How a Conversation About Periods Changed This Female Entrepreneur’s Life

Jennifer Chen
May 08, 2018

Talking about your period is important. We often whisper about our “period flu” to our friends and figure out creative ways to sneak our tampons (or other favorite period products) when heading to the bathroom, but our monthly cycle is a wonderful and normal part of many people’s womanhood. In this week’s entry in the How to Quit Your Day Job series, we chat with Molly Hayward, the founder of Cora, a brand of feminine products designed to give people modern methods to manage their periods. Hayward details how one fateful conversation in Kenya turned into her life’s work for becoming an outspoken advocate for quality menstrual products.

Meet the Period Pro: Molly Hayward

Over the span of 10 years, Hayward traveled to 13 different countries, working for nonprofits focusing on women’s human rights and socio-economic empowerment. A few years ago, she spoke with a girl named Purity in Kenya and learned that the lack of access to menstrual pads often kept most girls at home when they had their periods instead of attending school. The more research Hayward did, the more she realized that this big problem needed to be addressed to help girls get the education they deserve. Launched in 2016, Cora has brought quality organic period products to women through subscription services, and through Cora’s impact partners the company has provided over 1 million pads to women and girls in need in the United States, Kenya, and India. The company recently launched an ultra-thin hybrid pad that works for light bladder leakage (a common problem for new moms), available both on its website and at Target.

Brit + Co: What’s your morning routine?

Molly Hayward: Wake up, snooze, snooze again, actually wake up. When I get out of bed, my dog Stella gets up out of hers, and we do down- and up-dogs together on the rug to wake our bodies up. I’m usually awake before 6am, so the sun is never up yet, and I really love to ease into the day and hate turning on lights because they feel so harsh at that point, so I actually light a candle or two in my bathroom and brush my teeth and shower by candlelight. I live up in the mountains above San Francisco, and I’ve got a big skylight in my bathroom that looks up into a grove of redwoods. I try to remember to pause and look up at them and give some silent gratitude for waking up in such a beautiful, peaceful place. Then I pull together an outfit, boil some water for tea or coffee (my caffeine addiction is real), grab my bag, and head out to beat the traffic into the city.

B+C: What inspired you to start your company?

MH: A few years ago, I worked with a nonprofit organization in Kenya and met a young girl named Purity. She told me about how she and other girls in her village didn’t go to school when they had their periods because they didn’t have access to pads. They resorted to using sand, dirty rags, and whatever they could find. After hearing Purity’s story, I looked deeper into this issue and was shocked by how common period poverty is for women around the world. It also made me take a hard look into how my own period experience was broken — the stigma and shame that girls like Purity felt was all too prevalent in my own life and those of my friends as well. While we were lucky to have access to products, we still hid our tampons up our sleeves when walking to the bathroom and whispered about our periods. I knew there had to be a better way for women and girls around the world and here in the US. When I started Cora, I thought about Purity and decided that social impact needed to be a core focus of our business model. Ending period poverty is a passion of mine, and it’s a problem that I think that we can solve if we prioritize it as a global economic problem and work together.

B+C: How do you challenge yourself as an entrepreneur?

MH: I’m constantly on the lookout for new ways to serve women in their efforts to strive for wellness and the claiming of their power. It would be easy to rest on the laurels of Cora’s success, but instead we’re taking up massive challenges like developing and launching innovative new period care products and a radically transparent women’s health hub, Blood + Milk, which celebrates women’s bodies and provides them with the uncensored information that they need from doctors, doulas, healers, and real women. The site includes content about intimacy after childbirth, the female cycle, menopause, body image, miscarriages, and other topics that impact everyday women.

B+C: Tell us about how your family and friends help support your business.

MH: The way they support me has changed over the years as Cora has grown. At first, it was literal financial support or giving me a place to live while I was bootstrapping in the earliest days. Now that the business is strong and growing, it’s constant cheerleading and emotional support amid a crazy busy schedule, launches, and the general stress of managing a fast-growing startup.

