Our co-founder, Manju Dawkins, MD, recently joined Dr. Amna Shabbir on the Success Reimagined podcast for a conversation about the moment that started Thimble, and why she believes needle fear is a signal worth listening to, not something to "get over."
The moment that started it all
During her newborn daughter's vaccine appointment, Dr. Dawkins watched her daughter look up at her with a look of betrayal, and something shifted. That one moment became the seed of an entire company, and the reason she moved from full-time dermatologist to building the first over-the-counter needle care system.
Why needle fear deserves to be taken seriously
In the episode, Dr. Dawkins talks about something we come back to again and again: needle fear is real, it's common, and it's rarely talked about. 63% of adults report some fear of needles, and about a third have put off care because of it. That's not a small inconvenience. It's a genuine barrier to healthcare, and it's one worth solving.
A system for before and after
She also walks through how the Thimble Needle Care System works, and why it covers the whole experience, not just one moment of it. Prepare is a numbing patch applied before a shot or blood draw to ease the pain of the needle. Recover is a soothing patch with turmeric and arnica for the soreness that can linger afterward, because that lingering discomfort is part of what makes the next appointment feel scary.
Beyond the product, the conversation gets into the founder side too: what it costs to self-censor as a woman of color entrepreneur, how perfectionism nearly kept her playing it safe, and the quiet hug from her daughter that meant more than any prize.
Listen to the full episode
About Manju Dawkins, MD
Manju Dawkins, MD is a board-certified dermatologist and the co-founder of Thimble. She holds a B.A. from Columbia University and her M.D. from the University of Maryland, completed her dermatology residency and served as Chief Resident at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and was twice named Teacher of the Year as an Assistant Professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Thimble was recently featured in Forbes as a leading micro-innovation in healthcare, and Dr. Dawkins was a finalist in the NBA Foundation's All-Star 2026 Pitch Competition, where Thimble won a $25,000 prize.
About the host of Success Reimagined, Dr. Amna Shabbir
Dr. Amna Shabbir, MD, NBC-HWC, CPC is a Dual Board-Certified Physician and TEDx Speaker with advanced training in Integrative Well-being, Performance, and Leadership Development. She speaks, coaches, and consults on Perfectionism, Sustainable Success, and the well-being of High Achievers.