Redefining Productivity Through Cycle Awareness: A Conversation with Diamond, Founder of Muna

Guest blog by: Tracy Janvier-Augustin 

Diamond is a 30-year-old UX designer from Fort Worth, Texas, originally from Georgia. As the eldest child of Jamaican and Guyanese immigrants, she grew up balancing academics, athletics, and creativity. A graduate of Virginia State University, where she attended on a volleyball scholarship and studied computer science and accounting, Diamond now combines her interests in psychology, design, and technology through her work as a UX designer.

Outside of her professional life, Diamond embraces a variety of activities that support her well-being. She enjoys traveling, scuba diving—which she describes as "underwater meditation"—creating cocktails, strength training, Pilates, aerial arts, improv, and karaoke. Her diverse interests reflect a strong appreciation for movement, creativity, and self-expression.

Growing Up Without the Conversation

Diamond's menstrual health journey began in fifth grade during a softball game, a memory she still vividly recalls due to an unexpected period while wearing white pants. Beyond the embarrassment many young girls experience, her early menstrual years were marked by severe cramps that often required her to leave school during the first two days of her cycle.

Despite these challenges, menstrual health was rarely discussed openly within her family or community. Much of the education she received focused on pregnancy prevention rather than understanding the menstrual cycle itself. Like many women, Diamond entered adulthood with limited knowledge about what was happening in her body each month.

Reflecting on her upbringing, she noted that women's health advocacy was not a career path she intentionally pursued. Instead, she gradually recognized how empowering accurate menstrual health information could be and became passionate about helping other women gain that same understanding.

The Birth of Muna

The idea for Muna originated during Diamond's MBA program. Initially envisioned as a cycle-syncing planning application, the concept evolved as she gathered feedback and learned more about the experiences of women navigating both ADHD and PMDD.

A pivotal moment came when a friend living with ADHD and PMDD validated the need for a tool specifically designed to support women facing these challenges. While the overall vision of Muna has remained consistent, its focus has become more refined.

Today, Muna primarily serves women with ADHD and PMDD, helping them understand their menstrual cycles and align their routines, expectations, and goals with natural hormonal fluctuations.

Challenges Behind Building a Women's Health Platform

Like many entrepreneurs, Diamond faced significant obstacles while developing Muna.

As a solo founder, she manages every aspect of the platform, including product development, social media, user engagement, meetings, and strategic planning—all while maintaining a full-time career as a UX designer.

Technical challenges also emerged throughout development. Learning AI-powered development tools, navigating complex calendar integrations, and determining which features belonged in the minimum viable product versus future updates required constant decision-making and adaptation.

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges has been balancing the demands of building a startup while maintaining her own well-being.

Reducing Burnout Through Body Awareness

One of the most meaningful outcomes Diamond has observed among users is a reduction in guilt and self-criticism.

Many women using Muna report that simply understanding where they are in their cycle helps them contextualize fluctuations in mood, energy, and productivity.

One user shared that after experiencing a particularly difficult day, she checked her calendar and realized she was in her luteal phase. Rather than blaming herself for her decreased energy, she felt relieved to know there was a biological explanation for what she was experiencing.

These moments highlight a central theme of Muna: education can be empowering. When women understand their cycles, they are often better equipped to practice self-compassion and make informed decisions about their daily activities.

Everyday Life

Throughout her work with users, Diamond has observed that PMDD affects far more than physical symptoms. It can significantly influence a woman's ability to participate in daily occupations, including work, self-care, social participation, relationships, and leisure activities.

She emphasized that healthcare professionals often focus on symptom reduction without fully considering the broader impact PMDD has on daily functioning. Understanding how symptoms affect a person's routines, responsibilities, and quality of life is essential for providing meaningful support.

This perspective closely aligns with occupational therapy's holistic approach, which considers not only symptoms but also how health conditions influence participation in everyday life.

Rethinking Productivity

One of the most powerful insights from the interview focused on productivity.

Rather than viewing productivity through a traditional 24-hour lens, Diamond encourages women to consider productivity across an entire menstrual cycle.

She explained that women's bodies function cyclically rather than linearly. Energy levels, cognitive performance, emotional regulation, and physical capacity naturally fluctuate throughout the month.

From this perspective, rest is not the opposite of productivity—it is a productive activity.

Instead of measuring success by what is accomplished in a single day, Diamond encourages women to examine what they achieve over an entire month. This shift allows space for recovery, reflection, and self-compassion while still recognizing meaningful accomplishments.

Recommendations for Healthcare Professionals and Researchers

When discussing healthcare and research, Diamond emphasized the importance of listening to women and believing their experiences.

Many women with PMDD and ADHD encounter significant barriers when seeking diagnosis and support. Their symptoms are often misunderstood, minimized, or dismissed.

Diamond encouraged healthcare professionals to move beyond symptom management and consider the full impact of menstrual health conditions on daily life, relationships, work performance, and overall well-being.

For researchers, she highlighted the importance of capturing women's lived experiences and avoiding one-size-fits-all approaches. She also stressed the need for strong privacy protections when collecting menstrual health data.

Looking Toward the Future

As Muna continues to grow, Diamond envisions expanding beyond cycle tracking to support women across the entire menstrual lifecycle. Her long-term goal is to create resources that help women better understand and navigate the many transitions they experience throughout life.

If she could change one thing about society's response to menstrual health, it would be removing the stigma and taboo surrounding these conversations.

She believes women should feel empowered to trust their bodies, honor their need for rest, and embrace the cyclical nature of their health rather than forcing themselves to meet unrealistic expectations of constant productivity.

Through education, awareness, and innovative tools like Muna, women are being given the opportunity to better understand themselves and redefine success on their own terms.