Building a Body-Positive Beauty Brand

Key Takeaways

1. Not Taking “No” For an Answer: Sturino sees more and more women taking ownership of their health and wellness. “I think [women’s] problems have been ignored, or we've been told that what we're experiencing is not typical or it's just in our heads... They're not taking those answers from someone, an ‘expert’ who's telling them that what they're feeling isn't valid and they're going and finding solutions for themselves. And I think that is really a powerful moment.”

2. Too Niche? Think Again: While its products are now in high demand by women consumers, Megababe encountered skepticism in early pitches to retailers. Sturino shared, “We did approach another giant beauty chain who told us that they didn't see this as a category that really had growth expansion. It was a niche product, a niche offering and not something that they thought would really go anywhere. I love when people are wrong. But I would say the fact that we are in these giant retailers and that we are making headway and educating women that this product exists, I think it's a really huge deal.”

3. Listening to Women: “I'm a body acceptance influencer on the internet. And I would say that one of the things I found through that work is that women of all sizes are generally unhappy with their body,” said Sturino. While Megababe was met with skepticism early on, Sturino was empowered to press on by her audience: “I knew because of the women that I talk to every single day in my DMs, that this was a problem that women were looking for a solution for.”