Connected FM

The Business Case for Accessible Period Care in Facilities

Episode Summary

Claire Coder, founder of Aunt Flow and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, shares why accessible period care is no longer optional in modern facilities and how inclusive restroom design benefits employees, operations and workplace performance.

Episode Notes

In this episode, host Edward Wagoner speaks with Claire Coder, founder of Aunt Flow, IFMA Global Influencer, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, about why accessible period care should be treated as a basic workplace necessity. They discuss how providing period products alongside other restroom essentials can improve employee experience, productivity, and safety, reduce plumbing and maintenance costs and support more inclusive, human-centered facility design across workplaces, schools and public spaces worldwide. 

00:00 Introduction

00:52 Interview with Claire Coder, Aunt Flow Founder

02:26 Claire Coder's Journey and Vision

03:03 The Importance of Talking About Menstruation

06:32 Aunt Flow's Impact and Cost Benefits

14:38 Advocating for Change in Period Care

19:36 Global Policy Changes and Expansion

24:03 Addressing Concerns and Overuse

28:35 Rapid Fire Questions with Claire Coder

34:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Episode Transcription

Claire Coder: [00:00:00] The reality is everyone loves someone who menstruates. If we think about our workforce, about half of our workforce could be menstruating. And so we need to think about how we're creating spaces and places to ensure that our global workforce has access to their basic necessities so that they can get their job done so that they don't have to leave their offices.

Host: Welcome to Connected FM, a podcast connecting you to the latest insights, tools, and resources to help you succeed in facility management. This podcast is brought to you by IFMA, the leading professional association for facility managers. If you are ready to grow your network and advance in your career, go to ifma.org to get started.

In today's episode, host Edward Wagoner speaks with Claire Coder, the founder of Ant Flow ifma global Influencer and Forbes 30 under 30 honoree, [00:01:00] about why accessible period care should be treated as a basic workplace necessity. They discuss how providing period products alongside other restroom essentials can improve employee experience.

Productivity and safety while reducing plumbing and maintenance costs in supporting a more inclusive, Schumann centered facility design across workplaces, schools, and public spaces worldwide. Now, let's get into it.

Edward Wagoner: Claire, welcome to the Connected FM podcast and congratulations on being named a global influencer.

Claire Coder: Who knew that I would be a global influencer talking about menstruation, but it's uh, something to influence.

Edward Wagoner: Hey, you know, I can remember the first time that I met you and I was so afraid to talk to you because of that topic, and so I've actually have grown a lot since that time and become a lot more comfortable on that topic. [00:02:00] Thanks to you. So I'm so excited to tell the world about you and your product.

And speaking of that. You've just been named a global influencer with ifma being one of the world's largest real estate associations. There's tens of thousands of people around the world that are a part of ifma 130 countries influences. Tell what you would like to tell the world's facility managers.

Claire Coder: Oh my goodness. Well, as the audience got I founded a company called Aunt Flow, and we stock 60,000 bathrooms with accessible period care and. What I hope to influence is 10 years from now, we're not talking about why accessible period care matters in the workplace. It's just as ubiquitous as toilet paper soap and paper towels. So today I'm an influencer for this concept of accessible period care, but my hope and dream and plan is 10 years from now, it's just as [00:03:00] ubiquitous as all of these other basic necessities that are in the bathrooms.

Edward Wagoner: Let's talk about that a little bit because as you know, when we first met, I didn't wanna say the word, I didn't wanna talk about it. And so there are people right now that are. Maybe reaching for pauses on their podcast button. Help us understand why it's okay to talk about this, and we should be talking about this.

