319. Julia Nimocks, Co-Founder & CEO of Freaks of Nature

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

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Website: www.freaksofnature.com

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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