Katya Eckert is transforming women’s sleepwear with A DOMANI to support comfort, dignity, and wellness through life’s transitions

Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business

I’m Katya Eckert, the founder and CEO of A DOMANI, a science-backed sleepwear brand designed to support women through life’s transitions with cooling, temperature-regulating fabrics. The inspiration came from my own postpartum night sweats and, later, my mother’s battle with breast cancer—two life experiences that opened my eyes to just how underserved women are when it comes to something as fundamental as sleep. A DOMANI (Italian for “until tomorrow”) is my way of giving women comfort, dignity, and style at the moments when they need it most.

Who are your customers?

Our customers are women navigating the hormonal changes of postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause, though we also see women in cancer treatment, and anyone dealing with temperature regulation challenges, gravitating toward our products. What unites them is a desire for sleepwear that looks beautiful, feels incredible, and actually performs: keeping them cool, dry, and comfortable so they can focus on living their lives, not their symptoms.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

Before founding A DOMANI, I spent 15 years in institutional finance at Macro Risk Advisors, holding roles in marketing and business development. At the same time, my academic and personal interests, earning a BA in Art History and Communications from Rutgers, becoming a certified Integrative Nutrition health coach, and completing a 200-hour yoga teacher training, all shaped my perspective on wellness, aesthetics, and entrepreneurship.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

After the birth of my daughter, I was blindsided by postpartum night sweats. I was soaking through multiple sets of pajamas each night and couldn’t find anything that kept me cool, dry, and comfortable, without being synthetic or overtly sexy. I ordered every pajama on the market before deciding to create my own. The mission became even more important to me though while my mom was battling breast cancer. I saw how much of a difference the right clothing could make in her comfort during treatment. Those two experiences made it clear: women deserve better.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I've always loved the idea of entrepreneurship! I was always selling something, fundraising, and at college ran the People Magazine street team. I also always worked at startups and in small teams because it provided a big sense of entrepreneurial spirit and ownership.

Take us back to when you first launched your business; what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

Marketing strategy for launch was friends and family. I knew the second people got their hands on the product they would immediately tell their friends and it was effective in the beginning.

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way so far and what have you learned from it?

The biggest challenge in this business has always been and continues to be working capital. We invest dearly in very high quality inventory and there is a lag between investing in inventory and marketing dollars and the ROI.

What accomplishment are the most proud of to date in your business?

Still on Cloud 9 from the Changing The Game interview on CBS Mornings with Gayle King. This experience catapulted A DOMANI to a new level.

Do you have any recent wins from the last year that you'd like to celebrate with our community?

The Oprah Daily Menopause O-Wards recognition was also a major highlight. This, along with CBS, showed us that the conversation around women’s hormonal health and sleep is growing, and we are thrilled to be a part of it.

What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

Looking ahead, we’ll continue to expand our product line with new silhouettes and colors and fabric weights. We want to become the go-to brand for women at every stage of life—whether they’re postpartum, navigating menopause, recovering from treatment, or simply looking for better sleep. Beyond products, our vision is to keep breaking the stigma around women’s hormonal health by creating a community and conversation that makes women feel seen, supported, and celebrated.

What is your top productivity tip? 

A good breakfast and workout to start the day, a to-do list and a well organized calendar, land arge uninterrupted chunks of time to concentrate.

On the flip side, how do you avoid burnout?

I don’t multitask. Working + parenting or working + working out does not work for me. It guarantees I will do both poorly. Unless there is something pressing, I have an unofficial “end” to my day and I cap the evenings with a meal, watching something on TV with my husband and reading before bed.

What is your approach to work-life balance / integration?

I think balance is a tricky word and lulls us into a do it all mentality. I prefer work and life triage; sometimes work takes precedence, sometimes life. My husband is also an entrepreneur and we both subscribe to this philosophy for work and family; we step in to help each other out on both fronts.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

I am new here and still trying to figure it all out!

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

I have the vision and I need to bring in experts that get it and can own the piece  that I am hiring for from the ground up. My biggest tip in hiring is to trust your instincts and if you’ve made the wrong hiring decision, cut your losses as quickly as possible.

If you've raised capital for your business already, what are some of your best tips or lessons learned?

Self-funded!

Are you a Mamaprenista? If so, please share your best advice for simultaneously managing a business and a family

I subscribe to the triage philosophy. Family is a full time job, a startup is a full time job - I have an aspirational to-do list and I also have to give full attention to where I’m most needed. And I don’t multi-task.

Do you have a co-founder? If so, how did you find the right one for you and what are your best partnership tips?

I am a solopreneur but I rely heavily on the input of my consultants.

What's the one app on your phone you absolutely cannot live without and why?

Whatsapp - its how the garment industry communicates

What is your favorite business tool or solution and why?

ChatGPT, Notion, Shopify

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Make sure whatever you take on you have the fortitude and the business opportunity to keep on going for the long haul.

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today

‍