Claire Coder: Totally. Well, Eddie, you've certainly come a long way and for the folks that are thinking, Nope, this isn't for me. The reality is everyone loves someone who menstruates. And if we think about our workforce, about half of our workforce could be menstruating. And so we need to think about how we're creating spaces and places to ensure that our global workforce has access to their basic necessities so that they can get their job done so that they don't have to leave their offices. And also [00:04:00] from a disposal side, so that our janitors and our custodial team members are safe. When they are cleaning up the used menstrual waste, because the reality is when you're thrown away a period product that is biohazardous material. So from dispensing to disposal, it is a conversation for everyone.

And the more conversations that we can have around accessible period care. The closer that we get to our mission at Aunt Flow, which is making tampons and pads just as accessible as toilet paper, soap and paper towels. So Eddie, I'm so glad that you brought this conversation up and it is really remarkable how just a few years later you are inviting me to this podcast to talk about as something that you didn't even wanna talk about just a few years ago. And that's really. The evolution that we hope to see for the rest of the industry. And that's our goal with Aunt Flow, changing the world one cycle at a time.

Edward Wagoner: I love that. And in full [00:05:00] disclosure, I was very uncomfortable until, as you pointed out, we all know someone, or as I've come to realize, none of us would be here. All time, every human, we're here because that is a biological function that happens. I also as part of this series we've been doing some research on statistics.

Probably won't surprise you to learn, but I was actually surprised that there are actually more women in the workforce, more women in the population, in what we would call first world economies, the US, Western Europe, if you will, than I even realized. And so when we talk about attracting and retaining talent, when we talk about our workforce and amenities for the workforce.

We're actually providing those for more people the majority of people than I think most people would realize. So that's something that changed my mindset. Think something else that changed my mindset and you hit it. We have toilet paper and we have [00:06:00] paper towel dispensers.

And so if you're going to use a cost save argument for not doing this, then why don't we strip those out too and let everybody bring their own. And see how happy people are in the workplace or in, in my instance, sometimes when you gotta go, you don't have time to go look for the briefcase. And so I'm always, I'm sensitive especially about your background story and what caused you to see this need and maybe give us a little bit of information about that because you were pretty young.

You were still in 

Claire Coder: years old when I started this company, Eddie, and gosh, almost a decade later, we are really making. Big waves in the period, care space. And I'd love to share the story of why I had this idea because for folks that don't frequent the women's bathrooms, they might not know the state of the union, right?

They might not understand what we're talking about with freely accessible period care. So, I'll share [00:07:00] my story, which happened in 2016. I was at an event in Columbus, Ohio. I started my period unexpectedly, and there's now research that's been conducted by free the tampons, and the research shows that 86% of women have started their period unexpectedly at work,

and 64% of women have left work to go get supplies. So this is also an HR issue. But this is what happened to me. I started my period unexpectedly. I went to the bathroom. There was a quarter operated dispenser for tampons and pads, and I don't know about you, Eddie, but I sure as heck don't carry quarters because I, no one carries coins anymore. And also I thought if toilet paper and soap are offered at no cost, right, you're not finding a quarter to put it in to get a piece of toilet paper, if those products are at no additional cost to an employee or [00:08:00] to a guest at a stadium. Why aren't tampons and pads, they all respond to natural bodily functions. So this was back in 2016. At the time, there was no policy around accessible period care. There was no legislation. And I really asked why is it this way? And also, by the way, when I'm throwing away my period product, why am I touching a metal bin? With a brown paper bag that doesn't fit. Oh, I'm not doing that by the way. I'm just gonna throw it down the toilet because I don't wanna touch all that. And then I see these signs that say, don't flash feminine hygiene products. And all the facility managers are like, gosh these women, they just keep throwing products down the toilet.

And once again, it's not that we don't know, it's simply we don't wanna touch these nasty metal bins. Like the solutions. The design is not built for people with periods. And so that was really. The start of Aunt flow when I realized, gosh, there has to be a better [00:09:00] way and it doesn't have to be the way that it's always been.

So that's where it started.

