Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Coccia.
Hi Emily, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I moved to the DMV from Michigan in 2005 and completely fell in love with it. What started as a temporary summer job led to years spent exploring neighborhoods, trying new restaurants, wandering through events and communities, and meeting people who were deeply passionate about making a difference. What always stood out to me was the “fight” people here have — this shared drive to build something better, support causes they care about, and create real impact. That energy shaped me both personally and professionally.
My career has always lived at the intersection of mission and operations. Over the last 20+ years, I’ve worked across nonprofits, business, and CSR, helping organizations grow, build partnerships, and create meaningful community impact. I’ve managed global initiatives, worked with women entrepreneurs around the world, built multimillion-dollar programs, and helped connect businesses, nonprofits, and communities in ways that create lasting change. But like many people, COVID shifted everything for me.
Before the pandemic, I worked at a global nonprofit and traveled extensively, including to places like Bangladesh. Suddenly, the programs and systems I had spent years building had to completely pivot overnight. We were navigating constant global change, loss, uncertainty, and burnout. Looking back, I realize I threw myself into work as a coping mechanism until I finally hit a wall and knew I needed a reset.
That reset came in an unexpected form: a menstrual health boutique in Old Town Alexandria.
I never imagined myself owning a retail store — my retail experience peaked with folding denim in high school — but when the opportunity to take over Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop came along, something immediately clicked. I realized all the skills I’d built over two decades in operations, partnerships, strategy, nonprofit leadership, and community-building translated perfectly into this work. More importantly, it aligned with my passion for creating spaces where people feel seen, supported, and empowered. Plus – I get to talk about periods all day.
And somehow, I ended up exactly where I was supposed to be: Old Town Alexandria. I didn’t expect to fall so deeply in love with this community, but it’s unlike anywhere else. The neighbors hype each other up, the small business community is incredibly supportive, and people genuinely believe there’s room at the table for everyone. There’s this shared understanding that when one of us succeeds, all of us succeed.
Today, through Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop, I’m combining everything I care about most — education, advocacy, business, and community. Whether it’s breaking menstrual health taboos, partnering with local organizations, supporting nonprofits, or simply creating a welcoming space for conversation, I feel incredibly lucky to do work that matters. And honestly, I’ve stopped calling it luck. It’s been years of hard work, small decisions, risks, incredible mentors, and a community that showed up for me every step of the way.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Over the past three years, I’ve been building a business around topics that many people still consider taboo — menstruation, perimenopause, reproductive health, body literacy — and that changes everything about how you operate. I can’t rely on traditional marketing or sales tactics because before someone buys a product, they often need education, reassurance, or simply permission to talk openly about what they’re experiencing. I’ve had to learn how to meet people where they are, understand their comfort level, and approach conversations with empathy and patience. A huge part of the work is helping people feel seen and understood before anything else.
Running a small business also means constantly adapting to things completely outside your control. One day I’m working on strategy and financial forecasting, and the next I’m scrambling to replace vendors because tariffs impacted products we carry, trying to recover from a rainy Saturday that dramatically affected monthly revenue projections, or navigating the emotional weight of constant attacks on women’s health and reproductive rights. Every single day brings a new curveball, and very rarely does the day unfold the way I planned it.
The emotional side of this work has probably been the hardest and most rewarding part. Customers regularly share deeply personal stories with me — about painful periods, fertility struggles, perimenopause, medical gaslighting, or years of feeling dismissed by doctors. I’ve had people cry in the shop simply because someone finally believed their pain. Those moments are an incredible honor and they are absolutely the reason I do this work. But there’s also an emotional weight that comes with it. It can make the operational side of running a business — the spreadsheets, inventory management, budgeting, and forecasting — feel insignificant in comparison, even though those are the very things that keep the doors open.
I’ve also experienced burnout firsthand. When you care deeply about your work and your community, it becomes very hard to say no — to opportunities, ideas, partnerships, or people who need help. One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to learn is that even meaningful work requires boundaries. Sustainability matters, both personally and professionally. I’ve learned that perspective isn’t just about understanding others; it’s also about understanding your own limits and giving yourself permission to protect them.
As you know, we’re big fans of Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop is a menstrual health boutique, but at its core, it’s really a community space built around education, advocacy, and making people feel less alone in their bodies. We focus on all phases of menstrual health — from first periods to fertility, pregnancy, post-partum, perimenopause, menopause, and everything in between and beyond. We very carefully curate body-safe menstrual and wellness products, but what people quickly realize when they walk through the door is that the shop is about so much more than products on shelves.
What sets us apart is that we lead with conversation and education first. We know many of the topics we talk about — periods, pelvic pain, hormone changes, menopause, and reproductive health — still carry shame or discomfort for a lot of people. So we’ve created a space where curiosity is encouraged, questions are welcomed, and nobody is made to feel awkward for talking about their body.
Some people come in needing period products, while others come in needing reassurance, resources, or simply someone who believes them. Some just need a comfortable place to breastfeed or a restroom stocked with free period products and wipes because their period started unexpectedly. Others come in looking for guidance on how to better support a daughter, partner, or loved one because they’ve never personally experienced menstruation themselves.
At the end of the day, we want people to feel cared for, informed, and a little less alone when they walk through our doors.
We’re also deeply community-driven. Over the last three years we’ve distributed more than 30,000 menstrual products to people in need, partnered with local businesses to make Alexandria more menstruator-friendly by providing free period products in business restrooms, hosted workshops and wellness events, consulted on reproductive health education, and advocated around issues like the tampon tax and menstrual equity. We love finding creative ways to connect nonprofits, businesses, government, and individuals to make real impact happen locally.
Brand-wise, I’m probably most proud that we’ve built something people emotionally connect to. Customers often tell us the shop feels like a relief — like a place where they can finally have conversations they’ve been holding onto for years. We’ve become known for making “taboo” topics approachable, empowering, and joyful. There’s a lot of laughter in the shop alongside such serious conversations.
We’re also intentionally inclusive in how we approach health and wellness. We meet people where they are, whether they’re a teenager buying their first pads, someone navigating infertility, a parent trying to support their child, or a person entering perimenopause wondering why nobody prepared them for what’s happening to their body. We believe menstrual health is not a niche issue — it’s a human issue.
At the end of the day, I want people to know that Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop isn’t just a store. It’s a space for everyone — built on empathy, education, advocacy, and community connection. We’re here to “spread moxie” — helping people feel more informed, more confident, and more empowered in their bodies and their stories.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along this journey is that doing good is good business. People want authenticity and community. Some of the most meaningful opportunities, partnerships, and growth (both revenue and personal) I’ve experienced have come from simply showing up for people, listening, and leading with purpose instead of focusing solely on transactions. Whether it’s helping someone navigate a difficult health experience, connecting nonprofits with local businesses, or creating a space where uncomfortable conversations can happen openly, I’ve learned that community-building and business success are not separate things — they strengthen each other.
At the same time, I’ve also learned that in order to do good in the long-term, you have to take care of yourself too. For a long time, I treated burnout like a badge of honor and said yes to everything because I cared deeply about the work and the people behind it. But eventually I realized you can’t pour endlessly into others without protecting your own energy, boundaries, and wellbeing. The work only continues if the person doing it can continue too.
I’m still working on that lesson, though, and hope to someday figure out how to quiet my brain at 2 a.m. instead of mentally reorganizing the shop and planning six new projects.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.msmoxiesmoonshop.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msmoxiesmoonshop/#
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ms-Moxies-Moon-Shop
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ms-moxie%E2%80%99s-moon-shop
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ms-moxies-moon-shop-alexandria
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/ms-moxies-moon-shop
