Built from the Couch with Love.
We built Spicey
...out of frustration with junky heat patches, dismissive doctors, and pain care that treated Hannah's pain like a nuisance.
What we're not
... is a boardroom brand. We’re both patients, designers, strategists, and (most importantly) people in pain who’ve been through it.
And we’re proud
...to be #patientpowered. Every product we make starts with lived experience and ends with actual relief.
In Sickness, Sickness, & More Sickness.
We met back in college, and initially hated each other.
I remember thinking, who is this guy always debating me in class? Who does he think he is, and wait - why does he look so good in a suit?
But within the first year of dating (way back in 2012) I began experiencing my first endometriosis symptoms. Throughout all of the confusion and sadness, Todd was my rock. The one constant that I could depend on during my darkest hours.
Since then, he's been with me along my chronic pain journey every single day without hesitation, whether it was my endometriosis, adenomyosis, hysterectomy, or loss of my right arm with CRPS.
Through all of the tears, painsomnia, depression, and surgeries, I have been truly blessed to share my journey with him.
So when I was creating Spicey, I couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else. The same man who challenged me from the beginning continues to challenge me now - to being excellent in business, dog mom duties, and recovery.
I couldn't do any of this without him.
Our Spicey Journey!
LOVE AT FIRST [MARKETING DEBATE]
2012
We fell in love in a marketing class - trying to prove each other wrong. Todd had just finished his tour overseas in Iraq as an Infantryman in the 10th Mountain Division, and Hannah had just left the University of Maryland on a Competitive Cheerleading scholarship. Just two kids!
FIRST [SUCCESSFUL] ENDOMETRIOSIS SURGERY
2015
This was actually Hannah's second endometriosis surgery, but during her first one the year prior, the surgeon "didn't find any." The surgeon who found her endo changed her life and put her on a path to helping others find relief. In this picture, we're celebrating at the Biltmore Estate!
LONG DISTANCE & MASTER'S DEGREES
2015-2017
It was while studying for her Master's degree, Luxury & Fashion Management, in Hong Kong that Hannah studied their innovations in heat therapy. It was this experience that led her to create Spiceys, eventually submitting a patent for heat therapy strong enough for chronic pain, but with natural materials like they do in Asia.
THIRD ENDOMETRIOSIS SURGERY
2022
Getting endo excision surgery in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic was a truly unbelievable experience!
ADENOMYOSIS & A HYSTERECTOMY
2023
What we thought was endometriosis evolved into both endo and adeno. These two sister conditions prevented Hannah from being able to walk or do basic lifestyle activities like the dishes or walking up stairs. Even though it was a heartbreaking decision to make, today we can look back on this together and feel confident knowing it was the right one.
LAUNCH DAY!
March 2025
We rebranded from Emma Valentina - initially conceived as a "health-leisure" brand for women in pelvic pain - to Spicey! Our heat therapy patches became best sellers, and we saw that we could do the most good by giving our full attention to Spiceys. It was scary, but worth it!
WE GOT MARRIED!
October 2025
Fourteen years after falling in love, 4+ surgeries, 4 degrees, 4 dogs, 6 guinea pigs, and buying 1 house, we decided we still really liked each other. We eloped in Eze, France on the Riviera. A more perfect day will never exist!
WINNING BIG!
October 2025
Less than a week after getting married in the French Riviera, Hannah won the DC Startup Week CPG Competition! It was the first of its kind, and opened so many incredible doors for us and the brand. Our honeymoon was a pitch competition, a perfect start to the rest of our lives together!
GROWTH & CARTON BOXES
JUNE 2026
With our retail and provider partnerships are growing, we knew we had to make Spiceys easier to access. Since launch, we had sold out already with a growth rate of over 100%! With Hannah's vision and Todd's experience as a CPG packaging strategist, we had so much fun collaborating on these. Hannah even designed them with one left hand in Illustrator. In this image, taken from our kitchen on delivery day, you can see her CRPS arm nestled in her sling!
MAKING HISTORY
Summer 2026
Hannah created the political strategy and framework for the first ever endometriosis legislation passed in the Congressional Appropriations Bill for 2026. It took whipping votes, meeting with senatorial and congressional offices, and so much coffee. The work she did for the American End of Endo Project made history. This is just the beginning of her career advocating for healthcare, women's health, disabilities, and so much more.
CRPS & RESILIENCE
2026 - Present
Today, Spicey is growing exponentially and we couldn't have done it without our Hotties (or without each other)! Hannah still hasn't gained the function in her right arm, and CRPS may never let her give it back. But with every physical therapy appointment (we go together!) and order placed, she gets stronger and more resilient. Our personal and physical growth has aligned with Spicey's, and we couldn't feel more grateful for that.