Edward Wagoner: Thank you for sharing that story. And as you were talking, I was thinking, you know, some of our guests have talked about we have to stop doing the same thing and expecting different results, and in a lot of ways you've talked about. Out the way bathrooms, restrooms were created generations ago and we're still doing some of the same things but expecting a different result.

Let's talk about though, probably one of the number one constraints is, well, you're not giving those away free. It cost something. People use that cost save. So let's talk about how, 'cause I know you've had a lot of success with people realizing that. Pay a little bit for the Aunt Flow products, but you actually save a lot and you actually get a bigger return on your investment in other ways.

So let's take on that. You know, it costs too much argument that people put up.

Claire Coder: Totally like, gosh, it's, if you're gonna offer it for free, like we, [00:10:00] somebody's gotta pay for it.

Well at a high level, the Aunt Flow solution I'll share a little bit more about the solution that we created. So we have a proprietary tampon and pad dispenser. It's a free ven dispenser. So you press the button, you get a period product.

There's no quarters, there's no credit card swipe. It's just as accessible as toilet paper and soap. You press the button, you get a period product. The products that come out of these machines are Aunt flow products. They're 100% organic cotton, single used plastic free packaging from a certified woman-owned business.

Yay, yay. We also have disposal solutions that are hygienic. They're all touch free and we've been able to demonstrate that they've actually reduced clogged toilets by 90%. So from a cost perspective, implementing the period, care dispensing solutions is less than $4 per female employee [00:11:00] per year. $4 per female employee per year. As we, I mentioned at the top of this podcast, 86% of women have started their period unexpectedly. 64% have left work. And so literally the cost pays for itself with just one person getting their period unexpectedly and needing to leave to go get supplies. And if you think about all of the programs and benefits that your workplace is offering to entice and excite people to come back to their workplace, this is a low cost high impact benefit that your employees will truly appreciate. And then from a disposal perspective, oftentimes our disposal solutions are saving organizations money. Sometimes the cost of unclogging toilets kind of gets hidden in facilities budget, whether that be in a you know, a third party contractor, et cetera.

But if you really start looking at it, and we're doing the cost game. [00:12:00] An organization with 10 toilets might spend one to $5,000 a year UNC clogging toilets or snaking the drain. And our disposal solution is far less than that for a 10 bathroom facility, and so you can save the headache. Prevent those issues in the bathroom by simply adopting and implementing a disposal solution that actually works. So yes, you are purchasing it just like you purchased toilet paper and soap and paper towels and air care, and ping pong and kombucha and lunch and, you know, all these other programs that we offer to our team members. But it is truly transformational and a very low cost, high impact program.

Edward Wagoner: Yeah, and as you were talking about those other amenities, I'm thinking I was actually, as you were rattling 'em off, I'm going, yeah, I don't use that. Yeah. I'm not gonna drink the corporate kombucha and all this other, those are choice amenities. Whereas the one we're talking about here is one that. If you don't have a choice [00:13:00] if you're affected by it.

And so I think that's one difference. I also thought too, so much of facility management that the industry was founded on. Do it better, faster, cheaper. Well, you know, a lot of the outsourcing, but you're talking about sustain. I was writing notes as fast as I could. As you were talking, you're talking sustainability, you're talking cost saves.

You're talking, you know, elimination of a biohazard. You use the stat, 90% of tolet clogs are eliminated. It's satisfaction, it's productivity, it's all of the things that people are looking for in their facility. So instead of starting from a, no, I don't wanna talk about this is an uncomfortable topic.

Well, I'll talk about it, but it costs too much if you listen. It actually makes a lot of sense, and I want to take that and get back over to the global influencers because. Your 18-year-old, you're very [00:14:00] vivacious. I mean, we've laughed. We've actually been told in restaurants that we need to tone it down a little bit, so you know, I know there's no doubt in my mind you have no problem telling your story.

