Smashing Taboos And Building A FemTech Company In Nationwide Retail

Farah Kabir: [00:00:00] That nobody had touched this industry or targeted women. Do this, take on the big dogs. So we surveyed 2000 women and the output was Hanx. For me, a real pinch me moment was when that very product was stocked in exactly the same boots that I bumped into my boss. Also seeing that has led us to create other products that we know women want.

Farah Kabir: I honestly want Hanx to be the safe space that no matter what age, what background, what culture you have, you feel safe.

Amardeep Parmar: And we're live. Today we have with us Farah Kabir, who's the co founder of Hanx, which is a sexual and intimate wellness brand designed with women in mind. If you're joining us for the first time, we're the BAE HQ and we're all about helping British Asians to succeed. I'm your host Amar and today we're going to dive into Farah's story.

Amardeep Parmar: So let's go straight in. When you were growing up, like, what did you want to be? What were your ambitions? 

Farah Kabir: So apparently I wanted to be a dinner lady. I'm the youngest of four [00:01:00] and I remember seeing all these textbooks that like my brothers and sister would have grown up and apparently when I was three or four, I was, I was, you know, my parents saying, what do you want to be?

Farah Kabir: And I said, I want to be a dinner lady because I don't want to read all these textbooks and all the big books that everyone has to grow up and read. So yeah, quite unconventional. But yeah, as I was growing up, I think. You know, traditional Asian families. My dad really wanted me to be a doctor or a dentist.

Farah Kabir: My sister's a dentist. And so I think my dad had this dream of his own in a dentistry empire. But honestly, I didn't know what I wanted to be. I think there was a period of time where I kind of fell into that expectation of wanting to go into medicine and I studied, you know, sciences at A level, but actually up until about 17, 18, I still didn't know what I wanted to do, but I knew I was pretty good at business and economics.

Farah Kabir: So it was a pretty last minute decision where I changed to study finance and I went to Durham, much to my dad's dismay that I did not go down the dentistry [00:02:00] or the, or the, or the medicine route. And yeah, I studied finance at Durham, still didn't really know what I wanted to do. Today, but I knew that it was something that I enjoyed more than the sciences.

Farah Kabir: And I I'll be really honest. I think even in my twenties, even when I went into my first career in insurance and then to investment banking, I thoroughly enjoyed it and the people side of it, but I never truly knew  that was my calling or that's what I dreamed of doing. 

Amardeep Parmar: I think it's interesting as well, because like, so you get some people come on and say, Oh, when I was like five years old, I had a lemonade stand.

Amardeep Parmar: I always wanted to become an entrepreneur.. And then the truth is like so many of us, like I had no idea I wanted to be at that.. So my A levels were. The medicine, well the medicine and dentistry route, so biology and chemistry, and then maths and economics. So you had both options open. I didn't really want to go down the medicine dentistry route, but then you also know the status, like you said there, right?

Amardeep Parmar: I think one of the good things about finance economics, it gives you options later on. And like, as you were studying that, as in, in that career, what was your, like, did you ever think, oh, one day I want to do my own thing, or you're just kind of happy on that corporate path for a while?

Farah Kabir: Yeah, I mean, I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so I'm the [00:03:00] youngest of four.

Farah Kabir: My siblings all have their own hustles, main hustles, side hustles, and then their corporate careers as well. And my parents are quite entrepreneurial. So it's always been in the family and in the blood, but I've never wanted to do it myself. So we always get together at Christmas time. And every year there was always a conversation around, you know, Farah, I've seen this commercial property here, or have you thought about investing in this?

Farah Kabir: And this is at the time when I was working at Goldman and, and quite honestly, I was quite happy at Goldman. I was quite happy making mistakes at someone else's firm, whilst I always had an entrepreneurial flair. You know, I didn't quite feel the urge to do anything. And to be honest, I really was enjoying my role and my time there.

Farah Kabir: So I guess. You know, for me, it wasn't really, it wasn't that I had to set up a company because I wanted to be an entrepreneur. What happened with Hengst was much more organic. 

Amardeep Parmar: It was almost like you're intentionally not becoming an entrepreneur and you're trying to avoid it. You said like, you like making mistakes on other people's time.

