Meet Tawana Antoinette | Multitalented Innovator

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

Hi Tawana, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started Twistie On the Go from my own horrifying experiences surrounding menstruation. There were so many downsides of using pads and tampons that I was ecstatic to find a healthier alternative – menstrual cups. For me, the first time using a menstrual cup was a life altering experience. I no longer had to deal with leaking, changing pads/tampons every 3 hours, diaper booty discomfort and all the other downsides of using disposable period care. I was amazed by the ease and the efficiency, so I decided to create a business that would increase this level of access for all women. You see, I was born and raised in the Caribbean so I am Jamaican by birth and when I lived in the country, menstrual cups were not easily accessible to women. The stores didn’t sell them and it was too expensive to ship them into the islands locally. My personal mission and the mission of Twistie On the Go was to immediately change that so women in the Caribbean region have knowledge and access to this form of period care, even if they don’t choose to use it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
If you’re familiar with Human Design, I am what they call a ‘Manifesting Generator’. That means my energy moves quickly and I have the ability to focus on multiple things in this lifetime. Like many other MGs, my path will be beautifully unique to me and I hold multiple talents.

First and foremost, I am a psychology graduate with a focus in Human Resources/People Operations. I’ve worked in the HR world for over 6 years, which has been a great experience but I had more dreams. So in 2017, along with my day job, I started my sustainable period care business, Twistie On the Go. I tirelessly worked on both for years, which is a balancing act I am still mastering but personally, I think life is about getting all of your potential out of you so you don’t die with it inside. What I’ve realized about myself is that I’m a big believer in innovation and enhancing the human experience. Twistie On the Go, much like HR, focuses on people and simply put – how to make their life better. It was also easier to make a transition to entreprenuership with the structure I learned so much about in my corporate job.

I don’t want to gloss over the challenges of owning a business, and in my case, juggling a career as well but for every problem I’ve faced, there has always been a solution if I wanted it badly enough. The biggest challenge I’ve faced to date as an innovator is that it takes time for the general public to accept and find value in your innovations. As human beings, it’s natural for us to resist change and I see this pattern in consumerism too. It’s not easy to be an innovator or entrepreneur and that’s a reality I am very forthcoming with but in my case – if I didn’t create Twistie On the Go, who would have? To me, the easiest path is not always the best path and this business has already improved so many lives just because I was willing to do the hard thing.

Twistie On the Go won’t be the last thing I do but I am proud of what I’ve accomplished so far. Menstrual cups are safer for the body, safer for the environment, more cost effective for the consumer and more comfortable to wear. Bringing this option to the Caribbean has been a dream of mine and we are now in multiple islands – Jamaica, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda etc. The aim is to continue to make this option more accessible to women who want to use it and to educate about the long-term global impact of using sustainable period care on our environment.

I don’t intend to have any regrets when I’m done with this life so I want to live it fully and I encourage everyone to continue to reach, make discoveries, dream new dreams, try and fail – so that you don’t leave with any of your potential still inside of you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
To be quite honest, all of my friends know that I’m a bit of a hermit but here are a few spots I like to visit on occasion:

– Crepes at Melange Creperie
– Coffee at The Cuppo Coffee & Tea
– Hiking/Biking at the Terry Hershey Trail
– Sushi at Izakaya Hi
– Dinner at Fig & Olive

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to thank my mom, who has always been my number 1 supporter. She is the first person who gave me the confidence to trust my own creative genius and there has been no dream too big for her to support. Having that as a child really uplifts you more than you know.

Website: https://www.twistieonthego.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tawana-j-682333135/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tawanantoinette

Image Credits
Twistie On the Go