But still, as an 18-year-old, creating something that had not been seen in our industry was not a topic that a lot of people were comfortable talking about in our industry. I want you to talk to the Claire coder that's listening. That's in college. We've got a lot of people in real estate programs that are, that, that watch these episodes to, to learn about what's really going on in the real world, you know, outside of the classroom.

What would you tell somebody and, you know, maybe even a facility manager that's in early in their career and they've got this idea. They're hearing all these No, no nos all around them. What advice would you give them if they've got an ant flow type idea? How do they go from where you were to where you are today?

Claire Coder: Yeah, [00:15:00] well look, Eddie, I mean, I think the best ideas are the ones that just keep hitting you in the face or in my situation, meet me on the toilet. It's the stuff that's overlooked, that's unsexy and. The question that I always ask people when they're thinking about building out their ideas or advocating for something within their organization, is it really doesn't have to be the way it's always been. And one of our biggest challenges at Aunt Flow is when we're working with facilities teams, we understand. There's, you have so many things to worry about, the HVAC issues trying to maintain your lead certification. What's going on? Oh no, there's an ant infestation. There's an issue with lice, right? Like literally like I feel these facility team members, right?

And so how on earth would they ever be able to prioritize period care? It falls off the wayside. It's just [00:16:00] so, you know, it's just like another thing that they have to do. But the challenge is. People who menstruate. We aren't making it a priority because we've been told our entire lives Don't talk about menstruation. It's your own responsibility. We hide tampons up our sleeves when we go to the bathroom so that nobody knows that we're on our period. We've made it such a non-issue that we have not been able to make change within our work. So I really have to hand it to the advocates that we've had at Aunt Flow, that have brought Aunt Flow to their organizations and stood proudly and say, this is really important to me.

Because until we raise our voices and say, this needs to change, guess what? HVAC is always gonna be a bigger priority, or aircare is always gonna be a bigger priority or new urinal cakes with mango flavored scent is always gonna be more of a priority until we say. This should be top of the list and we should be advocating for it.

And so, [00:17:00] my word of advice is ask yourself what is frustrating you? That is the way that it's always been. And does it have to be that way? It probably doesn't. And if you are thinking about advocating for accessible period care, that's what Aunt Flow is built off of. We're proud to stock 28 of the Fortune 500 companies.

We stock 150 universities. We stock all 50 states in three countries. We stock 7,000 schools. 2 million girls rely on Aunt Flow period products in their school bathrooms. Now, and this has all happened because of advocates. It's the student that says, I wanna do this for my Gold Award in Girl Scouts. It's the student government that says, I want this at Kansas State University. It's the real estate manager at Wells Fargo and the the southeast that says this should really be a program that we offer across all of our standard or all of our Wells Fargo corporate offices. That's how it gets [00:18:00] started. And that's really how change can be made.

Edward Wagoner: Love that. And that's such great advice. You didn't say that. People aren't gonna tell you. No. You said stand up and make your voice heard and start advocating for that change. I think that is so critical. Let's talk about advocating for change, because you just mentioned a lot of colleges and universities and, you know, high schools are putting the product in.

A lot of that, you know, if I go back to when we first met, that would probably have been like a bit of a pipe dream. But I think you've seen some policy changes. You're seeing local and state governments that are starting to say, no, this is the right thing to do. Let's put these in. Can you talk a little bit about, you know, especially for people who may be.

Listening to us and thinking this is a good thing to do, but maybe they're worried about taking a risk in their own organizations or you know, they're working in colleges, universities, government, and they're thinking, you know, how do I broach this topic? Topic's already been broached at a lot of high levels and it's bipartisan, and [00:19:00] you're starting to see a lot of policy changes.

So talk to us a little bit about that.

Host: IFMA's Knowledge Library is the largest digital collection of quality content specific to the built environment, featuring hundreds of articles, case studies, research reports, videos, and templates. It has helped thousands of facility management professionals learn and leverage FM best practices. It's also 100% free to IFMA members.