Amardeep Parmar: And that's one of the things I think a lot of people don't realize. It's so much easier. Like if you make a mistake at a company, [00:04:00] right, there's people above you as managers, there's somebody else can deal with it. And one of the biggest things I miss at the escalation point. So what was it about that entrepreneurship that was putting you off at the beginning?

Farah Kabir: I mean, I'll caveat, I didn't make too many mistakes because quite a few people wait for my role at Goldman. Um, but I think what I really enjoyed is learning how a business functions. And I think I guess if there was any fear to have, it was that if you set up your own company, where's your guidebook?

Farah Kabir: Where do you start from if you've not worked elsewhere? But for me, you know, like I said, I didn't plan on becoming an entrepreneur. I was quite happy being in finance. I think seeing how hard it is or how difficult it can be and seeing my siblings work incredibly hard. They're not work shy. I was in my early twenties and I thought, well, if I end up doing this, then I'm not going to be able to have a great time or like go partying.

Farah Kabir: So I guess it was a lifestyle choice as well at the time.

Amardeep Parmar: So you said the Hanx started organically. What is the story behind Hangs? Why, why did it begin? 

Farah Kabir: Essentially around the time. I, alongside some of my friends, had come [00:05:00] off hormonal birth control. So, prescription birth control is very common in, in girls, and you're often prescribed it from the age of 15, for various reasons, not just for protection.

Farah Kabir: And the side effects were just really weighing me down. So the only option at the time were, were condoms, and my office on Flea Street was a couple of dollars down from a, a Boots and on my lunch break, busy working day, I popped in, picked up my Boots meal deal, things I needed, such as face wipes and a pack of condoms.

Farah Kabir: Uh, and my boss was behind me in the queue and I was absolutely mortified. Had this bright red pack in my hand. He didn't say anything. I didn't say anything. But I was so fearful that he was thinking, this girl is promiscuous. Like, who is she getting up to hanky panky with on her lunch break?

Amardeep Parmar: Is that where Hanx comes from?

Farah Kabir: Hanky panky? Yeah, Hanx is actually short for hanky panky. And I was super embarrassed and then frustrated. And then angry. And I kind of thought, look, they may not be for me. They could be for a threat. Like, irrespective, why should I feel embarrassed to take control of my [00:06:00] sexual health or any other area of my health?

Farah Kabir: And I was explaining this to Sarah, who's a really good friend of mine. We grew up together. She's a gynecology doctor. And at the time she was treating women in STI clinics. And she was seeing a rise of women coming in, hard to treat STIs, irritations from products that they were using, uh, with interesting ingredients.

Farah Kabir: Um, and dating apps had just kicked off. So condoms are needed more than ever. And we actually thought of the name Hanx that night. And we put our heads together and we thought, this is crazy, let's set up condoms with women in mind. And then of course, we woke up the next day and we were like, are we actually crazy?

Farah Kabir: Are we, are we gonna do this? Um, and we did, we got so incredibly excited at the prospect that nobody had touched this industry or targeted women. So it's been a male dominated industry for decades with one or two big players in each region. And so I think there was a little bit of naivety on our part thinking that we could do this, take on the big dogs.

Farah Kabir: But that's what gave us the drive, the gumption, the [00:07:00] excitement behind spending all our evenings and weekends building this proposition. 

Amardeep Parmar: Yeah, because obviously  you said like you're working at Goldman at the time and then you had this big idea on the side and you're trying to balance the two, right? 

Farah Kabir: Yeah.

Amardeep Parmar: And how did you do that with Sarah, right? Because when there's two of you, and obviously she was working full time as well, how did you manage the early stage? Because I guess some people right now that might be listening thinking, I want to start a company with a friend of mine. But then we're both busy, like how did you get that off the ground?

Farah Kabir: Yeah, and the funny thing is a lot of people said don't go into business with your friend. I couldn't go into business with anyone else but Sarah. We were best friends, we're very similar in a lot of ways, but we're very different as well. You know, Sarah was out there delivering babies, saving lives. I'm just an Excel monkey on a spreadsheet in corporate, but the two go hand in hand very well.

Farah Kabir: So we have complimentary skill sets. And honestly, there's no rule or guidebook to be an entrepreneur. So it was literally a bashing of heads together and being like, here are all the things we need to do. Whether it was researching manufacturers, setting up a survey monkey to find out if people wanted the product.

