Lisa Myers’ Perfectionist’s Paradox: Embracing Flaws to Revolutionize the Future of Maternal Care

“I am not an engineer, I’m not a lactation consultant — I’m just a woman who was fed up with the lack of support for new moms,” Myers explains. “I had this idea in my head, and rather than letting perfectionism hold me back, I just started drawing it out on the back of a legal pad.” That rudimentary sketch eventually became the basis for Myers’ provisional patent, a humble beginning that was the basis for a company that now has a valuation of close to 10 million dollars. “It’s the saddest, cutest little drawing you’ve ever seen,” she laughs. “But it got the job done and protected my idea so I could keep moving forward.”

Moving forward, even in the face of failure and imperfection, is a key part of Myers’ entrepreneurial journey.

Ironically, Lisa Myers also considers herself an ultra type A perfectionist and accredits part of this dynamic to her success. Throughout this interview, we will unpack Lisa’s individualism, the nuances of failure, and advice to her 18-year-old self and aspiring inventors.

Question 1: Addressing Inequities Surrounding Breastfeeding

Zara: First and foremost, I love how we dove into maternal care equity and advocacy before starting the formal interview. I didn’t expect that right away. My questions are a bit lame compared to that exploration.

Lisa: Oh how can we not?

Zara: Have you all partnered with any nonprofits that address maternal care inequities and do the work of educating and advocating for women to breastfeed?

Lisa: We are always looking to partner with more nonprofits. Currently, we have a diverse, bilingual science advisory board. In addition, we are part of the Human Milk Institute and the American Academy of Pediatrics, which are trying to be more diverse themselves. However, we would love to be made aware of the organizations we should partner with and the voices we should listen to and incorporate.

Zara: Amazing, that’s good to know.

Question 2: Advice to Youth

Zara: On a different topic, what advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

Lisa: I would tell myself that high school was the hardest bit of foolishness that I’ve ever endured, and that none of it meant anything. Life starts after high school, and it gets really good after 35.

Zara: Nice I have more to look forward to then… I am 26 right now.

Lisa: I would say you’re at one of the toughest points, but it gets more straightforward onward.

Question 3: Thoughts on Failure

Zara: What does the word failure mean to you? Moreover, could you give an example of a time you used failure as a catalyst for growth?

Lisa: I remember several moments of failure in my life. Like when I was a kid on the farm, and being a girl on the farm, I was already at a disadvantage because girls were not as useful as boys. So that was hard. But I would say with my business, the first punch in the stomach level of failure was when I got my first articles for approval. Articles for approval are received when you get samples back from the factory. The factory didn’t know we needed vacuum insulation. It was a failure, it was a loss.

However, it was not a failure due to the entrepreneurial myth that men prefer to believe but women do not. This idea that you must go all in, quit your job, and mortgage your home to prove you are “all in” is false.

I was all in, but I was calculated. I didn’t loose everything.

I will never push my back against the wall and put my children in a situation where they go hungry, we lose the house, or there is nothing left. I believe that when you stake everything, even your family’s health and your well-being, you have left yourself with nothing and are unable to think intelligently and run your business effectively.

Zara: I hear you saying that it’s okay to have micro failures, but putting your life in danger is the ultimate failure. I believe that is a hot take since the media and shark tanks of the world pressure many entrepreneurs to do so. I believe that society is failing us by sending the message that to succeed, you must eventually risk ruining your life.

Lisa: I don’t mean to make this political or anything, but for women, I think it’s particularly important to have options.

Zara: So once you realized the prototype wasn’t a success. How did you bounce back from that? I am assuming you hired an engineer to lead you in the right direction?

Lisa: When the initial prototypes didn’t work out, people close to me suggested I should sell the company and recoup my investment. They asked about my debt and how quickly I could offload the business for a $40,000 return. These people genuinely cared about me and wanted good things, but I refused and stressed

I bled for this. I was the one that poured myself into it.

My kids were the ones that went without me. My family, they were the ones that suffered and I was not going to have gotten this far and then just sell it to somebody for nothing so they can make whatever millions. So I found mentors in business and engineering, and I looked diligently for the right engineers.

Question 4: Inventor Qualities

Zara: What does it take to be an inventor?

Lisa: You have to be really stubborn and understand the need for your invention.

Successful inventors also draw on community.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is one of the most embracing, welcoming, and accessible government agencies in the world. They have incredible tutorials and are very straightforward in their guides. So filing a provisional patent to protect your idea is something that people don’t have to be intimated by.

The best advice I’d give someone with an idea is not to hold it too close. Share it, get feedback, and let others support you. That’s how you’ll truly move it forward and start impacting people’s lives. A lot of people worry about someone stealing their idea, so they keep it secret. But that means you’ll never get past those first few steps. You have to be willing to put it out there.

In conclusion, Mrs. Myers’ story dispels the myth that entrepreneurship requires absolute perfection or extreme risk-taking, emphasizing instead the value of calculated risks, learning from failure, and seeking guidance when needed. Lisa’s advice to aspiring inventors — embrace imperfection, share your ideas, and build a network — resonates as a reminder that success doesn’t come from a flawless plan, but from the courage to keep moving forward, even in the face of setbacks. Above all, her commitment to maternal care equity and advocacy reflects a deeper purpose behind her entrepreneurial success, reminding us that innovation can also serve a broader social mission. As Myers continues to grow her company, her story remains a testament to the powerful belief that progress is always possible — no matter how humble the beginning.

Lisa Myer’s company is Ceres Chill.

Instagram community of over 60K followers is here.

Stay tuned for the next Fierce Founder, written by Zara Macias.

Interested in being featured? Email Zara at zara@zdmwriting.com. There are still a few complementary features available for fierce female founders who have experience managing 50+ employees (present or past tense).