Modi: Welcome back to she Pivots. I'm Laura Modi. 28 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: Welcome back to she Pivots, the podcast where we talk 29 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: with women who dare to pivot out of one career 30 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:43,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: and into something new and explore how their personal lives 31 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:52,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: impact these decisions. I'm your host Emily Tisch Sussman. Today 32 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: we're sitting down with Laura Mody, the CEO and co 33 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: founder of Bobbie, a woman who not only transformed her 34 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:04,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: own struggle into a groundbreaking business, but is actively working 35 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:08,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: to shift an entire conversation, one that so many women 36 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:11,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: have felt deeply, but often in silence. 37 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:12,639 Emily Tisch Sussman: Laura was just. 38 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:17,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: Like so many new moms, eager, exhausted, and determined to 39 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: do everything quote right, and for so many, the right 40 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:26,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: way is often presented as one thing breastfeeding. Bobby is 41 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: a company that's redefining what it means to feed our babies. 42 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:34,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: It is the first FDA approved organic baby formula that 43 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: is a go to choice for millions of parents. 44 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:39,279 Emily Tisch Sussman: But before Laura built Bobby. 45 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: Into a household name in infant formula, she had a 46 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: decade long career in tech, from Google to Airbnb. 47 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:49,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: Laura left behind her successful career to solve for a 48 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:54,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: problem that she herself experienced, and admittedly I did too. 49 00:02:55,880 --> 00:03:00,359 Emily Tisch Sussman: In fact, this conversation was deeply personal for me. As 50 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: a mother of three, I also struggled with breastfeeding my 51 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: first child and was met with an overwhelming sense of 52 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:10,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: guilt and self doubt. Society had conditioned me to believe 53 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:13,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: that anything less than exclusively breastfeeding was a failure, and 54 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:17,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: I internalized that pressure. I remember feeling like I had to. 55 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:20,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: Justify my choice to use formula, as if I was 56 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:22,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: letting my baby down. 57 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:24,239 Emily Tisch Sussman: It took time and. 58 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: My experience with my other children to fully embrace that 59 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: feeding my baby in a way that worked for both 60 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: of us was not only okay, but the best decision 61 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:36,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: for my mental health. That's why Laura's work with Bobby 62 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: is so inspiring. She didn't just want to create a 63 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:44,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: better formula, She wanted to create a better conversation, one 64 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: where moms could make the best choice for their families, 65 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:50,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: without guilt, without judgment, and with full confidence that their 66 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:54,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: babies were getting the nutrition they needed. Laura is considered 67 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: one of the leaders of our time. In fact, Time 68 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: magazine honored her as Woman of the Year. She is 69 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:03,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: a force to be reckoned with, and in this episode, 70 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: we're going to talk about how she left behind her 71 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:10,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: career at Airbnb and turned her personal struggle into purpose 72 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:14,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: by founding Bobby. Laura's story is the perfect example of 73 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: how our most personal moments. 74 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:21,159 Emily Tisch Sussman: Lead to monumental pivots that can not only change our lives, 75 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: but thousands of others. Let's jump right in. 76 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,760 Laura Modi: I am Laura Mody, I am the CEO of Bobby 77 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,360 Laura Modi: and I'm Organic infant formula. 78 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,479 Emily Tisch Sussman: You are from Ireland, I am What was it like 79 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:39,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: to grow up? How many siblings do you have? 80 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,719 Laura Modi: Was it city country? It tell us about it. It 81 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,640 Laura Modi: was deep country from the west of Ireland, a little 82 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:50,880 Laura Modi: town called Westport in Mayo. I am the eldest of five, 83 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:55,479 Laura Modi: which actually is a relatively small family. My dad is 84 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,800 Laura Modi: one of thirteen, so even within the area there'd be 85 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,680 Laura Modi: a lot of kids, a lot of cousins. Grew up 86 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:06,480 Laura Modi: with forty eight first cousins around the area. It was 87 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:11,000 Laura Modi: a quintessential Ireland upbringing. And are you the oldest of 88 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:14,120 Laura Modi: all of the children? Oh so well, out of all 89 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:16,560 Laura Modi: the cousins, I would be higher up. I think I'm 90 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,280 Laura Modi: like eight of the forty eight, But I am the fifth, 91 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,479 Laura Modi: I'm the eldest of the five kids at home, and 92 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,000 Laura Modi: then you also need to be the role model child 93 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,000 Laura Modi: as well, right, you know it's the eldest you are 94 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,280 Laura Modi: in many ways. The experiment for is the school going 95 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:35,000 Laura Modi: to work? You know, whatever trial and error the parents 96 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,440 Laura Modi: wanted to have, like it was on you. Yeah, and 97 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:39,719 Laura Modi: if it worked, then the rest followed. So like I 98 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:42,719 Laura Modi: was the first to go to boarding school and it worked, 99 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,440 Laura Modi: so all the other four after me followed. 100 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: So your family had a business, your father was an entrepreneur. 101 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:52,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: Were you always involved in it was entrepreneurship kind of 102 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: in the in the blood of the family, like in 103 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,359 Emily Tisch Sussman: the family culture. Yeah, it's funny. 104 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,400 Laura Modi: You never grow up thinking this is in the blood ever, 105 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,279 Laura Modi: you know, like you're just at the dinner table and 106 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:08,720 Laura Modi: you're always having conversations whether it's about risk or decision 107 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,920 Laura Modi: making or to be honest, you're just consuming through osmosis 108 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:15,920 Laura Modi: the ups and downs of what he's going through. So 109 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:19,320 Laura Modi: at the time you never know it until you reach 110 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:21,680 Laura Modi: a certain age and then you go, that's what that 111 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:26,360 Laura Modi: was about, and you know it's just part of your 112 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:28,600 Laura Modi: every day and you don't, like I said, you really 113 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,000 Laura Modi: don't realize the benefits of it until you're in it yourself. 114 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:33,279 Laura Modi: Was it truly a family business? Like? 115 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: Were his siblings involved? Was your mom involved? The kids 116 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:36,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: get involved? 117 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,120 Laura Modi: It was a family business with regards to him and 118 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:44,599 Laura Modi: his two brothers, so there was thirteen kids. It was 119 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:48,720 Laura Modi: third generation, so it's been passed on and it's obviously 120 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:52,880 Laura Modi: evolved through multiple ways through every generation being passed down. 121 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,760 Laura Modi: And now I want to say there is six of 122 00:06:57,240 --> 00:06:59,520 Laura Modi: between the cousins and my siblings who are now back 123 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:00,920 Laura Modi: in the business involved as well. 124 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: Wow, did you have a vision of what it would 125 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:07,839 Emily Tisch Sussman: be like to be a grown up? Like did you 126 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: think that you would grow up and be in the 127 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:12,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: business or do the opposite, like, did you have a 128 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:14,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: vision of what you thought it would be like? 129 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:16,000 Laura Modi: God, do we ever have a vision of what we're 130 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:21,640 Laura Modi: like as a grown up? I know, and no, I 131 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:25,000 Laura Modi: don't think I ever had a vision of being in 132 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:27,280 Laura Modi: the business. I think there was always just an assumption 133 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:31,080 Laura Modi: that one day you will come back, and I never 134 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:35,520 Laura Modi: thought otherwise until I left the country and it was 135 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,920 Laura Modi: a few years after leaving Arland and I thought, I 136 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,200 Laura Modi: don't know if I'm ever going to return. Wow. 137 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:44,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: Yeah, what about it made you think that you wouldn't return. 