Elissa Corrigan is the founder of Elle Sera supplements, a premium women’s supplement brand redefining how hormonal health and wellbeing are supported. With a background in journalism and a long-standing interest in women’s health, Elissa has built a business that blends science, storytelling and elevated design.
Before launching Elle Sera, Elissa spent years writing about health and wellness and working closely with women through retreats, gaining first-hand insight into the real challenges many face – from low energy and mood to hormonal imbalance and loss of confidence. These lived experiences, combined with her professional background, gave her a deeper understanding of what women actually need.
It was during lockdown that the idea for Elle Sera fully came together. Spotting a clear gap in the market for products that support women’s hormonal balance in a way that feels considered, chic and impactful, Elissa set out to create something different.
Elissa Corrigan sits down with The Women’s Journal to talk candidly about her career, the growth of Elle Sera supplements and what it takes to succeed as a female founder.
The Female-Founded Business Plan
What is your business, and what led you to start it?
I’m the founder of Elle Sera, a premium, innovative women’s wellness and supplement brand. The idea for our first product, The Golden Pill, came during lockdown. I remember thinking about how many products exist to help men with faltering erections – entire industries built around restoring male confidence – and asking myself a very simple question: what do we have for women when their spark starts to fade? Not just physically, but emotionally. Spirit, energy, confidence, desire. Hormones sit at the centre of all of that, yet women are often expected to just ‘get on with it’. I wanted to create something that supported women’s hormonal balance in a way that felt luxe – like a French fashion house – chic and memorable. That’s how Elle Sera began.
What do you love about your business?
Honestly? How chic it is. It stands out. In an industry that’s all plastic and uninspiring purple feminine products (yuk), I’ve built something that feels considered, elevated and beautifully designed. Our attention to detail is obsessive, from formulation to packaging to language. In the supplement space, very few brands operate at that level but I do. Packaging and formulation are my passion, and I go to great lengths to get the best. Have you seen our collagen ampoules? Outstanding. But beyond the aesthetic, I’m incredibly proud of how innovative our products are and of the feedback we receive from women who tell us we’ve genuinely changed how they feel. That never gets old. What I love most is that Elle Sera sits at the intersection of science, storytelling and real impact.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
Honestly, it comes from a couple of very different places. French fashion houses have been a huge influence on the brand – not in a literal fashion sense, but in their attitude. Their presentation, their mindset. The restraint. The attention to detail. They don’t chase trends or over-explain themselves. That really shapes how I think about Elle Sera, how it looks and how it feels.
And then there’s JC – not Jesus Christ, but Jackie Collins – who I’ve always had a lot of time for. She was bold, fearless and brazen, taking on an industry that didn’t always want to take her seriously. She backed herself, understood her audience and built a real connection with her community. That combination – polish with edge, confidence with warmth – has definitely influenced both how I build the brand and how I show up as a founder.
Skills, Experience and Mindset for Female Founders
What are three skills that you think every woman should develop when starting out?
Understand marketing. Properly.
Not just posting on Instagram – I mean really understanding positioning, messaging, customer psychology and why someone should choose you over anyone else. You can have the best product in the world, but if you can’t communicate its value, it won’t sell.
Get confident on camera.
People buy into people. If you’re building a brand, especially as a founder, your face and voice are assets. You don’t need to be polished or perfect – you need to be comfortable being seen. It’s learnable.
Know your numbers.
Margins. Cash flow. Customer acquisition cost. Break-even points. If you don’t understand the financial side, you don’t have a business – you have an expensive hobby. You absolutely need a solid grasp of what’s coming in, what’s going out and where the profit actually is.
What has been a mistake in your career that you’ve learned from?
I’ve made some very expensive mistakes. I assumed someone else must know better, so I hired eye-wateringly expensive agencies or consultants, thinking their price tag equalled being better than me. I realised I already understood my brand, my customer and my strategy far better than they did. The real lesson was: don’t outsource your intuition. As a founder, especially in a brand-led business, your instinct is an asset. You’re the closest to the customer. You care the most. And you see the full picture. It was a costly lesson financially. I’m still making these mistakes all the time too.