B+C: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

MH: Trust the intelligence of life. Everything is happening exactly as it should be.

B+C: What do you love about your job?

MH: I love having the freedom to be a visionary and take risks with new ideas — and having the team and resources to bring those ideas to life. It’s incredibly humbling to have started where I did with the idea for changing the experience of womanhood and to have had it become what it is today.

B+C: Name two female heroes who you think should get a shout-out.

MH: Two young girls come to mind immediately — Megha from India and Rebecca from Kenya. I had the privilege of spending some time in India and Kenya this January with Cora’s impact partners, Aakar Innovations and ZanaAfrica, and saw firsthand how the economic success of these women impacted the community at large, particularly the young girls who talked about what they wanted to be when they grew up because they were seeing women in their community with careers. Female empowerment is absolutely critical in order to alleviate poverty, and leveling the educational playing field is where it begins. Girls are half of the potential workforce and deserve the same educational opportunities as the boys in their communities. It’s why we’ve placed such an emphasis on ensuring that girls have access to period products, because menstruation is a barrier to education for so many girls. In India, one in four girls drop out of school once they reach puberty, because 70 percent of Indian girls and women cannot afford menstrual supplies. Remarkably, when girls have access to menstrual supplies, the school dropout rate decreases by 90 percent. Investing in our girls — who are the real-life heroes — and their education is one of the smartest decisions we can make and a real step toward alleviating poverty.

B+C: If you could tell aspiring creative women anything, what would it would be?

MH: I spent much of my early career in my 20s trying to be the picture of a business professional. I wanted to fit in with the crowd that looked and sounded like the person I thought I should be. It took a lot of time, introspection, and formative experiences for me to realize that I could build a successful company on my own terms, as my free-spirited and wild self, if I was willing to be brave enough to do things my way, own the things I cared about, and not apologize for any of it. In fact, when you’re unapologetically yourself is when people actually start to respect you. So much of the ability to thrive and be successful in business and life is a positive attitude that supports problem-solving and growth rather than dwelling on the roadblocks or failures. No matter your background or qualifications or how much experience you have, if you’re willing to live and die by “I will figure it out,” you can achieve any dream.

What’s your dream career? Tweet us @BritandCo to let us know, and we could feature it in the next column!

(Photos via Cora)

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

PlantYou’s Food Hacks Can Save You Over $1K On Groceries

It's no secret that groceries feel more expensive than ever right now, and compounded by the fact the average American home throws away 322 cups of food a year, I'm determined to use up every bit of the food, sauces, and other cooking basics I buy. That's how I found Carleigh Bodrug. Her PlantYou page, and her Scrappy Cooking series (plus her new cookbook!), makes creating delicious recipes easier, and more fun, than ever.

What is scrappy cooking?

Image via SB Creative Studio

"Scrappy Cooking is the concept of transforming the world’s most commonly wasted foods into delicious recipes — and starting is as easy as chopping up a broccoli stem into a stir-fry," she tells me over email. "Seriously, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Look at the plants you have that you bring into your home every week, and see if there are ways to repurpose them."

With the help of Carleigh's Instagram page, I turned some broccoli stems into French fries and used up the last of my peanut butter for a noodle salad sauce. If you want to turn your groceries into a one-of-a-kind meal but aren't sure where to start, Carleigh recommends looking at every single aspect of the plant.

"Whenever I bring a plant into my home, I think about what part of the plant is discarded, and then I research whether or not it’s safe to consume (this part is important)!" she says. "Once I identify it’s edible, that’s where the fun begins. A great example of this is something like celery, which I buy often. I was discarding the celery leaves for years, only to find out they taste almost exactly like parsley and make a great base for a tabouleh style salad."

Is PlantYou vegan?

Image via SB Creative Studio

Yes, a lot of PlantYou's recipes are vegan, and they're all plant-based! Some of Carleigh's favorite recipes include mocha chocolate granola with spent coffee grounds, "chips" made out of beet greens, and pickle juice as a marinade (which is something I learned Chick-Fil-A does!). These recipes might sound intimidating or time-consuming, but that's exactly why Carleigh's PlantYou social media exists.

