From Near-Death to Breakthrough: Helen Denise's Founder Story

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0:41Founders Forum is a radio show and podcast where entrepreneurs share their journeys, reveal the stories behind their successes, and the lessons they've learned. Join Mark and his guests for a mix of inspiration, valuable insights, and a bit of fun. Now let's dive in. Good morning, America. How are you? It is a lot going on in Philadelphia. It's a beautiful sunny day. We just had a World Cup game here the other day. We have a lot going on for the semi-quincentennial in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the nation. And my guest today is Helen. Good morning, Helen. How are you? Good morning, Mark. and Helen well we have a little topic we're going to discuss and I'll tell you a lot more about Helen but the topic that I want to discuss today is ambivalence because I've had a couple run-ins with ambivalence this week and it made me think about that term and it made me think what the effects of when people are ambivalent about something and also when I'm ambivalent about something and the impact it has on other people which I hadn't thought about that much before so you know it's an opportunity for growth which i always look for so first i'm going to define ambivalence for you helen and i'm going to ask you about it ambivalence is a psychological state of having simultaneous conflicting feelings thoughts or attitudes towards a person object or idea it is not apathy or indifference which is sometimes what i think it is but it's not but rather the experience of being strongly pulled in opposing directions, such as feeling both love and frustration towards someone or excitement about a new opportunity, yet a conflict that gets in the way of that.

2:26So my question for you is, have you experienced ambivalence and in what way? Yeah, I did. Actually, I did when somebody did it taught me. You know, when, for example, my business, I was raising capital and it was commitment for one person for their funds and i made the plan and i made my my commitments and the last moment the person walked away and just sorry you know so this is for me when some person was not sure if he wants or not to do but i trust person and i knew person very well that's why this was a case but i also had later understood sometime you know we're not all perfect that's why I remember when I promised in the last moment, I just found that some commitment for myself was very important.

3:21And I apologize. It's mean I was in both situation, but also I tried to forgive myself because it's also important to let it go. So you saw that you had some ambivalence, conflicting things going on. And you understood later that this investor, your friend probably had the same thing. Yep. Yeah. So I've experienced a couple times where I've been, you know, where I've received the results of ambivalence and it caused a lot of disruption for me and for others when other people exhibited ambivalence. But same thing, I kind of recognized that I'm sure I've done that myself and it makes me, it's going to make me think about it twice again if I'm ambivalent about something and what impact I might be having on somebody.

4:13And, you know, one of my personal growth things is to be very clear in my communication. So if I'm saying to somebody, yeah, I think I might do that, but I'm really having other things going on and I'm not being clear, I'm already beginning a problem. So it's something for us all to think about, I think. Yeah, because, you know, there is no limit for improvement. That's mean when you experience something you can improve yourself, your behavior. It's like a lesson. So it's good to know about that and to understand. And some people probably not realize what is it, but thank you for topic. Yeah. And thank you for giving me some thoughts on it.

4:50Um, so Helen Denise is our guest today and she is CEO and founder of Hill and Life Products Inc. And I just want to read you a brief part of her story. It's in the, it's in on her website and it's part of her founding story and it says, Our founder, Helen Denise, had a thriving career in the early 1990s, but none expected events set her on a new path. Helen experienced an ectopic pregnancy in 1999, a challenging and very traumatic ordeal that brought excruciating pain, physical and I'm sure emotional pain as well. Yes. But this experience also wrought a clear transformation in Helen as it had forced her to look at things with new eyes.

5:34Surviving this life-altering experience, she left the hospital with a new purpose in life and resolved to support other women in understanding their fertility and bodies. So before we talk about what the company does, we'll get there. Let's talk about your story because you were not born in the United States. And, you know, let's talk about your early life and how you got here and what caused you to make the decisions, business decisions you made in your life. Yeah, life story. It's interesting. The shorter version. Looking back, yeah. Actually, I was born in Soviet Union, like the country which does not exist anymore.

