Normalizing Thigh Chafing and Boob Sweat with Katie Sturino

Summary

Summary of "Normalizing Thigh Chafing and Boob Sweat with Katie Sturino"
My So-Called Midlife with Reshma Saujani
Release Date: July 9, 2025

In this insightful episode of My So-Called Midlife, host Reshma Saujani engages in a heartfelt and empowering conversation with Katie Sturino, an entrepreneur, author, and body acceptance advocate. The discussion centers around societal pressures on women's bodies, the journey to self-acceptance in midlife, and Katie's innovative venture, Megababe, which aims to normalize and address often-taboo body-related issues.

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1. Katie's Journey to Body Acceptance [06:10]

Reshma opens the conversation by highlighting Katie's personal transformation:
Reshma: “I became a size 16, which I still am, and a surprising thing happened. I really loved my body.”
Katie shares her lifelong struggle with body image, influenced by societal standards that equate self-worth with size. After her divorce at 35, she found herself at a size 16 and feared her self-worth was diminished. However, an accidental journey on Instagram led her to realize that many thin women also grappled with body acceptance, prompting her to embrace her own body and redefine her relationship with food and self-image.

2. Societal Influence and Social Media on Body Image [12:34]

The conversation shifts to the origins of body insecurities:
Katie: “The rules are made up by who? Men.”
Katie emphasizes that societal norms around body image are often dictated by male-dominated standards. Reshma connects this to social media's impact, noting how young girls mimic negative self-talk observed online, perpetuating a cycle of body dissatisfaction and self-criticism.

3. Familial Impact on Body Shaming [21:44]

Reshma delves into the role of family, particularly mothers, in shaping body image:
Reshma: “Normally, the first person to kind of somewhat body shame us are our own mothers.”
Katie acknowledges the difficulty in confronting body-shaming remarks from older generations but underscores the importance of setting boundaries. She suggests strategies such as calmly expressing how such comments affect her and redirecting conversations towards health rather than appearance.

4. Building Confidence in Midlife [24:12]

Katie discusses her growing confidence in midlife, emphasizing conscious choices to prioritize joy over societal pressures:
Katie: “I'm choosing to feel joyful and independent.”
She shares how she navigates social situations that challenge her comfort with her appearance, affirming her commitment to living authentically despite external judgments.

5. Redefining Fashion Standards with Megababe [26:39]

The focus shifts to Katie's entrepreneurial venture, Megababe:
Katie: “I just try to normalize things that have been made to be really taboo, especially in the beauty industry.”
Megababe offers products like thigh chafe sticks and boob sweat powders designed to provide practical, non-toxic solutions while promoting body acceptance. Katie explains how these products address real, everyday body concerns that are often overlooked by mainstream beauty brands.

6. Progress in Fashion Inclusivity [28:54]

Katie celebrates a significant milestone in fashion inclusivity:
Katie: “Now a size 16 is found, like, in their stores. It's part of the buy. It's available. It's not like a special request.”
She acknowledges that while progress has been made in expanding size ranges in mid-tier designer brands, sizes above 16 remain underserved. Nonetheless, she views this as a positive step toward greater inclusivity.

7. Balancing Body Acceptance and Cosmetic Procedures [32:44]

A nuanced discussion arises about the balance between embracing one's body and the desire to preserve youth:
Katie: “I've been getting Botox since I was 26.”
Both Reshma and Katie explore the complexity of fully accepting one's body while engaging in practices aimed at maintaining a youthful appearance. They agree on the importance of allowing individuals the freedom to make personal choices without societal judgment.

8. Entrepreneurial Success and Future Plans [36:13]

Katie recounts the creation and unexpected success of Megababe:
Katie: “We launched in June of 2017 and were sold out of everything we made by July.”
This rapid success, propelled by a segment on the Today Show, led Megababe to expand into major retailers like Target, Walmart, and Ulta. Looking ahead, Katie discusses plans to launch new products, including a hemorrhoid cream and additional shaving products, as well as her upcoming book aimed at further advocating for body acceptance.

9. Empowering Women and Final Reflections [43:44]

Reshma and Katie reflect on the importance of living authentically and empowering women to set boundaries against societal and familial pressures:
Reshma: “Share information, be vulnerable. Tell your truths, unleash someone else to live the life that they want to live.”
Katie echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the role of financial independence and confidence in fostering a joyful and empowered life.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• [07:57] Reshma Saujani: “Look for the cons. My favorite scam. Yeah, the con.”
• [10:24] Katie Sturino: “Are we gonna spend the rest of our lives feeling anger and disgust for this body we're in?”
• [12:46] Katie Sturino: “The rules are made up by who? Men.”
• [21:06] Katie Sturino: “They want you to follow the rules so you don't get hurt and you don't get in trouble.”
• [24:12] Katie Sturino: “I'm choosing to feel joyful and independent.”
• [28:54] Katie Sturino: “Now a size 16 is found, like, in their stores. It's part of the buy. It's available. It's not like a special request.”
• [32:44] Katie Sturino: “I've been getting Botox since I was 26.”
• [33:09] Katie Sturino: “So what's the look I want? I want to look, like, super toned in a bikini.”
• [35:38] Katie Sturino: “There shouldn't be any judgment from society about that.”

