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From Dismissed to Determined: How Maria Haugen Is Changing the Way Women Track and Advocate for Their Health · Serious Lady Business

• LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (00:03) Hey there, I'm Leslie Youngblood and this is Serious Lady Business, the podcast where we get real about what it takes to build a business as a woman today. From late night Google searches and client curveballs to the wins that make it all worth it, I'm talking about the stuff no one puts in the highlight reel. Each week, I'm bringing you honest conversations, lessons learned and stories from women who are out here doing the work. Messy, meaningful and unapologetically bold. Whether you're just dreaming about starting a business or deep in the grind, this podcast is your space to feel seen, supported, and fired up. Because let's be honest, this journey is hard, hilarious, and absolutely worth it. So let's dive in. Leslie Youngblood (00:50) Welcome back to Serious Lady Business. I'm Leslie Youngblood, your host, feminist and founder of Youngblood MMC, a marketing media and content agency. And today I would like you to meet Maria Hogan. Maria is the founder of FoXX Health, a comprehensive health tech app dedicated to empowering women to take control of their health journeys, addressing the under-representation of women in healthcare across various areas, including mental health, heart health, and autoimmune conditions. It was born out of her own health crisis. where her serious chest pains were brushed off by her primary doctor for months. She finally went to a new doctor who diagnosed her with Pasocronditis, a condition often mistaken for heart attacks. The long road left her shaken, rightly so, but also determined. Her lingering questions of what if I had been able to track my symptoms clearly from the start? What if I had had the language to explain what I was feeling and the data be taken seriously? Directly led to the creation of FoXX Health. Welcome, Hi. I mean, what an traumatic, yet incredible journey, Maria. I would love to really start at the beginning with you. Take us back to the moment where you first felt that chest pain and like that journey of getting diagnosed, what that looked like for you. Maria [FoXX Health] (01:52) Bye, Leslie. Absolutely. When I first felt the chest pain, believe it or not, I was on the couch watching TV. And that was the scariest part. I was not doing some like rigorous exercise or, you know, climbing the side of a mountain. I was laying down watching TV, resting heart rate, totally relaxed. And that's when I first felt it. And that is what scared me the most. I originally was... Leslie Youngblood (02:20) Right. Mmm. Maria [FoXX Health] (02:39) jaw pain and then I started feeling my chest and my left arm and you google all the symptoms and it says you're having heart attack go to the emergency room. And so that's what I did and they do an EKG they can tell if you had one or were having one and I wasn't and that those are just the they can tell. And so that was really terrifying because okay if it wasn't that what was it and you know I was non-emergent I wasn't feeling the pain anymore. ⁓ And so they said Leslie Youngblood (02:58) Right. Hmm. Maria [FoXX Health] (03:08) go to your primary care doctor and you know see what it could be. And from there it was months of trying to tell my primary care doctor what I was feeling but because I couldn't induce the pain, I didn't know what was causing it, it wasn't happening at a certain time, it was really okay well write down what's happening when it does happen and I guess call back if another episode occurs and that was not okay because when it happened when was it going to Leslie Youngblood (03:20) Yeah. Maria [FoXX Health] (03:37) happen and that time it was actually a heart attack. It was you know the girl who cried wolf and I didn't want to do that. So I had to start cold calling cardiologists and a lot of them you know if you don't have a referral you can't come in. They're already booked solid. Finally one agreed to take me but because I wasn't a referral it was going to be two months before I could get in and I was diagnosed in that first appointment. Leslie Youngblood (03:40) Right. Thank Maria [FoXX Health] (04:03) So it was a long journey learning how to advocate for myself, trying not to get overwhelmed. But of course, this situation led me to having anxiety and health care. And ultimately, I was like, there has to be a better way. Leslie Youngblood (04:04) Welcome. Sure. And I mean, here's the thing too. You're a young woman. And so how extra scary must that have been to you? Not only are you sitting on the couch, but you're a young woman. You're in great health and you have to write how do we not jump to one? Like we've been taught the symptoms of a heart attack, I think from a young age, which is you know, important, but then to, to then be told, I'm sorry, nothing or you're fine or track it and you go in there. And that's so very scary. and I know that this is not uncommon and that's truly where, you know, FoXX Health came out of too. I'm sure you have the specific statistic. What was it 94 % of women present symptoms and are dismissed or their symptoms are dismissed when they go to a healthcare professional, Maria [FoXX Health] (04:59) Yup, 93 to be exact, but that is a crazy statistic because the unfortunate truth that led to FoXX really turning into what it was is every single woman I've talked to has an experience like mine in some capacity. And that is terrible when you think about the healthcare system, but great for FoXX because that's that to me is proof of concept right there. So after my health scare, I spent two years talking to Leslie Youngblood (05:25) right. Maria [FoXX Health] (05:29) not only patients and women, but doctors. And I'm like, why is this happening? Because doctors aren't evil people. They don't want us to be sick. They're not like, know, diabolically like, let's not listen to women. It's a product of what is going on and what the conversation is. So there was an opportunity to support both the patient and the doctor with FoXX. And that's how we built it. Leslie Youngblood (05:34) Well... Right. Yeah, what was the turning point or when was that light bulb moment for you? You know after your experience and then talking with others oh Because and I'm sure and I'd love for you to say were you like there has to be something out here that can do this and then there wasn't and you're like well shoot now I'm gonna have to do it like tell us a little bit about that Maria [FoXX Health] (06:12) Yeah, so I started doing exactly that. was like, there has to be something out here that's already doing it. I had made, so at this point in my career, I was in consulting. So I was like, I'm going to make a deck. And I made a PowerPoint with all my ideas. It was originally just called company XX. I'm like, there's gotta be a way to support women better. And I started doing research and I started putting my thoughts down and, you know, kind of tracking my interviews and what people were saying. And what I realized is when you say, said, what do you bring to the doctor with you? It was a lot of DIY health and that's something that FoXX would like to call it do it yourself health. People were either bringing physical notes, they had notes in their phone, they had, know, I felt this and I need to remember to say this, but women were going in, you know, feeling frantic and unprepared and the majority of apps out there for women are period trackers or wearable apps, which are important. I'm not saying Leslie Youngblood (06:48) you Maria [FoXX Health] (07:11) saying they're not, but there wasn't an opportunity to solve this problem that seemingly every single woman has run into. Leslie Youngblood (07:19) Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's it's just so fascinating because you think the world is to be we have all sorts of apps and all sorts of solutions for things and yet this huge glaring issue has not been addressed and I know that as tech has evolved we are seeing more focus on women whether that's With the specific health tech whether I just think in general in conversations over the past You know my adult life where nobody talked about postpartum depression and or menopause or menopause and now we're having those conversations and taking our power back, you know into those conversations and those experiences. So I feel like my goodness what that was the time for FoXX right if there ever was a time to be able to you know pull together all these opportunity for women to live better lives and to give their doctors the right kind of information like you said what if I had the data to be taken seriously. And you know, doctors are busy and we're busy, but how can we make it easy on all of the pieces, all the people that are involved in this, so we can get better outcomes for everybody? So I think that's fantastic. Maria [FoXX Health] (08:25) And one of- Right now the process in speaking with doctors comes down to three things. You go into an office and what happens, what we like to call it is reschedule, record, and return. So when you go see a doctor, if you don't have the symptoms and you don't have the data and you don't have the longevity of what you are experiencing, how is the doctor going to properly diagnose you? They want to have the information they need to to get you to that correct diagnosis. Leslie Youngblood (08:52) Mm-hmm. Maria [FoXX Health] (08:56) Diagnosis. So by solving those three things you don't need to reschedule so women are going to the doctor less often You already have a record of what's happening and you can show them your symptoms You can have questions you can look at how your symptoms are correlated on the graphs within FoXX and That means that you don't have to return you are going and showing up prepared the doctor is able to work with you and be able to say ⁓ Looking at it like this. I can tell you that normally these two symptoms when they're you know, doing a dance together, they're correlated, that means this. So ultimately we're really trying to reduce the time to diagnosis and reduce the amount of misdiagnosis by showing up for the doctor and the conversation. Leslie Youngblood (09:31) run. Yeah. I often, I also think too, how often is it when we are, like you said, you were having your symptoms and then by the time you go to the urgent care, what if there's a long wait and urgent care? And then suddenly those symptoms go away and then you feel like a crazy person and they look at you like, you