138 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:48,480 Laura Modi: You know. I think it was the first moment of 139 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,920 Laura Modi: also just realizing I also can choose my own path 140 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:55,160 Laura Modi: and forge my own way. And I was making decisions 141 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,280 Laura Modi: and joining companies and doing things that were probably so 142 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:02,239 Laura Modi: distant from the family business. You know. The family business 143 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:06,480 Laura Modi: makes construction, clothing, ppe clothing, really sexy stuff, you know, 144 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:10,200 Laura Modi: like hard hats and I've vins jackets, but very different 145 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:13,360 Laura Modi: from the technology world that I had entered in Silicon Valley. 146 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:16,320 Laura Modi: So I just grew further and further from I think 147 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:21,680 Laura Modi: the core job itself, and I just loved the adrenaline 148 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:26,520 Laura Modi: of starting new things and trying new things and disrupting, 149 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:28,840 Laura Modi: you know, And then obviously evolved to a place where 150 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,080 Laura Modi: I had children and they were American. 151 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:35,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: Right, So when you took the first job outside of 152 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:38,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: the family business, was the first job Google, that's like 153 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:42,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: quite a first job. That's a big deal. 154 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:45,760 Laura Modi: The first job was Google, And you're right, it was 155 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:49,520 Laura Modi: a big job. I remember applying for it out in California. 156 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:51,120 Laura Modi: I felt like such a dream. 157 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: But Ireland's a big tech hub, right, Yeah, Ireland's a 158 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:58,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: big tech tech cup and they have a big Google 159 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: office there in Dublin too, just getting built out at 160 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:01,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: the time. 161 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:06,079 Laura Modi: And yeah, I applied for a job out in America. 162 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:10,200 Laura Modi: It felt dreamy and you didn't think twice really about it. 163 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:12,400 Laura Modi: You do it, you go through the interview process. I 164 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,720 Laura Modi: actually decided not to tell my parents I was applying 165 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:17,680 Laura Modi: for it, because you know, you just don't know where 166 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:19,920 Laura Modi: it's going to go. Go through the interview process. Anyway, 167 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:22,520 Laura Modi: I get the job, and I'll never forget going out 168 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:24,640 Laura Modi: for dinner at my parents in Dublin and my dad 169 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:26,600 Laura Modi: just putting pressure on me, say I'm like, you know, 170 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,720 Laura Modi: college is coming to you know, you got to figure 171 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:31,679 Laura Modi: out what you're going to be doing. And I remember 172 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:33,920 Laura Modi: saying like, okay, how am I going to break the 173 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,680 Laura Modi: news like I am going to move to America. And 174 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:39,920 Laura Modi: I don't know how I said it. I think I 175 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,439 Laura Modi: casually said, you know, you guys should come out for Christmas, 176 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,760 Laura Modi: come visit me out a in America. And he just 177 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:49,760 Laura Modi: turned to me and he's like, sorry, what are you saying? 178 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:54,760 Laura Modi: And yeah, I got the job out in California and 179 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,040 Laura Modi: moved out there pretty promptly, And in my mind I 180 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:00,199 Laura Modi: kept thinking, I will go for a year, I'll go 181 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:01,360 Laura Modi: for a year or two, get. 182 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:04,640 Laura Modi: Some experience, and I'll come back. And that was it. 183 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:11,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: Soon Laura was on a plane all the way to California. 184 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:13,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: I want you to put yourself back in the mid 185 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:17,319 Emily Tisch Sussman: two thousands, while most companies still had their fax number 186 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:19,719 Emily Tisch Sussman: on their business cards and we were just beginning to 187 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:24,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: use tech, Google was making waves. They are in offices, 188 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:28,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: ping pong tables, flexible hours, They were changing the game, 189 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:30,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: and Laura was at the heart of it. 190 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:34,559 Laura Modi: I mean it was electric. It was, you know, landing 191 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:37,760 Laura Modi: a dream job. You I mean, they had a rule 192 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:40,800 Laura Modi: internally where you get to spend like eighty percent on 193 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,760 Laura Modi: your core job and then twenty percent really ideating and 194 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:46,959 Laura Modi: working in other functions or working on these side projects. 195 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:50,040 Laura Modi: They allowed you to be an entrepreneur within the business 196 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:54,480 Laura Modi: and obviously a lot of different perks and benefits that 197 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:57,480 Laura Modi: were incredible at the time back in Silicon Valley. I mean, 198 00:10:57,520 --> 00:10:59,600 Laura Modi: the whole thing was really just a dream. It was 199 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,400 Laura Modi: phenomen and I was there for four years. I learned 200 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:06,200 Laura Modi: a lot. I was with exceptionally brilliant people. I mean truly, 201 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:08,600 Laura Modi: and I say this all the time, like I pinched 202 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,240 Laura Modi: myself every day. It was I am so lucky to 203 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:14,960 Laura Modi: be here. How did I get here? You're constantly trying 204 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,520 Laura Modi: to prove your value, But I never took it for granted. 205 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:20,600 Laura Modi: It was an exceptional experience. 206 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: So what were some of the entrepreneurial things you did 207 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:24,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: when you were at Google? 208 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:27,040 Laura Modi: I mean there was you know, there was like side 209 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:31,319 Laura Modi: projects that would come in from actually universities or even 210 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:34,800 Laura Modi: small government type stuff, and it was like ideating on 211 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,079 Laura Modi: new ways of driving efficiencies or new processes. I mean 212 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:41,320 Laura Modi: there wasn't It wasn't like coming up with any like 213 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,520 Laura Modi: radically new business in the company. It was just being 214 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:46,800 Laura Modi: able to work on something different or even campaigns on 215 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:49,120 Laura Modi: how to be able to promote something. But I was 216 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:52,040 Laura Modi: still relatively junior, so I was more plugged into other 217 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:53,280 Laura Modi: people's areas. 218 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:55,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: Yeah, but it was great. Yeah, but that's super interesting, 219 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:57,959 Emily Tisch Sussman: and I feel I can give you a little bit 220 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:02,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: of a taste of different fields, like a different field 221 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:04,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: or a different function. Yeah, because what department were you 222 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,439 Emily Tisch Sussman: actually working in? So I worked on the Google Finance 223 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:14,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: product so op slash product management, and it was I mean, 224 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:17,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: I don't know how much how many times I've shared 225 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:21,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: this or not, but I would stare at financial information 226 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:22,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: every day essentially the stock. 