The Snot-Sucker That Changed the Game (and Why Playing Nice Doesn’t Always Win)
- Built on YES
- May 12
- 4 min read
Why Playing Nice Doesn’t Always Win—and Why Realness Does
Let’s talk about boogers, breast pads, and brand disruption.
Because this week’s BFD Moment is brought to you by a female founder who turned a glorified snot vacuum into one of the boldest, baddest parenting brands on the market—and she did it without ever pretending motherhood was all lullabies and Instagram filters.
Meet Chelsea Hirschhorn, the powerhouse behind Frida (yes, that Frida—the one that makes the NoseFrida, aka the “snot sucker” your pediatrician swears by). But Chelsea didn’t stop at sniffles. She saw a huge opportunity in the unsexy stuff no one wanted to talk about—postpartum pads, cracked nipples, witch hazel foam—and built a million-dollar brand empire by saying yes to the mess.
Why This Is a BFD for Every Female Founder
Because this brand wasn’t just a clever product. It was a radical reframe of motherhood—and a masterclass in how owning the full truth (even the gross parts) can build trust, traction, and a tribe of raving fans.
Frida’s Mission: Preparing parents for the unfiltered realities of parenthood with simple-yet-genius solutions that get the job done.
When most baby brands were pushing airbrushed stock images and “mommy and me” twinning sets, Frida dropped a commercial about postpartum recovery that got rejected from airing during the Oscars for being too "graphic." So what did they do? They shared it anyway. And the world watched. Millions of moms saw themselves for the first time, and Frida became the brand that finally got it.
They even recently launched an entire campaign about Breast Milk Ice Cream, and Frida said it was not an April Fool’s Joke. Based on their clear strategic marketing, one could wonder if this is really just an ad for their new 2-in-1 Manual Breast Pump.
Their growth is a powerful lesson: Authenticity scales. Censorship stalls.
What You Can Steal for Your Business (Legally, of course)
1. Get painfully specific about the problem. Frida didn’t pretend new moms were just tired. They acknowledged the physical, emotional, and logistical chaos no one wanted to say out loud. They were solving real problems that other brands ignored—like how to clean out a nose or survive the first poop after birth.
Your Takeaway: What’s the real pain point or problem you’re solving? Get gritty. Get honest. That’s where your people are.
2. Market like you're texting your best friend. Frida’s copy reads like a DM from your most unfiltered mom friend. There’s no brand voice, buzzwords, or complex jargon. There’s just a bold voice of reality.
Your Takeaway: Audit your website and emails. Are you talking to people or performing for them? Kill the corporate jargon and get conversational.
3. Be bold enough to make people squirm. The ad they couldn’t air? That became their rocket fuel. Being “too much” is often just being first.
Your Takeaway: What truth are you avoiding because it’s uncomfortable? Lean in. Your audience doesn’t need perfection—they need permission.
4. Evolve with your customer. Frida grew as their audience grew—from baby noses to postpartum bodies to toddler tantrums.
Your Takeaway: Map your customer journey. What’s the next problem they’ll face? How can you be there first?
The Real-Need to Real-Talk to Real-Solution Framework
One thing is clear: Frida knows their target audience, knows their problem, and understands their solution. Sometimes, taking away all the airbrush and the filters on our own missions can help us get clear on what our own businesses do.
Want to write your own mission statement that actually resonates (and isn’t boring AF)?
Here’s the framework Frida nailed—and how to do it for your brand:
Step 1: Identify the real need
Ask:
What unfiltered or overlooked challenge does your customer face? This is not the polished pitch—it’s the gritty, “no one talks about this but everyone deals with it” problem.
Frida Example: Mothers are unprepared for the raw, physical, and emotional realities of postpartum and baby care.
Step 2: Use real talk to express empathy and tone
Ask:
How would your brand talk about this problem like a real human (not a corporate robot)? Use plain language. No buzzwords. Be bold, witty, or even slightly messy.
Frida Example: “Preparing parents for the unfiltered realities of parenthood.”
Step 3: Define the real solution
Ask:
What does your company actually do to address that need? Be direct. “We provide,” “We create,” or “We offer” works well here.
Frida Example: “With simple-yet-genius solutions that get the job done.”
Example Output for Founders
Put it together:
[Your Company] helps [core audience] handle [the real challenge] by [what you actually deliver] in a way that’s [your authentic voice or tone].
The Built on YES Example:
Built on YES helps female founders and women in business navigate the mental load, chaos, and pressure of entrepreneurship by delivering real-talk strategies, mindful tools, and community support in a way that’s honest and empowering.
Extra Insights for Built on YES Readers:
As a female entrepreneur, here's what Frida’s playbook teaches us:
Be the loudest about the quietest truths. Don’t wait for permission to say what needs to be said.
You don’t need the most aesthetic brand—you need the most authentic one. Design is great. Honesty is unforgettable.
Turn rejection into amplification. If you're getting pushback, you’re probably onto something powerful.
Final Truth: Pretty Doesn’t Always Pay
Chelsea Hirschhorn built a multi-million-dollar brand by refusing to airbrush motherhood—and in doing so, gave women tools they didn’t even know they needed. She didn’t build around aesthetics. She built around reality.
Let that be your permission slip: You don’t have to clean it up to make it valuable. You just have to be honest enough and brave enough to name the thing everyone else is pretending doesn’t exist.
Built on YES isn’t just a mindset—it’s a movement of founders who are saying YES to the mess, the magic, and the massive impact that comes from showing up honestly.
Now go suck the snot out of your brand story. Metaphorically, of course.
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