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Key Takeaways

• Societal Pressures: Women's body image is heavily influenced by societal norms largely dictated by male-dominated standards.
• Self-Acceptance Journey: Embracing one's body, especially in midlife, requires conscious choices to defy negative societal messages.
• Family Dynamics: Setting boundaries with family members, particularly mothers, is crucial in overcoming body shaming.
• Entrepreneurial Impact: Ventures like Megababe play a significant role in addressing and normalizing female body concerns that are often overlooked.
• Balancing Act: It's possible to pursue body acceptance while also engaging in cosmetic procedures, provided there's no societal judgment.
• Empowerment: Financial independence and confidence are key to living authentically and joyfully in midlife.

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This episode serves as a powerful reminder that midlife is not just about navigating challenges but also about embracing oneself fully. Katie Sturino's journey and her contributions through Megababe offer valuable insights and practical solutions for women seeking to redefine their relationship with their bodies.

Transcript

[Reshma Sajani]

Want to listen to your favorite Lemonada shows without the ads? Subscribe to Lemonada Premium. On Apple Podcasts. You'll get ad free episodes and exclusive bonus content from shows like Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis Dreyfus, Fail Better with David Duchovny, the Sarah Silverman podcast, and so many more. It's a great way to support the work we do and treat yourself to a smoother, uninterrupted listening experience. Just head to any Lemonada show feed on Apple Podcasts and hit subscribe. Make life suck less with fewer ads with Lemonada Premium.

[Katie Storino]

I'm Josh Mankiewicz and I hope you'll join us for season four of Dateline, Missing in America. In each episode of Dateline's award winning series, we will focus on one missing persons case and hear from the families, the friends and the investigators, all desperate to find them. You will want to listen closely. Maybe you could help investigators solve a mystery. Dateline Missing in America.

[Reshma Sajani]

Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts. Lemonada welcome to my so Called Midlife, a podcast where we figure out how to stop just getting through it and start actually living it. I'm Reshma Sajani. You all know that one of my favorite sayings is look for the con. They are truly everywhere. If you take a moment to look for them, we are being tricked every day about everything. To me, one of the most insidious cons is the one that we've been sold about our own bodies, about women's bodies. Society is constantly telling us if you do this or that, if you don't eat too many carbs, or if you work out 10 times a day, or if you take this pill that you too can achieve the perfect body. Whatever the fuck that means. And when you do have that perfect body, all your problems are gonna go away. It's gonna feel like unicorns and rainbows every day. I know, you know, midlifers that that is total and complete bullshit. Look, as someone who has never had a positive relationship with her body, I know how hard it is to to change that. Especially in midlife when it feels like your body just changes overnight. And it doesn't matter how well you eat, how hard you work out, it's just you can't get back to the way your body used to be. We've talked before about hormones and belly fat and the stuff that just happens to us when we cross 45. So the con about women's bodies, it's an important one to talk about because it's really, really, really a tough one. To overcome. Katie Storino is fighting like hell to expose this con. And that's why I wanted to talk to her. She's incredible. She's an entrepreneur, an author, a body acceptance advocate who has built an online platform to help women feel confident in their bodies. She's the founder of megababe, a personal care brand that sells non toxic products to address everyday issues like thigh shaving and boob sweat. And she's thought a lot about the way we think and talk about women's bodies and how we can change it, starting with ourselves. I'm so grateful to Katie for this conversation. We talked about so many things, like identifying and combating insecurities, drawing boundaries with family members. Mom, I'm talking about you, especially the ones who have that special knack for sprinkling a little bit of body shaming. We talked about how we find confidence in midlife. And a fascinating exchange about the way society views women's bodies vis a vis their political and social power. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Katie Storino as much as I did. Let's party. Let's get into it. All right, so as you know, you're here to talk about midlife, and the first question I like to ask everybody is their midlife mindset. And the interesting thing is it's different for different folks. So some people are like, fuck yeah, Best time ever. Some people are like, oh, my God, make it stop. Where are you?

[Katie Storino]

I guess I'm newly coming out of midlife denial. I'm 44 and I think I spent so long hiding my age or not really discussing my age because so much of what I do or did do is in influencer land. And in influencer land, you've gotta be young.

[Reshma Sajani]

So do you think that's the case?

[Katie Storino]

I would say, like, in the past year, maybe it feels less so. But like, for a long time. Yes.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah.

[Katie Storino]

Like, unless you were a mommy blogger, like, there was no space for you. But now with, like, I mean, this platform that you have, like, I feel like it's becoming cool to talk about other things.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah. I mean, also, like, Nicole Kidman, baby girl, like, all the hot Demi Moore, like, all the hot mommies are like, yes. Are in it. Are in vogue.

[Katie Storino]

It's recent, but that's new. That's like a new conversation.

[Reshma Sajani]

You're right. Because I think for a long time, even for girls who code, I wanted to be big sister, not mom. Right, because you wanted. It's kind of like you became a mom to die. Like, it was the most Uncoolest thing to be an older woman.

[Katie Storino]

Yes. Like, literally the worst. But, like, we didn't have examples or, like, a pathway to show us any different.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah. Yeah. So I want to start talking about. I was just reading a quote that you gave, and I keep thinking about it, so I'm going to read it to you. I became a size 16, which I still am, and a surprising thing happened. I really loved my body. Tell me about the journey of getting to that point where you say that. And I could tell by looking at your face that you believe it with every ounce of your soul.