Farah Kabir: It was basically an [00:08:00] ongoing task list that we would divvy up and, and share the workload on. And until it got to a point where we thought, Oh my God, this, this has legs. Like we should do it. And in our mind, we were thinking we have nothing to lose right now. You know, at the time neither of us had kids or dependents or anything stopping us other than the dismay of our parents.

Farah Kabir: The fact that we'd invest our life savers into Johnny's, um, that should have gone into something else. Yeah. We, we thought why not take a risk? We can always go back to our day jobs. 

Amardeep Parmar: You mentioned  that about the survey side of things and getting the information, the research, how did you go about that?

Amardeep Parmar: Like, what was your process or was it, did you have a, like you said, Guidebook for this, right?. But let's say somebody's thinking, okay, I wanna test out an idea before I really put my time into it. What would you recommend there? Like what did you do that maybe they could replicate it? 

Farah Kabir: Yeah, I mean you might think you have a fantastic idea just like we did, but you know, that's fairly one-sided.

Farah Kabir: Um, and you know, what we want to do is something called the month test. So, you know, there's a book on it as well, and we want to see whether our ideas stuck and if other people are interested, because [00:09:00] there's also a reason why no one else has tackled this market. There's gotta be a big reason. So are we missing a trick here?

Farah Kabir: And there's only so much naives he will get you through. So we surveyed 2000 women. So what we did is we set up a survey on SurveyMonkey at the time, asking them if they were to buy condoms, what would they look like, feel like, what's stopping them? You know, what are the barriers? Um, and the output was Hankx.

Farah Kabir: And having Sarah's N H Ss network really helped. That's what enabled us to get so many survey results. And that's what drove us to creating our first product, because we were able to get the feedback that women care about what they put in and on their bodies. They want a brand that is transparent with their ingredients, a product that aligns with beauty standards so that it's not garishly packaged or promoting a man's conquest if it fell out of your handbag.

Farah Kabir: And that's what led us to... create our first Sarah product. 

Amardeep Parmar: Again, like creating the product at the beginning, right? You said you're researching manufacturers, you're doing this kind of stuff. I guess obviously you got like Sarah's a gynecology background, so you can make sure you've got the right ingredients, things like that.

Amardeep Parmar: But even going from the ideation to actually creating a product, [00:10:00] how's that feeling? Like getting that first product in your hand and then now, okay, we're going to try and sell this, right? Because it's now it's real, right? Once you've had that first one produced. 

Farah Kabir: Yeah. I mean, it was crazy and it was a bumpy ride.

Farah Kabir: I'm super impatient as Sarah and  things took a lot longer than we had anticipated, but I think a real pinch me moment was when we had the product in hand and also when we got into retail, like for me, a real pinch me moment was when that very product was stocked in exactly the same boots that I bumped into my boss, and that was such a wow moment.

Farah Kabir: I was really emotional. And yeah, it was a great experience. Even now I think back on that, but I think on the daily, we do get these pinch me moments. Like even the fact that customers will email us saying your lube changed my life or it helped me with my pregnancy. It's like, you're actually having an impact on other people's lives, which is crazy.

Farah Kabir: I can do that for just one person, like I made it. So yeah, constant pinch me moments. 

Amardeep Parmar: It's like you had like this [00:11:00] journey, right? Where Everything's really exciting. But at some point to make this really go where you want it to go, you're going to have to go full time. What was that turning point? What was the moment you decided this is it?

Farah Kabir: Yeah. So we spoke to as many people that would listen to us. You know, they often say when you have an idea like, Oh, don't talk about it until it's fully ready. Or you know, you might have evil eye or whatever. We did the opposite. We were like, we want to talk to as many people as we can about this because it's free consulting and someone will know someone.

Farah Kabir: And we, during that time, we started to everyone from marketeers to investors to people in VC. And, you know, we had strong traction in that capacity. So not only did we have 2000 survey people who were early adopters and customers that were willing to purchase this product. We also had interest in people like angels.

Farah Kabir: So people we were talking to who were like, okay, if you can get this off the ground, if you can get the product live, if you can get into retail, we'll invest. And so for us, it was like. Well, this is a no brainer and we also have to put our skin in the game. There's no way it's sustainable doing the two of [00:12:00] them

Amardeep Parmar: And getting into retail, right?