I can speak from experience that the videos are easy to both understand and put into practice. (Plus, the recipes are super versatile, because "when you’re cooking with just plants, if you screw something up, you can almost always fix it!"). But there are a few steps that always make these scrappy processes easier.

"The low hanging fruit to reducing food waste in your kitchen actually starts before you grocery shop," Carleigh says. "I always recommend people sit down for an hour one day a week, and make a really basic meal plan, outlining what they plan to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then, before they head to the store, shop their fridge and pantry to avoid duplicate buying. Now it’s time to compile a shopping list, and only buy what you have a plan for! Done right, this will take care of 80 percent of your food waste."

What can I buy to save money on food?

Image via SB Creative Studio

In addition to meal prepping (check out our favorite apps to reduce food waste, too!), the PlantYou chef + author recommends having a few recipes that use up a bunch of ingredients in one go. "It’s really important to lean on staple recipes that allow you to 'clean out the fridge,' which is really what my new Scrappy cookbook is about," Carleigh Bodrug says. "I wanted to arm people with great base recipes (like stews, curries and stir fries), where they can interchange the vegetables and produce items they have on hand every week to reduce waste and save money."

"By using up leftovers, repurposing ingredients, and being more mindful about the food you’re bringing into your home, you'll notice a decrease in your grocery bill," she continues. "The average American family of four wastes over $1700 worth of groceries per year — which is like a phone bill every month! Not only does being Scrappy benefit your wallet, but it also feels great knowing you're making healthier choices and contributing to a more sustainable planet."

Okay, so you know what you want to eat, and you've budgeted for groceries, what now? "I look for ingredients that are versatile and can be used in multiple recipes to minimize waste," Carleigh says. "Quality, longevity, and sustainability are key factors in my purchasing decisions."

What is the proper way to store food?

Image via B+C

After you've whipped up recipes like the Fiesta Fries below, it's important to store them properly to ensure they're fresh for as long as possible. "Use quality food storage and meal prep containers, and keep fruits and vegetables separate to prevent them from spoiling," Carleigh tells me. "Different types of food will require different conditions for optimum long-term storage. This applies to fresh produce, as well as dry and canned foods."

We all have days we don't want to cook (PlantYou's Carleigh Bodrug included), which is the perfect opportunity to support a local business. "On days when I don't feel like cooking, I usually rely on quick and easy options like smoothie bombs from my freezer, which are in my new cookbook," she says. "I also often have homemade soup ready to go that I’ve made in advance or have frozen in the freezer. Sometimes, my husband and I opt for ordering in from local restaurants in our small town in Ontario, especially on Friday nights after a long work week. It's a convenient way to support our favorite vegan small businesses while enjoying a hassle-free meal."

PlantYou's Fiesta Fries — Delicious Loaded Fries You Can Make Today!

Image via SB Creative Studio

Ingredients:

  • 6 medium-size Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced to desired size, around 1/2 to 3/4 inch recommended
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 cups Vegan Ground Beef or your favorite vegan ground beef substitute
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, pinto beans, or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 yellow or red onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons water or extra-virgin olive oil

Suggested Toppings:

  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced Handful of fresh cilantro (optional)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 cup Sunflower Cream Sauce

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F, and line a baking sheet with a reusable baking mat or parchment paper.
  2. In a bowl, combine the sliced potatoes with the garlic powder and salt and toss until coated.
  3. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes, or until crispy, flipping halfway through.
  4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine the ground “beef” with the black beans, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and the water. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the onion starts to turn translucent.
  5. Assemble on a serving platter with the fries on the bottom, topped with the ground beef mixture and your desired toppings.

Excerpted from PlantYou: Scrappy Cooking: 140+ Plant-Based Zero-Waste Recipes That Are Good for You, Your Wallet, and the Planet by Carleigh Bodrug. Copyright © 2024. Available from Hachette Go, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Carleigh Bodrug is the CEO and Founder of PlantYou, a New York Times Bestselling cookbook author and self-taught plant-based chef, famous for her simple take on low-waste and vegan recipes. Boasting over ten million followers between her social channels, Carleigh has gripped social media with her simple and delicious low-waste recipes that make plants the star of the show.

