The Interview: Megababe Founder Katie Sturino on filling a gap in the market with her problem-solving bodycare brand
Katie Sturino founded Megababe in 2017 to solve a problem: the underwhelming selection of thigh-chafing solutions on the market. She has since developed the business to address a number of other personal care concerns, from body acne and boob sweat to razor bumps and even smelly feet.
In this interview with TheIndustry.beauty, Sturino speaks about the inspiration behind her brand, its retail partnership with Boots, why it is important as a founder to connect with your community, and more.
Have you always had an interest in beauty? What inspired you to launch Megababe?
No actually! I never considered myself a "beauty junkie". Something that I have dealt consistently with my entire life is thigh chafe. I was never satisfied with the products on the market that were made for men, athletes, or with ingredients that I didn’t want to put on my body. I kept waiting for a large company to make something that I was proud to use. When that never arrived, I decided to make it myself!
How did you take the brand from concept to creation?
I asked my sister and my best friend from camp if they wanted to start this company with me. Even though neither of them had beauty experience, they both believed in my idea and wanted to jump in. From concept to creation was a lot of trial and error since we didn’t have beauty experience, but we brought individual strengths into the company.
How has Megababe’s range developed since launch and how do you decide what products to launch?
We have made more products than I could’ve ever imagined making! Everything we make follows the same directive: to address an unmet need in the market with a solution that not only works, but you aren’t embarrassed to have out on your counter. We take a lot of customer feedback and most of our development is based on listening to our customers.
Where is Megababe available in the UK?
Megababe is available online at Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, ASOS, and in person at selected Boots stores. For people who plan ahead, we rely on Cult Beauty and Beauty Bay to ship and help us reach other customers in the greater European area.
How do you feel about the brand’s launch at Boots? How is this going?
When I started this company, my goal was to have Thigh Rescue within five minutes of anyone who needed it. The fact that people in the UK can now walk into a Boots and grab a Thigh Rescue is really important for us! We sold out online at Boots in the first week- so it seems like it’s performing well.
Any plans for future UK retailers?
We aren’t looking at new UK retailers right now. We hope to expand even more SKUs into Boots so we are focusing on that!
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You have an active role in the brand’s social media. Why do you do this and why is it important as a founder to connect with your community in this way?
I’m not just a founder, I’m a customer! I love being able to show women how it’s ok to embrace taboos and to shed your shame.
How else does Megababe aim to create a community for its customers?
It's important to listen to our customers. I love to see how our community reacts to new products and it's a constant conversation to learn, listen and develop.
How do you feel about the brand’s growth since launch?
The growth since launch has been unbelievable! We started this brand in my parents garage and we sold out of all products one month after launch - it hasn’t slowed down since!
What are your ambitions for the brand?
My ambitions for the brand are to continue to help women stop feeling shame about very normal conditions we experience in the human body.
