Heather Fritzsche
CEO of YouBodyCare
What inspired you to start your business?
I was appalled when I learned that the average bottle of body wash is made up of about 85% water. Every one of those plastic bottles that you hold in your hand in the shower every morning has been trucked all across America, and its really mostly water. I believe businesses have a responsibility to offer sustainable solutions and I just knew there was a better way for body wash - that is why I started YouBodyCare.
What advice would you give to other women entrepreneurs?
You have to know your runway – how long can you function without revenue and still feed yourself (and your family if you have one). You also really have to be willing to gamble, to invest in things you aren’t sure are going to work, and to keep investing in NEW things before the first things have even panned out. It’s really all about knowing how much risk you can handle and making sure you stay within your own parameters. The other thing I would say is that it is easier if you can find someone else doing something similar successfully. That way you know there is already an audience. Being a category creator is much harder!
What three traits define you?
Kind, dedicated, charitable.
What women inspire you?
Tory Burch and Sara Blakely. They both use their success to support other women entrepreneurs.
What do you see as the coolest or most important trend in your industry?
Water-less Beauty to reduce plastic usage and supply chain volume, both of which create emissions and use fossil fuels.
What’s your favorite career moment?
When we received our WBENC Certification, we held a big party in Chicago for all of our clients and suppliers. I guess we had about 50 people there. I stood up to thank them and do a toast, and I really just cried. It was a long journey from being an employee to being an Entrepreneur, and that was the moment I knew it was all worth it.
What are you reading or listening to now?
The Outlander series! I seriously re-read it over and over again, it’s like my fictional extra family.
What’s the best way to start your day?
COFFEE. Old school pot of coffee. No Keurig, no takeout cup.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A pediatrician.
How do you unwind after a long workday?
Cooking! I seek out complicated recipes and new ingredients all the time.
Fill in the blank:
When I face a challenge, I… disconnect from electronics, slow down and just think without doing. Sometimes the answer is right in front of me.
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself… trust the process.
The one thing I couldn’t live without is… coffee! (There’s a trend here!)
By this time next year, I… will be running two, multi million-dollar businesses.
To get my creative juices flowing, I… sit by myself and think.
YOUBodyCare
YouBodyCare™ was founded on the idea that body wash could be more than what’s inside the bottle. That it could leave the smallest footprint on our waters by using powder-filled packets that break down, instead of plastic that pollutes. And it could be fun to wash with, feel like nothing else out there, and always smell amazing.
