We had the good fortune of connecting with Nadya Okamoto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nadya, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is burnout — both physically and mentally. I often worked until I was exhausted, and this was detrimental both for me and the people around me. Since then, I’ve really learned the importance of prioritizing my health (and getting 8+ hours of sleep!) and will continue to work on finding harmony in my work and life.

What should our readers know about your business?
I learned about period poverty in 2014 from hearing stories directly from homeless women about their experience of not being able to afford period products. I had never heard of period poverty before, but learning about that and the fact that the tampon tax existed in 40 states at the time ignited a fire in me — I knew I had to take action. So that year, I started what is now known as PERIOD.org, a nonprofit. I led it as executive director until January 2020 before I began my journey starting August, a sustainable period brand.

Everything about August was really built and shaped by our community (called the Inner Cycle) and our community is a group of passionate young people who believe in the values that we stand by. Thus, their identity of being bold and curious and enthusiastic is also reflected in August’s branding. Gender inclusivity is also a huge component of our community. Our community has really become a space where we can talk about anything, and so politics and how we can reimagine how we talk about periods are very common topics you see our members discussing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our nonprofit partner at August is an organization called No More Secrets! Lynette Medley is the founder and the work she’s doing with her team is incredible – not only have they distributed more than 6 million period care products to those in need, but they actually opened the county’s first menstrual hub and uterine wellness center, which is super awesome!

Website: https://www.nadyaokamoto.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadyaokamoto/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadyaokamoto/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nadyaokamoto

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nadyaokamotoofficial

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb7qR-onnkuVTnb3GPkM3gQ

Image Credits
Mercedes Zapata August

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.