Katie Ann Echevarria Kitchens, the co-founder and editor in chief of FabFitFun, shares her story of navigating motherhood and building a successful business. Her path is one of entrepreneurship, strength, and commitment to her own self-care.
The story of Katie’s career begins with a passion for storytelling. She worked as a journalist for The Los Angeles Times and Women’s Life and even contributed to shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This laid a very good foundation for her entrepreneurial journey, providing her with diverse skills and also the network of supporters who later on supported her in launching FabFitFun.
FabFitFun originated as a media brand back in 2010 as a curation of the best of the best products available to date. However, by 2013, the company began to pivot into a subscription box model, inspired by the fun of luxury event swag bags. As the editor-in-chief of the brand, Katie was directly involved in curating content and products that would resonate with her customers, ensuring that every product was tested for its quality and appeal.
She has tested over 127 million products personally to keep the brand at its best.
The timing of FabFitFun’s founding was remarkable. Katie gave birth to her daughter, Summer, in the same month the company launched its first subscription box. In those early days, the company was small, and the concept of maternity leave was barely on the radar. Katie remembers balancing the needs of a newborn with business calls, nursing Summer during meetings. She did not always balance work and life, but Katie recognizes her achievements both as a working parent and as a professional and a parent; she is proud of these achievements.
The core philosophy of the company, FabFitFun, is the encouragement of investing in one’s self, specifically to the women and mothers out there, and this is core to the mission of the brand.
From finding a new beauty item, fitness gadget, or kitchen utensil, the brand promotes the importance of self-care. To Katie, FabFitFun is not just a subscription box but a source for spreading happiness and self-love in the lives of the members.
FabFitFun has grown rapidly over the years. The first box sold out in just 24 hours, which brought the company to its current level of over one million members and 38 million subscriptions sold. Katie is indeed committed to women entrepreneurs since she continues to promote female-led businesses within the FabFitFun community.
Katie’s journey with FabFitFun is a testament to resilience and innovation needed to succeed as a mother and in business, proving that with determination, she can chase her dreams while embracing the challenges of life.