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Claire Coder: Totally. So when I started Aunt Flow back in 2016, there was no policy around accessible period care, not really anywhere in the world. And I'm proud to say that today, 28 states in the US have passed policy requiring schools. To offer freely accessible period. Care Canada has a [00:20:00] federal labor code requiring federally regulated employers to offer free period products in bathrooms. We have Spain implementing menstrual equity leave. We have the uk which has government allocated dollars for schools to implement free period care. We have countries all across Europe who have adopted a variety of different. Types of menstrual equity policy, and what this means is it's not going anywhere.

We are just getting started. And what this looks like from an industry perspective is this nascent industry that nobody thought was a market is now a $2 billion category in the US and Canada. $2 billion of commercial accessible period care. And that's that those metrics and numbers are based on some reports that some of our real estate investors and advisors have put together. And what's really exciting is there's so much more so in the [00:21:00] United States, the menstrual Equity for All Act was recently introduced that would require employers, over 100 employees to offer free period product. Ann Arbor actually passed policy. They were the first city in the US requiring all bathrooms outside of the home to offer free period care. These policies. Emulate a DA policies. They emulate the Pump Act policy, which required lactation spaces for nursing parents. This isn't novel and creative and wild and new. These are policies that have been implemented in our places and spaces in the past. And as you mentioned, Eddie, what's really exciting is it. Supported across the aisle. Once again, everybody loves someone who menstruates, and it can be a really powerful program, even in organizations and locations and spaces where it's not yet required to get ahead of that policy.

Edward Wagoner: I love that, and I'm sitting here thinking about all of the states. And the countries that have paved [00:22:00] the way you mentioned Aunt Flow in three countries right now, but IFMA has members in 130 countries. So if someone is hearing this and wants to advocate in their workplace, in their country. Are you looking to expand globally?

Where should they get more information? Are there companies in other countries that are maybe doing what you're doing? How would you advise people that maybe are advocating, jumping on the advocacy wagon like you have, but Aunt Flow's not there where they are yet. What can they do? What should they be thinking about?

Claire Coder: I love it. So if you're in the us, Canada, or the uk, ant flow is here for you. We have tons of advocacy resources on our website to learn how to write an email. To your superintendent or to your alma mater or to your head of facilities or head of hr, we have all those resources available. If you are outside of those countries, there are incredible period care companies within your [00:23:00] country that certainly can support in implementing a period care solution. We have supported, global distribution for a few large companies that you might be familiar with, that might have made the computer that you're listening in on or the phone that you're listening in on. We've done those kinds of programs globally as well. So, feel free to reach out to us and we can either get you to the right local provider for period care, or we can be that partner for you depending on the region.

Edward Wagoner: And I'm glad you answered that the way that you did because you know, for so, so many of our things, we'll talk and people will say you're giving it just a very us focus. And for this one we did start out us, but this is, you know, people all over the world. Deal with what we're talking about. They need the support like we're talking about, and they're looking for that in their workplace, or to have the productivity and the resources that they need when they need it, versus having to scramble or leave the workplace like you [00:24:00] mentioned earlier,

Claire Coder: Yeah. You know, Eddie, one thing that some folks that are listening might be thinking is, well, gosh, Claire, if these period products are free, everybody's just gonna steal them and list them on the tampon black market. And I think it's important to address this because this is a concern that we hear every time when we start talking about implementing a period care program, whether it be in a fulfillment center for employees all the way to a dance studio, and there's three realities. The first reality is that just like any program that an organization launches. During the first three months, there's higher utilization and it's kind of like bagels in the break room, right? If you start off, if you offer bagels in the break room only one day and one day only, it's like nobody's ever had a bagel before and they're like, oh my gosh, I gotta have all these bagels. But once the bagels are [00:25:00] in the break room for three months, people are like, okay, I don't need to hoard the bagels. I know that they're here. I can count on the availability. And the same thing happens for period care. The second truth is the, there are people that might take a few extra period products, and those are the same people that are probably at a restaurant and they're like, you know what, I'm gonna take a fat stack of napkins, put 'em on my table.

