EO Wonder Podcast: On Innovation, Intuition, and Intentionality

When inspiration meets intuition, magic can happen. That has defined Susan Nichols’ entrepreneurial journey. She is the founder of two unique products: SWAND, a candle care tool, and Yogitoes, a yoga mat towel brand. Susan recently joined Kalika Yap (EO Los Angeles) on the EO Wonder Podcast to share her story — one shaped by creativity, mindfulness, and being open to the unexpected. “If you have a spark in you of an idea that you fall in love with, go for it,” she says. “Do not look for the end. Just be open to the journey and do not give up.”

What can other entrepreneurs learn from Susan’s journey? Read on and listen to the latest episode of EO Wonder.

1. Follow Intuition, Even When the Path is Unclear

Yogitoes began with what Susan calls “an ‘aha’ moment.” As a yoga practitioner in New York City, she found herself slipping on her mat and went looking for a towel that would help. Despite a lengthy search, she could not find one. “I had that ‘aha’ moment: I am going to design a yoga towel to complete my mat, so I don’t slip. That is where it was birthed.”

When others doubted her idea, Susan relied on her instincts — and her faith that she could find a way. She taught herself to file a patent provision after picking out a book on the topic at Barnes and Noble. “I read it and wrote a patent provision overnight,” she says.

2. Stay Open to Serendipity

When Susan struggled to find a factory to produce her towel, she asked for help — and the answer came, in all places, in the checkout line of a discount store. The man standing behind her in line struck up a conversation and she learned he manufactured the sort of microfiber that is commonly used in towels and bathing suits. “Are you kidding me!?” she said, stunned. He was bound for Korea the next day, so she handed off a prototype to him before he departed, and they signed an NDA.

“If you have a spark in you of an idea that you fall in love with, go for it. Do not look for the end. Just be open to the journey and do not give up.”

- Susan Nichols

That chance encounter soon became a transformative partnership that brought the company to life. Moments like that, Susan says, affirmed her belief that moving through life with a positive mindset is essential. “That is how the energy works,” she says. “I owe my business to being open and being connected.”

3. Build Sustainably

Susan has long kept sustainability as a core value. “I have always been very mindful of: When you design a product, where does it end up?” she says. Yogitoes towels, for instance, are made from recycled water bottles. SWAND adheres to the same ethos: The candle-care tool is made from stainless steel, which is durable and easily recycled. “It can be an heirloom,” Susan says. “It can go on; you can pass it down.”

A portion of every SWAND purchase is donated to Women for Women International, an organization that supports women impacted by war — part of Susan’s commitment to business as a force for good.

4. Let Purpose Lead the Way

Both Yogitoes and SWAND began as single-product companies, an intentional choice: “I live a very minimalistic life,” she says. “I do not want to repeat a product and put a new brand name on it. I like to design from innovation.”

Her journey underscores that success can come when entrepreneurs trust their intuition, have a clear purpose, and are willing to persevere. As Susan told Kalika, “Believe in it yourself and have that energy and that focus … That is what I would say to a fresh entrepreneur who is excited: ‘What is the purpose of that idea? Is it for your own needs? Do you need this? What's your intention?’”

Listen to the full EO Wonder interview with Susan Nichols on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.