227 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:25,800 Laura Modi: Market, and over time, after staring at it for so long, 228 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:30,720 Laura Modi: I became quite tapped into what was doing well, why 229 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:34,600 Laura Modi: things were doing well. I found myself day trading, which 230 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:39,120 Laura Modi: also advice for no one to ever do unless you 231 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:41,720 Laura Modi: really really get to like focus on this and you 232 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:45,679 Laura Modi: are trained enough on it. But I actually became almost 233 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:50,559 Laura Modi: like addicted to the stock market, like in the job, 234 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:54,640 Laura Modi: and it was if I felt like entering an old 235 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:59,440 Laura Modi: boys club learning about the lingo of the stock market 236 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:04,400 Laura Modi: to watch trades, and I found myself like deep in 237 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:08,320 Laura Modi: these like subreddits of the world, no like truly, And 238 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:13,080 Laura Modi: I also I think gained a major appreciation for just 239 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:18,200 Laura Modi: investing as well, and the fact that women overall have 240 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:22,040 Laura Modi: been left out of this world. And like I said, 241 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:24,439 Laura Modi: in Old Boys Club, it has become this thing we're 242 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,400 Laura Modi: just like men in general knew and understood it a 243 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:29,360 Laura Modi: lot more. But the closer I got to the nucleus 244 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:31,920 Laura Modi: of it, I realized it's actually not that complicated. It 245 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:37,079 Laura Modi: just had become this world where men have predominantly spent 246 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:41,439 Laura Modi: their time understanding and investing and playing in the stock 247 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:45,400 Laura Modi: market and women hadn't. And it's not about understanding it. 248 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,000 Laura Modi: It was more about just like your innate ability to 249 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,840 Laura Modi: understand what you think might do well, how you gain 250 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:54,240 Laura Modi: that research and understanding. Anyway, women are amazing. 251 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:58,079 Emily Tisch Sussman: At We're going to take a short break and when 252 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:01,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: we come back, Laura tells us about her first mini 253 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: pivot out of the comfort of Google and into the 254 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:17,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: unknown of a very famous startup. When I talk to 255 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:19,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: women who want to make a pivot, there is often 256 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: a hesitation of leaving a comfortable job. 257 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:26,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: So how did you end up? Were you ready? I mean, 258 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:28,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: you loved the experience of Google so much. Were you 259 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: ready to move on? How did the next opportunity come 260 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:31,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: up 261 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:32,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: Were you looking? 262 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:34,960 Laura Modi: Oh, this is a fun story. Speaking of the stock market, 263 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:36,880 Laura Modi: I a lot of my team was here in New 264 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:38,800 Laura Modi: York and I was out in the Berry. So the 265 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,040 Laura Modi: engineering team was here and I would come out every 266 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:45,120 Laura Modi: so often and we would do a lot of plugins 267 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:48,400 Laura Modi: with the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAC, and 268 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,440 Laura Modi: I was out for some work trip. I don't know 269 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:53,200 Laura Modi: what was going on in the city at the time, 270 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:56,960 Laura Modi: but it was very hard to book hotels, and you know, 271 00:14:57,080 --> 00:14:59,920 Laura Modi: for everything that Google offered, you know, there was still 272 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:02,800 Laura Modi: a travel limit to how which you could book? And 273 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:04,960 Laura Modi: I'll never forget someone turning to me and they said, well, 274 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:06,560 Laura Modi: if you can't find a hotel, why don't you just 275 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:09,960 Laura Modi: book an airbed and breakfast. It's like, what the hell 276 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:15,640 Laura Modi: is an arabed breakfast? And I looked it up and 277 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:19,480 Laura Modi: I was floored. I mean floored. I remember that feeling 278 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:21,960 Laura Modi: of being like, who the hell came up with this concept? 279 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:24,320 Laura Modi: Are you telling me I can stay in like a 280 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:29,200 Laura Modi: real apartment, like someone's home in the middle of New 281 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,080 Laura Modi: York City? And I did. I booked a two bed 282 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,040 Laura Modi: apartment in Soho where I was like working here for 283 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:37,240 Laura Modi: the week. I was typically staying at like I don't know, 284 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:40,440 Laura Modi: the Hilton, and you're going through a typical work experience, 285 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:42,640 Laura Modi: you know, going back to your hotel late at night 286 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:44,880 Laura Modi: and then into the office in the morning. Anyway, I 287 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:47,520 Laura Modi: called my friends back in Dublin. I was like, guys, 288 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:52,840 Laura Modi: I have an apartment in New York City for a week. Anyway, 289 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:55,880 Laura Modi: they were on the first flight out and they met 290 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:58,560 Laura Modi: me at the apartment and I did my work thing, 291 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:00,560 Laura Modi: going in out of the office every day, and we 292 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:02,040 Laura Modi: would come home in the evening and we would like 293 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,800 Laura Modi: cook food and we would live in New York City 294 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,760 Laura Modi: life and at the kid you not. At the end 295 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:09,440 Laura Modi: of that trip, I remember being like, I have to 296 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,480 Laura Modi: work for this company, and that feeling of just knowing 297 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,200 Laura Modi: you know what you want, or you have that light 298 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,560 Laura Modi: or trigger inside you that says, this is going to 299 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:18,880 Laura Modi: be big. 300 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:20,200 Laura Modi: This is going to be huge. I need to be 301 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:22,240 Laura Modi: part of whatever this is. Yeah, what was it about 302 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:23,760 Laura Modi: it that made you say I have to work with 303 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:27,960 Laura Modi: this company? Okay, going back to be Irisha. Just the 304 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:31,120 Laura Modi: hospitality of it all. I mean, the fact that you 305 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:32,280 Laura Modi: could truly. 306 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:37,480 Laura Modi: Just live in someone else's home and community and removing 307 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:41,160 Laura Modi: that like stranger feeling. It's just the idea that you 308 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:44,320 Laura Modi: could bring community together in a close way like that 309 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:47,480 Laura Modi: and stay in a stranger's bed. That idea just blew 310 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:49,600 Laura Modi: my mind. And you know, growing up in a country 311 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:55,119 Laura Modi: where hospitality is its currency, be in bees and community 312 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:57,680 Laura Modi: and family, people don't like call to say they're showing up. 313 00:16:57,720 --> 00:16:59,800 Laura Modi: They just show up. They knock on your door. The 314 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,920 Laura Modi: US walk in that is. That's how I grew up 315 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,520 Laura Modi: and I found you know, in many ways, I think 316 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:10,919 Laura Modi: Airbnb pushing on this kind of next wave of belonging 317 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:13,280 Laura Modi: in community in a texture of in way the whole 318 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:16,320 Laura Modi: thing was just phenomenal. And then I also, to be honest, 319 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:19,159 Laura Modi: I think the investor in me was also going, hold on, 320 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,840 Laura Modi: hospitality is a huge business, and they are like truly 321 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,560 Laura Modi: disrupting it from the ground up in a really unique way. 322 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:27,359 Laura Modi: And remember this was also at a time where on 323 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:30,239 Laura Modi: the back of two thousand and seven two thousand and 324 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,800 Laura Modi: eight crisis, you're looking at this going, actually, people can 325 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:36,200 Laura Modi: earn a living on this, like this makes a lot 326 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:39,360 Laura Modi: of sense. So the investor in me was quickly doing 327 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:44,440 Laura Modi: the calculation to realize this could be massive if done right, 328 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:47,280 Laura Modi: and I want to be part of that. I'll never 329 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:50,959 Laura Modi: forget though, going through the interview process and you know, 330 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,120 Laura Modi: deciding I'm going to leave Google and go join this 331 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:55,879 Laura Modi: and I say Airben and Breakfast because it was called 332 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:57,879 Laura Modi: Airben and Breakfast at the time, and they were popping 333 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,320 Laura Modi: up in the news here and there for like, you know, 334 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:02,680 Laura Modi: there was a few things going wrong in the company. 