I'm kind of sloppy when I eat. Oh, and maybe I will take some of those napkins to put in my car when, you know, I might need a napkin in the future because sometimes we might need a napkin in the future. Then the third reality is that Aunt Flow dispensers are designed for creating an economical period care program. And we do that in a few different ways. The first way that we've designed our dispensers is it's inherently a dispenser. It's very similar to like Halloween candy. If you just put a basket of candy out, everybody will like [00:26:00] pour the basket of candy into their pillowcase and run away where the Aunt Flow dispenser.

Similarly, if you're just handing out one piece of candy at a time, it is crazy how long the Halloween candy lasts. Very similar. When you place products in the Aunt Flow dispenser solution, the utilization is reduced. Secondarily, the Aunt Flow dispenser is designed to reduce over usage, and we do that in two ways.

The first way is we actually have a small mechanical delay in our dispenser, so you actually have to remove a period product before you can get the next one. And then also there's a small sound with our dispenser, and we know that when there's a small sound, it actually reduces people's appetite to take more than they need because it goes kach chunk, and you don't wanna be hard just to stand on there going ka chunk, you know? And so those are some of the ways that, we think about the concept of overuse and really just want to put that concern or objection to bed because that's the [00:27:00] reality. And when I quote the numbers of less than $4 per female student per year, that's accounts, or excuse me, $4 per employee per year, less than $5 per student per year. Those numbers account for that utilization, that is all factored in. So that's the reality.

Edward Wagoner: I love that, and I'm never gonna think about Halloween candy the same way again after that illustration that you just used.

Claire Coder: Oh yes. Too funny.

Edward Wagoner: It's we mentioned in your introduction, and I'm not gonna do the age thing here, but were recognized by Forbes as a 30, under 30. So that's a pretty significant accomplishment. You're a, the fellow and so for people who are listening to all of the innovations and the fact that an 18-year-old came up with this idea.

In some ways attacked the old stodgy real estate industry with something that was. Very uncomfortable for a lot of us to first talk about [00:28:00] and then to see the success. I think that points to why you've been named a global influencer, but also an example to other people that are early in their careers that your ideas do make a difference.

They can make a difference. And there's another Claire coder out there listening right now that has an idea that could revolutionize facilities management. If not the building that they're in. And I think that's something pretty worthy for discussion. So thank you for sharing that that story and being that example.

I'm gonna ask you to share a couple of other things though.

Claire Coder: Okay.

Edward Wagoner: If Ifma likes for me to ask rapid fire questions. So this is it's almost like a Indy Cohen show, you know, where we ask questions and you can pass if you choose. We're not gonna make you take a shot of tequila if you pass, although that would make for an interesting podcast episode.

But if you're game,

Claire Coder: I'm so game.

Edward Wagoner: Alright, let's see if you say that after some of these questions. now know Claire as the [00:29:00] founder and CEO of Ant Flow, but what was her very first job?

Claire Coder: Ooh, first job I was a princess for parties. I dressed up as Anna from the Frozen movie, but you know, for copyright purposes, I dressed up as Anna as an ice sister and I would go to little kids' birthday parties when I was like 15 and dance and sing songs for the birthday parties. So that was my very first job.

After that, I was an umpire for Little League, and after that I worked for Ohio State University call Center, asking people for money. That was a recent graduate. So if you really wanna learn how to be told no, constantly get a job at your local university call center and ask recent alumni for more money that is really what flexed all of my ability to keep hearing no.

And continue to keep going.

Edward Wagoner: I love that. That's great. But I also love that you [00:30:00] started this out with, I was a princess.

Claire Coder: Yes. Yes. And one day another dream that I have is that there will be a princess with a period. 

Edward Wagoner: Next question. Being a global influencer means you are constantly learning. What's something you're learning right now professionally or personally?

