This Founder Had an “Aha Moment,” Quit Her Dream Job & Disrupted a $70 Billion Industry with Laura Modi, Co-Founder of Bobbie

Laura Modi is the co-founder and CEO of Bobbie, the first
woman-owned organic infant formula brand in the U.S.


Before starting Bobbie, Laura spent over a decade at Google and
Airbnb, earning a reputation for taking risks and thinking big.
Growing up in Ireland, entrepreneurship surrounded her, but
becoming a mom sparked her passion. Struggling to find a formula
she trusted for her daughter, Laura saw a gap in the U.S. market.
While pregnant with her second child, she left her tech career to
launch Bobbie, the first FDA-approved organic, European-style
infant formula in the U.S. Since its January 2021 launch, Bobbie
has nourished over 4.5% of U.S. babies and is set to serve even
more in the years ahead.


In this episode, Laura shares her journey from growing up in an
entrepreneurial family in Dublin to working at Google, joining
Airbnb in its early days, and eventually moving to the U.S. She
discusses lessons learned from working with Airbnb CEO Brian
Chesky, finding the courage to bet on herself, and how motherhood
inspired her to create Bobbie. Laura also addresses the stigma
around formula feeding in the U.S. and the emotional challenges
many mothers face when feeding doesn’t go as planned.


We discuss the challenges of launching a product in a highly
regulated industry, including navigating FDA roadblocks,
rebounding after their pilot launch was shut down, and
fundraising while visibly pregnant. She shares the value of
vulnerability in leadership, the discipline required to succeed
as an entrepreneur, and the importance of continuous learning as
a CEO. She also discusses the misconceptions about
entrepreneurship, the need for innovation in stagnant industries,
the power of community and support systems in navigating the ups
and downs of business, and so much more.


In this episode, we’ll talk to Laura about:


* Entrepreneurial upbringing shaped Laura's mindset. [03:29]


* Transitioning from Google to Airbnb. [08:20]


* Success requires betting on yourself. [11:27]


* How motherhood reshaped Laura's career. [18:13]


* Feeding challenges can be emotionally taxing for new mothers.
[22:52]


* Formula feeding stigma in the U.S. [27:24]


* Bobbie’s early beginnings. [29:20]


* The inspiration behind Bobbie. [31:37]


* Launching a pilot program and biggest learnings. [35:00]


* Resilience drives success amid challenges. [39:52]


* Fundraising while pregnant. [42:40]


* Education is vital for marketing Bobbie. [45:54]


* The importance of curiosity as a CEO. [47:24]


* Designing the world you want. [53:43]


* Misconceptions about entrepreneurship. [55:02]


This episode is brought to you by Beeya:


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Follow Yasmin:


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri


* Website: https://www.behindherempire.com


Follow Laura: 


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraclairemodi


* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbie


* Website: https://www.hibobbie.com/


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