335 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:07,639 Laura Modi: And anyway, I'll never forget calling home and telling my 336 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:10,000 Laura Modi: dad that I'm going to leave Google join this company, 337 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:12,520 Laura Modi: and the response he was like, hold on a second, 338 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:16,960 Laura Modi: you're telling me that you were going to leave Google. 339 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:21,040 Laura Modi: And you're going to start at B and B. It's like, nope, 340 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:23,280 Laura Modi: that's not what I'm doing. It's like it sounds like 341 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:26,680 Laura Modi: you are like nope, but I remember having to explain 342 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:30,040 Laura Modi: the concept over and over and they just they couldn't 343 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:32,960 Laura Modi: get their head around. It just didn't make sense. And 344 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:34,880 Laura Modi: you know, there was a lot of are you sure 345 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:37,240 Laura Modi: this is crazy? But ultimately it got to like I 346 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:39,680 Laura Modi: trust you if this makes sense, like you know, good luck, 347 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:42,240 Laura Modi: good riddance, let's see how it goes, and very irish 348 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:46,480 Laura Modi: like yep, sure, not quite sure, but okay, I'm behind you. 349 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:50,800 Laura Modi: And it wasn't that long after where all of a sudden, 350 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:53,840 Laura Modi: Airbnb was in every country, every town, every village, all 351 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:57,320 Laura Modi: across the world. And then you know, the parents' script 352 00:18:57,359 --> 00:18:59,960 Laura Modi: flipped from you know, she's lost her mind leaving good 353 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:03,680 Laura Modi: Google too she knew, yeah, yeah, she all made sense. 354 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:05,960 Laura Modi: And when you had this revelation like this is the 355 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:08,200 Laura Modi: company that I want to be involved with, how did 356 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:11,840 Laura Modi: you literally take the step. I think that many of 357 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:13,560 Laura Modi: us have had the feeling of, oh, I wish I 358 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:15,679 Laura Modi: could be involved in this, but we don't often know 359 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:18,120 Laura Modi: how to actually take the step to find them. Did 360 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:21,480 Laura Modi: you just like look online for their job openings, Like 361 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:23,679 Laura Modi: how did you actually connect with them? That's exactly it 362 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:26,040 Laura Modi: found found a job opening. 363 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,919 Laura Modi: Also, remember thinking there wasn't really an appropriate job that 364 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,960 Laura Modi: really quite made sense. So I just applied to any 365 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,040 Laura Modi: and I remember reaching out and they pulled me in 366 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:37,320 Laura Modi: for an interview. And even during the interview process, there 367 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:39,640 Laura Modi: were people in the interview process who were like, are 368 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:42,199 Laura Modi: you sure you want to leave Google for this? I 369 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:45,439 Laura Modi: was like, well, I'm not quite sure. Now didn't make 370 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:49,040 Laura Modi: you question it a little bit, but I needed something new, 371 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:50,679 Laura Modi: and I think that was always in me. There was 372 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:54,280 Laura Modi: that desire or spark for for always wanting to do 373 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:57,280 Laura Modi: something new. Yeah, I really wanted to be there. I 374 00:19:57,320 --> 00:19:59,800 Laura Modi: really believed in the concept. So no, I just I 375 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,359 Laura Modi: reached out for some random role and then it just 376 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:08,760 Laura Modi: turned into one interview after another, and I think I've 377 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:10,800 Laura Modi: reached out to also one of the founders on Twitter. 378 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:12,800 Laura Modi: I was like, I applied for a job. I really 379 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:16,919 Laura Modi: want this, Yeah, And it was pretty swift. 380 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:19,199 Emily Tisch Sussman: Actually, I did have a question about the role that 381 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,879 Emily Tisch Sussman: you went into because it wasn't like an exact next 382 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:26,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: step from the role that you had at Google. 383 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,440 Laura Modi: I mean, Airbnb was a genius at hiring. Now in hindsight, 384 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:34,800 Laura Modi: they looked for people who had deep, deep passion to 385 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,240 Laura Modi: want to be there and people that they knew were 386 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:41,639 Laura Modi: smart enough and hungry enough and a depth obviously, you know, 387 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,640 Laura Modi: I mean early on, I sho'll say like, generalists make 388 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,480 Laura Modi: the world go around, and for an early small company, 389 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:51,280 Laura Modi: they do because there wasn't a month or a quarter 390 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:54,919 Laura Modi: where every single person wasn't wearing multiple hats, and you 391 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,800 Laura Modi: had to because so fast, you know. So I joined 392 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,280 Laura Modi: technically in the world of operations, but over the course 393 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:05,640 Laura Modi: of maybe the first year, I was leading growing and 394 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:10,760 Laura Modi: scaling customer service operations, to growing call centers, to going 395 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,520 Laura Modi: back to Europe and opening up offices, to trying to 396 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:19,760 Laura Modi: reduce our contact rate from you know, bookings versus customer 397 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:24,520 Laura Modi: service tickets. You are thrown into whatever the business needs. 398 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:28,919 Laura Modi: And besides of some very few specialized roles, most people 399 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:33,080 Laura Modi: were generalists. Again, now running and on my own business, 400 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,040 Laura Modi: I can see that I can see that need. It's 401 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:38,000 Laura Modi: really important, and it is those two things are the 402 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:41,080 Laura Modi: most important, which is if you don't have the passion 403 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,119 Laura Modi: and desire and hunger to be there also with that 404 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:48,520 Laura Modi: owner founder mindset, then you're not willing to roll with 405 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:49,200 Laura Modi: the punches. 406 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:50,080 Laura Modi: You know. 407 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:53,560 Laura Modi: You got to be there so like truly with that 408 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:55,760 Laura Modi: feeling of like you want to see this succeed just 409 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,800 Laura Modi: as much as the founders do. And now I see 410 00:21:58,800 --> 00:21:59,639 Laura Modi: how important that is. 411 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:02,840 Laura Modi: And there was a different a change in the positioning 412 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:06,199 Laura Modi: while you were there right that at first it was 413 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:08,960 Laura Modi: really thought it was a tech platform, and then you 414 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:12,080 Laura Modi: started to change the thinking about what the actual product was. 415 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:16,480 Laura Modi: Oh, I love you asked this question. So one of 416 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:21,720 Laura Modi: my all time favorite mentors idols, Chip Conley. He is 417 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:25,600 Laura Modi: a hospitality guru. He grew the joa devive hotel chain 418 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:30,000 Laura Modi: and Chip came into a fireside chat with the company 419 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,320 Laura Modi: one day and really just speak to the world of hospitality. 420 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:36,679 Laura Modi: And we decided to bring him on board as like 421 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:40,920 Laura Modi: a part time reading guru and leader in the business. 422 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,720 Laura Modi: And I was assigned to work closely with him to 423 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:45,639 Laura Modi: really figure out how we were going to scale and 424 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:50,840 Laura Modi: operationalize hospitality. And I'll never forget. I actually remember very 425 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:53,359 Laura Modi: vividly what room I was sitting in at the office 426 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:57,720 Laura Modi: and we were having a conversation about the product, and 427 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:00,320 Laura Modi: people in the room they were talking about the product product. 428 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:01,960 Laura Modi: This and we got to change the product, or like 429 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:04,119 Laura Modi: there's bugs in the product, and you know, what are 430 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:06,840 Laura Modi: the features of the product. And he's sitting there like 431 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:11,159 Laura Modi: glazing over on this conversation. Anyway, the meeting ends and 432 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:14,080 Laura Modi: he pulls me aside and he's like, they keep talking 433 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:18,480 Laura Modi: about the product without the Irish accent. And he's like, 434 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:21,119 Laura Modi: what do they mean? And I was like, well, you 435 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:24,400 Laura Modi: know the technology. And I pull up you know, airbnb 436 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:26,720 Laura Modi: dot com and I look at the homepage. He's like, 437 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:30,240 Laura Modi: isn't the product the host? Isn't the product the person 438 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:34,359 Laura Modi: who is giving the experience of hospitality and opening up 439 00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:38,879 Laura Modi: their home and keeping it clean and providing a memorable experience. 440 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:43,640 Laura Modi: Isn't that the product? And it was like a light 441 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:46,800 Laura Modi: going off. It's like, oh my god, you were absolutely right. 