Her latest book, PlantYou: Scrappy Cooking: 140+ Plant-Based Zero-Waste Recipes That Are Good for You, Your Wallet, and the Planet, is out NOW!

Check out our Weekend Scroll for more delicious recipes!

Brit + Co. may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

Lead image via SB Creative Studio

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Stop Throwing Away Overripe Bananas! Make These 6 Delicious Recipes Instead

Nothing's more irritating than having to throw out fresh fruit you just bought because it either ripened too fast or was already festering with mold. And what food is the biggest culprit? Usually, it’s bananas. Unless you're fitting bananas in your everyday meal routine, it’s difficult to keep up with how quickly they brown (which can be anywhere from 24 hours to five days, depending on how green they were at the store when you grabbed them).

The good news is that there’s actually a lot you can do with overripe bananas. We turned to chefs for top tips (both creative and delicious) that will prevent you from throwing speckled bananas in the trash!

What To Do With Overripe Bananas

Image via Butternut Bakery

Banana Bread, Obviously

One of the most widespread baking recipes to make with overripe bananas is banana bread. Why? Because it’s simple, delicious, and an automatic crowd-pleaser. Check out our one bowl gluten-free banana bread recipe, our chocolate banana pumpkin bread, or these 40 recipes of banana bread that you need to make this weekend (the options are endless!).

(Writer’s note: My go-to recipe is the chocolate chip banana bread from Butternut Bakery — but I use dark chocolate chips instead!)

Image via Half Baked Harvest

Freeze Them For Your Smoothies

When in doubt, put your overripe bananas in the freezer. Then you’ll at least have time to think on what to do with them—and you can throw them in your morning smoothies. Bananas last up to three months in the freezer ideally, and pair well with a variety of different flavor profiles, like caramel, blueberry, chocolate, or orange.

This strawberry-banana colada smoothie from Half Baked Harvest may just be your new fav, or the cloudy summer smoothie which doubles as an Erewhon smoothie dupe. Chef Chris Morgan of Joon restaurant in Washington D.C. advises using overripe bananas and other raw fruits for your children at home (he makes little smoothies for his 7-month old baby—pure genius!).

Image via Food Faith Fitness

Make Banana Cookies

Substitute the flour for bananas in your baking with some tasty cookie options. The plus side of banana cookies is that they are often automatically gluten-free and can easily become dairy-free (but always check first!). These easy peanut banana oatmeal cookies from Food Faith Fitness are a great option. If you’re looking to ditch the peanut butter, try out these 4-ingredient banana oat cookies from Livvin Media.

Image via Kathryn's Kitchen Blog

Ice Cream, Anyone?

There is nothing better than sorbet or ice cream in the summer months. All you really need is frozen ripe bananas, any other frozen fruit you prefer, milk (whichever kind you enjoy— almond, oat, etc.) and some sweeteners like honey or vanilla extract. To fit your health goals, you can even throw in protein powder. This strawberry nice cream from Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog only has five ingredients!

Image via Butternut Bakery

Upgrade Your Breakfast

Pancakes, overnight oats, and muffins are all incredibly tasty options to use up those ripe bananas and upgrade your breakfast game. Try Butternut Bakery’sbanana nut muffins for a quick snack or these healthy chia banana pancakes from Half Baked Harvest for a savory morning bite. You can also sift through Brit + Co’s 17 overnight oats recipes — keep in mind that overnight oats only last a few days in the fridge, though!

