The Founder Journey: Meet Jo Barry, Owner of Scarlet Period

Jo Barry didn’t set out to be a founder.

She set out to fix something broken.

Scarlet, the femtech brand behind the cult Rae heat pad, wasn’t born out of a pitch deck or a VC-fuelled brainstorm – it came from lived experience. Years of endometriosis, surgeries and the exhausting reality of period pain led Jo to build the product she couldn’t find: a heat pad that actually worked and didn’t look like a medical device. What started with gut instinct (and a remortgaged house) has grown into a global brand changing how people care for their bodies, one wireless heat pad at a time.

In this byte-sized chat, Jo shares the scrappy beginnings, the human-first approach that defines Scarlet, and why staying small (on purpose) can be the smartest growth strategy of all.

The Founder Journey with Jo Barry:

At the beginning…

I didn’t plan to start a business; I just needed to fix something that felt broken. After years of endometriosis, surgeries, hormone hell and a hysterectomy, I was exhausted – and deeply frustrated by how period self-care was treated. It felt like nothing had evolved. Everything was either juvenile or joyless, surface-level at best. So, I started building what I needed – rae – a heat pad that actually worked and looked like it belonged in your life. That grew into Scarlet. It made sense. Periods are more than just blood management – they’re a full-body experience. Lived experience was the spark, but purpose is the fuel. I always come back to that. 

The initial steps…

Didn’t start with the idea in a pitch deck or a solid business plan, it came from pain. I needed something wearable, wireless and comforting, so I built it. I teamed up with local Melbourne engineers and industrial designers and started from scratch. No shortcuts, no rebrands. Just gut instinct and relentless belief. I’m not the business plan type – I work visually, intuitively. I mapped the feeling I wanted people to have, not just the features. I remortgaged my house to make it happen. Risky? Absolutely. But I trusted my gut, and I’ve learned: clarity of purpose beats a perfect plan every time. 

Nearly everything felt like a challenge…

At the start – no roadmap, no safety net, no investor backing. Just me, stubborn belief, and a lot of late nights. Building a business is complex (and expensive), more than I realised (yep, learned that fast), but doing it self-funded meant every decision counted. I also live with chronic illness, so I had to build a model that worked with my body, not against it. That meant managing most things myself and freelancing the rest. It gives me flexibility, but it also means I wear every hat. 

And when it came to building the rae Heat Pad, there was the bigger challenge: creating a femtech product in a space still dominated by men. I’ve sat in meetings where people physically winced at the word blood. Or quite commonly someone saying, “We brought [insert female name] to the meeting – she’ll understand what you’re doing.” Why should you have to bleed to understand it? I’m not reinventing the wheel; I’m simply elevating self-care products for half the population. Everyone’s had a backache. This isn’t niche, it’s overdue. 

When it came to funding…

There were no pitch nights, no angel investors – just me, my savings, credit cards, and eventually a home loan refinance. It was terrifying, but I didn’t want to dilute the vision or hand it over to people who didn’t truly get the why. I’d seen too many good ideas watered down by too many voices. I’d also worked with big brands where decisions around quality or ethics got compromised at the boardroom table. Self-funding meant I could stay close to the purpose, but it also meant things were slower, scrappier, and I carried the weight alone. I leaned hard on the smart, generous women around me, and partnered with Melbourne-based teams who shared my obsession with quality. Would I do it differently now? Maybe, I mean it would be easier! But staying true to the mission mattered more than speed.  

A pivotal moment was…

The first time someone messaged me saying, “My daughter went to school on Day 2 of her period. She hasn’t been able to do that in months,” I sobbed. That was it, that’s all I really wanted. I’m not here to make bank. I’m here to turn my own experience into something that helps others. That’s worth more than coin, right? And that moment solidified it: we weren’t just selling a product, we were creating a kind of care that had been missing for too long. That emotional connection flipped the switch from small business to bigger mission. And with that, I softened. I stopped obsessing over timelines or how fast we could grow, and started focusing on the small, meaningful wins along the way. 

Scarlet isn’t corporate, it’s human…

I look for people who get the story and want to build something that matters. We work flexibly, candidly, and with a lot of laughter. My approach is rooted in lived experience, so I lead with openness, empathy, and purpose-led decision-making. No one has to leave part of themselves at the door to be here. 

We’re a small crew of contractors and freelancers, experts in their own zones, which means I’m not managing in the traditional sense. I’m curating. I find people who are already brilliant at what they do and give them the space to do it with heart. 

One thing I’ve really brought into this business is a deeper understanding, and I guess kindness. I’ve learned that care and life always outweigh deadlines and bottom lines. And funnily enough, that mindset fosters better work, not less. I used to focus on work experience. Now I look at life experience. Will this person connect with the mission? If they do, the investment is personal, and the work reflects that. 

We’ve scaled through…

Stories, not noise. From TikToks to media features, our growth has always been rooted in real experiences, education, and community – not hype. It’s about building trust and visibility with substance. 

I’ve learned from experience that slow and steady really does win. You don’t burn out, the wheels don’t fall off, and most importantly, you stay true to the mission.  

We’ve expanded carefully, from Australia into the UK, EU, and NZ, making sure every new market receives the same level of care and customer experience. And I’m a big believer that small growth can be smart growth. It might not lead to sell-outs overnight, but it builds something stronger: loyalty, understanding, and long-term brand advocacy. 

Failures and setbacks…

There have been plenty – from manufacturing delays to partnerships that didn’t pan out. One painful moment was when a batch of packaging arrived completely wrong, just days before launch. And it was 100% my fault. I (obviously) had a meltdown but then just learnt to always pad timelines, never skip a final proof, and to slow the f down! 

When I feel overwhelmed…

I go back to her – the version of me doubled over in pain with a wheat bag that wouldn’t stay put. The one layering stick-on heat pads just to get through a meeting or missing out on life because there was nothing discreet enough to let me feel semi-normal. I built Scarlet for every person who’s ever felt invisible in the period aisle. That’s what keeps me going, even on the hardest days. 

I’m also lucky to have a partner who catches me … over and over again. He reminds me that it’s only money, and what I’m building is bigger than that. (Not everyone would risk their house to finance their partner’s dream.) People often talk about motivation in terms of business strategy or discipline, but honestly? Sometimes it’s the support system behind the scenes, the quiet wolf pack that makes the difference. Starting something from scratch is raw, emotional, and it bleeds into every part of your life. But when you’re backed by people who believe in you, it’s easier to keep going. 

Oh, and memes. Memes help. 

Advice to aspiring entrepreneurs…

You don’t have to wait to be picked. If you see a gap – and feel it in your bones – go, make the thing. You’ll feel exposed, unsure, and like a fraud half the time. Do it anyway. Surround yourself with smart, kind people. Rest. Learn. And don’t let anyone talk you out of your “too niche” idea, it might just be the one we all needed. 

The Modems’ Byte-Sized Questions:

💻 iOS or Android?

iOS 

🎧 Earbuds or over-ear headphones?

Over-ear headphones. Daggy fact: I love the free ones from flights. 

📱 Text or voice notes?

Text 

📸 Phone Selfie or Proper Digi camera?

Phone selfie 

💡 Dark mode or light mode?

DDARRRKK 

💄 Filters or no filter?

Nadda 

💳 Apple Pay or designer wallet?

Both. Be prepared. 

📺 Netflix marathon or TikTok scroll?

Both, same time 

📖 E-book or Audiobook?

Agh, paperback! 

🎶 Spotify playlists or YouTube deep dives?

Spotify playlists, on repeat 

🖥️ Desktop setup or laptop on-the-go?

Both, mood dependent