We wanted to promise free shipping, free exchanges, and returns for our domestic customers. It was kind of the standard for every direct-to-consumer company at that time, but it was incredibly difficult to offer that same thing for women outside the country. We had to find the right carriers that would ship our products to any part of the world. The largest number of orders probably goes to Canada, which is right across the border, but we also get orders from South Africa and Oceania—basically Australia and New Zealand. Many women will pay more than sixty dollars for shipping to get a pair of Xenas shipped to New Zealand or Australia. We decided to onboard a partner who launched Xena Oceania to serve customers there. She’s wonderful, and that was kind of an unexpected opportunity that came along.

My honest advice is to make sure you completely cover the opportunity in your country first. Then ask yourself: does it make sense to keep expanding and spending more money on marketing and advertising and sales inside the country, or is there lower hanging fruit in expanding your existing product or service internationally? If so, find the right tools and people who can help you make that happen.

Last year, after building Xena for six years, I had my first child, a son. It has been an interesting challenge to build a company and take care of a baby at the same time, but I have been able to find the perfect balance. To spend a lot of time with my son, I reduced my hours and worked on the most impactful projects that really moved the needle. I’m enjoying both journeys and encourage women to find the perfect schedule that works for them and their children.

Some people find their passion by thinking about what is fun and what brings them joy. The other way to find your passion is to think about what frustrates you in the world and decide to take action. I find my drive and passion using the second approach. I’m very excited that I can make a tiny difference for women in STEM and the trades.