[Katie Storino]

Yes. And I. I think my journey is that I was always bigger. And just like I said with. With the age thing, like, I always wanted to be smaller because the world told me I should be smaller. I was, like a size 1214 for my whole life. And then I went through a divorce, and I became a size 16, and I thought that that would be the end of things for me. I was like, well, that's it. Like, you're never gonna. Like, who's. Who are you gonna find? Because you could bear. You couldn't keep a husband when you were a size 1214, so how are you gonna find someone at a size 16? Now? This is, like, the most toxic thinking, but that's how I thought. And I started my body acceptance journey by accident because I wasn't looking to accept my body. I was looking to, like, go to dance classes twice a day and, like, get my revenge body. I wasn't looking to, like, be, like, y a cool size. And the way that I got there was through Instagram, because I. I actually started my platform just trying to help, like, bigger girls find, like, clothing hacks. Like, I was like, go to the men's department at RIP Barney's and, like, try the shoes on there. Or try, like, try this oversized, stretchy piece from this brand because it'll fit us. And so that's how I started. But what I realized is all the thin women were coming to me being like, wow, you look great in a tank top. I wish I could wear a tank top. And I was like, you should be wearing a tank top. You're the size too. Like, I should. You should tell me not to wear the tank top. So once I started to realize that the thin women didn't like their bodies, I was like, wait, hold on a second. This is all a lie. And you said at a lunch that. That I was. I was at where you spoke. You were like, look for the scam. What's the scam?

[Reshma Sajani]

Look for the con. My favorite scam. Yeah, the con.

[Katie Storino]

And I was like, there it is. That's the con. Because, hold on a second. We all hate our bodies. What are we doing here? So that's when I started to say, what if I just, like, actually became okay with my body and that's how it started.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah. But it's interesting to me that it's in midlife, though, that you have this sense that, like, I want to become an advocate. Like, it was your divorce, you know what I mean, that catalyzed this. You're chronicling your life for other women. In many ways, they're getting inspired by you, and you're saying, oh, come on here. I'm a size 16, and this is. And I'm in my 40s, and this is the first time I love my body.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah. I was 35 when I got divorced.

[Reshma Sajani]

35.

[Katie Storino]

And so that's when it started, actually. I gained. I went on a whole journey that I'm just starting to unpack, where I actually, like, gained weight and was a size 22. Like, you know, 18. 20. 22. And then I'm a size 18 now. And so I've been all these different sizes in this, like, bigger space. And I have learned so much in all of it. But I think what's been really cool for me is I've been into my body the whole time where. As. Where I. When I was smaller, I was always critical. Like, the thinnest I had ever been was, like, a size 10. And it was because I was on this crazy, unhealthy diet and exercise program, and I had no energy. It was really bad. But I still was like, I can't. Can I get smaller? So it. It was just. It was really interesting to detach from that point of view around hating your body.

[Reshma Sajani]

Right. How do you think that happened, though? How did. Cause what you're saying is so remarkable to me, right? Because I know for me, especially being in midlife, especially with menopause, like, you know, right now I'm in the thick of perimenopause. And so I'm either. I'm constantly bloated, right? And then maybe I'll get a drop of, like, my period, and I'll be like, oh, thank God. Right? It's not. It's not that, like, I ate too many cookies. It's just that I am really. But I am as mean to myself, if I'm honest, Katie, about my body today, and I can't seem to get out of it. So how did you break Free.

[Katie Storino]

I guess. I, I, I, I don't guess. I mean, I did, I made a choice. I was like, are we gonna spend the rest of our lives feeling anger and disgust for this body we're in? For what?

[Reshma Sajani]

For who?

[Katie Storino]

It's not gonna, it's not gonna change the outcome. Like, for me, again, the catalyst was my divorce. I was like, it didn't keep a husband. Like, it didn't like, like basically keeping myself small and making sure that I was trying to like blend in with everyone didn't do anything for me. Like, I'm my most successful professionally at my biggest. I'm like, I'm, I am my most authentic self at my biggest. And that doesn't mean that, that my self worth is attached to a higher number on a scale. It just means that I'm able to do those things. Bigger body, hopefully showing people that the two don't correlate. Because I think people are often like, I'm bigger and I will start dating when I'm smaller. I will apply for this promotion when I'm smaller. I will travel when I'm smaller. And I'm, and all I'm trying to do is dispel that, that myth. And I think there's another lane of this which is, is eating related and my relationship with food. And I think that I actually had to go through a couple years of just absolute it, like, just like no diet, eat what I want, eat when I want, eat whatever. And that got me to a place where finally I could say, okay, like, I'm ready to, like, I'm ready to maybe like, look at my choices in a different way. Because I'm not going to look at it through the lens of someone who is not eating enough food. Because I'm trying to look a certain way. And now I'm not going to look at it through the lens of someone who's just eating whatever, whatever I want because, like, it, whatever. I'm now able to like, look at food as like a way to fuel my body. Which sounds like bullshit, but that's what that journey has done for me personally.

[Reshma Sajani]

So you use your platform, which I love to really talk about, like how we combat these insecurities. Can you explain to us where do these insecurities come from? How did this start?

[Katie Storino]

Society. It all comes from society. Because your auntie called you over because of things that had happened to her or people she knew. That's all passed down trauma being brought to your front door to say, like, you don't want to be treated like this. I was treated like this, my sister was treated like this, my coworkers treated like this. So it's all under this guise of protection. And they're just doing what they've been taught to do, which is to keep you in line. They want you to follow the rules so you don't get hurt and you don't get in trouble. But really the rules are made up by who? Men.

