She Had Brain Surgery and Built a Condom Brand: Ema Beard on Cleoh, Women's Sexual Health and Starting Over

She had brain surgery. And then she built a condom brand.

In this episode, Jess sits down with Ema Beard, teacher, mum of three, and founder of Cleoh, the New Zealand-born sexual wellness brand putting women at the centre of a category that has largely ignored them for decades. This is one of those conversations that starts in one place and ends somewhere completely unexpected. And is all the better for it.

Ema's path to founding Cleoh began in 2023, during her recovery from brain surgery. She wasn't looking to start a business. She was focused on healing and getting back to her family. And then, scrolling through her phone during a quiet moment, a condom ad appeared. And it felt outdated, tone-deaf, and designed entirely without women in mind. She couldn't stop thinking about it. And Cleoh was born.

She opens up honestly about what recovery from brain surgery actually looked like, the cognitive changes, the fatigue, the identity shift of going from a high-functioning teacher and mum to someone relearning how to be in her own body. And how that experience gave her a clarity about what she wanted to do with her time and energy that she'd never had before.

They go deep into the conversation that Cleoh is trying to normalise. Sexual health as a women's health issue, not just a contraception issue. Ema shares why she became passionate about women understanding their own bodies, the connection between sexual health and overall wellbeing, and why the shame and stigma that still surrounds this category is actively harming women's health outcomes. She talks about what it felt like to walk into a pharmacy and buy condoms before Cleoh existed, and why the experience of purchasing protection should feel as considered and dignified as anything else in a woman's wellness routine.

Cleoh condoms are free from parabens, casein, fragrances, and unnecessary chemicals. Ingredients that most women have never thought to question but that matter enormously when it comes to vaginal health. Ema explains what those ingredients actually do to the body, why the standard options on pharmacy shelves weren't designed with women's physiology in mind, and what she looks for in a product she'd actually feel good about using.

This is a conversation about courage, clarity, women's health, and a brand that is quietly changing the way New Zealand women think about protection.

Thank you Chief for sponsoring this episode! They are products Jess is using daily and are so delish while having fab clean ingredients. Go check out wearechief.com

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Hit play. And maybe add Cleoh to cart while you listen.