Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stephanie Mouchbahani-Constance, CEO and co-founder of StingMaster Inc., located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Our company developed and sells a product called StingMaster, the world's first-ever cream that blocks the pain caused by a broad variety of aquatic stings in under 1 minute. Our customers vary from tourists, beach-goers, divers, spearfishermen, diving charters, cruise ships, and even hotels. You name it - if they spend time in or around the ocean, they need StingMaster!
Tell us about yourself
I am a Ph.D. candidate at McGill University studying how venom from a fish called the lionfish causes pain in the human nervous system. From my research, we figured out how to block the pain caused by lionfish stings, and this is where the original idea for StingMaster was born. Once we formulated our secret ingredients into a cream and started sending it out to people to try, we realized that it works for far more than just lionfish stings: it works for almost any aquatic sting, including jellyfish, sea lice, and fire coral! My main motivation for StingMaster is really the fact that I get to sell a product that I developed myself in the lab to people who really need it. It makes me so happy to be able to watch people feel pain relief from a product that I had the opportunity to develop, and it never gets old!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Bringing out product from lab to market in 1 year. We incorporated our company in October 2019 and started selling StingMaster in November 2020, so our transition from idea to product was extremely fast. I'm also incredibly proud that despite the fact that we launched our product in the middle of a global pandemic, we were able to make a splash and have a successful first year of sales. Hopefully, that will make the years to come feel a little bit easier.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Wearing all of the different hats that come with running a business. I really thought that it'd be a lot simpler than it is to run a business. I find myself going from doing bookkeeping to working on some science to developing content, to managing social media, to contacting manufacturers and distributors, making sales, etc., all in the same day sometimes. I'd say that the switching between wearing different hats, and making sure that everything remains cohesive across your company, is a lot harder than people make it out to be. Being able to balance all these things, while remaining level-headed is really a skill that you develop as a business owner.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don't be afraid to ask for help.
- Say no to things - just because you have a space in your schedule for it doesn't mean you need to say yes.
- Give yourself space to be creative. If you're too busy, you won't have enough time to actually think creatively and grow your business.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
You can buy StingMaster online now at www.buystingmaster.com! We are always looking for user-generated content, so if you do buy StingMaster, please send us a photo of yourself with it, and we can send you a coupon code for your next purchase.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://stingmaster.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pterotechinc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/STING.MASTER/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephaniemouch
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-mouchbahani-constance-75b143199/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.
