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 Megababe

Follow Katie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiesturino/?hl=en

Follow Katie on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katiesturino

Topics Covered:

• Launching Megababe and creating a new body positive category in personal care
• Why embarrassment is her secret weapon
• Her pivot from fashion PR to making her dog, Toast, Insta-famous
• The myth of “making it” and going for progress over perfection
• How revenge came to be her greatest motivator

Mentioned:

Sunny Side Up (Katie’s debut novel)

Mega Babe products

DogMeetsWorld

An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution

Ina Garten’s book, Be Ready When Luck Happens

Send us a text

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.

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Thank you for listening.

Whether you’re at the top, or striving to get there—you may have noticed the one thing people rarely talk about: how hard it is to achieve success. The Messy Parts is the answer—a podcast where you’ll hear about the twists, turns and pivots that shape extraordinary careers. The real messy parts along the way. Host Maryam Banikarim has been through it, so she gets it. Maryam has been a transformative leader across media, hospitality and tech. Her powerhouse resume features more than 20 years in the C-Suite at companies like Hyatt, NBC, and Nextdoor—and she has a vast, influential network to match. On The Messy Parts, she brings you unparalleled access to that network. Deeply honest, vulnerable conversations with Maryam—who is never afraid to ask the questions on everyone's mind. Join us as we get real, unfiltered, and messy.

Send us a text

Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com

To 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.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.