Spending made simple. No waiting. No delays. With the Square Debit Mastercard, you can access your money as soon as you make a sale—no transfer delays, no fees. Turn sales into purchases, payroll, or whatever your business needs instantly. Get your free debit card today.
Block, Inc. is a financial services platform and not an FDIC-insured bank. Square Debit Card is issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard.
On Wednesdays, we wear pink spotlight Retail Brew’s readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.
Katie Diasti is founder and CEO of period care brand Viv for Your V.
How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? Viv is a sustainable and toxin-free period care brand with a line of biodegradable and reusable products. We sell online as well as in retail stores. Our brand is providing a truly safe, clean alternative in a category that has lacked a lot of innovation and life on shelf. Viv is spicing up the once very sterile and boring period care aisle with an education-first strategy that makes period care more approachable.
One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? When you reach out to customer support, oftentimes you’re talking to me! I like to stay close to every element of our consumer experience from doing in-store demos myself sometimes, keeping track of customer support, and using reviews to help understand iterations our products need.
What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? Launching Viv in Whole Foods nationwide! We’re lucky to have built an amazing community online through our education-first approach on socials. Ninety percent of consumers shop in physical retail for their period products, so this expansion has the opportunity to transform behavior towards sustainable care. Our partnership with Whole Foods allows us to make a positive difference in an industry that creates more than 200,000 tons of waste by reaching customers where they are in their shopping journey with approachable, sustainable options.
Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? Consumers love feeling like they are a part of the brand—and we love pulling them in behind the scenes. It’s been exciting to see the feedback from our audience who have wanted to hear about the journeys of how brands get to where they are today, and even more inspiring to see the brands who pull back the curtain and show them how it’s done! Additionally, consumers are turning to brands for education. At Viv, we’ve taught over 5 million people how to insert a tampon on TikTok, and now when those consumers go to the aisle they think of the brand that taught them about their period. It’s an exciting time to be in retail, as brands have the power to stand for more than the product they create, but drive a real mission forward.
What’s your go-to coffee order? Iced almond milk latte with honey.
Worst piece of advice you’ve received? The worst piece of advice I ever received was to delay launching until I felt completely “ready” and had done “enough” market research. Had I listened, Viv would still be just an idea. When I was getting started, someone told me I wasn’t ready to launch my brand and that I needed more market research first. But the truth is, you’re never going to feel 100% ready, and your product is never going to be perfect right away. The best research doesn’t happen before you launch—it happens when you get your product into customers’ hands and receive real feedback from your community. Starting Viv taught me that you learn by doing. Some of our most successful products, like our cup and disc starter kits, came directly from listening to what our customers needed after we launched. If you wait until everything feels perfect, you’ll be waiting forever.
What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? At 15, Clinique moisturizer or my pink zebra print hair straightener. Now, a cold Cherry Limeade Poppi and Youth to the People moisturizer.