“A man is not a financial plan.” That was the sticker Laura Henshaw grew up seeing on her fridge. Today, as the CEO & Co-Founder of Kic, she’s built a health and wellness empire -- spanning an app, grocery products, and a movement empowering women. Listen to my interview with Laura on episode #194 of The High Flyers Podcast. Our listeners loved the original episode from November 2022 so much that we re-released it last week! Laura's journey started long before KIC. Laura grew up in Melbourne as the eldest of three sisters, watching her mum restart her career after divorce and learning early on about the importance of female financial independence. At 14, she became a “sandwich artist” at Subway - her first job. At 19, she started a protein powder business. At 23, she co-founded KIC with her best friend, Steph, turning a small ebook into a thriving tech and consumer business. 💡 But KIC almost never happened. Laura was studying law and business, set on becoming a lawyer. Security was everything—until she realised her drive wasn’t about titles or pay checks. She wanted to build something that mattered. She and Steph were told: ❌ “Never go into business with a friend.” ❌ “You need to write a contract between you two.” ❌ “You should just be influencers.” Instead, they backed themselves. When an early partnership meant they didn’t own their own product, they walked away—losing their subscriber base and database overnight. 💡 Three days later, they relaunched KIC on their own—and had more sign-ups than ever before. Lesson? Your brand is your community, not just your product. Laura also defied expectations as a founder and leader: ✅ Bootstrapped KIC instead of raising VC money. ✅ Scaled a health brand while maintaining control. ✅ Refused to be boxed in as “just an influencer.” 💡 “If we were just marketing girls, KIC wouldn’t exist today,” she says. She’s also one of the few founders who runs a business while staying deeply connected to her audience—managing social media, engaging with customers, and building trust. 💡 “I owe it to my first believers to show up every day.” From law school to startup life, from financial fears to financial independence, Laura’s story is about reimagining what success looks like. And as she says: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Laura meets my definition of a relatable role model. Dalton Jason Tess Nicole Jane Emily Jessica Susan Curiosity Centre
Laura is definitely a relatable role model!