Photo by Anna Tarazevich/PEXELS

Make Dog Treats

Don’t leave out your furry friends— they love bananas too! Making long-lasting dog treats “relieves the pressure on the idea of food waste, plus there is a bonus that your pets are spoiled, happy, and nutritiously rewarded,” says pastry chef Susan Bae of the critically-acclaimed restaurant, Moon Rabbit in Washington D.C. Check out her go-to dog treat recipe below:

Chef Susan Bae’s Dog Treat Recipe:

250g organic whole wheat flour

240g organic peanut butter

70g organic, unsweetened apple sauce

56g mashed overripe banana

113g organic plain bone broth

25g organic shredded cheddar cheese

25g freeze dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 350F.

1.) Mix to combine whole wheat flour, peanut butter, apple sauce, bone broth and banana. Until a dough is lightly formed.

2.) Fold in shredded cheese and dried blueberries to evenly distribute in dough.

3.) Roll dough out to 1/4” thickness and use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out treats.

4.) Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake dog treats until firm and dry to touch (this varies with each oven) Check at 45 minutes.

5.) Store at room temperature for up to 1 week in an airtight container or in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Need more recipe inspo? Sign up for our weekly email newsletter for even more!

Header image via Half Baked Harvest

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Kim Kardashian Can’t Watch Herself On AHS: Delicate And The Reason Is So Relatable

Fans who were left on the edge of their seats after watching the first part of AHS: Delicate last year won't have to wait longer for part two! Emma Roberts and Kim Kardashian are gearing up to pick up where their characters left off, and sinister twists are about to get much darker. While we know the focus revolves around their interactions, we can't wait to see how Gilmore Girls star Matt Czuchry fits into what's sure to be a big reveal.

Read on for a mini recap of part one of AHS: Delicateand learn all the juicy details about part two!

Recap of Kim Kardashian's involvement in AHS: Delicate

Image via FX Networks

Kim Kardashian as 'Siobhan' in "American Horror Story: Delicate"

As good as Kim Kardashian is as the icy publicist Siobhan on AHS: Delicate, don't expect her to watch herself onscreen. She appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live yesterday and explained why she hasn't seen herself in clips of the show when Jimmy Kimmel played and unsettling one.

Her character can be seen intimidating a fertility doctor to do her bidding as she pierces the top of his neck with a long orange fingernail. She smiled before saying "It's so funny, I can't watch it back," and then added, "I get so nervous."

She even talked about the difference between filming for TV and working as an actual actress. She said, "I called my sisters and I go, 'Guys. You — not to say you'd ever want to get into acting — but you are so lucky you can wake up and just, we can sit in bed and film, and you don't have to get up...like there is no schedule."

However, it seems like the budding actress took her new schedule in stride because Star Trek actor and AHS co-star Zachary Quinto applauded Kardashian’s acting chops.

“I did a cameo on this season of ‘American Horror Story’ and I got to meet her,” the actor told People. “She was so lovely and warm and, really, I don’t think she needs my advice.” Quinto added, sharing that Kardashian, was “really in her element” on set and he was “really impressed by her spirit and her openness…I really look forward to seeing this season because I think she’s gonna do a wonderful job.”

Recap of AHS: Delicate Part 1

Image via FX Networks

The first part of AHS: Delicate premiered on FX September 20, 2023 and centered around actress Anna Victoria Alcott's desire to become a mother. Played by Emma Roberts, viewers watched as her husband Dexter Harding (played by Matt Czuchry) was supportive of her IVF procedure so the couple could conceive their first child. Despite the previous struggles, the procedure is a success and the happy couple learn they have a baby on the way.

However, things go horribly wrong when Anna starts being followed and eventually experiences a violent miscarriage during her first trimester. Somehow the baby actually survives, but Anna still experiences a series of strange hallucinations and events. From losing her hair to vomiting a foreign object, she starts to wonder if something is wrong with her baby. There's also the fact that she told her publicist Siobhan (played by Kim Kardashian) that she'd do anything to remain at the top of the her career.

What's revealed is that a baby cult does exist and Dexter's dead first wife knew all about it. However, the cult still looks at him as a threat so it's only a matter of time before they close in.

If you need a refresher, catch up on the first part of AHS: Delicate on Hulu and be sure to check out the eery trailer for a look at part two! Also, get your hands on a copy of Danielle Valentine’s novel Delicate Condition to see how the story truly unfolds.

