4 March 2021|Latest Posts, Meet the Successful Founder
Stephanie Monty is the founder of Ostique, a medtech start-up committed to alleviating the challenges for those living with life-changing healthcare needs, to make every day easier, improved and empowered. We create innovative and aesthetically empathetic ostomy care products designed to harmonise with the unique need of each and every person living with a stoma. By focusing on a balance between the emotional and physical effects, we are challenging and changing how ostomy care products are designed, delivered and ultimately perceived.
Stephanie was inspired to found Ostique after witnessing her brothers’ experiences with advancing Crohn’s Disease and the prospect of requiring stoma surgery. She has won The Brunel James Dyson Award for Innovation, was a National Finalist in the Santander Entrepreneurs Awards and has been featured on the BBC, Dezeen, Possibility magazine and Dirty Furniture magazine amongst other publications. Stephanie won an Innovate UK grant for her work with Ostique, and most recently won the London Tech Week Elevating Founders Europe competition in 2020.
What would you love to share to encourage other women to start their own business?
“Starting my own business had never been part of my plan, and medical devices were certainly not on my radar but I was inspired by my family’s circumstances to found my own company and it has been the most rewarding experience of my life. There are some extra challenges that come with being a female founder, especially when it comes to funding, but there are also increasing numbers of supportive networks and events to help female founders to level the playing field.
There is no doubt that running a start-up is a rollercoaster of highs, lows, long hours and a lot of hard work, but my passion for what we are trying to achieve at Ostique has carried me through. So, if you have an idea for something that doesn’t exist yet, go out there and do it yourself! “
What are your five top tips for entrepreneurial success?
● Build the right team – setting up your own business can be very lonely at times, and it can be tempting to feel like you have to do everything yourself, but surrounding yourself with passionate and talented people is key to success!
● Collaborate with experts – most early-stage founders are only able to have a small full-time team, but using expert advisers can be a fantastic way of increasing your reach and plugging any weak areas in your business.
● Don’t be afraid to make mistakes but more importantly, only make that mistake once. Inevitably, there are going to be things you don’t know, that you get wrong, that you misjudge but it is so important to learn and grow and to trust in the process.
● Talk to everyone and anyone – Don’t be afraid to contact people you admire or who have inspired you -There is an incredible amount of goodwill out there, and you don’t lose anything by reaching out.
● Take time to remind yourself why you founded your business – it is easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day running of your business that you forget the reason you started it in the first place. Start-ups can succeed over larger companies because they are driven by a clear purpose, and as the founder you are responsible for keeping that front and centre.
Who are the five women who inspire you the most ?
Sheryl Sandberg
Katherine Johnson
Golda Meir
Zadie Smith
Susan Monty (my mother!)
What is your favourite saying/inspirational quote?
“Time is how you spend your love”
Zadie Smith
Website & Socials
Twitter: @Ostiqueltd
Instagram: @Ostiqueltd