know, you're a crazy person and you're like, but there truly was validity here. And I was feeling this and you, right. So how do you bring data and that quantifiable experience in what you're going through when that's that episode has passed And so I think that that is just so important too because it is quantifying a lot of the things that we have always said, but really truly writing it down and tracking it like you said to be able to say, well, there's these two things and yeah, this means that. so just I just love it so much tell us more about how FoXX Health gives women and the professional, the health professionals. the language to advocate more effectively. You mentioned graphs and you mentioned the tracking. Tell us more as to how and why you created this app to function the way that it does, Maria. Maria [FoXX Health] (10:47) Absolutely. We... created FoXX with the symptom tracking and the questions we're using with doctors. So we have our advisory committee you're a part of and on that committee are over 30 health professionals that are either registered nurses, nurse practitioners, MDs, OBs. So with them we were able to say what questions do you truly ask and what would actually make a difference in a diagnosis. So when you're logging a symptom it's not just my throat hurts or my elbow hurts. It's okay Leslie Youngblood (10:56) Yes. Thank ⁓ Maria [FoXX Health] (11:18) Is throbbing? Is it stabbing? Is it pins and needles? What's the severity? How long did it last? So that way when you're in the pain, you can correctly log it instead of then to even to your example, you're in urgent care. takes an hour to be seen. You're like, yeah, I mean, my elbow hurts. And they're like, okay, well, what kind of pain? And you're like, I don't know. Just like right here, you know, it's just that recall and being able to give the right information. And then in addition to that, with our AI, we've trained it with Leslie Youngblood (11:40) Mm. Maria [FoXX Health] (11:47) the US National Library of Medicine data for women only, Snowmen International data, NIH data, we've gotten licenses through them to take it, bring all the women's data into our AI and properly train it so you can run those symptoms through the medications you're taking, what type of doctor you're seeing, and we are not diagnosing, we are giving you the questions. You know, you need to talk to your doctor about this. Here is the correlation. So when you go in, when the doctor's like, what brings you in? today, you can say, have five, seven, 10 questions and that I want to ask you about that are directly related to my symptoms I've been experiencing, the medications I've been taking. This is what is concerning me. And it really just helps the doctor too, to be like, okay, this information I can use, can, we can run these tests or we, this is what I prescribe. There's now a reason instead of that, you know, reschedule record and return. Leslie Youngblood (12:31) Mm-hmm. Right, right. Yeah, my goodness, for sure. And so this app does so much and does it the right way. I can't imagine, and you mentioned you talk with the medical professionals. You have this great advisory board that I'm a part of to help build it. But I mean, that's where we are today, Maria. Tell us some of those first steps you took to move the idea to reality outside of just having those conversations for two years and creating that deck. what were you doing in your career and your life before that? Were you in the tech space development so you knew, okay, I have to make an MVP and I want it to be, do all these incredible things, but you know, shoot, I gotta just start with like this. Tell us about the early days of FoXX Health when that idea is really taking shape. Maria [FoXX Health] (13:30) Absolutely. So before FoXX health, was a chief revenue, chief marketing officer at an AI startup. And before that, I was a chief marketing officer at an AI startup. So I'm familiar with startups. I'm familiar with that world, but I hated both of those roles. It was working for a shitty founders for things that there's no such thing as believing in an AI chat bot. Like where is the core value belief mission? And I realized that was something that I really needed. And I was. Leslie Youngblood (13:49) you Maria [FoXX Health] (13:59) already kind of working on FoXX and it came to a point where it's like, do I want to half ass FoXX and hope it works or do I want to throw 200 % behind it, get out from under the thumb of these really terrible people and bet on myself and ultimately with the support of people around me, it was, yeah, you need to do that. So the way I started was of course filing the official paperwork and then I built myself a MVP. Leslie Youngblood (14:00) Mm. Maria [FoXX Health] (14:28) using replet, which is a... AI coding software, which can't get you to a real functional place, but it can get your ideas out there. And that idea is how I built my first deck. And I went to an event with SOSV where they actually bring in a ton of investors, a ton of founders, and then you can go and you can match and you can set appointments. And I spoke to, I think, seven different investors. And at this point, it was just me. I was taking calls at like 10 PM because some of the investors Leslie Youngblood (14:36) Correct. Mm-hmm. Yes. Maria [FoXX