# Founder Feature: Building a Women's Health Beverage Brand and Landing Nationwide Sprouts Distribution in Months with Anastasia Sartan of The Cycle

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2026-06-26
- Length: 32m
- Episode: 329
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-06-26-founder-feature-building-a-womens-health-beverage-brand-and-landing-nationwide-s
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/388ea3a7

## Summary

Anastasia Sartan, founder of The Cycle, explains how her personal struggle with PMDD and data science background led her to formulate functional beverages using sea buckthorn and organic liquid herbal extracts. She details the rapid scaling from a kitchen hobby to securing nationwide distribution at Sprouts within three months of launch, highlighting the critical role of ingredient efficacy and branding in winning over buyers. Sartan also discusses the operational challenges of national retail, including managing supply chain logistics with Kehim and balancing paid marketing spend against organic velocity.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Anastasia Sartan and The Cycle
2. Origin Story: PMDD and Sea Buckthorn Research
3. Formulation Strategy: Organic Liquid Extracts and Cycle-Specific Blends
4. Landing Sprouts: Ingredient Efficacy and Brand Readiness
5. Retail Launch Operations: Kehim, Supply Chain, and Marketing Economics
6. Brand Positioning: Social Media, Gen Z Appeal, and Future Growth

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- The Cycle (product)
- Sprouts (company)
- Sea Buckthorn (material)
- Snapchat (company)
- Startup CPG (company)
- Kehim (company)
- PubMed (other)
- Instacart (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Health-Ade Kombucha: Daina Trout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-09-28-health-ade-kombucha-daina-trout) (How I Built This)
- [Guayakí Yerba Mate: David Karr and Chris Mann](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-11-28-guayaki-yerba-mate-david-karr-and-chris-mann) (How I Built This)
- [How I Built Resilience: Kara Goldin of Hint](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-04-01-how-i-built-resilience-kara-goldin-of-hint) (How I Built This)
- [What It Really Takes To Build a Food Business: Part 2](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-10-25-what-it-really-takes-to-build-a-food-business-part-2) (How I Built This)
- [Poppi: Allison and Stephen Ellsworth.  From Farmers Market Vinegar Drink to $2B Soda Sensation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-09-22-poppi-allison-and-stephen-ellsworth-from-farmers-market-vinegar-drink-to-2b-soda) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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