442 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:50,679 Laura Modi: People are not buying or using Airbnb because the button 443 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:53,880 Laura Modi: felt amazing to click on, or because it was such 444 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:58,000 Laura Modi: an easy purchasing experience, Like that is your path to 445 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:01,960 Laura Modi: great acquisition. Yes, it's your path to great discovery, but 446 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:08,240 Laura Modi: that's not why people use it. And that mentality and 447 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:11,320 Laura Modi: that triggering and you know, full credit to Chip for 448 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:14,720 Laura Modi: really triggering that idea in the company. It then became 449 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:20,000 Laura Modi: our mission to filter this across the whole business. Though, 450 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:22,960 Laura Modi: if we could get that mentality to realize that we 451 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:25,960 Laura Modi: need to make sure that every single experience across multi 452 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:29,439 Laura Modi: million millions of homes all across this world, all have 453 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,800 Laura Modi: to be able to provide a unique and credible experience 454 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:36,920 Laura Modi: that matches expectations. That is the product, and it did, 455 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:41,080 Laura Modi: it changed, and it's It's one piece of advice. I 456 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:43,400 Laura Modi: mean to be fair in life, but for a lot 457 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:46,280 Laura Modi: of early companies to really know what you stand for, 458 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:50,959 Laura Modi: know why people are coming to, know your why, and 459 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:53,520 Laura Modi: not to lose it because it's very easy just to 460 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:56,680 Laura Modi: wake up and do your day to day and get 461 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,280 Laura Modi: lost in the day to day operations of the business. 462 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:02,720 Laura Modi: But then if you zoom out, you have to remember 463 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:04,120 Laura Modi: that at the end of the day, people are coming 464 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:08,680 Laura Modi: to you for one very particular reason. Know your why. 465 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:13,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: After the break, we dive into Laura's personal experience that 466 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,679 Emily Tisch Sussman: ultimately led her to start Bobby and how she's fighting 467 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: on the front lines to change the way we think 468 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:21,199 Emily Tisch Sussman: about formula feeding. 469 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:33,879 Emily Tisch Sussman: Okay, so let's bring in your personal here. You were 470 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: at Airbnb for many years. 471 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:44,000 Laura Modi: Well, it was at Airbnb when my now husband, then stranger, 472 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:47,399 Laura Modi: had joined the company, and it was actually at a 473 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,280 Laura Modi: company happy hour late on a Friday night, and he 474 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:54,440 Laura Modi: was going through the consideration phase of joining and any 475 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:56,640 Laura Modi: he was invited to the happy hour and we got 476 00:25:56,640 --> 00:26:00,800 Laura Modi: talking at the bar, and he we went on a 477 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:03,560 Laura Modi: date or two, and I think, deep down I was like, oh, please, 478 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,800 Laura Modi: don't join the company. But then he did join the company, 479 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:12,399 Laura Modi: and we worked and dated together for the next two years. 480 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:13,080 Laura Modi: I want to say. 481 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:16,280 Laura Modi: Anyway, the source of it is was getting serious enough. 482 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,480 Laura Modi: He ultimately ended up leaving, and then just as he left, 483 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:24,480 Laura Modi: we got engaged. I stayed and then very quickly because 484 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:29,720 Laura Modi: I'm Irish, got pregnant and was having my first kid, 485 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,800 Laura Modi: and I was still at Airbnb, still loving my career, 486 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:34,920 Laura Modi: still in a position where I thought I'm going to 487 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:36,680 Laura Modi: go take leave and then I'm going to come back, 488 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:39,720 Laura Modi: and everything changed. 489 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:45,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: It's important to note at the time, not only was 490 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:49,359 Emily Tisch Sussman: Laura working for a fast paced startup, her husband was 491 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:50,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: also a founder. 492 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:56,080 Laura Modi: So yeah, he had started his company on the outside. 493 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:58,440 Laura Modi: I was still at Airbnb, and we had our first daughter, 494 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,040 Laura Modi: and you know, first kidd, it's I mean, it's like 495 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:04,480 Laura Modi: a honeymoon. You're enjoying every part of it. It's great 496 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:09,200 Laura Modi: you're able to do it fairly easy with one kid. Bosh, 497 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:11,520 Laura Modi: what I on think I had been fully prepared for 498 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:14,960 Laura Modi: I knew I wasn't fully prepared for was how much 499 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:19,959 Laura Modi: reality did not match expectations for a lot of the 500 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:24,520 Laura Modi: really fundamental parts of having a child. And actually, to 501 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:27,119 Laura Modi: bring it back to ship Conley, an equation that he 502 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:32,680 Laura Modi: used to always use was that disappointment equals expectations minus 503 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:35,159 Laura Modi: reality consumer. 504 00:27:35,359 --> 00:27:37,600 Laura Modi: That can apply on a lot of context, a lot 505 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:43,719 Laura Modi: of context. And I went into motherhood and one of 506 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:48,679 Laura Modi: those first things that I expected I would do and 507 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:52,080 Laura Modi: that I expected would work, that I expected the skies 508 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:54,679 Laura Modi: would open up, was going to be around how I 509 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:59,480 Laura Modi: fed my daughter and Irish Catholic woman. I thought, I'm 510 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:00,840 Laura Modi: going to walk in here and I'm going to be 511 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,520 Laura Modi: up to breasted turn It's going to be beautiful. And 512 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:08,000 Laura Modi: reality was just not that at all. I mean, I God, 513 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,560 Laura Modi: I like even have PTSD thinking back to it now, 514 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:13,360 Laura Modi: because I mean, if I had gotten the help, if 515 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:16,959 Laura Modi: I had lactation support around me, you know, early on, 516 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:20,480 Laura Modi: but no, I just the latch wasn't right. It just 517 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:25,760 Laura Modi: wasn't working. It led to mastitis horrible. You know, my 518 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:30,000 Laura Modi: my nipples were bleeding and bruised and blistered and I 519 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,800 Laura Modi: ultimately couldn't get milk out. And this was a few 520 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:36,880 Laura Modi: days in and I did. I had a fabulous alactation consultant. 521 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:39,600 Laura Modi: She actually came to my house and she's like, you 522 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,320 Laura Modi: need to turn to formula, like it's you need to 523 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:46,600 Laura Modi: give your breasts a few days break. We need to 524 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,760 Laura Modi: like work on this back up. This one will work, 525 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:51,160 Laura Modi: this one. We went through the whole thing, and I 526 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:54,200 Laura Modi: remember just thinking, man, I was completely unprepared for that. 527 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,360 Laura Modi: And yeah, I found myself then turning to formula. 528 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:02,600 Laura Modi: And had you thought specifically did you do actually contemplated breastfeeding, 529 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:04,880 Laura Modi: Like I just didn't think about it. I felt like 530 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:06,960 Laura Modi: they told me to breastfeeding, so I did, but I didn't. 531 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:10,040 Laura Modi: That's a great question. No, Yeah, No, I just felt 532 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:11,480 Laura Modi: like people told me I was supposed to do it. No, 533 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:15,400 Laura Modi: I just assumed I would. Yeah, and I just assumed 534 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:17,840 Laura Modi: it would work. But I didn't go through any steps 535 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:20,240 Laura Modi: to go. Let me make sure I'm prepared for this. 536 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:23,160 Laura Modi: Let me make sure that i'm I have the support 537 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:26,240 Laura Modi: around me, I have a lactation consultant, I can call 538 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:31,720 Laura Modi: I'm mentally prepared for the ups and downs, and I mean, honestly, 539 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:36,400 Laura Modi: even the physical the physical pain was something no one 540 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:38,040 Laura Modi: had ever talked about, yeah, at all. 541 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:42,880 Laura Modi: So I was very taken back, very And it was 542 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:45,160 Laura Modi: one of those first moments because obviously you start feeding 543 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:46,960 Laura Modi: in the hospital, and it was one of those moments 544 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,640 Laura Modi: being like, oh man, this is the first part of 545 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,840 Laura Modi: motherhood that I feel completely in the dark on and 546 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:54,360 Laura Modi: completely unprepared for. 547 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:58,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: Laura and I are about the same age, and as 548 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:01,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: she was talking through all of this, I couldn't help 549 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:04,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: but feel those old feelings bubble up inside of me. 550 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: It's like she was speaking directly about my experience. I 551 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:13,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: remember that guilt and the doubt that started to become 552 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:17,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: about so much more than breastfeeding. It was about my 553 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:19,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: ability to be a mother, to care for my child, 554 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:23,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: that I was somehow doing a bad job, and I 555 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:27,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: think really terrified me that I felt like, I'm definitely 556 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:30,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: doing this very badly, Like it's not going well. 557 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:33,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: Can I keep a child alive? Like can I do 558 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:34,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: any of the parts? 