Interview with Fempreneur

Tanja Hohenester | Managing Director of tigovit: "The unflattering beginning – many doors were slammed in my face." Tanja Hohenester's diagnosis of a fibroid, which she discovered during a gynecological examination, prompted the young woman to search for alternatives – and ultimately to the realization that green tea could help. After successfully treating herself, Tanja decided to conduct further research and soon developed the green tea capsules and her brand tigovit herself. In an interview, Tanja explained what fibroids actually are, why green tea can help both preventively and therapeutically, and what her early days as a founder were really like. Tanja, you founded tigovit and offer green tea capsules. Can you first tell us what is special about these capsules and how you came up with this idea? A few years ago, a fibroid was discovered during a gynecological examination. It was growing quite rapidly, and my gynecologist suggested having it surgically removed. I didn't want to do that, as I've always been into naturopathy and wanted to try natural remedies first. I found a green tea study online in which women were able to positively influence the growth of a fibroid. At that time, I discovered the special active ingredient in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG for short. I tried it myself and went back for another examination six months later. Not only had the fibroid growth stopped, it was even smaller, and the recommended surgery was therefore no longer necessary. I still take green tea capsules, only now they're my own. That was the initial spark for me to try tigovit.

Women's health is simply a sensitive topic and people often quickly resort to chemicals or the scalpel.

I immediately realized it was a good idea because if I could help myself, it could also save other women from having to undergo surgery. Women's health is a sensitive subject and people are often quick to resort to chemicals or the scalpel. I wanted to offer women a purely plant-based alternative, just as I did back then. I began reading up on the subject of micronutrients and came across Prof. Hunstein's self-experiment. After he was diagnosed with the rare form of amyloidosis, he researched the active ingredient EGCG on himself, treated himself and significantly extended his life expectancy. I studied his scientific work on this in detail and learned that green tea is very difficult for the human body to absorb. I researched and developed the special formulation of tigovit. Can you briefly explain to us what fibroids are? Fibroids are benign tumors in the uterus. Around one in three women suffers from them. Although they are not life-threatening, they can significantly impair quality of life. Green tea contains the active ingredient epigallocatechin gallate, which has two main mechanisms of action: an anti-inflammatory mechanism and a mechanism that inhibits tissue estrogen in the fibroids. These are the two aspects of EGCG that can stop fibroid growth or even shrink them. Are there any current studies or research results on this? There is a scientifically recognized pilot study with 40 patients, a placebo-controlled, double-blind study. At that time, some of the test subjects received the green tea extract, while the others took only a placebo. The results favored green tea: After four months, the fibroids in the women who took EGCG shrank by an average of 33% in volume. Bleeding improved by 30%, and symptoms decreased dramatically in this group.

The results spoke in favor of green tea: After four months, the fibroids in women who took EGCG had shrunk by an average of 33%.

These results prompted the Charité Berlin Women's Hospital to investigate green tea more closely. The hospital is currently conducting a user study in which women affected by fibroids are taking tigovit. We are still looking for another 20 test subjects, and you are welcome to register via our website www.tigovit.com. I expect we will have the results in a year and be able to present them to the public. The next major study by the Charité University Hospital and tigovit will be conducted with 100 patients. Should you take the capsules preventively? Preventive action is always the better decision. Once complaints or symptoms have already appeared, a lot of effort is needed to bring the body back into balance. It is better to live a more conscious life beforehand, change your diet, review your lifestyle, exercise more, pay attention to better and purer quality of food, and support all of this with green tea capsules.

What was the founding process like for you as a young entrepreneur who started your own business on your own? I started the company part-time because I still had my day job at the time. At first, I only had this idea in mind. I don't come from a medical background and have no pharmaceutical training, so I knew I would face many obstacles. I had to start from scratch.

I had to start from scratch and knew I would face many obstacles.

I knew nothing about the raw materials and had to do a lot of research first. I then brought on board a pharmacist who specializes in plant substances and is very knowledgeable about polyphenols. I told him about my idea, and together we put together the tigovit recipe. I approached all the contract manufacturers with this recipe; after all, the ingredients also had to be processed. I obtained quotes, had samples sent to me, and checked how everything was processed, and then decided on the best contract manufacturer. At the same time, of course, I wrote a business plan and a sales concept, which I took to startup consulting firms. I received consulting and financial support and applied for an innovation voucher from "Bayern Innovativ." The next step was to bring on board someone to help me with design and marketing.

For my product, I only accept controlled goods whose origin I know and which do not come from a middleman, but come directly from the manufacturer.

It was a process that took almost two years: researching and developing the idea, formulating the recipe, finding contract manufacturing partners, as well as marketing, logo, and branding. A very important point was where I could source the best ingredients for the capsules, because I wanted to have 100% control over what was put into the capsules. For my product, I only accept controlled goods whose origin I know and which come directly from the manufacturer, not from a middleman. What happened next? How did you market and sell your first production run? Eventually, it was there: the first production run of around 1,000 tigovit boxes. I created a presentation based on a fibroid study and presented it to gynecologists like a pharmaceutical representative. That was a tough job, especially in the beginning, and meant classic door-to-door sales for me. The doctors, who were open and interested, recommended it to their patients. At the same time, I have registered for various medical fairs, gynecologist training courses, and similar events in order to present tigovit to those who would be primarily interested.

