Empowering Women: Holly Mozak's Journey to Leak-Proof Activewear

In this episode, Holly Mozak shares her lifelong struggle with bladder leaks and how it spurred her to create a line of leak-proof activewear. Holly discovered her passion for CrossFit at 39, which led to an empowering fitness journey but highlighted her incontinence issues during high-impact activities. Determined to find a solution, she developed Moxie Fitness Apparel—leak-proof shorts, capris, and leggings designed to offer both functionality and comfort. Holly discusses the challenges of starting a small business, the importance of openly addressing women's health issues, and her mission to help women stay active and confident.

For a discount on Moxie Fitness Apparel, use code: drsarah

Timeline:

00:28 Introduction to Holly Mozak's Story

00:56 Discovering CrossFit and Empowerment

03:39 The Embarrassing Incident

06:08 Seeking Solutions and Developing a Product

12:26 Challenges and Feedback

22:13 Future Plans and Final Thoughts

Transcript

Hi there. I'm here today with Holly Mozak, who has a bladder leaking story. And um, do you just want to get started and tell us about your background? And 

Absolutely. So I think I've had probably bladder leaking stories from my childhood. I remember even as a kid, my brother tickling me to the point where I would pee my pants.

He thought that was funny. I didn't. But, um, you know, facts. Fast forward to really, I would say, um, 10 years ago, my husband and I had a crazy idea to, to open a CrossFit gym and I had never done CrossFit before, but I'd always been pretty active. But I started doing CrossFit and I really fell in love with how empowering I felt.

Uh, I had never lifted weights like that and just being around other really strong women, um, and seeing us, our, um, whole emotional, um, Being changed from, I don't know how to do that to, you know, being okay to grunt and let it out and just be really strong. So how old were you at that point? Yeah, uh, I would have been 39.

Okay. 

So you were 39 and you had kids.  

Yeah. So my kids, let's see, I had, I had them when I was 30 and 32. Yeah. 

Okay. So you had young kids and then decided to start doing CrossFit, which sounds like it was a whole new adventure for you, right? Which is pretty amazing, right? And a very positive thing to be doing at 39, right?

I think it's always good when we do things that are, you know, physical, but also put you in an uncomfortable space. Right. And you're, you're learning to do new things that that's hard to do. 

And, and, you know, I think about it when I look back, when I was a kid, most of the moms maybe, um, went to the gym to do aerobics.

Maybe, maybe you saw them on a machine awkwardly trying to figure it out, but I don't, I don't remember. And my mom didn't do any, and she was not active at all, but I don't remember seeing strong moms. Um, and I love, Now, you know, I remember my son asking me, Hey mom, can you show me how to deadlift? Can you show me how to climb a rope?

And that was like such a cool thing to be able to like, yes, my boys don't even think it's weird. Like it's, Hey, my mom, you know? So. 

You're, you're right though. It's definitely, you know, kind of a newer development. I, I agree with you. I didn't see anyone lifting, um, when I was a kid, maybe a little bit of tennis, definitely aerobics, but that was it.

Yeah. Yeah. And there's still, I think there's still this, um, I'm probably getting off on a tangent. I still think that a lot of women feel like, oh, well, if I lift weights, I'm going to get, you know, big and bulky. And it's just not the case. It's like, no, it's so good for, especially as we age, we need to build that muscle mass.

So 

yeah, absolutely. I mean, we lose muscle as we age. Right. And so you do have to be actively building it.  

Yes. Okay. So you 

start your crossfit gym and I think I know where this is going. 

Yeah. So, um,  in particular, I realized I was starting to leak a little bit when I would lift a heavy weight, or especially if I would do what we call, it's called a double under, it's a jumping rope, but it is, um, the rope passes twice under your feet, every rotation.

And, um, I didn't really let it bother me. I, you know, I would go in the bathroom and all of that, but it was, um, a particular moment where I was in a competition and the competition was, um, essentially, let's say I had five minutes and I had to lift as much weight as I could in that five minutes. And my husband was there just, you know, really, you know, motivating me and my oldest son, who was probably about 10 at the time, um, he was there and they were watching me. 

And I was doing really, really good. And I, you know, hit that personal best. So I put more weight on the bar and I lifted and that's when it happened. I all of a sudden felt like, Oh my God, I, I leaked like really leaked. And I looked down, I still was holding the way I looked down and there, there was an actual small puddle on the ground.

And I look over at my husband and he's just like, who cares? Keep going, keep going. You got it. But my son, that's where it happened. My son was just, his jaw was dropped. He was staring at this puddle, like what, what happened? And so I looked at him and I just threw the barbell down on the ground and that was it.