6:12But now it's Russia, it's Moscow, I was a city girl. But the point is that I was born in a very good family, engineers, very nice, kind people. And my childhood was amazing. First time I experienced injustice when I graduated from the college. and now I realize that my life always was different from anybody whom I met or what I had because I remember when people count money by hundreds, I count by thousands, people count by thousands, I count by millions. This is interesting because I always feel myself different and everything what I would like to achieve in my life, I was a big dreamer and I'm still a big dreamer.

6:59That's why I want something and it's happened because I working hard to make it happen and it's happened. I never jealous to anybody. I had everything what I wanted. That's why my transformation, my departure from Soviet Union was caused by everything what happened actually. because for nine years after college, I was working in unions, chairman of big unions. And different unions like here, it was unions to spread wealth around. For example, if I have 1 ,000 people in these unions working for government in the colleges, for example, and they gave you 10 pounds of butter and you to spread these old people, or there is no sugar, there was no whatever.

7:49This was unions, different unions, to spread wealth around. But I love people. And when Soviet Union collapsed, actually unions collapsed. People stopped paying their duties and there was no future. But I love people. And I like to do everything except I hate to cook. Because my mom never asked me to cook because I was very creative. I can do sewing, decoration, pictures, drawing, writing, but not cooking. You're a piano player too. Yeah, yeah, music school, English, actually I read from Advantage English School. That's why when my girlfriend invited me for the presentation of Swiss company for healthy cooking, I look, wow, you put this everything in the pot and in 20 minutes ready without any being in the kitchen.

8:40this is how my journey started and i joined in like a sales rep in six months i became the best one they asked me for management i became in three months the best you and i shared that experience of selling cookware i did that during college right so that's why like i grew up very fast and the the reason why it happened because i love people and each person the customer for me like a soul which is with their life with their expectation and i would love to help that's why probably I grew up very fast. And when company opened office in US, they were looking for somebody to come and help them with business.

9:16And I got the offer. It was a big surprise for everybody because I graduated from Advantage English School. And I knew English, British English. For 10 years, I was learning. I knew English. And that's why this was just my relocation because, you know, I had nothing to lose in that moment. I can go back in Moscow. I had my apartment and I had nothing to lose. And all time in my life, I found I like to take a risk because only risk gives you opportunity. If you're sitting, complaining or waiting for something, nothing happened, that's why I decided to take a risk. That's how I came. So I want to make sure before the break we get to your business today.

9:58So let's talk about, so you had this ectopic pregnancy. When was that? That was after you were in the United States? Yeah, I was working for a company. I built them huge business, 20 million in sales in four years. And I could not see the future because I saw what should be done in marketing. They didn't listen to me. And I was looking for a job. And before my birthday, it happened three days before my anniversary. And I was so famous. I was on TV with cooking shows weekly for three years. And I invite people. And suddenly it happened with me. It's unbearable pain, sleepless night, complications.

10:34and I was so weak because being a strong and popular person, I just, I lost myself. This was happening in the midst of you thinking about whether you wanted to remain in this company and do what you were doing. Yes, yes. It's exactly because I had a lot of invitation, but I didn't find that it's interesting for me. And in my mind, I already put some idea I need to find a job. And when it's happened to me, you know, I believe in God, I believe in universe, spirit. And what's happened with me, I got phone call from Europe from my former boss. And he said to me that, do you know, Helen, you can have no problem.

11:09You can check saliva. And I couldn't believe it's so simple. Why nobody never did it? I did studies, researches. I found it's a phenomenon of a woman body from 1945 found by Papa Nicolao in Spain. And I think, why nobody never did? And being very successful, risk taken, never afraid of anything, I jump. and now 27 years I'm doing this. Well, so you can test saliva. So what did you do with that idea? With that idea, when I found that, then like nine months later, I left company. I did studies, researches. My background, actual education, engineer. And engineer, not because I wanted, because I need to have diploma.