Amardeep Parmar: Because neither of your backgrounds really has that retail background. So how did you even go about that? Like, how did you think, okay, I guess, did you start with boots or did you start smaller? What was your strategy? 

Farah Kabir: So we, we just didn't take no for an answer. It was just not possible. The very fact that we had quit our well paid

Farah Kabir: jobs and like the cultural background of going to a Muslim Bangladeshi family and saying, I'm going to start selling condoms. There's no option to fail. Like you're, you're in, you're fully in. So we didn't have backgrounds in retail, but you know, I worked at Red Bull junior university. I was driving like a can, a mini with a can on the back.

Farah Kabir: I'd learned a bit about, you know, the sales side. And we just continued to reach out to retailers. Even if they said no, we would keep them abreast of the company. We would give them exciting updates and just trying to build that relationship and that rapport with them. There's nothing worse than going to a retailer.

Farah Kabir: They say no. And then you reach back out six months later without any kind of nurturing of that relationship and that's what we worked really hard on doing. 

Amardeep Parmar: Now you've got into [00:13:00] retail and it's all expanding and I guess I said like you've had to go through this process of sharing your idea with people, getting all this feedback.

Amardeep Parmar: Was there any moments where you doubted this? Like you said you, you said you couldn't fail.

Farah Kabir: There were always moments of, again, naivety where we thought it would be easier. Like, and it wasn't. So like getting into retail was incredibly challenging. Getting online was incredibly challenging. We launched and then a major payment provider.

Farah Kabir: Pulled the plug on us, uh, because we're in a taboo arena, we're in what's classed as sex tech. And there's a lot of corporates who have these vice clauses that say you cannot participate or invest or whatever in adult content, even though we weren't adult content, it's technically a woman's health need.

Farah Kabir: And so we've had continuous, we've had constant challenges around that. And I think fundraising is another one as well that's, that's been, that's been really tough that we're, that we're constantly learning about, but we always make mistakes and that's okay. Like, I really want to [00:14:00] emphasize the fact that it's okay to make mistakes because you learn from them, you know?

Farah Kabir: And I think had we not had mistakes along the way, or, you know, uh, difficult journey. I don't think we'd be where we are today. 

Amardeep Parmar: You mentioned naivety a few times, and I think it's good to have that naivety in some ways because if you didn't have that naivety, you might not have tried. And because you tried, then you learn more because I said it's always going to take longer than you expect, but sometimes having that excitement and that enthusiasm that you're going to get it done quicker.

Amardeep Parmar: Enable you to actually get moving. Because why did you do it and so many other people didn't? I said, it's a great idea. It's needed by so many people, but other people might just not believe that they could do it. And because you believed in yourself and you had the background and the skills to do that.

Amardeep Parmar: You went ahead and did it.. And that's the thing you can tell the idea to a million people. Are they going to put in the work? Are they going to put in the effort to make it happen like you did? And like the journey since then, right? So you've got into stores. What's happened since then? What's been some of the biggest milestones for you?

Amardeep Parmar: You said you [00:15:00] get the emails all the time, but like, what, what's the growth been like?

Farah Kabir: Um, it's been a bumpy ride, to be honest. So we've had a very clear vision, you know, whilst, whilst Hanx was born out of the idea of. of creating condoms for women, quite quickly we realized there's a gap in the wider women's health market.

Farah Kabir: And, you know, having Sarah as co-founder and a gynecology doctor, she sees the issues firsthand. And so quite quickly after launching condoms and lubricants, we realized there's a real opportunity here to connect to the milestones of women's health. So all the way from your first period to your first time having sex, your first child, menopause and beyond.

Farah Kabir: And the way we see it, see it, there is no one brand that's doing that, but we couldn't go gung ho with all these products as a new brand in a very tricky and emotional market because, you know, using condoms is based on trust and authority. If they don't work, you either get pregnant or an STI. So we spent the first two to three years really honing in on the sexual health market, really making a name for ourselves, getting on the shelf next to the big players, because that [00:16:00] solidifies trust and authority, um, and building a community.

Farah Kabir: And that community is really what's led us and allowed us to build these other products that fill that vision for us. Um, from day dot, we've had a community of these 2000 early adopters. Uh, we've got a chat room called Hanx life. But like mom's not without your mom, but where you can freely ask for advice, recommendations on anything around sex, health relationships, and also seeing that has led us to create other products that we know women want.