559 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:37,320 Laura Modi: And that's exactly it. If this is meant to be 560 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:40,680 Laura Modi: one of the most easy, beautiful pieces of the job, 561 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:43,640 Laura Modi: that is you start questioning yourself. Yeah, and that guilt 562 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:45,800 Laura Modi: starts to come in where you're going, well, if I can't, 563 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:49,040 Laura Modi: am I failing her? Am I failing motherhood? Am I failing? 564 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:52,400 Laura Modi: You know? I'm just failing? And it's that it plays 565 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:55,320 Laura Modi: on you and I hear it all the time with mothers, 566 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:57,840 Laura Modi: which is, even if they do get their supply up 567 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:00,320 Laura Modi: and it ends up working, you go through the early 568 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:03,000 Laura Modi: days of questioning like are you able to do this? 569 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:05,360 Laura Modi: Not just feeding, but are you able to take on 570 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,560 Laura Modi: motherhood at large? Becomes a big question. But I also 571 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:13,440 Laura Modi: remember that feeling taking me back where I had gone 572 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:15,920 Laura Modi: through all of these moments in my life and my career, 573 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:19,920 Laura Modi: where I could stare at the unknown and I could 574 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:22,680 Laura Modi: still find myself in a confident position I can do this. 575 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:26,920 Laura Modi: I had enough kind of mental strength to be able 576 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:30,640 Laura Modi: to push through any unknowns. That was my life. In 577 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:33,200 Laura Modi: many ways, it became my identity. So to be in 578 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:38,040 Laura Modi: a position where I was now the most vulnerable mom 579 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:41,240 Laura Modi: woman I had ever been in my life, that emotion 580 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:42,040 Laura Modi: took me back. 581 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:43,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: It's like who am I? 582 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:50,080 Laura Modi: That identity crisis of questioning yourself and feeling guilty to 583 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:52,360 Laura Modi: the point where you're making up a bottle. You're on 584 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:54,320 Laura Modi: your way to the park to meet with your mom. 585 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:57,520 Laura Modi: Friends you know are successfully breastfeeding and it's beautiful and 586 00:31:57,560 --> 00:31:59,200 Laura Modi: it's going great for them, and you're looking at the 587 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:01,560 Laura Modi: formula in your bossy and you're like, will this pass 588 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:05,240 Laura Modi: his breast moment because you don't want to have the conversation. 589 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:08,400 Laura Modi: You don't want to get the sigh, you don't want 590 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:12,760 Laura Modi: to get the I'm sorry, and yeah, the emotions are real. 591 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:16,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: Often our guests cry on this show, but this is 592 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: the first time that I've cried on the show, Emily, 593 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:24,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: because that was exactly what I felt that my whole 594 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:29,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: identity was being really good in like really good in 595 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: conflict and really good finding a path forward through something 596 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:36,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: I didn't know and I couldn't find a path forward, 597 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:38,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: and it was so much bigger than just breastfeeding. Was like, 598 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:41,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: I can't figure out how to take care of this 599 00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:44,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: baby that it really hits. 600 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:48,160 Laura Modi: It does, and to think about let's get back to 601 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,760 Laura Modi: the joys of parenting. You have just created the most precious, 602 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:55,000 Laura Modi: most beautiful thing that you will ever have in life. 603 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:58,440 Laura Modi: Like your heart explodes in ways that you had just 604 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:01,480 Laura Modi: never ever, ever experienced, and the fact that you are 605 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:05,560 Laura Modi: now not able to fully enjoy that exploding heart and 606 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:11,520 Laura Modi: moment enjoy because you're also taking on the conflict of 607 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,720 Laura Modi: failing her, failing you, failing society, and all these expectations 608 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,800 Laura Modi: like that's unfair. This is a very special moment in time. 609 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:21,640 Laura Modi: You should be enjoying every aspect of this without having 610 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:23,520 Laura Modi: to take on all the guilts that comes with it 611 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:24,000 Laura Modi: as well. 612 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:28,720 Laura Modi: And obviously, I mean, we co down a rabbit hole 613 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:31,720 Laura Modi: on this topic, but you zoom out. And I've spent 614 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,200 Laura Modi: a lot of time studying where does that guilt come from? 615 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:36,120 Laura Modi: Why is there so much pressure, or where does it 616 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:39,120 Laura Modi: come from in society? And I don't think it is 617 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:41,360 Laura Modi: and I truly believe this. I don't think it's that 618 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:45,720 Laura Modi: your friend or someone who gave that sigh, that person's 619 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:49,040 Laura Modi: not judging, they're not They truly want the best for you, 620 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:50,440 Laura Modi: they want the best of the baby. They're not going 621 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:52,160 Laura Modi: to bed that night going hm, I can't believe she's 622 00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:54,920 Laura Modi: feeding her baby formula. They're not. They're moving on. But 623 00:33:55,040 --> 00:34:00,200 Laura Modi: we have just built ourselves in society to believe that 624 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:02,080 Laura Modi: there is one way two feet of baby and that's 625 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:06,760 Laura Modi: what's best. That has just been a societal message over 626 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:11,040 Laura Modi: and over and because of that, everyone around us and 627 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:14,040 Laura Modi: sometimes it's, like I said, they're definitely not judging. It 628 00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:16,880 Laura Modi: could be a pediatrician, it could be the person who's 629 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:20,799 Laura Modi: introducing you back to the office. It's just their natural 630 00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:24,480 Laura Modi: instinct is just to have a reaction to the fact 631 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:27,120 Laura Modi: that you may not be doing what society has put 632 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:30,080 Laura Modi: on a pedestal that is it. So now we're all 633 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:33,920 Laura Modi: battling with the internal judgment in guilt, but that person 634 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:36,160 Laura Modi: has already moved on. They're not thinking about it, they're 635 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:39,759 Laura Modi: certainly not judging. And then the bigger question becomes in, 636 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:43,320 Laura Modi: especially for a brand like Bobby, and we're trying to 637 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,879 Laura Modi: shift that narrative, which is, how do you shift the 638 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:52,200 Laura Modi: societal narrative that even though breast might be considered best, 639 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:56,600 Laura Modi: that what's best is really whatever that personal situation or 640 00:34:56,719 --> 00:35:00,160 Laura Modi: dynamic is, and how you change that message. 