Katie Sturino: Building Megababe, Owning the Mess, and Dreaming Big

Katie Sturino is no stranger to reinvention—from fashion PR hustler to viral dog-momager to founder of Megababe and author of the new romcom Sunny Side Up. In the premiere episode of The Messy Parts, she joins Maryam to talk about building a self-funded brand, the real struggles behind the Instagram gloss, and how letting the "messy parts hang out" can be your superpower. They talk all things Ozempic, Oprah, body image, revenge-fueled motivation, and working with family. Katie also opens up about her purpose: helping women stop feeling bad alone—and start feeling powerful together.Show Notes: Guest: Katie Sturino – Entrepreneur, Author, Founder of MegababeFollow Katie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiesturino/?hl=enFollow Katie on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katiesturinoTopics Covered:Why revenge is her greatest motivator: "Success is the ultimate revenge"Moving to NYC and relentlessly pursuing her dream job at ChanelMaking her dog Toast Instagram-famous and recognizing unexpected opportunitiesStarting 12ish Style blog after discovering the power of body representationCreating Megababe: solving problems no one talks about (thigh chafe, boob sweat)Working with family: benefits and challenges of business partnershipsWriting "Sunny Side Up": transforming pain into a romcom after 9 yearsMeeting Oprah and sparking a national conversation about weight stigmaThe messy reality of entrepreneurship that podcasts don't shareDreaming big without limits and trusting your gutMentioned:ChanelDolce & GabbanaMegababe ProductsToast (her famous dog): DogMeetsWorld12ish Style blog"Sunny Side Up" (her novel)Today ShowOprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss RevolutionTargetWeight WatchersOzempicIna Garten’s book, Be Ready When Luck HappensThe Longest TableSend us Fan MailEmail us: [email protected] stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.Thank you for listening.