Farah Kabir: So actually since the condoms and the lubricant, we developed a range of supplements. So we developed libido lift for women, uh, which is the first thing that's market, you know, you've got Viagra for men, but you don't really have anything for women that is natural based. And also menopause and pregnancy supplements.

Farah Kabir: Again, gyne backed, doctor approved. Um, I think we're one of the very few brands in, in women's health here that actually have a gyne who is leading on these products. And we've since also gone into prescription birth control [00:17:00] because again, looking at our community, choice is everything. Not everyone will use condoms, but actually to allow the choice in the education element is important.

Farah Kabir: So we built a prescription platform where you can get over 20 types of birth control, that you would get from your GP, you can get directly from us dispatched same day alongside things like the morning after pill and vaginal health treatment. So we're really trying to build a robust suite of products and services that support women at any age, whether it's your mother, your aunt, your sister, or yourself.

Amardeep Parmar: You mentioned about the community, right? And I guess it's been such a huge, important part of growing the business, getting more people involved. How did you go about that? So you said you've got themum's net for sex and health. But how did you assess that different ideas? Like, how did you think about like, how are we going to get people together?

Amardeep Parmar: ‘Cause obviously a lot of people might not be comfortable talking about this in public forums or with their name attached or anything like that. How did you get those people together? How did you pull them in? And once they obviously in, how do you retain them? How do you keep them engaged? 

Farah Kabir: It's been a long time play.

Farah Kabir: You, you can't build a community [00:18:00] overnight because consumers are not fickle either. You need to build that level of originality and authenticity. So it's not something we set out to do from day one, but we knew that those who, who interact with the brand are going to be the ones that lead a lot of what we want to do in future.

Farah Kabir: So it definitely wasn't an overnight thing, uh, and equally. Again, because we're technically classed as adult, we had so many issues even going on Instagram, on Facebook, setting up a Facebook group, like we'd constantly get banned. So we, we had to think outside the box. And I think honestly, you know, we've got a huge community now, but that took us five or six years to build.

Farah Kabir: And I think what's really helped build the community is building things people want, like, you know, if we were to do condoms and lubricants and then go into fashion, we know our community wouldn't really be interested in fashion. So it's really understanding what they want. And we've been able to do that by also creating content they want.

Farah Kabir: So one of the things we really want to do at Hanx is dismantle shame. Like, it, that's, if there's one thing we do, it's that, [00:19:00] because where do you go to for things like sex education, advice on relationships? And so by offering people content, there's a lot of blogs that we have, in the absence of them wanting to use condoms initially, you're giving customers what they want in a different way.

Farah Kabir: And so... By continuing that thread of not only products, but content, I think that's helped us build an authentic community, but it's definitely not happened overnight. 

Amardeep Parmar: How has your role changed over time? Because I know now you've got, you've built a personal brand yourself as well, right? And both of you are like faces of the company, and you both put out your own information and like really help to tackle that shame yourselves as well.

Amardeep Parmar: How's your role adapted over time?

Farah Kabir: Yeah, I think it's so funny you say personal brand because I've never seen it that way. But Emily, who manages brand says that that has happened. And I think a lot of it is organic because people are genuinely interested in founder stories. My role is still a little bit of everything.

Farah Kabir: I'll be really honest. So like, you know, when Sarah and I first started the company, I was more focused on finance, fundraising, sales. Sarah was on the [00:20:00] product development side, marketing, et cetera. And then we built out a team, but we are still such a lean and small team. So it is a little bit of everything.

Farah Kabir: This sort of stuff is lovely and nice to do, but the reality is this, this represents about 2 percent of what we have to do in the day to day. So a little bit of everything, but to be honest, my focus is still fundraising and sales and that will continue to be my focus because of my background. 

Amardeep Parmar: You mentioned that you built a little team as well.

Amardeep Parmar: How did you get those people involved? Like, where did you, how big is the team now? And yeah, I guess are you looking to hire anybody else at the moment? Maybe somebody listening? 

Farah Kabir: Yeah, absolutely. So we're a team of six full time. So we're, we're tiny, you know, people do reach out and they're like, they thought we were much bigger.

Farah Kabir: Um, but. It's important, certainly for Sarah and myself, that we grow slow but bring in the right talent with a good cultural fit. And culture, again, is something that doesn't happen overnight. You build that over time. In terms of our first hire, we knew that this was going to be a brand play. We didn't want to do anything that Dura X were doing.

