#FollowHippl
Zara Quail's passion for health and writing led her to co-found Hippl, a content creation and research agency that focuses on healthcare, wellness, and lifestyle. With a mission to empower individuals with accurate and timely information, Hippl aims to help people achieve well-being and happiness. Drawing from her background as a medical doctor and medical writer, Zara understands the vital role evidence-based health information plays in supporting healthcare providers and individuals alike.
Zara is one of our SheGenerate2.0 cohort and also a SheGenerate2.0 showcase pitcher. Be sure to register HERE to join us on the 23rd May at 5pm.
To get us started - how would you describe yourself in 6 words or less?
I write health information for companies.
Describe your business and what prompted you to start it?
Hippl is a content creation and research agency focused on healthcare, wellness, and lifestyle. We aim to help people achieve well-being and happiness through timely and accurate information. As a medical doctor and medical writer, I have witnessed the impact of evidence-based health information in supporting healthcare providers and individuals in managing and preventing health conditions, as well as promoting positive health and well-being. Our mission is to assist companies in meeting the health information needs of individuals by providing accessible, engaging, and enjoyable content.
Tell us a little bit more about you.
I grew up in Cape Town, a beautiful city, and studied Medicine at the University of Cape Town. I have been fortunate to expand my career portfolio beyond being a doctor and incorporate my creative passion for writing. Through my medical writing career, I have explored various interesting aspects of health and well-being, working for renowned medical publishing companies and health and social care start-ups. I have always had an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit, which led me to become a co-founder. Co-founding Hippl with my amazing sister Lala and mother Lindsay provided the confidence and support needed to embark on this journey.
Fill us in on your female founder journey.
Being a co-founder has been a tremendous learning experience, particularly in terms of business acumen and running a successful venture. Over the past two years, we have sustained our business with the support of wonderful clients. I have discovered a higher level of creativity and support within a female founding team compared to other roles. Connecting with other female founders through Awakenhub has boosted our confidence and stimulated our business ideas. As female founders, we bring a heightened level of empathy into our work, making it more meaningful to ourselves and others.
How has being part of the AwakenHub community and SheGenerate helped your business?
Being part of AwakenHub and the SheGenerate 2.0 cohort has provided us with three key benefits:
Learning the fundamental principles of running a successful business.
Networking with other female founders.
Experiencing a genuine sense of support and camaraderie, which has been a great source of motivation and courage.
As a founder, what are your non-negotiables?
My non-negotiables as a founder are:
Always be kind.
Focus on love, not fear.
Take time to breathe and imagine.
Where do you see yourself in 12 months and 5 years' time?
In 12 months, we envision generating income from our own platforms at Hippl and transitioning to an 80/20 focus on our own products versus client services. I also aim to achieve a healthy work-life balance, engaging in fun and active activities while spending quality time with my family.
In 5 years' time, we anticipate scaling our platforms globally and generating substantial revenue for the company. I aspire to maintain a balance between focused work in the mornings and ample family time, engaging in active and outdoor pursuits to support our overall health and well-being.
What are your top three tips for other women founders?
Here are my top three tips for women founders:
Connect with other female founders - it provides a cushion of support and fun.
Don't hesitate to ask for help, but be specific in your request. In my experience, most people are willing to say yes.
Prioritize sleep and schedule downtime to maximize brain power and creativity.
You recently took part in our Big Sister workshops. What have you learned from these sessions, and what actions are you taking based on the insights gained? The top things I have learned from the Big Sister workshop are:
Use low-code and no-code options to build your MVP (you don't have to spend a lot on development initially).
Be clear on your ask of other people.
Customer development is key, and you can't have a successful product or service until you know who will be interested and who will pay.
Building a sales funnel takes time and effort but is well worth it.
Do you have an 'ask' that we can share with fellow #Awakenhubbers?
Our current priority is customer development for our platform New Too. We want to know who will care about staying well on the move and when moving to a new place. We are asking for anyone who:
Has moved to a new place in the last 10 years, or
Supports people who have moved to a new community
You can:
Join us for a 15-minute video call, or
Answer a 10-minute questionnaire, or
Make a warm introduction to someone in the space
New Too Customer Discovery Expression of Interest Form: https://forms.office.com/e/6tzs7xsSd5 Email: hi@hippl.co New Too Customer Discovery Questionnaires: Moved in the last 10 years: https://forms.office.com/e/s4TegWW9JD Supporting people in the community: https://forms.office.com/e/7BsdwcCesi
Is there any question you would like to add or any comments on any of the above?
Being part of AwakenHub and SheGenerate has propelled us with confidence, motivation, and support, and we are incredibly grateful to all the founders and members. Let's keep moving forward together.
#FollowHippl
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drzaraquail/ https://twitter.com/ZaraQuail https://www.instagram.com/drzaraquail/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/hippl/ https://twitter.com/hipplco https://www.instagram.com/hippl.co/ https://www.instagram.com/healthygifts.co/