Claire Coder: Ooh, okay. This one's really fun. So I'm currently spending time in New York City. In New York City, there's a place called the Tiny Dollhouse Shop in the Upper East Side, and the person that owns this shop creates beautiful dollhouses. And when I was visiting the Tiny Dollhouse shop, there's all these artisans who have created little tiny objects, little tiny beds, and little tiny hats.

And there was also a bathroom scene. There were little tiny toothbrushes and little tiny hairbrushes. But Eddie, you know what they were missing? Little

tiny tampon boxes. [00:31:00] I have been learning how to make miniatures specifically little tiny tampon boxes. And I have some right over there. They're the sides.

And scale of the tip of a Q-tip, that's what I've been learning recently.

Edward Wagoner: Oh my goodness. So coming to a Barbie's fun house near you at Christmas.

Claire Coder: The Aunt Flow, tiny temp on boxes.

Edward Wagoner: I love it. I love it. That means Barbie, and she'll have Ken as her boyfriend, but now she needs a flow, bro.

Claire Coder: Yes.

And Eddie, I don't think we discussed this, but we call our guys that support Aunt Flow Bros. Eddie, you're obviously basically the chairman of the Flow bros. And hopefully the folks that are listening today, they're also like, yeah, I'm a flow bro.

Edward Wagoner: I love that. Next question has probably never been as challenging in, in our industry as it is right now. What motivates you to come to work every day, aside from the fact that you're the boss and it's your company, but.

Claire Coder: Yeah. [00:32:00] We're in a really special moment with Ant Flow. We, as I mentioned, we stock over 60,000 bathrooms with period products ranging from Chicago Hare Airport to Fairbanks, Alaska Airport from Kansas City Chiefs to Columbus Crew Soccer. And every single day I get a text message or see on social media that somebody found Aunt Flow in the wild. That's like the most exciting component of my life of see seeing people experience the solutions in their school bathrooms, in their facility bathrooms. The messages that we receive that, 

you know, 

Aunt Flow saved the day, or I didn't have to leave my interview because my prospective new employer had Aunt Flow products in the bathrooms.

Like those are. Those are the messages that I now get on a daily basis that really [00:33:00] continue to inspire me.

Edward Wagoner: And I've seen people actually share their personal messages on LinkedIn and to. Tag and flow, and I've seen stories like that. So it's gotta be, as you were answering that, I thought how wonderful it must be to a problem you experienced with, you know, an emergency situation with no product.

You created a solution for a solution that you wished you had back then. And now strangers are reaching out to tell you, you saved my interview, you saved my day, you saved me potential embarrassment. You gave me something, you know, that I needed when I needed it. And so I think that's pretty incredible.

Claire Coder: Yeah,

Edward Wagoner: so for anyone that, that feels uncomfortable, you know. It's not just this topic, but any topic around change or a challenge to the way that we've always done something can be challenging. I don't think this topic is any different when we look at it through the lens [00:34:00] that, that you mentioned.

It actually is an enhancement to the benefits for people in the workplace. It can help us with productivity. it costs a little something to put it in, but there's big saves from dealing with biohazard, big savings from plumbing cost. There are so many potential benefits to thinking differently and just having that conversation.

And so I think that's one takeaway that I'm taking from this as a global influencer, as sometimes you just have to have a conversation that may feel uncomfortable, but that's the way you change the workplace, and that's the way you change the world. Claire, I am just so excited to reconnect and to do this with you.

And again, can't be too long before we're in person causing havoc in some restaurant somewhere. But thank you so much for taking time, and congratulations on being named an IFMA Global influencer.

Claire Coder: Woohoo. Right back at you, Eddie. Thank you.

Edward Wagoner: Thank you.

Host: [00:35:00] Thanks for tuning into the Connected FM podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show because it really helps us reach more listeners just like you. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss an episode. See you next time.