The PROPPR recently took out a Good Design Award…
In early 2019 we decided to enter our Tasmanian Oak timber PROPPR in the Australian Good Design Awards. We were confident that we met the entry requirements in terms of design, purpose and sustainability; and in July 2019 we were the recipients of that award which we used to further profile the brand. The Good Design Awards Jury praised the PROPPR commenting; “This is a really neat example of good design making a difference to product. An honest, intuitive and no nonsense design approach has created a unique product that will enhance our health and wellbeing. The Jury applauds the use of certified Australian timbers and toxic-free varnish. Well done.”Did you initially face any difficulties getting the stool to market?
The PROPPR is not the first toilet footstool on the market, so information as to why we should use one is already out there and relatively easy to find. And there is science which supports the use of a footrest in the toilet; it helps to replicate the ‘squat’ position, with the important element being to get your knees higher than your hips. This ‘unkinks’ the colon and removes the ‘S’ bend which is created sitting at 90 degrees on a western pedestal toilet. Placing your feet on a footstool is also very beneficial for any pelvic floor issues. While our bathroom habits are still a bit of a taboo topic, interestingly, once you start talking about it, the conversation opens up quite quickly; usually with jokes and puns thrown into the mix. More and more information on gut and digestive health comes out every day, so it’s a great time to be in the market of healthy bowel habits.
Who or what was integral to you overcoming these hurdles?
PROPPR had previously been on the market before our purchase of the business in 2018, and like a few other products we know such as Modibodi, a toilet footstool is not something that everyone knows they need, so a little education is needed for our product. At the start we approached Zhenya’s other Colon Hydrotherapy colleagues, as they know the importance of using a footstool and are great advocates for it. We also have several naturopaths, pelvic floor physiotherapists, as well as some GP’s and Gastroenterologists who also recommend the PROPPR. We are also featured in the guest suites at the Ovolo Wooloomooloo hotel in Sydney, and will soon be a part of a new hotel opening in Auckland, which has a specific health and wellbeing focus. We have also utilised social media and our own personal networks and contacts, along with our previous experience creating PR opportunities (such as the Good Design Award entry) to help profile the brand. It was with that in mind and nothing to lose, that on a trip to the US in mid-2019, Zhenya packaged the Tasmanian Oak PROPPR in its calico tote bag and wrote a personal note, highlighting the recent Good Design Award, and dropped it off to the buying team at Goop.
You’re both obviously passionate about shining a light on gut health, what led to this?
Zhenya’s journey into gut health was due to her own tummy troubles, and in 2002 she started to discover that overall health begins by healing your gut. She started colon cleansing and discovering what eating right meant for her body personally and then colon therapy became a consistent part of her life from that time. Seeing the differences it made to her overall health, her skin, mind, hair and manner, she wanted to help others in the same way. What really prompted her career as a Colon Hydrotherapist was her father’s colorectal cancer diagnosis in early 2008. (He caught it early and it was treated successfully.) She wanted to be a bigger advocate for gut health knowing that it’s one of the most treatable forms of cancer if caught early. And with a healthy lifestyle, we can reduce the risk of many bowel diseases and issues. Zhenya’s goal in establishing Exhale Wellness Spa was to create a space for people to relax, be nourished and supported through whatever health issues they may be experiencing. She’s deeply passionate about helping people with their gut health, making it easier to get through their day, to think more clearly, and avoid the ‘tummy rumble’ in middle of that important meeting with your colleagues. Now, owning a toilet footstool business, also allows us to help many, many people across the globe. As part of her own health and wellbeing journey, Jacqueline discovered the merits of a toilet foot stool as a client of Zhenya (not to mention remembering her dad advocating this via a herbalist he was seeing over 30 years ago!), and became the owner of a PROPPR herself. She’d followed the principle of ‘squatting’, as advocated by Zhenya, by using a makeshift toilet footstool and with its benefits proven, was attracted to the PROPPR for its simplicity and discreet form. When the PROPPR business opportunity arose through a chance conversation in the clinic, we decided to embark on the journey together, combining our respective business skills and passions to keep it in the marketplace. It’s such a simple and effective solution and while it won’t fix all issues it can go a long way to preventing them and helping in the healing of the gut, for example, following years of pushing and straining in the bathroom.