Health] (15:01) were overseas. And of course you always want an investment. But what I got was feedback. You need to think about this. You need to include this. What about this? And from there I started building. I put a post out for some community development managers, had two brilliant women join me, just starting to build the narrative. And then I started having women reach out to me. How can I be a part of this? How can I get on board? And I have brought together, I mean, the most fantastic group of women. If someone, Leslie Youngblood (15:07) Yeah. Mmm. Maria [FoXX Health] (15:30) on the fence about investing in me if they just join one of our team calls I guarantee you they would do anything they can to be involved. just it is is astounding the caliber of women who are working at FoXX and that is because of the mission and they believe in it and I don't think that I could have done this alone and we have a functioning product that will be in market in a matter of weeks and a lot of times people are like just get it in market get it in market so yeah there are competitors who have launched and it's really just chat GPT that they train with, make it only women specific, but the real tactful methodical approach that FoXX has taken will speak for itself. Leslie Youngblood (16:06) you Yeah, I completely agree. you mentioned, the team of women and people that you brought together that really believe in this mission. I think that is something that we've seen. that people want to connect with something you said I love so much but it's hard when you realize you're in this job and you're like I don't resonate with this at all right and these are horrible people what do I do but then to have something that you know like inherently is good and can change lives and to be able to pursue that that's not easy were you nervous to take that step Maria or were you like no I know from my experience in startups I'll figure it out Maria [FoXX Health] (16:44) Absolutely. Yeah, because you know, in healthcare, in health, in women's health, every single story is different. In B2B, SaaS, AI, every single story is the same. We want to increase shareholder value and decrease overhead costs. And I can sell that all day, every day, because the script's the same. That's not how it is in a mission driven company. That's not how it is speaking to women. Every single reason why a Leslie Youngblood (16:57) Mm. Mm. Hmm. Mm. Maria [FoXX Health] (17:18) woman resonates with FoXX is an individual story. I've spoken to hundreds of women and I love it. And yes, there's an underlying theme, which is that dismissal, which ultimately is what has driven FoXX to include the features it does and be at the point we're at. But no story is the same. And that is fantastic. And it's also something where sometimes I feel like, wow, I cannot believe these women all decided to share with me. But I also Leslie Youngblood (17:38) Right. Maria [FoXX Health] (17:47) feel like they need someone to listen to them. At what point is women's health more than a period tracker and it's more than you know just another chat GPT. There we have to approach the real issues and by listening to all these women that's how I've been able to do it. Leslie Youngblood (17:51) Mm-hmm. Well... And you're so passionate about this, which is so evident. How has it been, you you mentioned investors in additional partners and insight. How has it been navigating finding the right type of investors because you don't want somebody that doesn't resonate with that mission. And I would love to hear your experience with that. Maria [FoXX Health] (18:22) Yeah, it's been awful. And the reason why is because Miss... Leslie Youngblood (18:25) Ha! Maria [FoXX Health] (18:28) Mission is important, but mission doesn't mean money. what is, you know, fair for investors is that direct to consumer has a low price tag. I don't, know, FoXX isn't something that's going to go and be $50 per person. And how are they going to get the return? They're a business too. So to be fair, when I say awful, it's just because this is a higher risk business model. So that has been our biggest hurdle. Leslie Youngblood (18:33) Mmm. you Yeah. Maria [FoXX Health] (18:57) I have heard a lot of feedback from some really brilliant investors about how launch and show us people want this, show us an uptick in users and uptick in revenue, show us that you're thinking about additional revenue streams and we'll talk. But no one wants to touch it pre-launch. Leslie Youngblood (19:11) I don't know. Wow, that is so, that's just crazy to me. And it also makes sense, right? Like you look at it from investors where they're making a business decision. They're giving you. It's not like we're going out and you're raising seed money and you want $10. it's, know, six figures and up when it comes to like an investment. And so it makes sense that somebody that is going to play the investment game is going to want to see the return. But on the other end, too, it's how much more data can you have right now to show them that this is Maria [FoXX Health] (19:35) Yeah. Leslie Youngblood (19:46) important. But then you can see both sides. But yeah, that sucks. it must be so frustrating. It must be so you know, takes the wind out of your sails. How do you keep going conversation after