Watch The Official Trailer For AHS: Delicate Part 2

www.youtube.com

American Horror Story: Delicate Part Two | Official Trailer - Emma Roberts, Kim Kardashian | FX

We suspected Siobhan may have a darker role than Anna thinks and the trailer confirms it. As Anna gets further along in her pregnancy, it's hinted that her growing baby may not be 'normal' and there's nothing she'll be able to do about it.

We're crossing our fingers for Anna and Dexter, but the baby cult may have the final say in AHS: Delicate Part 2.

The first portion of AHS: Delicate Part 2 premiered on FX April 3, 2024, but the series will come to a close beginning April 24. All we can say is things are about to get extremely bumpy 👀.

What do you think will happen during the final moments of AHS: Delicate Part 2? Let us know in the comments!

Stay updated on the latest entertainment news with Brit + Co.

This post has been updated.
Header image via FX Networks
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Run A Business In California? This Free Loan Tool Can Help You Grow

CA Small Business Loan Match
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Photo by RDNE Stock project

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Most California Small Business Loan Match lenders are certified as Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which means they offer competitive rates but specialize in helping borrowers who don’t meet the rigid lending criteria of traditional banks — for example, small businesses that have a lower credit score, a prior defaulted loan, or no up-front collateral. CDFIs specialize in helping people in lower-income communities too, and offer a much more flexible and affordable repayment plan than online lenders or Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) loans.

Check them out to help you grow your business, meeting our mission to help you succeed! Good luck!

Hero photo by Amina Filkins

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TaylorNation Reportedly Says “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” Could Drop Next Week

I am the opposite of a casual Reputation fan. Four of my five most-listened-to songs on Spotify are from the 2017 album, I wore a Rep-inspired outfit to my Eras Tour show, and I am constantly analyzing (and talking about) its symbolism. I stand by the fact that this album, as misunderstood as it is, is actually the key to understanding Taylor Swift herself, which is why its rerelease is the one I've been most looking forward to. With TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit, it feels like there's a new theory every day about when we'll get Reputation (Taylor's Version), but I'm pretty sure Taylor's been telling us the announcement date the whole time.

When is Taylor Swift releasing Reputation (Taylor's Version)?

Image via Source Pictures & Taylor Swift Productions

The cappuccino Easter egg from the "Karma" music video.

We don't have an official Reputation (Taylor's Version) release date yet, but all signs were originally pointing to an announcement on February 16, 2024. When the music video for "Karma" from Midnights came out, featuring a shot of Taylor holding a cappuccino, Swifties immediately picked up on the symbolism. The blue nail (which represents 1989 (Taylor's Version)) lines up with the 8 on the clock, and the black nail lines up with the 2 on the clock. Taylor ended up announcing 1989 TV on August 9 — and then announced The Tortured Poets Department(also known as TS11) onstage at the 2024 Grammys in February!

TaylorNation just teased the Reputation (Taylor's Version) release date by hopping on the latest internet trend, which uses the "You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me" lyric from "Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me?" Their Instagram carousel features images that have sent Swifties spiraling in the past, but there are two pics I'm paying special attention to: the "five holes in the fence" image from the Lover era, and a "Bejeweled" music video still of Taylor Swift pressing 3 in an elevator. May 3 (5/3) comes two weeks after the TTPD release, and since Taylor has been emphasizing her lead single "Fortnight" with the "For a Fortnight" challenge, it looks like it could line up perfectly.

There are plenty of other potential summer release dates too! Swifties know Taylor Swift lives and breathes the number 13, and that she's been making her recent rerecording announcements at her Eras Tour shows.

Well, this summer, Taylor is heading to Milan for a show on Saturday, July 13. X user @roranotaurora points out that the symbol for Milan is a snake (it's also a symbol for Rep!) AND that on July 13, 1977, there was a blackout across New York City. When Taylor announced the original Reputation in 2017, the "Don't Blame Me" singer blacked out all her social media. If she announced the album in July, there's a good chance we'd get it just in time for autumn, chilly weather, and Daylight Savings Time, all three of which go perfectly with the Reputation aesthetic.

