Terez Pivná and Pavla Marková, the co-founders of InSync, are on a mission to break the taboo around women's health through high-quality, cycle-syncing supplements. Terez’s personal experiences with PCOS and Pavla’s expertise in chemistry and supplement development came together to create a brand that supports women at every stage of life. We spoke to Terez and Pavla about their journey from meeting at the Academy for Future Founders to launching InSync, their dedication to quality, and their vision for empowering women to live healthier, more balanced lives.
Pavla: I have been involved in the development and production of food supplements since graduating from university. Over the years, I have collaborated with Czech and international companies on the development and production of their products. In the past 10 years, the food supplement market has significantly evolved, leading to the creation of truly high-quality and interesting products. However, I still noticed significant compromises in many products and could always envision how things could be done better. For quite some time, I had been considering starting my own business, ideally in this field, and launching my own brand. So, when I met my co-founder Terka and she shared her vision of syncing cycle food supplements for women with me, we were immediately in sync.
Terez: My background is a bit different. I studied law with a focus on criminal and medical law, while also pursuing studies at the University of Economics. I’ve always known that I wanted to build and grow a company of my own. My passion for entrepreneurship was clear from the start—I’ve always been drawn to the idea of creating something impactful from the ground up.
Terez: The inspiration came when my own body gave up on me. I’ve suffered from PCOS my whole life. It got to a point where one of the cysts ruptured, and I had to be rushed into surgery. After that experience, I tried to find a way to help my body without resorting to hormonal contraception. While doing my research, I discovered that very little research is conducted on women’s health compared to men’s, and the solutions we’re offered are often either hormonal contraceptives or a generic solution just packaged in a pink bottle. Women feel shitty while having to perform work tasks, and no one is addressing the issue - That was a huge wake up call.
Pavla: Mentoring has helped me a lot on my journey, especially by giving me the courage and support I needed. For me, it was absolutely crucial to learn that all founders have encountered a huge number of setbacks on their way up, through which they've learned a lot, and that mistakes are a natural part of life and business. This truly gave me the confidence I needed because, until then, I was afraid to present anything that wasn't 1000% ready, just to avoid making a mistake or revealing a flaw and appearing unprofessional. Now I know that any mistake can be communicated with the customer, and it's not unprofessional; in fact, it humanizes the entire business in the end.
Terez: I think I have “mentors” for specific problems. When I face a challenge I’m unable to handle, I find someone who has been there already, and I seek their advice. Where I see the strongest benefit for me is that mentors can also connect you to the right people! One example was that in the beginning, I didn’t have a chemist for my project. One mentor connected me to one. She was a nuclear chemist, which did not help much in my journey, but she did connect me to another woman who teaches about cycle syncing, and that woman connected me with a nutritionist who helped us with the project. That just truly affirmed that you are “only five handshakes away from anyone you could ever need."
Pavla: The main aim of Insync is complete nutrition, specifically for women in their menstrual cycle. The human body undergoes a multitude of physiological and biochemical processes that require complete nutrition for proper function. In the body of a woman who is in her menstrual cycle—meaning a woman aged between 12 and 45 years—different processes occur compared to those in a man or a woman in menopause. Insync is therefore designed to provide women with all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and herbal extracts throughout their cycle to ensure they are fully nourished and that their body can function optimally, allowing all processes to occur smoothly. This leads to the alleviation of symptoms such as painful menstruation, fatigue, regulation of cycle length, and hormonal balance, which aids ovulation and reduces PMS. As a result, women are less incapacitated during menstruation, enabling them to better plan both their personal and professional lives. Additionally, they can better determine the ideal time to conceive or avoid pregnancy. Simply put, they can just live more easily.
Terez: There are many benefits, but the first thing that comes to mind is cramps. Some women, myself included, suffer from debilitating pain during their periods. Some forward-thinking countries do offer menstrual leave by law. Imagine being forced to perform tasks while being physically unable to get up due to pain. If we work with our bodies and provide the right supplementation at the right time, we can prevent this (or at least ease the pain to a manageable level). If you feel good in your body, it shows not only in your mood but also in your performance.
Terez: That’s so true. Even if you had told me when I was 16 that my job would be helping women with their cycles, I would not have believed you because “we don’t talk about that.” We are trying to educate our community in a fun, open way. Women are sharing their stories and trusting us with their struggles, which we appreciate so much. One particularly interesting outcome has been the reaction of men. They ask questions about the different phases and about the physical and mental changes their partners’ bodies go through. We actually have quite a large number of orders coming from men, which we love to see.ucate our community in a fun open way. Women are sharing their stories and trust us with their struggles with us which we appreciate so much. One particularly interesting outcome has been the reaction of men. They ask questions about the different phases and about the physical and mental changes their partners’ bodies go through. We have actually quite a large amount of orders coming from men which we love to see.
Pavla: Women can feel the positive effects very quickly. From the feedback we receive from our customers, we know that after just one month of use, they not only feel the changes but also see them. Whether it’s the regulation of their cycle length, relief from PMS symptoms, reduction in painful menstruation, or even the return of ovulation after years. When you provide your body with complete nutrition, the magic begins to happen: all the mechanisms in your body receive the right fuel to function as they should.
Terez: The feedback we’ve received so far has been amazing, and we are very grateful for it. It only further confirms that we chose the right path. Truly, it has been the most humbling part of this whole journey. Consistency can be a challenge when it comes to integrating health products into daily routines. Do you have any tips for women who struggle with maintaining consistency when using InSync’s products or any health-related routines?
Pavla: For me personally, it’s very challenging to maintain any routine in the daily hustle of work, kids, and household chores. That’s why it’s important to me that everything related to my daily routine is clear and uncomplicated. We applied the same thinking when developing Insync. From the very beginning, we had a clear vision that using Insync had to be as convenient and straightforward as possible. I truly designed Insync for myself—I don’t want to think every day about which supplements to use, or to be pouring out different supplements from various containers. This is something I don’t want to even think about daily. I just want to grab a sachet, open it, take it with water, and go. Or, if I don’t have time, I can throw the sachet into my bag and take it when I drop the kids off at school, sit down at my desk in the office, and have breakfast with Insync. You just grab the packet that’s waiting for you that day, drink it down, and go.
Pavla: Using Insync every day.
Terez: Other than using Insync, for me, it’s surrounding myself with people who feel like home. I am so happy I get to choose the people I work with and do things my own way. The mental load we tend to take on while living or working in a toxic environment has more impact on our bodies than we might think.
Terez: Product-wise, the aim is to cover all stages of a woman’s life. Women’s health is an under-researched topic, and we would like to challenge that. We are constantly trying to break the status quo, find the best formulas, and use ingredients that our competition has avoided due to high costs for better margins. It is crucial for us to grow, but not at the expense of quality or functionality of the product. We will continue to advocate for the fact that women’s health is not a taboo topic. We have a few fun and interesting partnerships up our sleeves, and we hope to further facilitate a safe space for this conversation.
Pavla: Conduct market research, trust yourself and the product or service you offer, and don’t be discouraged by people who doubt you.
Terez: Exactly. Just do it. Nobody made a difference by doing nothing. Prepare for long hours, taking on 20 different roles throughout the day, and people doubting you and telling you to “just have a normal job like normal people.” If you persevere, I promise, the reward of being able to call the shots is worth it.
