From Retail Shelves to Every Bathroom Stall: How Denielle Finkelstein and Thyme Sullivan Pivoted a Period Product Startup
Denielle Finkelstein and Thyme Sullivan are Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Unicorn in Every Stall. Before becoming entrepreneurs, Denielle spent more than 20 years in fashion leadership, including executive roles at Ann Taylor, Coach, Kate Spade, and Talbots, while Thyme built a 27-year career at Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Nestlé. Both were the primary breadwinners for their families when they made the decision to leave corporate life and pursue something entirely new. Their journey began with a Facebook message between two cousins who hadn't seen each other in more than 30 years. What started as a conversation about cleaner period products quickly became a shared mission to build a company together. Although their backgrounds were different, they discovered their skills complemented one another, and within weeks they were working side by side. Throughout the conversation, Denielle and Thyme reflect on what it really means to become a founder later in life. They discuss walking away from successful careers, building a business while raising children, leaning on supportive spouses, and creating a company that reflected the life they wanted to live rather than repeating the burnout they had experienced in corporate leadership. They explain why they committed to putting themselves first, their families second, and the business third—and how that promise helped sustain them through the inevitable highs and lows of startup life. The episode also explores the difficult decisions that shaped their company. They share how listening closely to customers led them to rethink their original business model, why they chose to leave retail behind despite having momentum, and how they navigated fundraising while preserving the flexibility to build the company on their own terms. Rather than chasing certainty, they learned to trust their instincts, embrace change, and give themselves permission to make mistakes along the way. More than anything, this is a conversation about the founder journey. Denielle and Thyme offer an honest look at entrepreneurship as a second chapter—one built on courage, partnership, patience, and the willingness to keep moving forward even when the path isn't obvious. Denielle and Thyme explain: ◼ Why they left successful corporate careers to become founders later in life ◼ How reconnecting after more than 30 years led to an unexpected co-founder partnership ◼ What they learned about building a company while raising families and supporting one another through startup life ◼ Why they believe taking care of yourself first, your family second, and your business third creates a stronger foundation for leadership ◼ How listening to customers gave them the confidence to completely rethink their business ◼ What fundraising taught them about resilience, patience, and finding the right partners ◼ Why having a trusted co-founder helped them navigate uncertainty and make difficult decisions ◼ Their advice for founders on embracing risk, building a strong network, and trusting the journey over the destination
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