There's another 13 we need to pay attention to as well: December 13, which is also Taylor Swift's birthday. The popstar had the date front and center in her Tortured Poets Department pop-up installation. Since the date falls on a Friday, it's the perfect day to drop some new music...

Are there any other clues that Reputation (Taylor's Version) will come out next?

Image via Amy Sussman

Taylor Swift attends the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 07, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.

Recently, Taylor showed up to the 81st Golden Globe Awards in an all green ensemble, which is already so Reputation-coded to begin with. However, fans noticed one teeeeeeeny tiny detail about her look that really leans into all the theories that Rep (TV) is next. If you zoom in on her rings, one of them is a snake that's wrapped around her finger. 🐍

And after Taylor Swift released a video teasing her new album, Swifties are analyzing all the snakeskin patterns (on the curtains, the floor, and the green couch), as well as the dark visuals. While the video moves from the dark room to a bright one for TTPD, I'm convinced we'll be returning — or continuing down the hallway where you can see a dark picture frame waiting for us...

All the surprise songs at her Tokyo Eras Tour shows referenced falling apart, and a huge part of the Reputation era was related to a quote from Taylor that says "when she fell, she fell apart." Before playing "The Outside" as her piano surprise song on February 9, she made a joke that the song was 175 years old — which has Swifties thinking August 2 (175 days from February 9) could be the album's release date. Considering "The Outside" is off her first album, it's also possible we're getting Taylor Swift (Taylor's Version) in August!

A recent Disney+ ad that paired the Eras Tour film and Disney Pixar's Cars went viral on Twitter because its tagline is "Getaway Car," one of the most beloved songs on Reputation (Taylor's Version)! No matter when the album drops, having Taylor Swift's final two re-recordings be her name and her reputation is literally so iconic and I can't wait to listen.

What Taylor Swift songs are on Reputation (Taylor's Version)?

Image via Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

We know that, based on previous re-recordings, Reputation (Taylor's Version) will have the original tracklist and an unknown number of vault tracks that Taylor wrote ahead of the Reputation era. PEOPLE also confirmed we'll be able to hear Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)" in the new docuseries for the New England Patriots! You can also hear a snippet in the trailer for Ashley Benson's Wilderness ;). Here's what you can expect on Taylor Swift's Reputation (Taylor's Version). I'm really hoping the vault tracks include "I Don't Want To Live Forever"!

  1. "Ready For It? (Taylor's Version)"
  2. "End Game (Taylor's Version)"
  3. "I Did Something Bad (Taylor's Version)"
  4. "Don't Blame Me (Taylor's Version)"
  5. "Delicate (Taylor's Version)"
  6. "Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)"
  7. "So It Goes... (Taylor's Version)"
  8. "Gorgeous (Taylor's Version)"
  9. "Getaway Car (Taylor's Version)"
  10. "King Of My Heart (Taylor's Version)"
  11. "Dancing With Our Hands Tied (Taylor's Version)"
  12. "Dress (Taylor's Version)"
  13. "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things (Taylor's Version)"
  14. "Call It What You Want (Taylor's Version)"
  15. "New Year's Day (Taylor's Version)"

What is Taylor Swift wearing to Grammys 2024?

Image via Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Taylor Swift showed up to the 2024 Grammys in a sculptural white gown from Schiaparelli Couture. I love how Taylor has hopped on the corset trend. This is my favorite neckline in recent years! Even though the dress is white instead of black or green — and ended up going along with the Tortured Poets Department (or TS 11) announcement — I think it's still a Reputation (Taylor's Version) Easter egg. White is, of course, the opposite of black, so I think it's a more unexpected reference to the album, with black accessories like gloves, shoes, and jewelry being a direct nod. Plus, the watch necklace pays homage to Midnights! At the 2022 VMAs, Taylor wore another Reputation-coded outfit before she announced Midnights, so I think it's definitely a pattern.

