The Messy Parts
New career advice and messy stories, every Monday.
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.
The Messy Parts
Katie Sturino on Building Megababe, Owning the Mess, and Dreaming Big (Re-Release)
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We're going back to our first episode: 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:
- Why revenge is her greatest motivator: "Success is the ultimate revenge"
- Moving to NYC and relentlessly pursuing her dream job at Chanel
- Making her dog Toast Instagram-famous and recognizing unexpected opportunities
- Starting 12ish Style blog after discovering the power of body representation
- Creating Megababe: solving problems no one talks about (thigh chafe, boob sweat)
- Working with family: benefits and challenges of business partnerships
- Writing "Sunny Side Up": transforming pain into a romcom after 9 years
- Meeting Oprah and sparking a national conversation about weight stigma
- The messy reality of entrepreneurship that podcasts don't share
- Dreaming big without limits and trusting your gut
Mentioned:
- Chanel
- Dolce & Gabbana
- Megababe Products
- Toast (her famous dog): DogMeetsWorld
- 12ish Style blog
- "Sunny Side Up" (her novel)
- Today Show
- Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution
- Target
- Weight Watchers
- Ozempic
- Ina Garten’s book, Be Ready When Luck Happens
- The Longest Table
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