641 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:05,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: Laura didn't arrive at that incredibly helpful and encouraging message 642 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: quite so easily. She first went to the store to 643 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:12,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: find formula for her newborn baby and was mortified at 644 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:16,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: what she found, and slowly between all the diapers and 645 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:20,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: sleepless nights. She started to put the pieces together. We 646 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:24,279 Emily Tisch Sussman: as a society, we are sorely behind the ball when 647 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:28,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: it came to healthy, nutritious formula options. That here's the 648 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: key point. Parents felt confident buying for their baby. 649 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:35,640 Laura Modi: It's also funny, there's this assumption that I with my 650 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:38,120 Laura Modi: first child. I was in the pharmacy and I saw 651 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:40,920 Laura Modi: the product, and there's an assumption. Then I was like, Aha, 652 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:43,520 Laura Modi: I'm going to go start a formula company. No, no, 653 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:44,560 Laura Modi: I was. 654 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:46,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: I was quite impressed you were thinking about anything. 655 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:48,480 Laura Modi: I don't know. Five days in, I was still like 656 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:50,560 Laura Modi: in that emotional guilts and roller coaster. I was forty 657 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:52,799 Laura Modi: pounds overweight, I was exhausted. I was like, who the 658 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:56,080 Laura Modi: hell am I this is ever gonna work? And No, 659 00:35:56,239 --> 00:36:00,000 Laura Modi: it was like they were all little like steps towards 660 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:02,560 Laura Modi: It's what I call my PhD at the time in 661 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:05,520 Laura Modi: this market, industry and product where then I got home 662 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:07,080 Laura Modi: when I read the back of the label, and then 663 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:08,840 Laura Modi: I went on Google. Then I'm in the middle of 664 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:12,000 Laura Modi: the night and I'm in my subreddits and I'm consuming. 665 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:14,160 Laura Modi: I'm consuming and consuming, and that goes on for the 666 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:18,600 Laura Modi: next year. Even while I returned back to Airbnb after leave, 667 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:21,280 Laura Modi: and that was another moment. I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa. 668 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:25,040 Laura Modi: You were telling me that the same government who says, hey, mom, 669 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:27,919 Laura Modi: you should breastfeed for six months is also the same 670 00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:30,799 Laura Modi: government who's not giving us the paid leave to do so. 671 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:35,560 Laura Modi: Everywhere I went, I was having these little epiphanies for 672 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:39,280 Laura Modi: what needed to change, from the product to the message, 673 00:36:39,320 --> 00:36:43,919 Laura Modi: to policies across the board. And I was two weeks 674 00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:47,239 Laura Modi: pregnant with my second child, and it was at that 675 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:50,360 Laura Modi: point I peed on the stick it said I was pregnant. 676 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:52,400 Laura Modi: I turned to my husband, I said, I'm going to 677 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:55,239 Laura Modi: start a formula company and there will be a better 678 00:36:55,280 --> 00:37:02,800 Laura Modi: formula on the market by the time I had this baby. 679 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:02,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: Went to market immediately making waves. 680 00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:06,160 Speaker 6: Well, there's a new style of organic formula called Bobby, 681 00:37:06,239 --> 00:37:09,120 Speaker 6: and it is changing the industry. Bobby had more than 682 00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:12,799 Speaker 6: eighteen million dollars in sales in its first year and 683 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 6: it is the fastest growing infant formula to enter the 684 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:17,440 Speaker 6: American market in decades. 685 00:37:17,880 --> 00:37:22,520 Speaker 7: Founder of Bobby, it's the first and only USDA certified 686 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:26,640 Speaker 7: organic baby formula manufactured right here in the US. Bobby 687 00:37:26,680 --> 00:37:29,440 Speaker 7: It's named after her daughter's word for Bottle was founded 688 00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:32,880 Speaker 7: in twenty eighteen after Modi realized the only baby formulas 689 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:36,439 Speaker 7: available in stores contained ingredients that she would not even 690 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:37,280 Speaker 7: feed herself. 691 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:42,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: So you had the initial hurdle of saying, I have 692 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:45,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: the answer to this problem, but you had an additional 693 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:49,719 Emily Tisch Sussman: hurdle of convincing everyone that there should be a solution, right, 694 00:37:49,719 --> 00:37:52,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: because we have this societal problem that everyone thinks you're 695 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:53,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: just supposed to recue that you have. 696 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:58,080 Laura Modi: My God, I've PTSD does say that, I know that 697 00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:01,239 Laura Modi: was exactly right. But let's start with the fact that 698 00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:03,880 Laura Modi: I was seven and a half months pregnant and I 699 00:38:04,239 --> 00:38:08,960 Laura Modi: was waddling around Silicon Valley meeting one investor after another. 700 00:38:09,440 --> 00:38:13,600 Laura Modi: And you know, I also PSA say like, not every 701 00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:17,239 Laura Modi: investor is made equal, you know, they all look at 702 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:21,640 Laura Modi: problems and solutions very differently. But yeah, I was walking 703 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:28,040 Laura Modi: into a predominantly male culture who had predominantly been investing 704 00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:34,840 Laura Modi: in technology, and just even CpG in general wasn't as 705 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:38,600 Laura Modi: it just wasn't as predominant as tech. But here's what 706 00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:41,240 Laura Modi: really hit me when I went to go pitch the problem. 707 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:44,160 Laura Modi: One of the challenges I had was being seven and 708 00:38:44,200 --> 00:38:47,160 Laura Modi: a half months pregnant. It was very hard for investors 709 00:38:47,719 --> 00:38:50,000 Laura Modi: not to look at me as a mom that had 710 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:55,000 Laura Modi: a problem she wanted to solve for herself, versus an 711 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:59,120 Laura Modi: entrepreneur who saw a really big opportunity. And I felt 712 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:03,000 Laura Modi: that you got the questions. They're looking at your stomach, 713 00:39:03,239 --> 00:39:07,680 Laura Modi: they're questioning the why behind this, and you're trying to 714 00:39:07,680 --> 00:39:10,960 Laura Modi: get them to focus on the bigger picture. But it's 715 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:16,400 Laura Modi: an emotional and extremely personal product. It's an extremely personal problem. 716 00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:19,520 Laura Modi: So if someone on the other side doesn't see the 717 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:24,080 Laura Modi: problem with current formulas or ways of messaging and a 718 00:39:24,239 --> 00:39:27,319 Laura Modi: narrative that needs to change, it's very hard to break through, 719 00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:31,160 Laura Modi: very hard. And yes, because of societal problem, there was 720 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:33,880 Laura Modi: really only a small percentage of them that the message 721 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:36,799 Laura Modi: landed for. Did you find that there was one thing 722 00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:40,200 Laura Modi: in particular that broke through. I think when you're looking 723 00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:46,840 Laura Modi: to change or disrupt an industry, usually when it's predominantly 724 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:49,839 Laura Modi: owned by a few players. So in this situation, the 725 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:55,040 Laura Modi: infant formula market for decades was a duoptly and that duoptly, 726 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:58,040 Laura Modi: you know, the same formula that you yourself probably consumed 727 00:39:58,040 --> 00:39:59,640 Laura Modi: as a child was the same one you remind for 728 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:03,960 Laura Modi: your and no matter how much you believe in the 729 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:06,920 Laura Modi: change or not, or this is the product that you 730 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:10,120 Laura Modi: want to back, it was hard to deny that this 731 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:13,760 Laura Modi: was a product in industry that hadn't changed in fourty 732 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:14,799 Laura Modi: plus years. 733 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:19,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: Bobby redefined what formula was and not without bumps in 734 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:22,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: the road. Early on in the business, the FDA came 735 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:26,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: knocking and it required Laura to think on her feet. 736 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:29,920 Speaker 7: It's not easy to go about FDA approval for anything. 737 00:40:29,960 --> 00:40:31,800 Speaker 7: I mean, you didn't just start a company. You started 738 00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:33,400 Speaker 7: a company that has to go through a lot of 739 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:34,680 Speaker 7: regulatory processes. 740 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:36,279 Laura Modi: What was it like to learn those. 741 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:39,600 Speaker 5: We actually got FDA greenrit a year ago, but we 742 00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:43,880 Speaker 5: spent that last year sourcing ingredients from partners that have 743 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:47,600 Speaker 5: the same level of expectations and high quality standards. 744 00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:47,560 Speaker 6: That we do. 745 00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:53,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: Then the formula shortage crisis happened and Bobby once again 746 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:58,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: was staring down a huge problem. But in true Laura fashion, 747 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:01,799 Emily Tisch Sussman: she turned what could've been a low point into one 748 00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:06,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: of her most savvy business decisions yet, her decision to 749 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:08,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: buy a manufacturing plant. 