I was done. I was like, this was supposed to be this great. I was so excited. Like I was, I was hitting big weights for me. And then it was over. Like, This humiliating thing just happened. And, you know, I had to grab a towel and wipe my puddle off and, you know, walk off and then explain to my son  what just happened.

And so that's really where, you know, I started asking other women, like, is this, does this happen? And the more women I started asking them, they're like, yes. What do you, what do you do? What do you wear? What, you know, and I just, that's where it really got me on the quest of like, okay, I got to figure this out.

And I was really like, you know what, if this was an issue that was happening to men, there would be tons of products out there. It would be, you know, it'd be like Viagra. There's, there's no stigma, you know, blah, blah, blah. But for women, it's like the, it was like this quiet, embarrassing thing that we had to deal with.

So that's really where. I decided, you know what, I'm going to develop a product that I like because I couldn't really find anything out there at that time that was meeting the needs for me. 

So I, I think that's an amazing story, right? Because I think your other choice would have been to say, look, I'm, I'm not going to do this activity that I love.

That causes me these embarrassing moments, right? And I, I think that that is a decision that a lot of women make, right? And say, well, I'm, I'm just gonna, I'm gonna avoid this. Um, so kudos to you because that is, that's a hard choice to make, right? To push on.  

Yes, absolutely. And you're, you, you are totally right.

I've talked to so many women and they do just stop, you know, Um,  you want to go to a trampoline park with your kids? Well, I, I used to, but then this, then I'll just sit on the sidelines and watch, even though I would love to be out there flipping with my, my son, you know? Yeah. 

I think that's hard. And your story, I mean, it definitely shows how, you know, your system, it sounds like works pretty well until there's higher impact, right?

When you're doing really hard things. And, and that's when you leak it's because you're using your body and you're pushing it. Someone else who didn't do that activity probably and had the exact same system probably wouldn't leak because they're not, they're just not using their system in that, in that way.

And, and so, you know, you hang out in a world of people that do CrossFit, that there's a lot of leaking in that world just because of the way women use their bodies. 

Yeah. And, you know, some of the women I talked to they'll, they'll do this. Uh, I'm, I'm 24 and I haven't even had kids. Why is this happening?

And I have to reassure them. Like it doesn't, it doesn't, that's such a, that's such a, um, misconception that this only happens to moms. I'm like, you are pushing your body. Look how hard you're pushing your body. Like you're not strengthening your pelvic floor. The same way you're strengthening the rest of your body.

So yes, this is going to happen to you. 

Well, and I would also bring it back to your story, right? I mean, you've leaked since you were a child, 10 percent of women leak their entire lives. And there've been, um, there's been a little bit of increased media attention on this lately with the Olympics, just the high percentage of women who do athletics who leak, I mean, gymnasts.

Pole vaulters, volleyball players, soccer players, right. It is a, it is a very high percentage and it's, it's really a design flaw, right. It's just kind of the way we're built when there's enough pressure in your abdominal cavity. It's going to push out a little bit of urine at times. Um, so yeah, but I, I think it's frustrating and you're definitely right.

It happens to young women who haven't had kids. It just depends on your particular system, how you're built and what you're doing.  

Yeah, one of, um, I remember when my, when my kids were doing cross country, the coach asked me if I could give her a pair for one of her, um, 12 year old girls that every time towards the end of the race, when the girl would sprint to the end, she would leak and how horrifying it was for this little girl.

And so just wearing the shorts. Gave her that confidence that, you know, I can at least sprint and I'll still I'm still it's it's and that's what I was trying to tell them and I'm not curing your problem by any means. You're still going to have leaks. But but what I'm doing is providing you some protection.

So. When it does happen, please don't have that humiliation that 

we, and I think that's so important and your story definitely tugs at my heartstrings because I feel so badly for, I mean, middle school is hard, right? And then putting that on top of it, high school sports is hard. And it always seems to me that the smaller, the uniform bottom.

The more likely you are to leak in that sport, right? I mean, the, the incidence of leaking with volleyball is really high and it's really hard to hide it in that particular attire. So, you know, it's, it's a big deal and it is a shame that we don't talk about it more so that, you know, more moms, more kids know, know the options and know the different things that they can do.

Right. And so you're a huge athlete, you have your CrossFit gym. So then you just start, you developed a product. And what is it? 

Yeah. So, um, it's called moxie fitness apparel and they're essentially leak proof, um, shorts and capris and leggings and maternity leggings. So, um, yeah, it was an interesting journey.