Those were the rough beginnings of my entrepreneurial career - many doors were slammed in my face.

Those were the unvarnished beginnings as an entrepreneur: I visited every contact with tigovit in my luggage, summer and winter. Many doors were slammed in my face. I used the ones that remained open to convince tigovit doctors to offer it to their patients as a natural approach. What did you do before, or what did you study? Although my training began with a focus on business administration, I worked for years in tourism and the luxury hotel industry. At the age of 20, I went abroad, where I spent a total of 13 years. The Maldives, Sri Lanka, Greece, and Portugal are just a few of the countries where I worked. After 13 years of traveling the world, it was time to return to my roots. In Germany, I learned about the aforementioned fibroid, began my research into green tea extracts, and began a sales and marketing degree, aligning my thesis with my company's founding. And the rest is tigovit history. Where did you get the courage to start right away? I just knew it was the right thing to do. I had found a niche market, and there was so much passion behind this idea. My gut feeling just said, "Do it!" I also tell everyone to trust their gut and listen to it. I believe our intuition can clearly tell us whether we're on the path that's 100% right for us.

My gut feeling just said “Do it!”

With tigovit, you've created your own product. From the idea to the finished capsules, there was certainly a lot to do. Can you give us some insights into the production of the product? How exactly did you go about turning your idea into reality? The high quality of the raw materials and the recipe are what make tigovit special. I didn't want to use just any green tea extract; it had to be the pure extract, ideally from an organically certified plantation. So, I searched for the ideal manufacturer at Vitafoods in Geneva, the world's largest raw materials trade fair. I had all the samples I was given re-tested in laboratories to ensure that the manufacturer's specifications were correct and that the extracts were free of aluminum and pesticides. Naturally, I chose the best producer. The next step was finding a suitable contract manufacturer. There are quality differences here, which I was only able to assess after the first offer. Who processes the ingredients cleanly? Are the capsules well filled with the raw materials? Do they meet the agreed delivery time? Knowing who's the best doesn't come overnight, but only with experience and the second or third production run. Have you made any mistakes? Yes, definitely. Ever since my own lab results deviated significantly from the quality promised by the manufacturers, I retest every delivery and no longer trust that the purchased raw materials are actually that pure. After all, I guarantee the purity of the capsules, and I cannot and must not afford poor quality. I owe that to myself and, above all, to my customers who trust tigovit. Health is very important to you. Why? I've suffered from severe neurodermatitis since birth. When I reached puberty, it flared up so badly that the eczema spread all over my face and body. I was covered in psoriasis, which I scratched until it bled. Because of this, I was excluded and bullied at school. Conventional medicine failed me back then. I was treated in specialized clinics for up to six weeks and pumped full of cortisone and every conceivable drug. Nothing helped. Things got better after puberty, but those difficult years still plagued me emotionally. That's when I began searching for something that would naturally support my body and soul, and my interest in alternative medicine was awakened. I traveled to India, underwent an Ayurvedic treatment, and underwent a colon cleanse at home. Since then, my symptoms have disappeared, and that gave me the confidence and motivation to always seek natural treatments first.

Nature has many answers for our ailments. We just need to seek them out and apply them.

If more people adopted a conscious lifestyle and supported it with micronutrients, there would be much less work for doctors in hospitals. Nature has many answers for our ailments. We just need to seek them out and apply them. This is my conviction and my personal experience. What do you do to stay healthy, and what is your secret tip for a healthy lifestyle? Lots of water, plenty of fresh air, exercise and yoga, and of course, micronutrients! Every morning, I drink very pure, filtered, and cell-available water, which detoxifies. Then I take two tigovit capsules and Omega 3 on an empty stomach because it's better absorbed that way. I also detoxify my body according to the season and always pay attention to a balanced diet and plenty of exercise. What tips would you give to other women who want to start a business? Ultimately, you have to listen to yourself and your gut feeling. Women are often not taken seriously. I speak from my own experience. That's why you have to stay focused and not let yourself be intimidated.

Women are often not taken seriously. I speak from personal experience.

My advice is also not to approach things too emotionally. I was often too nice, open, and friendly, something that many people took advantage of in the early days. You have to stay true to yourself and be straightforward. In a business environment, you have to be convinced of your offer and, if necessary, be tougher than usual to negotiate the best terms for the company. Your tips for starting up a business? Appointments with consultants, such as the Chamber of Industry and Commerce or Bayern Initiativ, regarding business plans and start-up grants are a must, as is a good tax advisor who can help you with finances. This way, you can avoid many mistakes that don't have to happen in the early stages. And one piece of advice I always give is to find a mentor. My brother is a very successful businessman and has been a role model for me from the very beginning. Of course, I could have managed the founding and development of tigovit on my own.

We can all only benefit from the wealth of knowledge of successful people.

But I'm sure his experience saved me a lot of negative experiences and he was able to give me important input on my marketing and sales strategy. We can all only benefit from the wealth of knowledge of successful people. Source: www.fempreneur.de

Founder & Publisher of FEMPRENEUR | Co-Founder & Co-Publisher of The Female Founders Book | Entrepreneur | Inspirational Speaker | Event Host | Change Maker | Berlin Based | Twitter: @MJK_Maxi | Instagram: maxi_knust