[Reshma Sajani]

Right? They decide what body type is attractive and what body type. And as we know, it doesn't really matter because you could be a size 2 and be like, oh, I have to get liposuction. Which I have met someone who has said that. Or. You know what I mean? So it's so. It's never perfect, it's never good enough, and it's never dictated by us. The other thing is, and Kati, tell me if this is true. I read an article somewhere that, like, our bodies are actually biologically conditioned to get to one size. So no matter how we fight it.

[Katie Storino]

Set Waypoint.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah. Do you know more about this? Can you tell me more about this?

[Katie Storino]

I mean, listen, I'm not a doctor, but I do know that no matter what you do, your body, like you will struggle even harder. This is mostly for, like, I can relate to this. When I was trying to be as small as possible, it was just so unnatural. My body was fighting me at every point because I'm not meant to be a size 10. Like, that's not. That was not my size. So, like, I was hungry, I was tired, and I wasn't really myself. And that's because my body was trying to, like, you know, tell me that, like, I was not living right. Yeah, yeah, but the set weight point is interesting too, because your, your body is. Wants to hang out around a certain weight and then we end up changing it with our own behavior.

[Reshma Sajani]

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[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]

Hey Julia Louis Dreyfus here. If you listen to me on my Wiser Than Me podcast, you probably already know that I'm an investor and an evangelist for the Mill Food Recycler. There are a lot of of reasons to love mill, but for me it's all about the impact. Keeping food out of the garbage is one of the most powerful things we can do to help the planet every single day. We're talking banana peels, carrot tops, old takeout. When that stuff heads to the landfill, it becomes a huge driver of climate change. If you already compost, great. But of course there's the smell, the flies, the running to the curb every day with a little leaking compost bag made of cornstarch. That's where mill comes in. It makes keeping food out of the trash as easy as dropping it in. It can handle nearly anything from a turkey carcass to like 20 avocado pits. It works automatically while you sleep. You can keep filling it for weeks and it never, ever smells. Mill makes dry, nutrient rich grounds that you can use in your garden, add to your compost, feed to your chickens. Or MILL can get them back to a small farm for you, but you kind of have to live with MILL to really get it, and that's why they offer a risk free trial. Go to mill.com wiser for an exclusive offer.

[Reshma Sajani]

I chose Function because it's the only health platform that gives you access to the kind of data most people never see and the insights to actually take action. Inside function. You can test over 160 biomarkers from heart and hormones to toxins, inflammation and stress. You can also Access multi region, MRI and CT scans all tracked in one secure place. Over time, it's a near 360 view to see what's happening in your body. That's why top health leaders like Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Andrew Huberman and Dr. Jeremy London are all behind Function Health. Did you know there are nearly 30 biomarkers that can impact your skin more than your skincare routine? Because breakouts, dullness, dryness, redness, they're not just surface issues, they're internal signals and Function helps you see them more clearly. Function is the first health membership that gives you access to 100 plus biomarkers across the whole body. Metabolism, inflammation, heart, liver, hormones and more. Plus you can add on MRIs and CT scans too. Medical grade insights tracked over time, explained in plain language. We've talked a lot on the show about hormones. While at Function, you can test your estradiol and testosterone for hormonal imbalances that can drive acne, dryness or oiliness. Recently you've been in the sun, your routine is off. Your skin's talking. Function helps you stop blaming the products and start understanding the patterns. Because your skin is a mirror and Function gives you the data to read it. Function is offering 160 plus lab tests for $365 to anyone who signs up between July 7th and July 11th. To learn more and get started, visit www.functionhealth.com. hi, I'm Erica Mahoney. You don't know me, but you know a version of my story because by now we've all felt the impact of senseless gun violence.

[Katie Storino]

I think a stray bullet flew past me because I hear the it was that horrible feeling of dread. Something's wrong.

[Reshma Sajani]

Four years ago my dad was killed in a mass shooting. My podcast Senseless is about moving forward after the unthinkable. Senseless from Lemonada Media, premiering June 17. So let's talk about society. What's the role of social media and like what's the impact on girls? So one of the, you know I wrote a book called Brave not Perfect and you know one of the things I really researched and found is part of the way girls negative self talk happens is they watch us. They watch me put on the pair of jeans like oh my God my butt looks horrible and they copy that, right? That, that self hate and then it just cycles through generational journey. So if we want to stop it right we gotta stop it with young people. So how do we change the way we speak about our own bodies? What are some like real practical things that I need to just throw, like, don't ever say that or stop saying that or watch yourself when you do that.

[Katie Storino]

So I, I'm gonna go back to the older generation of, like, the grandparent in the home now. It's not their fault. It's like, it's not your auntie's fault what she said to you, but it doesn't mean that we can just, like, let her run wild. So talking to the older generations, I think is really important because they are, they're the worst at this. And they're very. They're very unafraid to just be like, she's getting chubby. Are you gonna let her eat that? Why are you having seconds? They'll say whatever because they, they have not done, like, talking to that older generation. But if it's not the older generation, then, you know, the call is coming from inside the house.

[Reshma Sajani]

I want to stop you there because I think what you're saying is really, really important because I heard on one of your podcasts that oftentimes this begins with your mom, and that's certainly my case. Right. Normally, the first person to kind of somewhat body shame us are our own mothers.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah.

[Reshma Sajani]

And our own mothers, I'll say for myself, is the hardest person. I mean, I could fight bullies, you know what I mean, that are present, but my mom, you know what I mean, holds completely other power and sway over me. Model that conversation for me.

[Katie Storino]

It's hard. And I will acknowledge that it's really hard because my mom has done a lot of work and I mean, she won't say anything to me about my body now, but that took a long time.

