Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Wilson.
Hi Katie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After years of living with IBS and trying to manage its debilitating symptoms, I was especially frustrated by my inability to find snacks that were easily accessible and could provide IBS relief as well. This is where my husband Nick stepped in: as a first-hand witness to my day-to-day distress and discomfort, he hit upon the idea of creating an IBS-friendly snack bar that I — and others just like me — could eat without worry, anytime and anywhere. Our subsequent research, recipe development, and product testing lasted for the better part of a year and ultimately led us to create exactly what we had hoped for: a snack bar that actually tastes GOOD contains no IBS triggers and complements an IBS diet.
We launched from our home kitchen as ibsimple. In the first month, the company saw $3700 in revenue, selling over 600 bars in the first four days after launch. The business has since seen 102% MoM growth, proving the latent demand for a product that addresses the unique needs of an untapped market. Industry experts estimate that IBS represents a $5 billion market opportunity, and there are currently only a small handful of products that speak specifically to the needs of these consumers.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not! As I previously mentioned, Nick and I built the business out of our home kitchen shortly after I gave birth to our daughter, Winnie. We spent the subsequent months balancing parenting with bar-making. We regularly stayed up until 4AM every night to ensure we were able to send bars out to our customers every day.
While building our business, we were also working hard to perfect our recipe. This meant that any spare moments were spent buying ingredients and recipe testing.
We used a single oven to bake thousands and thousands of bars each month. I personally hand-wrote notes to every single customer.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about ibsimple Inc.?
We bake delicious gluten-free, dairy-free, low FODMAP bars that take a whole lotta BS out of IBS.
As a fellow IBS sufferer, former matchmaker, mother and self-confessed prank queen, our founder Katie was no stranger to balancing belly bother with a busy lifestyle—until ibsimple came along.
Co-founder of ibsimple, Nick is an influencer, devoted dad and the gastronomic genius behind our bars’ gorgeous, gut-soothing recipes.
In the U.S. alone, over 70% of the adult population suffers from some form of gut trouble—something our founder Katie knows all too well.
But after six colonoscopies, four endoscopies and twenty-six rounds of antibiotics, Katie found she was more interested in treats than treatment.
Tired of wading through labels and consulting with doctors, Katie just wanted to enjoy food without fear.
A chef in shining armour, her husband Nick spent countless late nights in the kitchen crafting a gut-friendly treat she could eat without worrying about the consequences—we call it ibsimple.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I was a matchmaker for ten years (mostly celeb matchmaking) prior to launching our business. I got to see (and hear) first-hand how many singles lived in fear of eating on a date because of their respective tummy troubles.
Pricing:
- 21.95 for a taster box
- 25.90 for a box of 8 (pick your flavor)
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.ibsimple.com
- Instagram: ibsimplesnacks
- Facebook: ibsimplesnacks