conversation, Maria, where you hear that type of feedback? And we've had this conversation before where it's like being an entrepreneur is so hard, you know it's going to be hard, but it is so hard. And so I just think this is such a unique experience. that you have to share. Maria [FoXX Health] (20:14) Yes, one of my core mantras that I say to myself is that positivity takes discipline. And I don't think people realize how much, especially when you're in this type of situation. You don't wake up. with, you know, butterflies and rainbows on your mind. You know, this morning I was up at 630 with an issue that had to be addressed, which don't get me wrong, I'm fine with it because I want to be in this position. But it takes a lot of discipline to look at the silver linings and the bright side and see, you know, Leslie Youngblood (20:39) Mm-mm. Mm-hmm. Maria [FoXX Health] (20:51) see a half risen sun and think sunrise not sunset. And it's difficult. And a big thing that I keep hanging on to is the investors who say we want you to launch and they give me feedback. You know, getting it's really interesting because there are specific investors who focus on pre seed. And I have found that to be Leslie Youngblood (20:57) Yeah. Mm-hmm. Maria [FoXX Health] (21:17) wildly untrue. And additionally, a lot of times the investors say, I don't really think there's a big enough market for this to actually be successful, which is really insane to me. But one of the key focuses is they want to see traction. And again, it's business, that's fair, but Leslie Youngblood (21:36) Mmm. Maria [FoXX Health] (21:38) truly at its core, traction just means dollars because we have a wait list of over 500 people. We have an advisory committee with 130 brilliant women on it. 30 of them are doctors in medical field who have built this app. We've gone through a beta. We have 14 brand ambassadors, influencers, and we're standing up a whole new student-led committee to get into younger women and the schools. Leslie Youngblood (21:43) and Right. Yeah. Maria [FoXX Health] (22:07) how is that not traction? That's actually pretty incredible because we haven't launched yet. What are you talking about? And it's hard not to say that when they tell you. It's hard not to be like, what are you, how is this not traction? Because you also, as a founder, have to stay really level-headed and really humble because it has to be, okay, well, thank you so much for this conversation. You can't just be like, at what point? Leslie Youngblood (22:09) Right. Maria [FoXX Health] (22:33) call someone out on their bullshit and be like if you don't want to invest just say that but what what this feedback you're giving me is not feedback because it's not true Leslie Youngblood (22:39) Yeah. Yeah. It's gotta be so difficult What about when it comes to pitch competitions or even grants, Maria, have you gone down like that funding path as well? Maria [FoXX Health] (22:52) So I have applied to over 10 pitch competitions and never gotten one because we haven't been far enough along. We don't have enough traction. That is one of the key areas I've received that feedback. But grants, I actually have someone on our team who originally joined on our committee and I had said something on our last committee call about how we are interested in exploring grants and she reached out and was like, I have done this before. I would love to come on board and just focus Leslie Youngblood (23:05) Yeah. Maria [FoXX Health] (23:21) on grant writing and we, I onboarded her that week and it's like these women want to get involved. They are passionate about what we're doing. So our goal is to apply to at least 10 grants with a total of over $1 million in potential grant opportunities. And I believe at this point we're about a quarter of the way there. She's brilliant and she's fantastic. And I just think that's a testament to the quality of women, the passion of women and the mission driven women. Leslie Youngblood (23:24) Mmm. who. Maria [FoXX Health] (23:51) who are already a part of FoXX. Leslie Youngblood (23:54) Yes, 100%. What about, too, when the users that have been using the app and you have been very thorough with betas, do you have a story from an early user of FoXX that affirmed that you were on the right track or that you also take to these investors and be like, how do you not see the traction for, you know, just like in that regards to Maria? Maria [FoXX Health] (24:14) Yes. So we had 100 beta users and we collected testimonials from those beta users and it's in our pitch deck and it's in the conversation about how users, not only did we receive, we received close to 300 lines of feedback. And when we consolidated them into like, okay, these were repeat or these are kind of the same thing. It was 160 lines of individual pieces of feedback from real women using our app. And we. Implemented and took into consideration every single one of them So that's and FoXX is launching not as like some really early stage. Nothing's functional This is going to be fully functional when it launches and the testimonials are we have not only beta tested But now we've seen the updates and this I can't wait to use it. I'm also gonna have my daughters use it Finally, I'm gonna feel supported. I'm gonna have the resources to talk to my doctor. I can go