Farah Kabir: So [00:21:00] whatever that brand was doing, we do the complete opposite. So branding and marketing, tone of voice is really important. That was our first key hire. I think it's really difficult making your first hires because you never know whether to go more senior or junior, but you train them up. And ultimately what we've learned is we need people smarter than Sarah and myself.

Farah Kabir: We need people smarter and in their, in their field experts. And funny enough, the two, the two people who have been with us the longest, we've coworking space. So Emily, who we love dearly, who heads up brand and marketing at Hanx, she started at Huckletree. Which is a co working space here in London. And her first day at Huckletree was the first time she'd met us when we were two, three months into Hanx.

Farah Kabir: So she's followed the journey from, from day one. Uh, and has now been working with us for, for a couple of years. But having the, the people that we've hired that worked with other people that have followed the brand before. And actually are passionate about women's health and not just because they want a role.

Amardeep Parmar: And you said you're now focusing on fundraising a lot yourself, right? And I know that you've raised like a significant amount of capital. [00:22:00] And what is that capital going towards like, um, you're raising at the moment as well, right? What's that? Is that going towards R& D or what's the fundraising requirement?

Farah Kabir: Yeah, so we are predominantly a consumer brand still, so a lot of it will go into stock and inventory. We've actually launched four different products this year. So we've done a lot of product development behind the scenes. But ultimately we're at the point where we want to scale the business. And so growing the team is super important to us.

Farah Kabir: We also have significant traction in the US. So whilst we're one of the only challenger brands in all the major retailers here, we've had interest from U. S. retailers. And so the fundraiser is really going to help support building that team out and helping us scale the business both online and in retail.

Amardeep Parmar: And what's the  dream? Like if you had no barriers, what do you want Hanx to get to? Where do you want to see this through?

Farah Kabir: I honestly want Hanx to be the safe space that no matter what age, what background, what culture you have, you feel safe and comfortable coming to us for education content or products.

Farah Kabir: And so what's really beautiful about our brand is when we started Hanks, we thought [00:23:00] our core audience was 25 year old Olivia, we called her. And actually when we look at our demographics now, over 40 percent of our purchases are men. And we've never targeted men. We have a grow, you know, core audience of 25 to 35, but a growing audience of 45 plus.

Farah Kabir: And so that's really beautiful for me. Not only are we building out a vision that connects the milestones of women's health, we're accessible for different women and different ages. So as I mentioned earlier, you know, I want it to be a safe space that you can come to, whether it's for your sister, your aunt, your mum, or yourself.

Farah Kabir: Almost like, you know, you'd have that friend, you'd have a really cool big sister, who'd seem to know all the stuff. I want it to be that space. 

Amardeep Parmar: And as you said, there's like social media platforms have banged you in the past and things like that. What's one of the misconceptions you think sometimes people have about Hanx that you'd like to like, you've got the space now to challenge it and like show

Amardeep Parmar: maybe it's people with the wrong impression, like how you're different to that?

Farah Kabir: Uh, well, firstly, for a long time, we think that me and Sarah are just the condom girls and that we're just [00:24:00] a sex brand. And we're way more than that. You know, yes, condoms is our hero product, but it was a starting point for us and really changing behaviors, disrupting the sale category and building a movement where people feel confident and safe to talk.

Farah Kabir: You know, we really, when I, I'm not lying when I say we get DMs. Daily about people talking in great detail about how they feel and what the products have done to them. I don't think that happens with other household major names. There is no authentic relationship between the consumer and the brand.

Farah Kabir: Whereas I think we've been able to build that and make a name for ourselves in that space and to do it in a very tongue in cheek, but not crass or rude. Like there's a fine line, uh, in a real and relatable way. I, I think, has, has really gotten us to where we are today. Yeah. 

Amardeep Parmar: And as you said there, cause obviously on the Hanks website and the about us and stuff, you think you can say on your website, the condom goes and stuff, right?

Farah Kabir: Yeah. 

Amardeep Parmar: And it's being able to play off that. Cause like you said, it's lots of people in this space. They [00:25:00] worry about the shame element or those kinds of things. Where as if you can do like confidently say who you are and like I said, it's just health at the end of the day, right? There's nothing wrong with health.

