Ten years ago, Laura Henshaw had just launched Kic, then an e-book, with her friend, Steph Claire Smith. The duo’s mission was simple: after their own respective struggles with body image and disordered eating, Laura and Steph wanted to change the way people thought about both wellness and themselves.
Today, Kic is not only a thriving business (the e-book eventually became an app, from which a podcast was born), but a community. For this instalment of our careers column, In CC, Laura chats with Cosmo about what she’s learned as a CEO, the importance of trusting yourself, and why progress is more important than perfection.
in cc...
Cosmo: What inspired you to start Kic? How did your personal experiences shape its ethos?
Laura: Pre-Kic (over 10 years ago now which is so crazy to say) Steph and I both went on our own journeys with body image and disordered eating. While it was one of the hardest times in our lives, it was this experience that sparked us to start Kic. We wanted to create a place where people could come and feel empowered with tools to support them to live a healthy lifestyle, without the pressure to look a certain way. Our mission at Kic is to change the relationship that people have with wellness and themselves and it is really special to step back and look at the impact we have been able to have through our incredible Kic community over the years.
Cosmo: Turning an idea into a thriving business is no small feat. What were the pivotal decisions that helped you bridge the gap between your vision for KIC and bringing it to life?
Laura: We started small – really small. Back in 2015, Kic was just an e-book. It wasn’t perfect, but it was our first step. We were in our early 20s, with no five-year plan and plenty of unknowns, so we focused on taking things one step at a time and learning as we went. Early on, we saw a community connect with what we were creating, and that gave us the opportunity to keep listening and evolving. That connection has shaped every move we’ve made since and it’s what’s helped us build something truly sustainable.
Cosmo: Can you describe some of the most significant challenges you faced in the early stages of building the company? How did you overcome them?
Laura: There were many challenges (and honestly, there still are just as many today) but the one that felt the most constant was probably the self-doubt that comes with being a first-time founder. I wish I could go back and tell my younger self that it is ok to not have all of the answers, the more experience I have had the more I have realised that no one actually knows exactly what they are doing and that is OK.
In the early stages, we often doubted our gut instinct and placed too much trust in people with more experience. But over time, I’ve learnt that as a founder, no one knows your business as well as you do and trusting yourself is one of the most important lessons you can learn.
"trusting yourself is one of the most important lessons you can learn"
Cosmo: Who were your biggest supporters or mentors along the way, and how did they influence your career?
Laura: There have been so many. A lot of people I technically consider ‘mentors’ don’t actually know I exist. When we first started out, we didn’t have the network we have now so I heavily relied on podcasts and books from people I admired. I had an appetite to learn and would consume as much content as possible, always implementing what was relevant into our work at Kic and how I approached my role as a co-founder. We are so lucky in 2025 to have the access we do to incredible people, but I still find myself leaning on a lot of the lessons I learnt back when we started.
Cosmo: What was the biggest career risk you’ve ever taken? Did it pay off?
Laura: In 2018 we went out on our own to build our app after working within a bigger business before this. We had just three months to build the app, the content, and our own team (for the first time) — it felt like jumping off a cliff at the time, even though we did everything we could to set us up for success. To this day, we feel so incredibly proud of our 25/26 year old selves for taking the jump as it has enabled us to build Kic to where it is today.
Cosmo: What skills or qualities do you think are most important for a successful leader today?
Laura: Being an excellent communicator. It seems like such a basic skill but it is absolutely essential in being a strong leader and inspiring a team.
Cosmo: When facing setbacks or moments of doubt, what practices help you regain focus and push forward?
Laura: I always remind myself in those moments (that happen more often than you would imagine) that to this day there hasn’t yet been a problem we haven’t been able to solve and that surely today will not be the day that will change.
Cosmo: What advice would you offer to women who are striving to break into leadership positions or entrepreneurial ventures?
Laura: To never take a ‘no’ as a dead end. If one door isn’t opening, there will almost always be another one if you are willing to find it.
"Progress, over perfection"
Cosmo: Beyond your own success, what impact might you hope to have on the next generation of women entrepreneurs?
Laura: This is such a special question. I think the biggest thing would be to help young female entrepreneurs to believe that they can and to never see their gender as a barrier.
Cosmo: What is a mantra or motto you swear by?
Laura: Progress, over perfection. This is something that we talk a lot about at Kic in terms of building a sustainable, long-term approach to self-care and wellness. But it’s also something that relates to the start of our business journey – just taking the first step, whatever that may look like. Our mindset, limiting beliefs, and a lot of other obstacles can hold us back, so it’s important to remember that small, sustainable steps can create a major impact across all areas of our lives.
See more from Kic here.