[Reshma Sajani]

But you got there.

[Katie Storino]

I got there. And I think that there's a couple different ways to have the conversation. One, you can just, you can go on light and like, after she says something, you'll be like, hey, you know what? That didn't make me feel great. And I'd love it if we just didn't talk about my size, my weight, my. My, my clothes. Like, I would love it if we didn't talk about that. It doesn't make me feel great. And then usually the response after that, I find is usually health related. Well, I'm really worried about your health, or I'm worried about your. No one's gonna date you if you're this size or whatever they're attaching to the, to the justification for what they're saying. And then you have to have your reasoning ready. So it's like, hey, thanks. I. I handle my health with my Doctor, I'm good. I'd love not to talk about this with you.

[Reshma Sajani]

Right.

[Katie Storino]

So, Right. It's awkward, it's hard, and they're gonna fight you, but that's where you can start. And then you just keep bringing it back to that doctor point because then you've got a. You're a medical professional.

[Reshma Sajani]

It works for me. Right. I'm like, I just checked my ldl. This is what it is. You know, my blood sugar's at this level, and then it often ends it there.

[Katie Storino]

Yes. And then I think something really powerful that feels really extreme is to start threatening to end either a conversation, a visit, not come home for a holiday. Like, you can draw that boundary. And it works because they're. Because they have to, like, look themselves in the mirror and say, am I gonna do this? Am I gonna push my kid away? And maybe they are, but most of the time I don't think that they are.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah. So you have a shitload of confidence, girl, and you, like, exude it. I love listening to you. We have a couple friends in common who, like, I heard you're the queen bee of the school. You know, like, and everybody loves you. Bridget says hi. But how did you find that much confidence in midlife? Because again, like, divorce at 35, divorce is like, you know, like, for a lot of our midlifers. Right. It is like a life. The life altering moment. Right. In their life. That is hard.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah. Again, it comes back to the fact that, am I gonna choose to feel bad in my life or am I going to choose to feel uncomfortable at the. I just keep. I keep making those choices in the moment every time. And I'm not perfect every time. I've got a dinner tonight that I'm super nervous about because, you know, going to, like, crowded places or socializing with people, I don't know, it makes me really nervous. But again, like, I'm not. Am I going to choose to stay home all the time? Am I going to choose to not go swimming because I am uncomfortable with how I look in a bathing suit? Like, it's just looking at that one life thing where you're like, this is my one life. Am I going to. Is this how I'm going to spend it? So I have a lot of those conversations with myself. I don't know where the confidence comes from, but I will say the confidence keeps getting bigger and better with the. With the older I get.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah. An Australian hiker travels to the American west to walk a wilderness trail.

[Katie Storino]

Wasn't afraid to be out on his own.

[Reshma Sajani]

But Eric Robinson vanished in the Hyuinta Mountains. I remember thinking, Eric, what were you thinking, mate? I'm Dave Cawley. Join me on my podcast Uinta Triangle, where I travel the world to answer the question, what happened to Eric Robinson? Follow Uinta Triangle, that's U I n T a triangle. On Apple podcasts or wherever you listen. I want to talk about your content series, super sized look. And I love it. Everybody loves it. Tell us about it. And like, where did this idea come from?

[Katie Storino]

Yeah, I started this 10 years ago.

[Reshma Sajani]

Holy shit.

[Katie Storino]

Isn't that crazy?

[Reshma Sajani]

Bananas.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah, So I started that 10 years ago. And what it is is I, I get like a celebrity outfit and I just recreate it side by side. So it's like me and Millie Bobby Brown in the same. I mean, not the same exact outfit because I can't find it in my size.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah. Because I was like, isn't that expensive though, too?

[Katie Storino]

No, it's all, it's, it's, it's all done on the cheap because that's usually the brands that are making my size. And I just show people side by side that you can be a size 0 or you can be a size 20 and still look great in this style. And I do that because so many women are like, I love her style, but I can't pull it off because of xyz. So I think if you just see it right in front of you like that, you can't really argue with that because oftentimes I'm bigger than the people who are like, I can't wear that.

[Reshma Sajani]

Right. I want to ask you about something you just said. So you said, I can't find my size in that designer. That's like fucked up and true.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah.

[Reshma Sajani]

Will that ever change? Because I feel like we just went through this big moment in society, the body positivity moment, where we've realize that vast majority of people are not sizes two and four, Right?

[Katie Storino]

Yes.

[Reshma Sajani]

And that people, most Americans want good quality clothes. So, like, is that ever gonna change? And what have you seen?

[Katie Storino]

So I've, again, I've been on this journey for 10 years and I will say that I'm gonna share my win with you. When I started, a 1214 was the biggest that anyone was gonna put in the store. It was the biggest they were gonna make in their lines. And now I can say pretty comfortably that most brands in like that mid tier designer section, so Veronica Beard, Tory Burch, like, so that, you know, not like Dior, but like this, this level, they make a size 16 and they didn't.

[Reshma Sajani]

That's incredible. Congratulations.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah, so it's. So the thing is.

[Reshma Sajani]

Big win.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah, it's a big win because Now a size 16 is found, like, in their stores. It's part of the buy. It's available. It's not like a special request. Now, does that mean that they're carrying more sizes or expanding up to an 18, a 20, a 22? No, they're not. So if you're above a 16, you're fucked. But I think the fact that we. We've moved from, like, the highest being a 12 to now the highest acceptable in a fashion line is a 16. Table stakes. I think that's. That's progress.

