In this episode of HAYVN Hubcast, host Nancy Sheed speaks with Christine Jurzenski and Erica Schultz, co-founders of Cranel, about their journey building a women-centered health company rooted in prevention, education, and product efficacy.
Key Takeaways
Normalizing taboo conversations in women’s health Christine Jurzenski and Erica Schultz are on a mission to remove stigma around UTIs, gut health, and vaginal health—areas many women experience but rarely discuss openly.
A company born from personal pain points Cranel started as a solution to recurrent UTIs after the founders experienced the frustrating cycle of antibiotics, side effects, and limited preventative options.
Non-traditional founders who learned fast With backgrounds in finance and law, they built Cranel by taking “micro steps”—researching clinical evidence, cold-calling experts, and learning manufacturing and e-commerce from scratch.
COVID pushed them into DTC—and it worked The pandemic forced Cranel to launch as a direct-to-consumer brand, allowing them to maintain margins, educate customers, and build strong relationships with their community.
Lean scaling with smart delegation Cranel is still run by the two founders full-time with a network of contractors. They believe in mastering processes before outsourcing and leveraging modern tools and AI to scale efficiently.
Expanding from a hero product to a platform The brand has grown beyond cranberry juice with the launch of a probiotic/prebiotic product to support gut and vaginal microbiome health, signaling a broader women’s health platform strategy.
Navigating the supplement and regulatory gray zone They discussed the challenges of operating in the supplement space, balancing science-backed messaging with regulatory constraints, and advocating for better education around antibiotic overuse and resistance.
The power of community and pitching Winning the HAYVN Hatch pitch competition reinforced the value of female founder communities, mentorship, and the strength of a co-founder partnership.
Christine and Erica’s journey with Cranel illustrates how personal frustration can spark meaningful innovation. By combining evidence-based product development, direct-to-consumer education, and a mission to destigmatize women’s health, they’re building more than a brand—they’re building a movement.
Their story highlights the power of curiosity, persistence, and community in turning a side hustle into a growing health platform designed by women, for women.
