Today, I'm joined by Julia Nimocks, co-founder & CEO of Freaks of Nature. Co-founded with surf champion Kelly Slater, Freaks of Nature is building performance skincare for outdoor athletes — leveraging microbiome-driven formulations for skin longevity. In this episode, we discuss designing a technical skincare brand for the athletic consumer. We also cover: Why athletes are underserved in skincare Crafting microbiome-first formulations with PhD expertise Scaling lean with contractors over full-time employees Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Website: www.freaksofnature.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freaksofnature___/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@freaksofnature___ - The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities. Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/ Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/ Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/ Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (00:46) Julia's background and operator journey (01:19) From Billie to Freaks of Nature (02:20) Why skincare for outdoor athletes made sense (03:09) Building with the Squared Circles team (04:11) Core product portfolio and evolution (04:41) The white space in athletic skincare (05:52) Microbiome-driven formulation philosophy (06:44) Sunscreen and moisturizing serum as foundation (08:15) Expanding into deodorant category (10:45) Kelly Slater as co-founder and brand ambassador (13:15) Authenticity in athlete partnerships (15:45) Distribution strategy and retail approach (18:15) Building lean with contractors (20:45) Revenue per employee efficiency model (22:21) Incentive structures and team dynamics (24:48) Protecting scrappy startup mentality while scaling (26:34) 2026 roadmap: product launches and team growth (27:31) Expanding "Freak Faces" athlete ambassadors (28:21) Where to find Freaks of Nature (28:35) Conclusion