[Reshma Sajani]

Do you feel like this whole GLP1s, this whole kind of. I feel like we've moved away from body positivity back to, like, heroin chic.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah.

[Reshma Sajani]

You know, I don't know where we are at this moment, but, like, I.

[Katie Storino]

Think that that is also somehow connected to, like, what's happening in the world. Like, the world power. Like the. That, like, you know how they ask women to be smaller when, like, more men are in power.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yes, yes. So, I mean, basically, as we're, like, taking away rights from women. Yeah. It's like we're also giving women less power to not conform to how men's ideals. That is really, really fascinating. Right. That. That is another trend that is happening. What we all agree on this in this kind of conservative moment. Right. We're going back to traditionalism in this moment, which is really impacting also, like, what we see as acceptable about women's bodies.

[Katie Storino]

Totally. Because for, like, five years, it felt like we were kind of a little more free.

[Reshma Sajani]

I absolutely felt that. I mean, I think. I think we have. It feels like it's shifted back quite quickly. But what do you see with the next generation in terms of, like, this movement? Do you feel like you've made really lasting change, or do you feel like we're just. It's like. It's like gender equality. It's like you win, you lose. You win, you lose. You pull you back, you pull you back. Right. It's just you never actually really crash through.

[Katie Storino]

I think I have heard and seen things represented in media, so like, on shows or movies that give me hope, which are teens telling their parents to stop talking about someone's body or to not comment on someone, I'm like, well, that's new. That's like a new discussion to have, like, in mainstream media. And then I also find that, like, when you. When you talk to kids in person, they seem to have a better handle on, like, don't talk about my body like I'm good. Like, they have so many more resources and access to positive role models than we did. So I find that, yes, we. We have the potential, and in some pockets, we are doing it better. However, then you go on TikTok and you look at, like, the pro anorexic sites or the. Like, how I have my stomach this flat, like, and this is what I eat in a day, and all these toxic things. So, yes, there is still a big population of younger people who are not freed of that mindset.

[Reshma Sajani]

What about women our age or women in midlife? Like, what do you feel like is the trend there? Because I guess in my experience, I feel like we're so damn critical of our bodies, we're trained, that the mirror is in reverse, that we have to dye our hair, that we have to have Botox and fillers, that we have to look 15 years younger. I'll admit it. Like, I was just in Miami this past weekend on a girls trip, and we were with a bunch of younger women, and somehow I was like, yeah, I'm 49. They're like, oh, my God, I would have thought that you were 35. She could have fucking. She made me the happiest girl. Like, I was like, thank you. So I'm like, shit. Like, I'm doing a podcast about this, and I still am able to retreat back into wanting to be seen as looking young and chasing youth.

[Katie Storino]

I don't have a great answer because, to be honest, being very honest on this podcast here, I'm a little disconnected about the. The acceptance issue. From the neck up. I'm.

[Reshma Sajani]

Oh, interesting.

[Katie Storino]

I've been getting Botox since I was 26. Like, I. I am, like, crazy if I see, like, some gray hairs coming in. Like, I.

[Reshma Sajani]

You are preserving youth. Oh, my God, to the maximum.

[Katie Storino]

You bet I am. So it's like, I.

[Reshma Sajani]

You're not doing a Pamela Anderson. No makeup thing. This is not your.

[Katie Storino]

I'm not wearing makeup. Like. Like, that's okay. But I'm certainly in the cosmetic routine.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah.

[Katie Storino]

So. So I have a hard time reconciling those two things. But then the thing is, like, so what's the look I want? And then you can also argue that for body. So what's the look I want? I want to look, like, super toned in a bikini. And there's nothing wrong with that. But if you reverse that body conversation with the face conversation, it all gets a little muddy.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah. And I don't think we've actually really had that conversation. What you just said, I think is in many ways really profound.

[Katie Storino]

Because I've never said this before, so I know I've never had this conversation.

[Reshma Sajani]

You know what you're saying, it's complex, right? It's like I'm saying, accept me here. Right? Accept everybody here. But here, let me do what I want to do, right?

[Katie Storino]

Yes, yes.

[Reshma Sajani]

Like, neck up. Let me do what I want to do. And part of, like, if we're honest, right? Let me do what I want to do is let me chase youth. Because the beauty standards is still like, no wrinkles, full of collagen. Like, you know, I'm still chasing. Oh, my God. Someone sent me an AI doctored photo of myself and my husband. I'm like, oh, my God. Thank God no one sent me that when I was in my twenties. Cause I would have been like, take me to my nearest plastic surgery and just do that to me, please. Like, it was just. And it's wild because I do think that that's going to even make things. AI filters. Right. Make it even harder to not chase youth.

[Katie Storino]

But I will just say that, like, the skin on my body is changing. And I don't look at that in the same way as the skin on my face. Like, I have, like, wrinkles here. I have, like, more cellulite on my thighs than I have ever had before. And I don't have, like. I look at that and I'm like, meh. But like, the fact that my. My, like, jowls are, like, forming in, like, this. I mean, I am. I'm doing the zip machine like, five times a week. I am red light mask. I am like, I do not miss a derm appointment. Like, I am hyper vigilant about my face.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah.

[Katie Storino]

I'm not.

[Reshma Sajani]

Not with you. Like, Indian women, we don't fuck around with our faces. Like, I get a facial every four weeks. I have seven creams I go to bed with. I do not mess around. Like, at.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah.

[Reshma Sajani]

And. And no shame on that.