to the doctor less This is going to be so great Leslie Youngblood (25:06) Mm-hmm. Maria [FoXX Health] (25:12) none of it resonates. Leslie Youngblood (25:14) Hmm, that is just so fascinating. And you know these will be investors that are knocking down your door and kicking themselves. But you know what? It's kind of that fuel to the fire too, right? Well, you're not into this. I'm gonna show you. We're not stopping. This is important and needed and bye. Maria [FoXX Health] (25:30) Yep. Yeah. And it comes down to that. you know, the, being positive, it, takes a lot to not hear that and be like, well, if they're not going to invest in it, why am I doing it? Like they're, must be missing something. They, they must know something I don't. FoXX is not going to work. the negativity seeps in and that's where the discipline comes in. I could let that consume me eat at me. And FoXX could have closed its doors at any time. I could just throw in the towel and. Leslie Youngblood (25:36) Yeah. Mm. Maria [FoXX Health] (25:58) like, well, if no one believes in it the way I do, no one's going to invest in it, then why am I doing it? Am I wrong? And that is where that discipline comes in. It's I'm going to get to launch, we're going to start onboarding users, and I'm going to, I'm going to prove it to myself and to all the women who have joined so far. And there, this is needed and that it has to be true. And I think it is true. Leslie Youngblood (26:24) Yeah, I mean, I obviously totally agree. And one thing that I love so much about even those user feedback stories when we were on a call with everybody is, and you mentioned too, you're launching with a college ⁓ initiative, like with young women in college. But then I also was so blown away too by somebody mentioned can see this as a really important tool for our aging parents or those senior citizens that again, you know, whether you, you know, we're seeing I'm older and I'm seeing like my parents and in law's age, right? And so you see the time is going to have to come where you have to be more in charge of your parents' health than they have been over you over the years. And to have an app that you are confident in and you know what's going on with them and there is that like opportunity for sharing information if you want within there but to not only is it good for the individual but for your collective family the women in your family too as a whole I think is so incredibly poignant and necessary. We have this aging boomer demographic right and and we have technology here that can allow us a really powerful way of helping them advocate for themselves in those years and then for us to understand where they're at and and what they're experiencing as well when you're not there with them day in and day out. And so I just, you all the things that you've covered so much, like it's such a comprehensive app and it's so important and I'm so excited and energized by it. So we talked about how we're ready to launch FoXX. Where do you see it going in like the next five to 10 years, Maria? What is that vision that you have? Maria [FoXX Health] (28:01) Yes, we have a very defined vision at this point where we are actually speaking to lawyers for a technological patent. We see this turning into something that not only women can use, but doctors can use, hospitals can use. We want to change the way health is approached. And I don't mean that you know, in the traditional way where it's I want everyone to eat more vegetables and get 10,000 steps a day. I want people to show up for themselves in their health. I want there to be a very healthy balance between holistic and Western medicine. want people to feel as though they know what's going on in their body. And I'm not just talking about tracking your heartbeat, your workouts and your sleep. What are you putting into your health to look at the big picture? What we like to say at FoXX is one body, one app. I think it's time we start approaching our health that way where we are able to look at how everything in Leslie Youngblood (28:36) Mm-hmm. you Maria [FoXX Health] (29:04) side is correlated. I've seen a lot of stories about endometriosis and about how when it gets later stage it can spread to your brain, to your stomach. Leslie Youngblood (29:10) Mmm. Maria [FoXX Health] (29:15) people are not just, women are not just confined to their uterus. And I want to be able to approach our health as looking at your entire body and how it's all working, because I think we'll be healthier that way. I think that there's an opportunity there to show up and the doctor also to be able to look at your body in a more, you know, one body type of way. I think that we'll be able to be healthier, but also more in control. So a lot of, you know, Leslie Youngblood (29:21) Mm-hmm. Yes. Sure. Maria [FoXX Health] (29:44) from preventative medicine to predictive type of health. That's where I see FoXX going and we're already in the process of making that a reality. Leslie Youngblood (29:54) Yeah, that's so exciting. Tell me a little bit about the health tech community I feel like it's been at the forefront over the past like year there's been, this drive for health tech and I see new health tech companies popping up all the time or that they are hiring and they're posting on LinkedIn and all the things. Have