Malisse Tan
MOM, FOUNDER OF BOBBLE, CANCER SURVIVOR
On World Environment Day 2021, Malisse shares on the importance of being conscious through her company Bobble.
What inspired you to start Bobble?
In 2017, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma cancer when I had just given birth to my first daughter. Going through chemo, I decided to make conscious changes in what I was using at home for myself and the family, from laundry detergents to how we cleaned our meats and vegetables and even our personal care items.
As I started to look into what I was using for my period products, I realised we didn't have an affordable and convenient organic cotton alternative that is safer for the body and also consciously packaged, plastic-free. I ran a survey with over 400 women and did an initial pilot selling BOBBLE period products on my own with little resources for 6 months - we sold out our pads within that time which validated the need and this business. We officially launched BOBBLE 1 year ago and now it is my full time job!
"You never know if you don't ask. It's OK to fail, but fail forward; because mistakes are lessons in disguise."
How does Bobble play a part to help the environment?
We opt for biodegradable and eco-friendly materials - from what is used in the actual pads and tampons (certified organic cotton being one element) all the way to the packaging, where we use FSC-Certified paper and soy-based ink making our packaging fully biodegradable. FSC paper means that it is paper sourced from sustainable forests, where for every tree cut down, a new one is planted in its place. There are still many innovations and opportunities to improve our product range to offer even more eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives, and we are working towards that.
As John Lennon puts it, "everything will be alright in the end. And if it's not alright, it's not the end".
How do you juggle career, motherhood and family?
It's a constant learning curve that I am trying to figure out all the time, especially with the recent birth of my 3 month old son, which changes the dynamics all over again! To help me get through each week with foresight, I try to plan ahead as much as possible, from daily meals, to time blocking where I need to spend time with work, 15 minute exercises and planning activities with my kids and making sure when I can, to spend time with them. Of course, it doesn't always go to plan and I adapt but at least I have a framework to follow and becomes a little less stressful and takes the guesswork out of every day when I wake up!
There are vulnerable days I feel like I'm failing or things aren't working out especially having to juggle so many hats. But as John Lennon puts it, "everything will be alright in the end. And if it's not alright, it's not the end".
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