Today, more than ever, wellness is at the forefront of societal discussions. From mental health to physical well-being, women are making significant strides in bringing about change, introducing innovative solutions, and setting new standards. Despite facing unique challenges, they break barriers, inspire communities, and are reshaping the very definition of health and wellness. In this series called women in wellness we are talking to women doctors, nurses, nutritionists, therapists, fitness trainers, researchers, health experts, coaches, and other wellness professionals to share their stories and insights. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Debbie Sutton.
Debbie Sutton is the co-founder of The Healing Bra, a company dedicated to supporting women dealing with breast pain and discomfort. Inspired by her own experiences and the stories of other women, Debbie with her son Troy, helped develop an innovative medical bra designed to promote comfort, healing, and confidence. Her passion for empowering women and improving their recovery journey has made her a prominent advocate in the wellness and healthcare space. Through The Healing Bra, Debbie continues to provide care and compassion to women navigating the challenges of post-surgery life. Debbie currently resides in New Jersey with her husband, and loves visiting the beach, reading, and cooking.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
Firstly, thank you so much for this opportunity to spread our story of The Healing Bra™! My son & co-founder, Troy Sutton, was the brainchild behind The Healing Bra™! After returning home from a particularly uncomfortable mammogram and
seeing my discomfort, Troy had his “aha!” moment! He worked on a prototype for a while before showing it to me and when I saw it, I just knew that this garment would benefit so many women of all ages!
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
Well, this is really my 3rd or 4th career! I wasn’t expecting a “new” one! It came about at a very busy and chaotic time in our family life. My previous “careers” started on Wall Street, and then, I joined my NJ family business in Commodity
Warehousing and Transportation, where I helped to grow our business exponentially. Back in the 80’s & 90’s, I was one of very few females in that industry and I’m very proud of the work. Raising my two sons was by far the most rewarding “career” of all! I was very involved in their schools, with PTO’s and heading the Cultural Arts for the Grammar and Middle School programs. When they became athletes, we were very fortunate that I could be a stay-at-home mom and I became the quintessential “Baseball Mom”! Both boys played all the way into college and I’m proud of the “TeamSutton” efforts leading to their success on and off the fields.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
In the past, I had been afraid to ask questions to others in order to learn as much as I could from my colleagues. Over time, I have learned that everyone has
something to teach. I would advise asking as many questions as possible with those in your field, or who have had success in similar areas. There is always a piece of advice that crosses from one industry to another that you can benefit from.
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
We invented The Healing Bra™, a special bra with insertable therapeutic healing pads that can be heated and/or cooled in order to help relieve breast pain. Whether a gal is in monthly breast discomfort, or a pregnant woman experiencing changes in her body or a new mom that is lactating, which can be tricky and sometimes painful, as well as a woman testing for or diagnosed with Breast Cancer, for before, during and after her treatment, to the woman entering Menopause and experiencing the dreaded Hot Flashes! For all of these situations and more, The Healing Bra™ can provide relief and comfort to carry on throughout her day.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
Make time for exercise, wherever and whenever you can fit into your day. Stretch!! Keeping your body limber is vital! Balance. As we get older, the greatest threat to our health is falling! Simple balancing moves like standing on one foot, then the other, can really help! Breathe! Deep belly breathing is the easiest and fastest way to relax, lower your BP & heart rate.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Well of course I would say that every woman should own a “Healing Bra”! But seriously, awareness of breast health is at the forefront of medicine today. Although research has been happening for decades, it was not usually a topic for open conversation. Today, there are more resources for women’s health and breast cancer than ever before so we encourage women to join and support organizations and local community groups focused on women’s health and wellness.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Communication is key, body language is important, always be a student and challenge yourself to learn new things, sacrifice is necessary, and never stop showing up. These 5 pieces of advice have inspired me and bettered me as an entrepreneur and a human being everyday.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Although all of these topics are important, the one I focus on most is Mental Health. I think far too often in this very fast paced world we humans don’t take adequate time to reset. Finding time to decompress, do what you love, and relax the mind, body, and spirit are key for a healthy soul, which directly translates to the rest of your life.
What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?
Everyone can follow us on social media @TheHealingBras including Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, and Facebook. Our website is www.thehealingbras.com which has more information and instructional videos on The Healing Bra!
