As part of the Morning Lazziness series highlighting empowering women who are making a remarkable impact with their ideas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Meg van Gennip.
Dr Meg van Gennip is the owner and founder of Banana Passion, an intimate wellness brand selling massage products and other items to support intimacy and maintain a sexual connection. She frequently discusses intimacy online and in her blog posts.
In this interview, she offers a candid look at the realities of entrepreneurship, sharing both the challenges and the victories that defined her path.
What inspired you to start your business, and what problem were you passionate about solving?
I actually stumbled into my business. Like many new mums, I started a baby brand during maternity leave. I had the time (well, sort of), the ideas, and the passion. But truthfully, it wasn’t generating a lot of revenue or really going anywhere.
Then one night, while rocking my baby to sleep, I got a message from a customer via Facebook. We were chatting casually when she suddenly said: “I didn’t actually buy it for my children. I bought it for myself.”
At first, I assumed she meant incontinence. What else would a mum need an absorbent blanket for?
She left me with this cryptic little suggestion: “You should look into the adult space — there’s nothing like your product out there.” It didn’t click rightaway and to be honest, it was my husband who told me what the customer meant. She was using it to deal with the messy side of sex.
I was learning at the time how to sew as a hobby. So I bought some satin fabric and made some bags to go along with an adult product to test the product and put up a page on Etsy. The product kicked off without any marketing and that’s how I started my business.
Over time, I realised one thing: me not understanding that cryptic message was loud and clear about 2 things. One, my own sex education was very poor. I’m aware of that, as I think many people think sex education might encourage children or people to have more sex. On the contrary, good sex ed stops people from being taken advantage of. Second, it also challenged my own beliefs. Growing up in an Indian household, those beliefs were part of me. It took me time to see and read about what was actually happening. I’m passionate about making sex education an important part of my brand. Because it shouldn’t stop at 14, but can continue throughout one’s life. People learn from their own and others’ experiences.
Some people think women cannot enjoy it like men do. And I think the important part here is about connection. Connection is what matters, you can’t just look at a person and say lets have sex and they will be ready for it. Women enjoy sex as much as men do, but they get bored quickly. It’s because couples sometimes don’t know how to enjoy the moments together. I’m passionate about providing products that can help with this connection. Like our waterproof blankets are there so people don’t worry about getting up and start changing sheets, instead, they can cuddle and enjoy the afterglow.
How has your business evolved since its launch, and what key decisions have helped drive that growth?
Well after Etsy kicked off, we made our own website for the business. I guess understanding the customer helped too. Also, omnichannel marketing is important to meet customers where they are, which in our case meant taking the business to Amazon to get more eyes on the business.
In your view, what truly sets your brand apart in today’s competitive market?
What truly sets the business apart is that it focuses on connection, so people who enjoy sex but are not into the kinky vibe often association with sex products, so they can enjoy intimacy products too, and not feel that sex is dirty.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to date, and why do you think it worked so well?
We didn’t do Black Friday sales until last year and for the first time, we gave our best offer in the market. It was one of our best months just because of that sale.
How do you stay connected to your ideal audience and understand their needs or behaviors?
Our simple rule is to talk to the customer. I have made phone calls to a customer, do TikTok livestreams to understand what is the type of product they are after or what are their pain points. When the owner themselves calls, it makes a huge difference than just asking an employee to do it. Ask it from a customer and they will let you know. Treating every customer, whether they bought something for $5 or $500 – treating them fair and the same.
What does success look like for you, not just in numbers, but in purpose or impact?
Success looks like when I started paying myself this year. It sounds strange but that was the first milestone I reached. It felt great! Next, success means knowing the fact that you have made a (new) connection blossom between 2 people. I don’t know others, but I believe in Karma. It means whether intentional or unintentionally you do something good or bad, you will bear the fruits of it. So, that’s why getting the best quality to a customer and making their experience the best is what success looks like to me.
How do you personally define success, beyond revenue and growth metrics?
Success looks like my first paystub to myself. My next goal is spending more time with my daughter and getting some help in the business to cover my time. Success means doing things that matter to me. And every time I achieve a business goal, I see it as one step towards my life goal of starting my own philanthropy work.
Can you share a challenge or setback that ultimately became a turning point for your brand?
Going to China. I went there thinking I was about to sign a deal with a new supplier. But visiting their factory and looking at the apparent lies from that group, and trusting my gut there and then, meant I never went with them. As a setback we ran out of stock temporarily, but that gave us an opportunity to explore new suppliers, and new products, which I may not have done had it not been for that initial disappointment. The lesson learnt was to never go with the cheaper price. Also inspect it with your own eyes and really trust your intuition.
What daily habits or rituals keep you focused, creative, and grounded as a leader?
Doing daily 10-15 minutes meditation and sometimes spending less time on dressing. I bought 5 sweat shirts the same – all black, seriously, that saved me 10 minutes of thinking every day what to wear. Also replying to messages straight away. If I read it and act on it straight away, sometimes it’s better. As I have sorted one more thing in the same time frame of just reading it when I am sitting on public transport or in my car, etc.
How do you approach innovation and risk in your business strategy?
Innovation is our blood. We are always looking at ways to improve, whether processes, implementing new technology, developing products. I love looking at new fabrics and their development.
What advice would you give to someone starting a business in today’s fast-changing digital world?
Don’t leave your job if you are starting out. Hire someone to do tasks for you. And when you can pay yourself then leave the job. Businesses don’t get to the next level by 1 person. Also, remember businesses can come and go, family cannot, so remember to spend time with them and your partner.
Where can our audience connect with you and learn more about your work or offerings?
Our website