I have a, I have a full time job as well. That was taking me from where I'm at in Illinois down to North Carolina. And I had started talking to some women at this conference. I was at North Carolina, completely unrelated, but I was telling her about my idea. And she had said, Oh, you know, the North Carolina state has a great textile department.

You should talk to them about what you're thinking. So it actually ended up me working with a group of seniors in the textile program to develop the first prototype. So that was kind of the, the, the beginnings of it. And. You know, it's just been a journey from then that that point of, you know, who do, you know, and they connecting me to another person.

Um, it's been, it's been, it's been, uh, definitely a journey,  but it's 

so funny how, you know, once you start talking to people, these doors just open up. Right. I mean, it's crazy that you would talk to someone who gave you that idea and that that's a brilliant idea and how great to work with, you know, students who are thinking out of the box and willing to try new things.

I mean, that's amazing. 

And it's been fun. You know, I've worked with different student groups and I always kind of laugh when one of the teams. Has,  you know, college men on it. I'm like, Oh, here we go. And but they all take it very seriously. Like, I'm, I'm always impressed. Um, it's usually like grown men that will maybe chuckle about it, but, but people are pretty, you know, open.

And when I explained to this, that it actually happens and I'm like, yeah, I mean, it's probably happening to your mom. So. Yeah. Like, okay, you know, um, but, but yeah, it's been a unique, it's been a unique journey. Um, and a lot of people have helped me, of course, uh, down 

the road. What feedback do you get about the, the product, right?

Because I think one of the things about  incontinence products is sometimes the material is not very elastic. Yeah. Um, and so then sometimes it's not comfortable for working out or it doesn't feel breathable enough. Have you had any comments on that? 

Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, the nice, I guess the nice thing about me is.

This is, I was wearing shorts and leggings all the time, and I already knew what I already knew what women would complain about. The, the leggings, they, they, they're not squat proof. They, you know, they slide down  through them. I'm always tugging at them. So I already had all of this perspective of what are good quality shorts.

And when I'm talking about shorts, I'm, I don't want to call them booty shorts, but they're, you know, the skin tight shorts, five inch, seven inch biker shorts that you would see, you know, a lot of runners, volleyball players. Wearing, um, so when I designed them, I designed them 1 because I wanted to make sure that they solved those problems too.

But also the initial my initial prototype had a seam that went straight down. The gusset, the crotch, whatever you want to call it. And you know, that's, that's what other shorts had. So that's how I developed it. Women would ask, you know, Oh, hate camel toe. I don't even like saying that, but you know, that's,  but we all know 

what you're talking about.

And I think that is a universally felt, um, feeling, right? 

Yes. We, we hate the firm and, but we hate the luck. And so with that feedback, we redesigned the shorts. The whole crotch. So there is no seam. It essentially the, the padding goes from the inner thigh to the inner thigh. So the feedback that I get is one, Oh my God, they work, which is always exciting.

The negative feedback I'll get is it is different. I mean, and that's what I try to explain to women. Like  if all you've worn your leggings or shorts with just a tiny little piece of cotton, uh, you know, right there,  now you're wearing something with an actual liner, It is going to feel different. You do have to get used to them.

You, you know, it's solving a problem. Um, women love how discreet it is. Um, there's no, you know, there's no built in underwear. It is just the gusset that is lined. So they love the fact that there's no panty lines. Yeah. Um, but yeah, I mean, that's, that's always the challenge for me is, okay, how can I make the inner gusset softer?

Even how can I make it even more comfortable? So it's, it's just, it's just a grind, you know, is it 

uncomfortable or is it just firmer or it just feels different? There's just more material there. Yeah. 

Right. And the fact that usually. We don't have, um, extra material going down the thighs. So, you know, what, what's been neat is seeing women that. 

Don't have bladder leaks, but they they sweat a lot. Yeah, I don't like that appearance. And so they love them for the sweat protection. Now they've got some protection all the way down their inner thighs. So there's there's not that look to it. Um, but how much fluid do they hold? They, you know, I would say about 40 milliliters, you know, and that's, I always laugh when people ask because I'm like, well, do you have any idea how much you leak?

Like, are you measuring your, yeah, right. 

Are you doing pad tests? Are you figuring that out? Yeah, but when 

I've tested it, that's, that's about where I, 

I 

kind of 

capped out at. It's such a good question. Great idea. Right. And, and it's so amazing how, you know, I think it starts with, okay, I want something to prevent the leaking, but it has to be a good garment too, that people like that fits right.