Is there gonna be a Reputation Taylor's Version?

Image Paul Kane/Getty Images

Taylor Swift performs at Optus Stadium on October 19, 2018 in Perth, Australia.

Yes, we're getting a Reputation (Taylor's Version)! Taylor Swift has been very vocal about the fact she's rerecording her first five albums. However, she's been less direct about the order or the release schedule, which is honestly more fun! The official Taylor Nation account added fuel to the fire when they posted a photo of Taylor rehearsing for The Eras Tour — because, like @nashs_mom on TikTok says, the pose doesn't match up with any of the songs. While all the photos they've previously posted match up with numbers like "Enchanted" or "Illicit Affairs," the new pose seems to match up with "I Did Something Bad" (which is both the last Reputation surprise song left AND the perfect song to announce the rerecording).

"Hear me out," another TikTok user commented. "['I Did Something Bad'] was not part of the set list in 2023 but what if the first night of the tour in 2024 she performs [it] and announces REP TV."

"I literally ratatatataed as soon as I saw it," another user says, referencing the iconic production at the beginning of the song. We have less than a month before the Eras Tour starts up again, so I'm excited to see when we'll finally get a Reputation (Taylor's Version) announcement!

What caused Taylor Swift to make Reputation?

Image via Def Jam/UMG

Cover art for Kanye West's The Life Of Pablo, which features "Famous."

The primary catalyst for Taylor Swift's Reputation era was a phone call with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. After Taylor said Kanye did not have her permission to say he "made that b-tch famous" in "Famous," a video leak from Kim seemed to show Taylor did actually give her permission (it was later revealed the video was edited, and Taylor gave her permission to be mentioned, NOT to be called a b-tch).

"#TaylorSwiftIsOverParty" began trending on Twitter, and everyone from the media to the general public began calling her a snake. So she disappeared from the public eye for over a year, and Reputation was born. The era was moody — and full of snake imagery. Taylor says in her TIME interview that the album came from "a goth-punk moment of female rage at being gaslit by an entire social structure," and told Rolling Stone in 2019 that Reputation was a "metaphor" and her "playing a character."

How old was Taylor when she wrote Reputation?

Image via Christopher Polk/Getty Images for TAS

Charli XCX, Camila Cabello and Taylor Swift perform onstage during opening night of Taylor Swift's 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour at University of Phoenix Stadium on May 8, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona.

Taylor began writing Reputation in 2016, when she was 27. However, the stories she's telling go back farther than that since "Dancing With Our Hands Tied" talks about a relationship from when she was 25.

Is Reputation a love album?

Image via Big Machine Records

Cover art for Taylor Swift's Reputation.

While Reputation is sassy, moody, and satirical, I stand by the idea that it's actually a love album at its core. While the general public talked most about "Ready for It?" and "Look What You Made Me Do," songs like "Delicate," "Call It What You Want," and "New Year's Day" are all about healing after the media turned against her. The message of the album is all about how she wants to spend the the ins and outs of life with people she loves, because they make the boring days beautiful, which is also the sentiment running throughout "Lover."

"I want your midnights, but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day" and "We can leave the Christmas lights up 'til January" are the same!!

What are the Reputation Taylor's Version vault tracks?

Image via Warner Bros. Entertainment

A Horcrux from Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part I

While we don't have the tracklist for Reputation (Taylor's Version) yet, she did mention in her TIME interview that the vault tracks will be "fire."

"I’m collecting horcruxes,” she says of the rerecordings. “I’m collecting infinity stones. Gandalf’s voice is in my head every time I put out a new one. For me, it is a movie now.”

I'm going to be real honest, this is the line that sent me into a tailspin because the idea that Taylor loves stories like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and the MCU as much as I do is too much!! But it makes sense because after all, she IS a storyteller.

Do you think we'll get Reputation (Taylor's Version) in February 2024? Check out our Facebook for the latest Taylor Swift news and browse ourUltimate Taylor Swift Gift Guide!

Lead image via Big Machine Records

This post has been updated.

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