you found a collaborative community within that space specifically with other founders, Maria? Maria [FoXX Health] (30:17) Yes, absolutely. I think that the women of health tech specifically know that women's health has to change and we all lean into each other. We have seven launch partners with specific companies that have verticals within women's health, like gut health, sexual health, heart health. And it's really important because it has to be that full picture. And I feel like the health tech community specifically because we're all rooted in that change. we lean on each other. And it's been really collaborative, really great. I've had some fantastic conversations where even if it's not right now, it's let's stay in touch. I think outside of the founder community, the entrepreneurial community, HealthTech is my favorite community. Leslie Youngblood (30:55) Hmm. Did you ever expect that you would be spearheading this health tech revolution Maria? Maria [FoXX Health] (31:11) No, I did not. When I started FoXX, I was like, this is just going to be an app that I can use. can get some people on. And now that I'm speaking to everyone and we have this vision and there's this opportunity, I'm so excited to be at the forefront. I don't want to change just, you know, certain situations. We're bridging that gap while all these innovations are happening. It's, know, we can't change the system overnight, but we can change how prepared we are to survive it. That's Leslie Youngblood (31:37) Mm. Mmm. Maria [FoXX Health] (31:40) how FoXX is operating. And we're also preparing for when that gap is closed and the innovation is here, we're gonna be right there as well. We're changing health and how we approach it. It's not just going to be hospitals and AI, it needs to be a collaborative approach. There are patients and doctors in every health situation. How are we working together better? And I don't think that's been explored. Leslie Youngblood (31:58) Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think that's so on point. then I also just love we sometimes think anybody that's listening right now that might have a business idea or has started a business and can understand I have a problem. I need a solution. So I'm to come up with a solution for me. And then you realize, oh, shit, other people have this problem, too. And this is really resonating with other people. Maybe I should do something about it. But somebody else must have figured this out or must have done something to solve this problem already and then you realize no and I think that sometimes we may discount our ideas like I have an idea for this because it would solve this problem but I could never do that or that would never work or there might be too much involved with that but to silence that doubting voice in your head, because if you have a problem and you found a way to solve it, there are guaranteed to be other people out there that also are looking for that solution that you've come up with. And especially when it comes to health, which we know is such a broken system in the United States right now. And to dismantle it, always like to say disruption comes from the outside. Right. And like, what can we do to empower ourselves? And it's just, you know, Maria [FoXX Health] (33:17) Right. Leslie Youngblood (33:17) It's I mean, it sounds simple, even though it's not simple not to discount all the complexity that goes into FoXX Health. it can be as simple as being proactive and tracking your health within an all in one tool that really helps you understand and learn about your health. So your doctor can understand and help you and help you be healthier and live longer and better. And then the system won't be as, you know, tax or whatever. You know, I have no idea the complexity of the entire health care system, but it just is such a beautiful thing and it just really starts with you solving a problem for yourself. But what a profound thing because you can truly change the world just with one simple idea like that. Maria [FoXX Health] (33:58) Absolutely, and a key piece of advice I would give to anyone who has an idea and wants to lean into it is explore it outside of your own echo chamber. When I started FoXX Incorporated, that was on the tail end of two years of talking to people. The people around me in my corner were like, my God, yes, that is amazing. I'm so proud of you. Of course they are. And I had some people be like, okay, tell me a little more about it, you know, but then I started saying, okay, well now can I talk to somebody else in your circle who I don't know? And that not only helped me shape it, it also helped me explain Leslie Youngblood (34:09) Hmm. Mm-hmm. Maria [FoXX Health] (34:38) it because I would be like, okay, here's FoXX, and I had my spiel, and they'd be like, I still don't get it. What are you doing? And that helped shape it. And so get outside of talking to just your people and vet it because you have this idea but make sure other people also want it and really lean into that. Once you can say, I've validated this outside of my own circle, then yeah, go full force or or don't do it. Leslie Youngblood (34:54) Thank Mm-hmm. Maria [FoXX Health] (35:06) Y'all. Leslie Youngblood (35:07) love that as fantastic advice. think that is again so important because if