That does all of the other things. And it sounds like you have thought about all of those things. Do you have women that wear them like underneath clothes and, you know, like underneath dresses to help prevent with leaking? 

Yes, absolutely. Um, my sister, of course, you know, my, one of my first customers, you gotta, you gotta love your sisters.

Um, she's a nurse, uh, and she'll, she wears them underneath her scrubs. So a lot of the women I've realized, you know, um, there's a certain confidence level with wearing short shorts, right. Especially as we get older, I'm facing that my own, Confidence challenges of, dang it,  how, how confident can I be wearing shorts when the cellulite is just creeping in more and more and the, the skin is getting creep, creepier and creepier.

Um, so I, I do, that's 1 reason why I made sure I have capris and leggings so that there is something for no matter your confidence level, but, but a lot of women do end up wearing them underneath their looser shorts just as that protection. Because they do have a nice compression to 

them. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

Um, if someone is interested in getting your shorts, where can they find them? 

Yeah. So I have my website. So it's go with moxie. com M O X I E. Um, and they're also available in limited colors on coles. com and macy's. com. So both Coles and Macy's carry them online. How long have you been selling through Coles and Macy's?

So Macy's I started last year or two years ago and then Kohl's is this year. So that's, yeah, 

that's amazing. 

Yeah, it's, it's exciting. It's a huge confidence boost to know that these, you know, premier stores have. The confidence in my product that they're willing to carry them. 

Is it just online or is it in the store too?

Okay. Cause I was just wondering like, if you walk into the store, is there,  

you know, it would be letting 

support area or how they were marketing it. 

No, it's and I've talked with them about, you know, cause they've asked, where would you put these? And I, I've told them, honestly, I would probably put them potentially in the women's undergarments area, because I do feel like in a store like that, or like a Dick's sporting goods, um, it needs to be still in a private area, you know, women  and, and that's, that's what I struggle with is, um,  women being confident enough to walk up to the cash cashier.

Some teenage guy and hand over her incontinent shorts. 

Yeah, 

right So I still feel like it is kind of a private. Yeah, 

it's like the first time you bought tampons, right? I mean, I think it it is just a little bit embarrassing I I really wish that wasn't the case. You know, when I think about this, I think it is just a system failure, right?

I mean, over time people get high blood pressure. That is a system failure. You can get low thyroid. That is a system failure. You can sprain your ankle. I mean, there's all kinds of things that can happen. I think so many women leak during exercise. I would love to see it in like the part of the store with like athletic supporters and knee braces, right?

Just kind of one more, one more tool that you can use when you exercise. But I, I think, you know, there's going to be a long journey before we're there. Cause I think you're right. People would prefer to see it in a more. Discrete section of the store, um, than in that particular section. So last, 

last year I went to the CrossFit Games and I had a booth there.

Um, and it was so fun to see all these women and, and there was no embarrassment. That's one thing with CrossFitters is they're so open about it. But it ended, my booth ended up being a booth, like a, like a, the first time women were able to like, really talk about it. And then they ended up talking about menopause and it was just like this whole, like women empowering each other.

So yeah, I really wish it could just be, uh, Hey, it happens. Big deal. 

Well, I think the focus needs to shift from, Oh, this is a horrible thing to, you know, this is what you can do, right? Here are the tools. And yes, you know, at some point in time, someone might to do something, decide to do something drastic, like have a surgery, but there are so many other things that you can do along the way, but nobody, most women haven't heard about them.

Right. And, and so I, and I think. Think it always helps people. I mean, just like you said, there are all of these young women there who are very upset that they're leaking. It, it really helps to see other young, active athletic women who are leaking and realize it's not just you. 

Yeah. And I mean, how great would it be if high school coaches for, for girls would talk about, okay, let's do some pelvic The floor strengthening, like, just even explain the pelvic floor and here, let's, let's, let's do some, we got to stretch that out.

We got to start strengthening that before you guys start kicking. I mean, what a difference that would be for them to learn early on. Hey, this is 

just to start thinking about it. Yeah. In the UK, there are some recommendations now, and they're not particularly well implemented yet, but that. You know, when you have kind of sex ed in school that they start talking about the pelvic floor, right?

Just to introduce those concepts, because I, I think the female pelvis for a lot of people is  just kind of confusing, right? This black box, nobody kind of knows what's going on there. Nobody wants to talk about it. Nobody knows what to call the body parts. You know, one of the things I always say to my patients is it's a part of your body.

You want it to work and you don't want to have to think about it. But sometimes to get it to work, you do have to think about it and tweak it a little bit. So, yeah, yeah. I think that would be great if, if people  talked about it more  and those high school coaches embraced it more. So what are your next steps? 