11:50But actually, I did not pass test to Moscow University for English teacher. And then I got education anyway. So I had idea. What kind of engineering? It's civil engineering, but it's design, architecture, and I have idea. That's why then I came up with idea. And then it's a long story. I have people who, like, I gave idea. We create prototype. What was your idea? The idea was to create device. Because, listen, if it's a phenomenon of a woman's body, and a woman can check saliva daily, which saliva is free. This is a device to check? Saliva. But to saliva for what purpose? Saliva to understand your ovulation.

12:33Gotcha. And nobody never did. I was sexually... So you could predict something like an ecopic pregnancy. Through saliva, not only you can predict when you can become pregnant. You have five days to try and conceive. You know, five days. Nobody never said to you about that. I was shocked. Right, right. So that's why not only when, five days, and also you can point if you have a problem with conception through saliva. That's why it shocked me nobody ever did that. That's why I was like maybe crazy to move that. But because I didn't know that practice gamble, urine strips, FDA approval I need to do.

13:12It's a long story later. But in that point, nothing was stopped me to do it, to start to do it. So you developed a device that could detect this. Yes. And what was that called? Actually, my first brand was maybe Mom. Now it's NoWen. NoWen. Yeah, 1W, NoWen. This is the whole idea when a woman just buy it, and it's like$30,$40, and use it daily. And that product's still out there. It can still be bought. Yeah, you can buy on Target, on Amazon, on our website. We were on CVS, Walgreens. We were on many retailers, but now I moved to online sales only. Did you have a patent on that today? Yes, we have patterns.

13:54But the point is that women, like, it's a good habit. I use my first device for nine years. It's a good habit to check saliva first things in the morning. That's it, you know. And, like, being in this for 27 years, I found so many things which nobody talking about and understood that women can take complete control. And infertility, it's not an epidemic, believe me. It's lack of knowledge. That's why after so many years, I stand up with my brand, and I start a lot of talk about fertility. It's good to know. I wish we knew that. We went through, my wife and I, difficult times with pregnancies and all that, and it could have been helpful.

14:36I didn't know about that. We didn't know about that then. So interesting. And so you started up this business. We just have half a minute until, in fact, we'll just do this. I want to ask you about the challenges you had once you started the business, but we'll do that right after our break, which comes right now. We'll be right back on Founders Forum. The Sattel Institute is the leading CEO member organization dedicated to corporate social responsibility. Under the vision and leadership of its founder, entrepreneur and philanthropist Ed Sattel, the Institute brings together CEOs in Philadelphia and other cities to support the nonprofit organizations that do heroic work in our communities.

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15:54To find out more about membership and why so many leading companies are now part of the Sattel Institute, visit the organization's website at sattelinstitute.org. Satell, S-A-T-E-L-L, institute.org. As Ed Satell says, think we, not just me. We are back on Founders Forum with our guest, Helen Denise. And as I mentioned, Helen is CEO and founder of Helen Life Products, Inc., and inventor that we were just talking about of KnowWin, which is an advanced ovulation test kit with a fertility application, which is, so I do want to ask you a question. And I know the answer because we discussed it beforehand.

16:37And it was going to be at the end, but I'm going to ask you this right now. If you look back on your career, because you've done a lot of different things. We haven't gotten to all of them yet. But what was the best idea you ever had? It's a leading question because we're talking about that. Yeah, the best idea was creation fertility app. Because of being involved with checking fertility, I came with the idea. so app can help you to monitor easily, you know, your fertility. And this was the best invention. When did you do that? Actually, I launched this app officially in 2013. And that time it was first ever fertility app worldwide.

17:14It was a lot of news in the media about that. Pretty early days of apps in general. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And people only who bought our device, they have a number in the instruction and they can download it. It was maybe the best idea which I came to. So I wanted to ask you about challenges you had in building your business. Because if people are listening, it sounds like, oh, you had this great idea. It's a smooth ride after that. And we know that in entrepreneurialism, that's not usually just a smooth ride, right? So what kind of challenges did you face? First of all, I start business without understanding.