you're lucky, you always have those cheerleaders that like, yeah, do it. And then you'll always, always have people are like, I don't get it. And I also love that too, because that means you're doing something different and there's always going to be people that don't get it, but to talk about it. And then that will help you get clarity around the idea and helps put the puzzle pieces together in the right way. So people can really understand that full picture and to, to willingly talk about it. and to openly talk about it, knowing you're going to be challenged on what you're saying too, right? and to not take somebody's confusion as, don't get it, or as you're not doing the right thing. It's you just have to get clear around what it is to be able to describe it better or to get people to understand what it is. And I just think, again, it's like a very, humbling and you feel naked, right? And it's uncomfortable. that's why, you know, we've talked Previously, it's hard to be a founder. It's hard to drive and build something entirely new and you're challenged on it. But when you have that mission and that vision in mind and you see the possibility and you see the good that this can accomplish in the world, that's when you know, yeah, you can get all the no's in the world and you're still going to be doing it anyways. And that's when you know you're truly doing it for the right reason, Maria [FoXX Health] (36:25) And that discipline of positivity is I've received all the nos from all these people, but I've received twice, three times as many yeses from the people who will actually be on FoXX. So it's thinking about those yeses instead of the nos that I'm supposed to care about, the investors, right? Everyone thinks that being a founder means getting funded and you're not legit unless you've been funded. Leslie Youngblood (36:36) Yeah. Maria [FoXX Health] (36:48) FoXX is legit, we're legit. We have close to a thousand people who are ready and roaring to go with FoXX. And so that's what I'm choosing to focus on. Leslie Youngblood (36:55) Mm-hmm. Yes. I love it. That's the important thing to focus on. The money will come, right? you always hear that, the money will come, which is hard. I know it's hard. And it's like, well, what? But the people there that you're making the impact in changing lives. And so that will come. Maria, what would you say to women listening today? What do you want them to know about trusting their instincts when it comes to their health? Maria [FoXX Health] (37:02) Right. Yep. want them to know that trusting your instincts is so important and so is being prepared. I personally believe, you know, to my core that most doctors want to help. They are here to help, be diagnosed, but they also can only do what you present them with. I think preparation is key, logging is key, and that's why FoXX is the right tool to use because we're going to get you in front of that doctor to have that conversation. Leslie Youngblood (37:38) Mm-hmm. Maria [FoXX Health] (37:48) And I just want women to know that help is on the way and you are going to have a better health journey because of FoXX and that we're in this together. Leslie Youngblood (37:49) Mm-hmm. And for everybody listening to Maria, where can they connect with you and FoXX Health? Maria [FoXX Health] (38:06) Definitely LinkedIn. That's where you have the highest chance of talking to me personally. But FoXX is built up of all of the women, all the voices who have made it. We're on Instagram. We're on TikTok, which I never had until I started FoXX. So that's been fun. And we're building from there. go to our website, reach out to me, reach out on socials, follow along. We are changing the way women can approach their health. So just get a hold of us and we'd love to have you on the journey with us. Leslie Youngblood (38:36) fantastic and we will also drop those links in the show notes as well. Maria, thank you so much for being here with us today. What you are doing is so incredibly important. don't have to tell you and as part of the FoXX Health Advisory Board, I'm endlessly impressed by you and the work and the hours that you and the development team have been putting in day in and day out to bring this important critical tool to life is just, you know, it's just an honor to get to watch and to be a part of in any small way. And I can't wait for it to launch and to see more of the lives that you change as FoXX Health moves forward. Maria [FoXX Health] (39:15) Yes, thank you so much for not only being on the committee, inviting me to this platform. I love your podcast. And like I told you, I send out episodes to my team. So thank you. And this was, this was a blast. Leslie Youngblood (39:26) Fantastic. Cheers Maria. Leslie Youngblood (39:30) Thanks for tuning in to Serious Lady Business. If you loved this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you never miss a moment of the real, raw, and really wonderful sides of female entrepreneurship. And hey, please leave a review if you're feeling generous. It helps more amazing women find us and join the conversation. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at at Serious Lady Business and get all of the updates at SeriousLadyBusiness.com. Until next time, keep showing up, keep building, and keep being your seriously amazing self.