[Katie Storino]

No, there's no. I guess the. I guess the bigger thing here is you can do whatever you want. And there shouldn't be any judgment of. From society about that.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah. Do whatever you want.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah. There shouldn't be pressure. There just shouldn't also be pressure from people to, like, conform or not conform. Just do whatever you want. Let's just stop talking about our bodies and appearances as much as we do.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah. Yeah. And let people live and be the way that they Want and whatever wants for them.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah.

[Reshma Sajani]

So I want to talk about Megababe. You're an entrepreneur. How's it feel?

[Katie Storino]

Yes, I love being an entrepreneur.

[Reshma Sajani]

You do? Why? It's lonely though, right?

[Katie Storino]

Well, I've been working for myself since I was 26. 25. 26. I. I started my own PR company at that age because I PR, especially at that time. So toxic. So many like just, just really mistreatment of people in their 20s. And I was like, I love this work. I don't love these people. So I just started working by myself and then I ended up getting into managing my dog like I think seven or seven years after I started my PR firm. So then I was, I got into like Internet stuff and then I got.

[Reshma Sajani]

Wait, you were. Did you say you're managing your dog?

[Katie Storino]

I did. I was a dog ager.

[Reshma Sajani]

Was your dog famous? How many Instagram followers did they have?

[Katie Storino]

Yeah, I think at her height she had like.

[Reshma Sajani]

Wait, what was her name?

[Katie Storino]

Toast. She. Do you remember Toast? I don't know.

[Reshma Sajani]

You're Toast Mommy. I think I do remember Toast.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah. Yes, I'm. Yes. So she had her tongue out. She was a red King Charles spaniel with her tongue out. She got married on Real Housewives and she was a rescue and we did a ton for like rescue awareness.

[Reshma Sajani]

That's awesome.

[Katie Storino]

But I really learned that I liked that, that part of the job too, which was like creating content and entertaining people with a little bit of education. So I liked that. And then I started doing my own content and then I. And then I started Megababe. So I'm very comfortable working in the entrepreneurial way where it's like, I don't know where my next check is coming from. I don't know if this will last forever. I don't know. Like, I, you know, I. I am in my home office. I don't have the big fancy doors.

[Reshma Sajani]

So how did you. So megabay great products. I highly recommend them. How did you come up with that idea and like talk to us about the idea of thigh rescue similar to.

[Katie Storino]

Like what I'm doing with the body acceptance stuff. I just try to normalize things that are. Have been made. Made to be really taboo, especially in the beauty industry. So I was doing body positive posting and I was always looking for a thigh chafe solution that was like, cute and not just for dudes who are biking. And the like, beauty industry kept disappointing me every spring, like nothing was coming out. So I talked to my friend Kate. She was like my best friend from camp and Then my sister and I was like, you guys, I think we should make a thigh chafe stick. And they were like, we, you know, we don't have thigh chafe. They don't know what it is. But they were like, yeah, okay. So we started Mega Babe with the thigh chafe stick and our talc free boob sweat powder called Bust Dust. And we launched it in my parents garage. We ordered, we had to order. The minimum order quantity was 10,000 of each.

[Reshma Sajani]

Holy.

[Katie Storino]

So that's, that's 20,000 products in my parents garage. And we were like, oh my God, we are gonna. And we, at the time also, which was seven years ago, everyone was funded. You know, everyone was launching with major money. So we, we chose to do. And we still are self funded. We have never raised money, not friends and family, not from anyone. And we chose to bootstrap it. And we were like, we're gonna have this product in this garage for like two years and then we're gonna have to figure out what to do with it. But we, we launched in June of 2017 and we were sold out of everything we made by July.

[Reshma Sajani]

Holy cow.

[Katie Storino]

How? We were on the Today show. And the Today show, I think, I mean, that was it.

[Reshma Sajani]

That was it.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah.

[Reshma Sajani]

It was like. That's all you needed back then?

[Katie Storino]

Yeah. That's all you needed back then?

[Reshma Sajani]

That's all you needed back then?

[Katie Storino]

Yeah. So we were on the Today show, we got, we got a segment, Bobby Thomas, she did like a commercial for Megababe. And but the point was we found the customer because I, I knew because manufacturers, retailers, people were like, this isn't a real problem. My wife doesn't talk to me about thigh chafe. I don't know about this boob sweat thing. Like, there was just so much negativity. And I was like, no, you guys are all wrong. Everyone here is wrong. So I just had to trust my gut. And, and I did. And, and now we make over 40 different SKUs. We're in target, Walmart, Ulta, and we just launched in Boots UK last summer. I sold out Boots uk. They ordered two little product like, like I'm always like, no, no, you guys, it's not like a risk. Like you're not gonna put this on the shelf and it's gonna sit here. The audience will find it because they need it.

[Reshma Sajani]

So what's next? What do you think people need next?

[Katie Storino]

Well, I launched my hemorrhoid cream, which I was trying to launch for many years. And first, you know, Kate and my sister were like, no one wants this. This is not us. And so we put that out in September, and that has gone really well for us, especially on Amazon, especially with mechanic. It's called Butt Stuff.

[Reshma Sajani]

Oh, what a great name.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. I had to fight for the name, too. So Butt Stuff is great. And then we are this. Let's see. Where. What are we doing this summer? Well, I have a book coming out this summer, but for Megababe, we're launching several new shave products. That's where we're going right now.

[Reshma Sajani]

So is this it? Like, are you doing exactly what you want to be doing, which is advocating influencing writing, selling? You're an entrepreneur. And is. Is this the rest of your life, or is there something else you want?

