#JustLikeYou: Simona Xu
Meet The Oh Collective Co-Founder, Food-lover, and CEO of Spitting Infinite IdeasI Simona Xu!
You asked, and we answered.
You asked, and we answered. In the coming series, we will introduce our four co-founders of The Oh Collective: Diana Lin, Eden Chiang, Simona Xu, and Winxi Kan!
They are not business partners but also a #girlsquad of best friends that travel, work, and party together.
Eden, Diana, Simona, and Winxi first met as colleagues at a Fortune 500 Company, and now, five years later, they have successfully launched The Oh Collective!
What's more, they're #JustLikeYou.
When the four best friends first decided to start The Oh Collective, their vision was to create products and foster a community of like-minded women willing to explore the realm of female intimate health and wellness.
Learn more about Simona and her upbringing, some fun facts, and her experience as a co-founder of The Oh Collective.
🌟 Get to know Simona 🌟
- Hometown: Heerlen/Amsterdam/Wenzhou
- Currently based in Amsterdam & Shanghai
- Hobbies: Muay Thai & Kickboxing, travel, drinking and eating with friends, writing, blogging
- Role at The Oh Collective: Digital and infinite idea spitter
- What is one quote you live by? “Not taking the risk might be riskier.”
- Best advice for the Oh Community: Your greatest critic is you. Nobody cares/notices as much as you do yourself. So just do you.
- Pixie or Kit? Kit, when I am at home, I love having options. Pixie for when I travel - customs don’t know what it is, and it’s super light and quiet.
How do you feel about the female intimate health & wellness industry in Europe versus China?
The European industry seems more extensive, and it’s more normalised: more variety, innovation, and openness from audiences and retailers. The sector is also more regulated - in China, you can release your sex toy on the market, and nobody comes after you.
However, in Europe, I don’t see vibrators as openly promoted at supermarkets as in China. There is a selection of vibrators on display when you want to pay at Family Mart.
Although Europe seems more liberal and open-minded, I see the same challenges for sexual wellness companies across the globe: advertising and platforms are restricted when it comes to female pleasure (we can't advertise on sex toys and talk too much “sex” while Viagra producers can promote as much as they like).
Europe is known for being liberal and forward-thinking, but when it comes to sexual pleasure on digital platforms, I think there are still strides to make.
Tell us a bit about your personal life! What's your relationship status, and how has Oh'ing helped you in challenging situations?
I am engaged to an incredible Dutch man - we have been together for over ten years. It has been a roller coaster of travel and switching locations, which resulted in us having a long-distance relationship for two years now. We have been between Bangkok - Shanghai and, more recently, Shanghai - Amsterdam. We built a solid foundation in those first nine years, so we have been able to manage it well.
The Oh Collective’s products have helped us out: on the one hand, by bringing excitement to the bedroom, and on the other hand, during the times when we were months-long apart (the longest time we have been apart being four months and I have to say that I am glad I had Pixie on standby 🙃).
What's your favourite memory with your Co-Founders/best friends, Winxi, Diana, and Eden?
There are so many! The most recent was when we visited China’s surfing spot - Wanning. It was just the beach, waves, a lot of sex & relationship talk combined with laughs, banter and wine—a typical girls' trip.
What do you think girls in the West could learn from their counterparts in the East and vice versa?
European girls are more open and honest about their (solo) sex life and more adventurous at a younger age (which is facilitated by parenting, education, and media). It teaches them that you explore pleasure alone and together and that discussing and investigating intimacy is expected.
As a teenager, I explored sex shops with friends to “browse, see and giggle”, and at times, some of us would also buy (and there would be no judgment if done so). It was normal to give your friends a vibe for their 18th birthday.
We in the West can learn a lot from our sisters in the East about holistic wellness. While there is no shortage of “fit girls'' who hit the gym daily and can lift for days, I have yet to see girls in Europe who are as diligent about taking care of their bodies from the inside as Asian girls.
For instance, different types of moxibustion and acupuncture methods to strengthen the body and its organs. Or consuming herbs, foods, and Chinese medicine to enhance and preserve the immune system and (inner) beauty. While I used to dismiss all of the above as myths and old-fashioned beliefs, I’ve found truths in most of them.
🌟 Join our Community! 🌟
We hope our "Founders Series" allows you to understand better our origins, our team, and, most importantly, what The Oh Collective Stands for.
We'd love for you to join us on our mission to empower women, starting from normalising female intimate wellness!
🧚♀️The Oh Collective🧚♀️
We want to inspire all women to be confident and happy with their intimate selves by recognising their physical needs and definition of "pleasure." We believe you don't need to be ashamed or shy to explore your body and what can bring you pleasure and long-term health. We are here to provide our sisters with safe and reliable products, a trusted community and content that only offers 100% good vibes!