Ep 612: The Bootstrap Beauty Brand Going Up Against BlackRock in Target – Megababe
DTC Podcast · with Katie Sturino · May 18, 2026 · 36 min
Summary
Megababe founder Katie Sturino shares the journey of building a bootstrapped beauty brand from scratch to major retail success. Learn how she created a new product category, leveraged PR for explosive growth, and strategically navigated the complexities of scaling into stores like Target and Walmart, all while maintaining profitability and an authentic brand voice without external funding.
Key takeaways
Focus on solving genuine, unmet customer problems, even if manufacturers and traditional media don't initially understand the need. Megababe created a category around 'chafe' when no one else was addressing it.
Prioritize profitability and organic growth early on. Megababe never raised capital and consistently grew over 33% year-over-year, demonstrating sustainable scaling without VC dependence.
Don't underestimate the grind of retail expansion. Landing in major stores like Target is a new beginning, not an end goal, requiring continuous operational and marketing effort.
Explore unexpected and non-digital marketing channels. Megababe found NYC taxi ads outperformed all digital channels, highlighting the potential of diversifying ad spend beyond conventional DTC wisdom.
Develop a strong, authentic brand voice and messaging that resonates with your target audience to build genuine connection and tackle sensitive topics effectively, as seen with the "I'm Not Fine Index" campaign.
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupKatie Sturino built Megababe with 60,000 followers, two co-founders who'd never had chafe, and an MOQ of 20,000 units stacked in her parents' garage. Eight years later it's profitable, in Target, Walmart, CVS, Nordstrom, Anthropologie, and on Amazon. Never raised a dollar. Never grew less than 33% year over year.In this episode Katie walks through how she built a category that didn't exist. Manufacturers didn't know what chafe was. Press didn't know what chafe was. The Today Show hit on June 30, 2017 and they sold out every unit by July 1. Then the real work started.Inside: why retail is when the grind begins (not when you've made it), why she still ranks "people just dealing with it" as her biggest competitor, the husband-given marketing fix that solved deodorant aisle confusion in one sticker, the accidental Amazon Super Bowl ad placement, why their hemorrhoid product is a top seller on Amazon, and the moment her sister convinced her soap was worth doing.Plus the new "I'm Not Fine Index" campaign, why NYC taxi ads outperform every digital channel they run, and the one piece of advice Katie has for anyone shipping a product in 2026.Catch the DTC and Pilothouse crew at The Whalies May 19 in LA.Timestamps:0:00 Building a brand around chafe2:58 How Megababe started11:00 Selling out after the Today Show14:10 Retail growth at Target and Walmart20:05 Why Megababe started advertising27:10 Building a real brand voiceSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - <a href="https://dtcnews.link/advertis
Focus on solving genuine, unmet customer problems, even if manufacturers and traditional media don't initially understand the need. Megababe created a category around 'chafe' when no one else was addressing it.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Prioritize profitability and organic growth early on. Megababe never raised capital and consistently grew over 33% year-over-year, demonstrating sustainable scaling without VC dependence.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Don't underestimate the grind of retail expansion. Landing in major stores like Target is a new beginning, not an end goal, requiring continuous operational and marketing effort.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Explore unexpected and non-digital marketing channels. Megababe found NYC taxi ads outperformed all digital channels, highlighting the potential of diversifying ad spend beyond conventional DTC wisdom.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Develop a strong, authentic brand voice and messaging that resonates with your target audience to build genuine connection and tackle sensitive topics effectively, as seen with the "I'm Not Fine Index" campaign.