So the thing I'm working on right now is, uh, getting live on Amazon. So, uh, really, you know, and, and, um, it's going to be interesting because I'm focusing on the incontinence. Uh, versus active where so really trying to target the incontinence market. So women who are out there thinking depends are their only option or, you know, those types of products can actually see.

Oh, no. Hey, there's something I can actually wear and it's functional. Um, so that's that's the next big step is to do 

both. Can you do active wear and incontinence or do you kind of have to pick one track? You have to pick one. That's a bummer.  

It is a bummer. But, um, yeah, it is a bummer. But yeah, I mean, 

I guess I don't really understand how the algorithm works and 

Yeah, it is.

That has, uh, figuring out Amazon and figuring out Google,  like, Holy smokes. There's a lot to learn. So I've heard 

that that's really challenging, um, from a small company  perspective, right? I mean, it's where everybody looks for things, but they, uh, it can be challenging. 

Yeah. And you know, the, the, the problem is, is that you need the sales to come in.

So you can invest back in the business. So for me to try out new fabrics, and I think that's something people don't realize, like when you're manufacturing the United States and you're a small business, you don't have the same opportunities that Nike, Reebok. You know, you can't buy your fabric super cheap.

You can't buy, you know, thousands of yards at a time. And so the product is going to be more expensive. Well, it's funny. It's not more expensive than those brands, but, but how much more of those companies are making. 

It's definitely more expensive to me  on the flip side though. You can definitely control what's in your products more than if you're outsourcing it to other people. 

Absolutely. And I love being able to say. This, this is designed by a woman who's having this problem. I get it. It's not some man that's in, you know, in a, in, in wherever trying to figure out our problem. It's us  and well,  

and I, you know, I love the fact that you have. Basically target it to women who do CrossFit, right?

Because those are your people and that's what you know. And you know how the garment should fit when you're squatting, right? Other people might not think about that and you're always trying to make it better.  

Yeah, absolutely. And you know, I play tennis and so that's, you know, women have talked like, Oh, when are you going to come out with a tennis, a tennis skirt?

I'm like, I know, I know,  I want to do all these things, but I gotta, I gotta, you know, finding it. Able to do it. So, uh, and I wish I could go so much faster. That's, that's probably been like  the downside is I can't move as fast as I want because of life, you know, because I have to have a full time job to support this.

I've got the kids I've got, you know. It's okay. It's a balance, but I'm just keeping, I'm grinding. 

My husband always laughs at me because I always want to get to the end. I always want to do things quickly. Right. And he's like, no, no, you have to enjoy the journey. I'm like, well, it's really hard. Right. I, I, I know where I want to go.

Come on. Come on. Let's get there. Yeah. Um, I, it sounds like things are starting to really move for you though. Right. I mean, I know it's frustrating and I think small business is really, really hard, right? Cause you definitely have to have so much momentum and sales to get to that next level, right? Where you can invest back and develop new products and, but it, you know, it's amazing that you're selling at Macy's and Kohl's.

Yeah. Thank you. And it's, you know, it's, it's, it does get frustrating. You, you understand having a business. Frustrating, but, but when you get that email from a woman, that's like, Oh, my God, I just wore your shorts and I didn't leak through. And this is the 1st time I've been able to do something. And you just, it just reminds you of like, yes, this is why I'm doing it.

Because I want women to be able to do what they love doing. Yeah. I 

totally agree with that. Um, that feedback I think is what keeps us all moving forward. Um, yeah, I, you know, I feel like I say the same things over and over again, but I think in order to age gracefully, we have to be active and social. And so having products that help you want to be active is really important, right?

Because so many people stop their activity because of the leaks. Right. And that is no way to age gracefully. Right. You have to be moving. Yeah. So,  so yeah. Well, I want to thank you for your time. Um, I think what you're doing is amazing. I, yeah, I, I love hearing people's stories and I love the fact that this is,  um, you know, female, a female grown company  and run.

Thank you for, for having me, but also thank you for the encouragement and the belief that means the world to me. 

Yeah, I think it's great. I just,  it amazes me whenever I talk to someone who is, you know, leaning into the problem rather than just stopping their activity and. I think, you know, it all seems very easy right now.

Oh, I have this product. I created this company. I, you know, created these shorts. It's not easy, right? There are, I'm sure there are a million, you know, road bumps that happened there, right? That you're not talking about. So, you know, getting to where you are is amazing. Thank you. Best of luck. Thank you.