Farah Kabir: No.

Amardeep Parmar: And as you expand further, right, it's going to be, you're going to grow bigger team or it's kind of things. What's most exciting for you? What's the thing that you're like, I can't wait for this.

Farah Kabir: Like I said, I come from a Bangladeshi Muslim background where it is very taboo to be talking about things like this and that there is shame in it.

Farah Kabir: I will be very excited when I can see that there are other communities like, you know, Bangladesh Muslim communities where they feel comfortable. I'll give you an anecdote. So Sarah used to teach sex education in schools. Um, alongside being a doctor. And there was a school in East London that she taught in, predominantly girl's school.

Farah Kabir: It was a girl's school, 80 percent Muslim. Um, the majority of that class had been signed out of sex education [00:26:00] by their parents. And that really scares me, you know, because the only way you're going to educate yourself is if you know your body inside out. And so you need to be informed and know what your rights and your choices are and what that means for you.

Farah Kabir: And so that's just, I can only speak to a culture that I have known, but that's just an example. There are lots of other communities and cultures that may prevent the children getting from education in certain areas like this. So, yeah, I hope that I can help other communities in a shame free manner and hopefully not

Farah Kabir: cause any trouble to different communities along the way. 

Amardeep Parmar: So it's been really good to talk to you today. We're going to need to move to the quickfire questions now. So the first one is, who are three British Asians that you'd love to shout out that you think are doing incredible work? 

Farah Kabir: Anissa Osmond Bresson.

Farah Kabir: I love her. I think she's great. She, she writes really well. She's a great journalist and she's recently been focusing on brown bodies. So lots of great stories on her subsex. So you should follow her. Uh, Poppy Jay of Brown Girls Do It Too. A lola minute. She's very funny. Uh, and [00:27:00] I like what she's doing about smashing the taboos there.

Farah Kabir: Um, and then a third one, I think this is personal because I love her food. Asma Khan of Darjeeling Express. Um, I love the fact that, you know, her kitchen was female only refugees, like what a way to give back, and her food is incredible. I urge you to go to Darjeeling Express if you haven't already tried it.

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Amardeep Parmar: I don't think I've been there yet. I might just have to go myself.

Farah Kabir: Very yummy. 

Amardeep Parmar: And the next bit is, is if people listening now want to reach out to you, reach out to Hanx, or like, where can they find  you, what can they reach out about? 

Farah Kabir: Yeah, so you can find us on all social media platforms, unless we get banned temporarily, which hasn't happened for a while.

Farah Kabir: Um, it's Hanksofficial, H A N X. Um, on various platforms and you can slide into our dms. Like I said, we do get a whole host of people asking questions, uh, advice and recommendations, and we wanna smash shame and not make that to be. So you can contact us and we have a chat room called Hanx Life. Uh, again, so that is, [00:28:00] it can be anonymous.

Farah Kabir: You can use any username. You don't have to declare any, you know, any details about yourself. Um, and you can post anonymously on that and it. It generally tends to be the community that advocates and comes together and provides recommendations or advice. 

Amardeep Parmar: And is there anything that the audience might be able to help you with or help out Hanx with?

Farah Kabir: Tell your friends about Hanx. Tell your friends about Hanks. You know, we are a women's health movement. Uh, we're not alienating any communities or any people. We want people to feel proud and to take control of their bodies and the health behind that. 

Amardeep Parmar: So again, thank you so much for coming on today. Have you got any final words to the audience?

Farah Kabir: If you have an idea. I would trust your gut, go with it, it's got your best interest at heart. Have a, have a healthy helping of naivety, but also take a calculated risk. Really understand the market. If your idea is great, find out why it hasn't happened yet. And, and be honest with yourself on that.

Amardeep Parmar: Hello, hello, everyone. Thank you so much for listening. It means a huge [00:29:00] amount to us. And we don't think you realize how important you are, because if you subscribe to our YouTube channel, if you leave us a five star review, it makes a world of difference. And if you believe in what we're trying to do here,

Amardeep Parmar: to inspire, connect, and guide the next generation of British Asians. If you do those things, you can help us achieve that mission and you can help us make a bigger impact. And by doing that, it means we can get bigger guests. We can host more events. We can do more for the community. So you can play a huge part.

Amardeep Parmar: So thank you so much for supporting us.

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