[Katie Storino]

I mostly am looking to move to Italy.

[Reshma Sajani]

Oh, okay.

[Katie Storino]

And just live there, where I'm actually.

[Reshma Sajani]

Doing a little bit of that this summer. But, yeah.

[Katie Storino]

All right. Okay. Yeah, I'm. I'm just like. I think that that's. That's something on my list that I want to do for my life is just live abroad. I've never. I've, you know, I vacation spent a month, but I want to live abroad. I didn't. I didn't go abroad as a. As a college kid. I did internships in New York. Like, I was working.

[Reshma Sajani]

Do you want to live abroad? Take enchilado classes? Or you want to live abroad as an entrepreneur building a business? Like, I mean, like, do you feel like you want to retire abroad?

[Katie Storino]

I could retire abroad, but I could also be an entrepreneur abroad.

[Reshma Sajani]

You just want to change the scenery, then.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah. Yes. But writing books, I think, is something that I really. I don't necessarily enjoy the editing process, but I like the writing process.

[Reshma Sajani]

Books break my heart because there's so much time and so much energy, and it's like, it's the hardest thing to hock. And I've hawked a lot of things in my life. It is the hardest thing because people don't read. And so. But when you break through, like, I feel like, you know, with my brave not perfect book, it's like, it. I mean, when people come to you and they've tattooed it on their hand and it's just changed the way they live their life. But I think, look, I feel very blessed, and I'm sure you do, too. It's, you know, like, you could take out a piece of content. I can give a speech, and it can, like, change people's trajectory of their lives. Like, what a blessing, you know, to be able to do that with Your gift.

[Katie Storino]

So we didn't have that when we were, when our brains were forming. We didn't have that.

[Reshma Sajani]

No.

[Katie Storino]

And don't you feel lucky to be able to be that for someone?

[Reshma Sajani]

Oh, so lucky.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah.

[Reshma Sajani]

So lucky. So, I mean, especially in this moment we're in right now, I feel like the only thing I need to do every day is wake up and do exactly what we're doing on this podcast. Yep. Share information, Be vulnerable. Right. Tell your truths, unleash, you know, free someone else to live the life that they want to live.

[Katie Storino]

Yes.

[Reshma Sajani]

And like, I've done. I've done my work. Right. That is the resistance. That is exactly the resistance.

[Katie Storino]

Yes. Is to live as a financially independent. And I say this as, like, I've got. I. I'm in Florida right now and I live right by Mar a Lago. And I mean, I have pickup trucks with Trump flags, like, driving by my window every, every day. And so it does. It feels like an act of resistance to be this independent and this much of a. A guide for women.

[Reshma Sajani]

Yeah.

[Katie Storino]

To find their own independence and happy.

[Reshma Sajani]

Like, the point is, is like, because if you are every day waking up being like, what the. What's gonna happen next? What's gonna happen next? What's happening next? That breaks your spirit. You can't fight when you're not joyful.

[Katie Storino]

Agreed.

[Reshma Sajani]

You can't think. You can't think out of the. You can't, like, imagine new things. Right. If you feel so broken. So.

[Katie Storino]

Yeah.

[Reshma Sajani]

I'm so proud of you. Well, it's so great to talk to you and thank you for everything you're doing and I really appreciate this conversation.

[Katie Storino]

Thank you.

[Reshma Sajani]

Thank you so much, Katie Storino, for this inspiring conversation. That bubble that she mentioned, Sunny side up. One last thing. Thank you so much for listening to my so called Midlife. If you haven't subscribed to Lemonada Premium yet, now's the perfect time because guess what? You can listen completely ad free, plus you'll unlock exclusive bonus content like me and Katie talking about when we first started having all these negative self images of our bodies. It's a conversation that you're not going to hear anywhere else. So just tap the that subscribe button on Apple Podcasts or head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe on any other app that's lemonadapremium.com. don't miss out. Thanks. And we're going to be back next week. Bye, y'. All. I'm your host, Reshma Sajani. Our associate producer is Isaura Azavez and our senior producer is Chrissy Pease. This series is sound designed by Ivan Ivan Kulraev. Ivan also composed our theme music and performed it with Ryan Jewell and Karen Waltock. Our VP of New Content is Rachel Neal. Special thanks to our development team, Oha Lopez, Jamila Zara Williams and Alex McGowan. Executive producers include me, Reshma Sajani, Stephanie Whittles Wax and Jessica Cordova Kramer. Series consulting and production support from Katie Cordova. Help others find our show by leaving a rating and writing a review and let us know how you're doing in midlife. You can submit your story to be included in this [e-mail] midlife follow my so Called Midlife wherever you get your podcasts or listen. Ad free on Amazon Music with your prime membership. Thanks so much for listening. See you next week. Bye. Foreign hey my so Called Midlife listeners. Our network Lemonada is working on a new call and advice show hosted by a remarkable family therapist. One of her main goals is to remind you that you are the expert on your child, even if it doesn't feel that way when you're faced with uncomfortable conversations, meltdowns and tough decisions. But as a parent, I know we sometimes face challenges that feel too awkward or just too overwhelming to handle on your own. So if you're a parent of a child between 6 and 21 and you're facing one of those things, why don't you send in a question? Our host might offer you real time advice on anything from mental health challenges to big family secrets, from dating to social media. Whatever it is, we want to help. Reach out @bitly parentingpodcastquestions that's bitly parenting podcastquestions.