Boss Babes: Rosie O'Neill, co-founder of Sugarfina

Written by Shopify API — August 06, 2019

Boss Babes: Rosie O'Neill, co-founder of Sugarfina

As a company created by two women, we know how important it is to celebrate women who are trailblazers in their respective fields. That’s why we’ve started our Boss Babes series. Each month we’ll highlight one woman who’s leading the way and is absolutely crushing it, in business and in life. Here, they’ll answer questions on everything from how they started out and advice they think every woman should know, plus their beauty routines and how they take care of themselves. This month: Rosie O’Neill of Sugarfina.

While we adore all things fruit, you could also say we have a sweet tooth here at Glow Recipe, which is why we’re huge fans of Sugarfina. Rosie O’Neill recognized the lack of elevated, beautifully packaged sweets on the market, and so she and her now-husband set out to create their own. She founded her business in 2012 and set off across the world, sampling thousands of confections along the way. Formerly the director of marketing at Barbie, Rosie’s penchant for whimsy is thoughtfully infused into everything she puts out at Sugarfina, from their customizable bento boxes to their tongue-in-cheek green juice gummy bears.

We tapped Rosie to share her thoughts on being a woman in an entrepreneurial space, and she even shares the beauty advice she wishes she had known as a teen!

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you start your business? Why did you choose this as your passion?

On our third date, my co-founder (and now fiancé) Josh took me to see the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. After the movie, we started talking about candy and wondered, “Why isn’t there a candy store for grown-ups?” That was the spark of the idea that eventually led to Sugarfina. I’ve always had a big sweet tooth, so the idea of creating a modern, luxurious candy brand was right up my alley!

What were some of the challenges you faced as a female founder? How did you overcome them?

I think being a female founder is an advantage and the tide is shifting in our direction. Female-led companies perform better on average than male-led companies and women control the vast majority of purchase decisions in nearly every industry. If you look for challenges you will find challenges, but if you look for opportunities you will find opportunities. I really believe it’s all about your mindset.

Are there any particular moments that stand out as a defining moment for you personally/professionally?

One of the customers from our Pasadena boutique called us to ask if she could get married in our store. For me, that’s one of my favorite moments in Sugarfina’s history, that someone would want to share one of their most important life events with us.

Any beauty secrets you want to share?

Wear sunscreen! I wish I could go back in time and tell my super-tan high-school self to stay out of the sun.