17:49I was very successful working for other companies, three-day business like mine. But when you have your own business, it's like it's your pocket, personal and business. That's why the biggest challenge was when I started to have financial difficulties. Because, you know, I didn't know a lot of things, which I know now. If you want to start business, you need to have some funds available aside. Because business is like a hungry man. Money, money, money, money. And I know a lot of couples divorced because men cannot afford it. To continue to support women. And a woman just treats business like a baby.

18:27Her own baby. It's different. I'm a businesswoman. I know what they feel. That's why funding, I think, first of all, if you would like to go and do have money. Because bank will give you money only after two years in business when you can completely destroy your credit score and they will not give you money. Second, when you have idea, which is my first mistake was you need to patent. This is the most important. You have ideas, spend some money, patent. But you did patent. I patent, but first device I did not. Because, you know, I think, oh, saliva. Why I need to patent saliva? Later, I found you can patent physical device.

19:05But any idea can be patented. Even it's different idea, like it's different kind of patent, not utility patent, but idea should be patent. And the third one, I think you need to have somebody who understands financials. because you cannot understand how to spend, where to spend, how to pay. That's why these three things. You know what you need to know. Money, for sure, have a side to file a patent and to have a financial advisor. Great lessons for our entrepreneurial audience. And you learned, obviously, the second time you had a patent, so you got that one. Did you figure out the money issues?

19:46Money issue was the biggest mistake. I took from France. I sold my apartment in Moscow. I had two mortgages again in my house, and it's more than$1 million I actually lost with my first business. And, you know, never, ever ask money for friends. You know, like never count on any property you have or whatever. This is the biggest mistake I learned. You know, second business I opened, I have a business advisors. It's regular, like regulations. It's stock. I raised capital, millions of dollars. So they helped you with the financial end. I started to do it properly. That's why if I met somebody financially before, they will advise me how and what to do.

20:31I was just, oh, I'm so excited and start to do it without understanding. That's why my lesson was very bad. Right. Well, sometimes they're the best lessons, right? I mean, we rarely have an entrepreneur on the show that hasn't gone through things like that. and it's part of life, part of business, unfortunately. I got a number of my own as well. So, I mean, it happens. But if you learn from it and grow from it and you can teach from it and you can teach yourself and you can make it better the next time, that's what I think it's all about, right? It's true. Yeah. So, okay, so you're moving along with that company.

21:12And you obviously developed some strengths because you now know you have a financial team. Yeah. You have patents. You have sources of money, I assume. And let me ask you this. It's a little early for this question also, but I always ask going forward, and so I want to hear where you're taking all this.

21:36If this is three years from today, so it's June of 2029, and you and I are talking, what would have to happen over that three-year period for you to feel that that was a successful period in your business and your life? In business, being in this for so many years, I have three, actually four already, more devices to bring to the market. And people just don't know about that. And my legacy and challenge that in three years, somebody write people, company, or partners we buy out or whatever, fund it. And in three years, like, it will be line of devices, saliva testing all related to menstrual cycle, ovulation cycle taken using saliva.

22:19And it will completely change whole reproductive medicine. This is what I see in three years, that women have a peace of mind, freedom of choices, a lot of knowledge. And this really, which I feel, I see, and I'm not talking, but four more devices, one for men and second for men and women, two for women. This is what I see will happen sooner or later. I told you a big dream. I know it's happened. I have a vision. Right. You will do it, I'm sure. Have you developed the technologies around those already? Yes. Second device, patent receive, prototype development. Probably somebody pick it up, maybe a license.

22:57And three more, I never file patent. I have this in my portfolio because I'm too small. You know, I had experience with when ideas of my patent was stolen. That's why I like, but it takes time. But three years will be enough for us to be in all of them. You have several more patents in three years. Yes, yes, yes, yes. That's pretty amazing. What kind of, so you've had challenges. What kind of challenges could you predict in front of you? And how are you prepared for those challenges this time? Challenge, challenge. Challenge right now for me probably to find the right people who will buy out or pick up.