What motivates you on a daily basis?
My daughter, first and always. She’s a huge part of why I do this, and why I want to build something that lasts. Being able to support my daughter financially – because I had the courage to take a bet on myself – that’s probably the biggest motivation of all. I’m also motivated by the impact I want to have on the world, and by seeing Elle Sera grow into a brand where people really know what we stand for.
And weirdly, or maybe not, I’m also motivated by the people who doubted me, who laughed at me, the people who belittled me. Men who thought they were better than me in relationships. People who started with bigger leg-ups and more privilege than I did. I’m kicking their ass. It’s a good little driver – like free petrol.
I also love seeing other people’s success around me because of a little idea I had the courage to act on. Kelly, who works with me, has stood on a West End stage talking about ecommerce – not performing – but that’s still fulfilling a dream for her. She’s bought her own house and was able to do that because of some wild idea I had. That’s a win I love.
Women in Business
How have you had to adapt as a woman in business?
I’ve never really felt like being a woman in business held me back. I don’t lead with that, and I’ve never built my identity around it. I’ve always just focused on doing the job well, backing my decisions and building something commercially solid. If anything, I’ve seen being a woman as neutral – sometimes even an advantage in a consumer-led business like mine.
What struggles have you had to overcome as a woman in business?
Where the real adaptation has come is in being a mother in business. That is ridiculously hard. The logistics, the guilt, the mental load, the constant switching between roles – founder, decision-maker, parent – all while being expected to perform at the same level. There’s no handbook for it, and very little grace built into the system.
I’ve had to become far more disciplined with my time, far more ruthless with priorities and much more forgiving of myself. Motherhood hasn’t softened my ambition – it’s sharpened it. I don’t waste energy anymore. That’s the biggest adjustment I’ve had to make – not as a woman, but as a working mother building something of her own.
How do you manage your work-life balance?
I don’t. I hire help. There’s no magic formula, and I don’t pretend there is. If I tried to do everything myself – business, motherhood, life – something would collapse. So I get support. At home and in the business. That’s how it works. The idea that women should be able to ‘balance it all’ without help is unrealistic. Trying to ‘do it all’ is a bullshit myth, and usually one that only applies to women. I’d rather build something properly and be present properly than exhaust myself trying to prove I can do both alone.
Advice for Aspiring Female Founders
What advice would you give to other women in business?
If it was easy, everyone would do it. It’s completely normal to feel like you’re winning one day and having a heart attack the next. That emotional whiplash doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong, it usually means you’re doing it properly. Expect it, don’t dramatise it, and keep moving.
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What do you think still needs to be changed or done to help more women get into business?
Childcare. Full stop. If we actually want more women building businesses or staying in senior roles, the practical support has to exist. One thing I’d love to see is large corporations offering on-site nurseries so mums can drop in, stay connected and not have to leave early or disappear at key moments because of the school run. Until childcare is treated as infrastructure, not a ‘personal issue,’ we’re always going to lose talented women along the way.
What are your three tips for aspiring female entrepreneurs?
I don’t have three neat, inspirational tips, but I do have one that matters. Look at your circle. Who are you spending time with? Are you around people who are building, growing, taking risks, making money and thinking bigger than you are? If not, I would change that immediately. Being around other successful entrepreneurs changes everything. You see how they move, how they think, how they work – and suddenly things you thought were impossible feel normal. Ambition is contagious. Put yourself in the right room.
What is your favourite motivational quote?
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”
About Elle Sera Supplements
Founded by Elissa Corrigan, Elle Sera is a premium supplement company redefining how women’s hormonal health and wellbeing are supported. The brand offers a curated range of products, including hormonal support supplements, collagen ampoules and targeted wellness formulations designed to support energy, mood and overall balance. Built on innovation, elevated design and real results, Elle Sera Supplements is rooted in the belief that supporting women’s health should feel as considered, chic and impactful as it is effective.