750 00:41:10,040 --> 00:41:13,080 Laura Modi: I'm one year into the market and I woke up 751 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:16,600 Laura Modi: to the President of the United States on the news 752 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:20,759 Laura Modi: basically saying that America wasn't able to feed babies. We 753 00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:24,000 Laura Modi: had hit an infant formula crisis in this country. Think 754 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:28,320 Laura Modi: about that. For forty plus years, this industry had really 755 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:30,400 Laura Modi: never been in the news. No one ever talked about it. 756 00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:32,680 Laura Modi: In fact, they were looking for the exit any time 757 00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:37,120 Laura Modi: anyone spoke about infant formula. And now it's all over 758 00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:39,359 Laura Modi: the news. It was the second most talked about news 759 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:44,040 Laura Modi: item outside of the Ukraine War. And it's true, America 760 00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:48,799 Laura Modi: wasn't resilient enough because of a lack of manufacturing it 761 00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:52,120 Laura Modi: had in this country, the lack of choice, the duopoly, 762 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:57,600 Laura Modi: the concentration. We were not resilient enough to sustain a crisis. 763 00:41:57,840 --> 00:42:02,600 Laura Modi: And in that moment, I remember thinking, Wow, on one side, 764 00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:05,319 Laura Modi: I am sitting here and I'm watching the news, but 765 00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:09,520 Laura Modi: this is my industry. I am leading and in many 766 00:42:09,520 --> 00:42:13,400 Laura Modi: ways what I hope to be trailblazing and disrupting this market. 767 00:42:13,920 --> 00:42:17,600 Laura Modi: And this is the moment. It's in crisis, and you 768 00:42:17,640 --> 00:42:19,880 Laura Modi: have a choice in that moment, and I remember thinking 769 00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:21,600 Laura Modi: it was like, Okay, so we can either take a 770 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:24,280 Laura Modi: step back and we can watch this on the sidelines 771 00:42:24,320 --> 00:42:26,800 Laura Modi: and see how it pans out, or we can actually 772 00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:29,600 Laura Modi: be part of this change, and you're right, only being 773 00:42:29,719 --> 00:42:33,560 Laura Modi: like one and a half years into actually being in 774 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:36,360 Laura Modi: the market, it wasn't a very natural thing to go 775 00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:39,400 Laura Modi: and we should go buy manufacturing. You usually find that 776 00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:42,279 Laura Modi: a decade or two after a company has been in existence. 777 00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:44,640 Laura Modi: But it was one of those things I couldn't. I 778 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:47,640 Laura Modi: went to bed every night going I know there needs 779 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:51,680 Laura Modi: to be more manufacturing, and I strongly believe that Bobby's 780 00:42:51,719 --> 00:42:54,080 Laura Modi: going to be around in a big legacy company in 781 00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:57,120 Laura Modi: the future. We need to make this move now and 782 00:42:57,160 --> 00:42:59,840 Laura Modi: we can be part of the resiliency this country needs. 783 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:02,400 Laura Modi: And I also I think like deep down then as 784 00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:08,360 Laura Modi: a mother also having American babies and everything in me, 785 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:09,759 Laura Modi: I was like, we should get to a place where 786 00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:12,440 Laura Modi: America is able to make high quality infant formula and 787 00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:15,200 Laura Modi: feed it to its own American babies. We should be 788 00:43:15,320 --> 00:43:18,279 Laura Modi: proud of the food that we were able to make 789 00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:22,120 Laura Modi: for our babies. And it was just a big personal mission. 790 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:25,120 Laura Modi: How did you really take those steps? Like did you 791 00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:27,000 Laura Modi: go out back to your funders and say, I know 792 00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:29,360 Laura Modi: that you funded us for Xemount, but I need, you know, 793 00:43:29,520 --> 00:43:33,560 Laura Modi: ten times more than that, because I'm buying a factory. Yes, great, Yeah, great, 794 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,840 Laura Modi: I mean that was a bitch. Yes, there was also 795 00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:39,320 Laura Modi: swallowing a little bit of like there was some humility 796 00:43:39,360 --> 00:43:41,680 Laura Modi: as well in it, because it was it wasn't that 797 00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:43,759 Laura Modi: long before it I was like, we don't need to 798 00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:47,480 Laura Modi: buy manufacturing. No, we don't need to do that. You know, 799 00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:49,960 Laura Modi: there's enough manufacturing. We'll be fine. And then to get 800 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:52,400 Laura Modi: to the place I was like, no, actually there's not. 801 00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:56,719 Laura Modi: And I also need to be malleable enough to be 802 00:43:56,760 --> 00:44:01,880 Laura Modi: able to change or pivot my decision for what I 803 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:04,239 Laura Modi: believe is right and what needs to happen. And that 804 00:44:04,320 --> 00:44:07,280 Laura Modi: has also become a huge entrepreneurial learning on how important 805 00:44:07,320 --> 00:44:10,920 Laura Modi: it is even in the job to also be able 806 00:44:10,960 --> 00:44:14,400 Laura Modi: to build a plan and a direction towards a vision, 807 00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:16,960 Laura Modi: but know that sometimes your plan and direction are going 808 00:44:17,040 --> 00:44:20,640 Laura Modi: to have to change. And when a market changes like 809 00:44:20,840 --> 00:44:23,000 Laura Modi: that is your moment to also say, like, how does 810 00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:25,279 Laura Modi: your plan change to address it? 811 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:28,160 Laura Modi: What is it going to have ten thousand million more questions? 812 00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:31,480 Laura Modi: What is something that happened? It can be something we 813 00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:34,240 Laura Modi: talked about is being totally different that at the time 814 00:44:34,320 --> 00:44:37,160 Laura Modi: you felt like was a real low, but now in 815 00:44:37,239 --> 00:44:40,040 Laura Modi: hindsight you see it as having really launched you into 816 00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:43,400 Laura Modi: the position that you are now, I'm going to regulated place, 817 00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:50,000 Laura Modi: So there's a lot of lows and uncertainties when you 818 00:44:50,960 --> 00:44:54,680 Laura Modi: are heavily regulated. I mean one of them was, you know, 819 00:44:54,760 --> 00:44:58,759 Laura Modi: the FDA. The FDA showed up early on during a 820 00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:03,680 Laura Modi: pilot of of Bobby and they questioned our product and 821 00:45:03,719 --> 00:45:08,560 Laura Modi: direction and they really really forced a major shift in 822 00:45:08,600 --> 00:45:12,920 Laura Modi: the business, Like we had to pull back our existing product, 823 00:45:13,200 --> 00:45:17,479 Laura Modi: We had to spend time reformulating manufacturing here in the US, 824 00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:21,319 Laura Modi: adjusting our supply chain. It took me back probably a 825 00:45:21,400 --> 00:45:24,080 Laura Modi: year or two, and it felt like a low at 826 00:45:24,080 --> 00:45:27,360 Laura Modi: the time. And yeah, I think you said it perfectly. 827 00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:30,200 Laura Modi: Now I look back and I think, no, that was 828 00:45:30,239 --> 00:45:33,040 Laura Modi: one of the best experiences and also catapulted us to 829 00:45:33,080 --> 00:45:33,600 Laura Modi: where we are. 830 00:45:34,160 --> 00:45:35,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: Do you think you'll pivot again? 831 00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:43,080 Laura Modi: Absolutely absolutely. I think there will be pivots within Bobby 832 00:45:43,120 --> 00:45:44,719 Laura Modi: as a company. I think there'll be pivots in my 833 00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:47,640 Laura Modi: own life, my career, I hope. So, I mean, life 834 00:45:47,640 --> 00:45:50,680 Laura Modi: without pivots is what's it living for? 835 00:45:51,120 --> 00:45:51,319 Laura Modi: You know? 836 00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:52,120 Laura Modi: Absolutely? 837 00:45:54,080 --> 00:45:56,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: Thank you so much, Laura, thanks for coming on. It's 838 00:45:56,440 --> 00:45:59,879 Emily Tisch Sussman: been such an interesting conversation. I really really enjoyed it. 839 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:02,000 Laura Modi: I've loved it. I mean, we could get into like 840 00:46:02,120 --> 00:46:04,240 Laura Modi: three seasons of this. Let me just keep going. 841 00:46:04,400 --> 00:46:06,080 Laura Modi: I know, like, do you want a whole season? Like? 842 00:46:06,120 --> 00:46:07,680 Laura Modi: We have so much want to talk about. 843 00:46:07,760 --> 00:46:11,479 Laura Modi: I'm sorry for making you cry. No, no, I felt 844 00:46:11,560 --> 00:46:12,479 Laura Modi: very scene good. 845 00:46:15,360 --> 00:46:18,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: Laura lives with her beautiful family and is still growing 846 00:46:18,440 --> 00:46:21,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: Bobby and working to change the narrative around formula feeding 847 00:46:22,160 --> 00:46:25,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: and making huge headway. I might add so that one 848 00:46:25,280 --> 00:46:28,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: day the next generation hopefully won't have to feel the 849 00:46:28,480 --> 00:46:30,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: same pressures and guilt we felt. 850 00:46:31,080 --> 00:46:31,839 Emily Tisch Sussman: To stay up to. 851 00:46:31,840 --> 00:46:34,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: Date with Laura, you can follow her on Instagram at 852 00:46:34,560 --> 00:46:35,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: Laura Mody. 853 00:46:36,840 --> 00:46:40,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: Thanks for listening to this episode of she Pivots. I 854 00:46:40,440 --> 00:46:42,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, leave us 855 00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:45,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: a rating and tell your friends about us. To learn 856 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:49,279 Emily Tisch Sussman: more about our guests, follow us on Instagram at she 857 00:46:49,440 --> 00:46:52,759 Emily Tisch Sussman: pivots the Podcast, or sign up for our newsletter where 858 00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:55,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: you can get exclusive behind the scenes content on our 859 00:46:55,960 --> 00:47:03,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: website at she pivots thepodcast dot com. Special thanks to 860 00:47:03,560 --> 00:47:08,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: the she pivots team, Executive producer Emily eda Velosik, Associate 861 00:47:08,160 --> 00:47:13,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: producer and social media connoisseur Hannah Cousins, Research director, Christine Dickinson, 862 00:47:13,560 --> 00:47:17,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: Events and Logistics coordinator Madeline Snovak and audio editor and 863 00:47:17,680 --> 00:47:22,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: mixer Nina pollock I endorse Che Pivots