23:33And I pay back my investors. So the challenge to find a right partner to come on board, not looking for the past. Financial partner. Look for the future. Yeah, who may buy out or who can have my vision to implement. I had people in the past giving money and asking to give my company. They didn't have a vision. And I have vision and proof that it's from 15 years old girl to 55. And everybody can use menopause, second fertility, breastfeeding, and more, more, more, more. That's why my challenge now to find the right people who will come on board to pick up what I have and make it real. Make it happen.

24:12This is the biggest challenge I have right now. Interesting. Offline, I might have an idea for you right now. Yeah, okay, thank you. So I'll tell you about that. Okay, so what else? And you started mentioning your legacy. So define a little bit more what your legacy will be when this is all said and done. Obviously, you've changed women's health in significant ways. And I see myself because I have so much knowledge and stories and information. so I will continue to talk finally I stand up and it will be a lot of education about ovulation cycle which nobody never did so my challenge now to talk to bring education to build brand recognition and also from 2005 I have helped a lot of women in the past in life and business and relations and beauty and in 2014 I created my first blog which I never launched I never had time.

25:10Business took my time. And this blog I created one month before TikTok was open. You know, I have all this vision. And I will come with this blog in the next month for sure to help women. Can I announce the name of the blog? Yeah. Because I have a little reminder in front of me. It's called Helen's Blog, The Strength of a Woman Dream. Yeah. And it will be available, I guess, www.thebirdsthebeesandthebuzz.com. Yeah, the best, the best, and the best because it's mentoring and life stories and motivation, inspiration, and a lot of it I can. I want to give back what I received, paying thousands, millions of dollars.

25:50I want to help women in many, many ways. And let me read your beautiful statement that's on the back of your card for the blog. My dear friends, I've always been truthful about my life experiences, as we've heard here today, and would love to share them with you for one reason, to help you, Helen Denise. So that's what you're about, right? Yeah, it will be my next legacy. Well, let me ask you this. You're a very busy, industrious woman. What do you do for fun? Oh, my God. It's many things. It was time when I was going dancing, salsa for many years. Oh, yeah? Yeah, and now I'm too busy. I like to swim.

26:29That's why I'm going to swim in the gym. This is what I'm doing. Swim in the gym. And reading. Because, you know, like if we're all students of the life and we need to learn, there is no limit of the knowledge you have and help you to grow. That's why each day I try to read at least 10 pages, whatever book it will be. You know, this is what I like to do and I'm doing and I will be doing. Me too. Yeah. What are you reading right now? Do you have something you're reading right now? Honestly, you know, I'm very spiritual. It's a different topic maybe years ago I will talk about. It's about our communication with the universe because I have so many experiences and I start to believe in a lot of things, which I call miracles, and now I found and understood what is a miracle.

27:19It's a hell from upstairs. Yeah, that's why now I read a spiritual book. Can you say the name of the book? Do you know the name of the book? No, I don't want to do it because I have five of them. and just maybe we'll do one show. Yeah, because I don't want to mix it with my business because not everybody the same page. But I have so much to talk also when I will be done with business. Well, thank you so much. I'm a lifelong learner and reader myself. I'm trying to do 10 pages every day as well. But thank you all for listening today. Helen, it's been a pleasure having you here and we'll see you next week.

27:56Thank you, Mark. To take with you throughout your day. Join us again next week for another episode of Founders Forum. Founders Forum was brought to you in part by March Forward LLC. We partner with entrepreneurs like you to assist in accomplishing your future vision, your life, your business, your legacy. Comprehensive wealth planning that starts with you, not a product. We hope you enjoyed your time with Founders Forum and that you found something of value to take with you throughout your day. Join us again next week for another episode of Founders Forum on WWDB 860 AM Philadelphia or on your favorite podcast streaming service.

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