A Chronic Entrepreneur: Tara Langdale
It took Tara Langdale four years of speaking to her doctors about her condition, managing the pain and stress, until she eventually gave herself her own diagnosis – vulvodynia. Vulvodynia refers to vulvar pain, which is chronic pain experienced by women in the vulva and around that area. It’s often associated with severe pain during sex and while there is no medical cure, there have been advancements and inventions created to help manage the condition. Tara herself is one of the innovators who founded Vu Vatech – which designs and sells vaginal dilators to allow for comfortable sexual intercourse. Tara shared her story with vulvodynia and how she’s using her experience to educate and change the experiences of others.
What’s your Chronic?
Vulvodynia.
Where/when were you diagnosed?
Sept 25th, 2013. I diagnosed myself after four years of the doctor not knowing the name. When I told him he agreed with me after researching it further.
What does being an entrepreneur mean to you?
My definition might be a little different to others. For me, being an entrepreneur means dedicating my life to finding solutions for women who suffer from the chronic pain of pelvic conditions. Day and night I will work to create awareness and help women.
What came first, the chronic or the entrepreneurism?
I have always been an entrepreneur, supporting myself with side businesses year after year. My VuVa Dilator business came after my chronic pelvic pain as a device invented for myself. It worked so well I knew I had to start a company to help others.
How did this path come to you?
I had a lightbulb moment after reading Fibromyalgia and Vulvodynia in the same sentence. My mother had used Neodymium Magnets to help with her nerve pain, so I thought, I’m going to try this, only inside of vaginal dilators.
Did you go through any sort of 12-stages of grief with the diagnosis or take it in its stride? How did the process manifest itself? Did you immediately reassess your life?
I was okay with it, everyone has something they can be upset about. I choose to be happy.
Did you seek out or join organisations representing your chronic for support or did you find comfort and answers elsewhere? What would you recommend in hindsight?
Four years ago, you couldn’t find much about the subject. I literally made a product that gave me my sex life back, so I then set out on a mission to help others.
How have you changed, if at all, in your relationships, decisions and values?
Like I said earlier, most everyone has some sort of medical condition they are unhappy about. Just because of the location of these pelvic pain conditions, people become very depressed. You have to stay positive or else this condition can ruin relationships and lead to awful feelings. I try to coach others and help them find great pelvic pain specialists. Not only do we sell dilators, we are a resource centre.
What is your life philosophy and has this changed?
It hasn’t changed. I have always been very dedicated to helping others in all ways.
What do you wish you’d known before?
That there are actual Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists. Most of them actually use dilators on a regular basis. Everyone should try pelvic floor therapy before considering surgery for painful intercourse.
Are you on any treatments? Why/why not?
All I use is our VuVa Neodymium Vaginal Dilators. They are safe and very effective for me. I use them right before intercourse and it relaxes muscles, so intercourse is less painful.
What advice do you have for others starting out on this journey?
Stick to it. It will be hard. For three years I didn’t receive a pay check. It wasn’t about the money. Do something you are passionate about.
What is a ‘bad day’ for you?
I try not to say. I like having great days.
What do you do on a ‘bad day’?
If I do have an off day, shopping and sweets, of course!
How do you deal with stress?
I like to work out and help others with their projects.
What do you struggle with the most?
The biggest challenge that we had to overcome was the ability to market our product. Due to the fact that we offer a neodymium pelvic dilator that helps with painful intercourse, we are prohibited from marketing on Facebook and Instagram along with many other platforms. We are even banned from running ads with the word ‘menopause’ in them. We really rely on word of mouth and our organic content on our blog. Our customers post about our product in women’s pelvic pain forums which sends us a lot of organic traffic.
What are you most proud of?
That VuVa has helped over 7,000 women. It has given them their sex life back and even has helped expand families.
Who are your back up dancers?
Robert Smithson is my business partner and the most amazing one at that. He had no idea what he was getting into but he trusted me. He is an inventor, so I asked him to help me.
Best bits of being a Chronic Entrepreneur?
Helping other people in pain. When I get an email with a great review it makes my week!
Worst bits of being a Chronic Entrepreneur?
I love it. It’s in my blood. I don’t even feel like it’s work.
Are you a 5-year planner or are you winging it?
You can’t predict the future. Work hard every day – that’s my motto. Expand every day in different ways.
Dream weekend plans and have these changed?
I love getting away on the weekend with my husband and trying out new restaurants. They haven’t changed much.
Ultimate dinner party guests?
Gary Vanerchuk and Lori Greiner.
What advice would you give your younger self?
You didn’t need to go to college. I wasted money on classes that I will never use.
What’s next?
Helping millions of women all across the globe. We are expanding distribution into Canada and the UK. We do sell worldwide now right from our website.
How can people find you?
PelvicPainHelp on Instagram.
Pelvic Pain Help on Facebook.
@PelvicPainPro on Twitter.
Let us know what you think below and share your story with us on Instagram tagging @achronicentrepreneur and using the hashtag #achronicentrepreneur.
