Stephanie Montes is the founder of Nue she graduated with a BFA in fashion design, worked at Nike, left to pursue a career in editorial, and then became a beauty director for a prestige online magazine, got laid off, became a freelance editor, and in 2020, launched NUE. With years of experience behind the scenes, duct tape was always the secret to going braless under plunging necklines and backless styles.
Stephanie doesn’t have a perky pair. So, she tried the famous duct tape styling hack. Hated it. It wrinkled, it pinched, and it was a nightmare to remove. However, with an actual breast lift out of the picture (Stephanie hates needles, and surgery scares her!), she was doomed to wander the fashion world with some serious styling limitations. That is until she created Nue.
What is Nue all about?
NUE is a primarily direct-to-consumer brand that solves a problem most women face every day. Our hero product, an inclusive breast tape deemed a “boob job in a box,” serves as a bra alternative that provides support, coverage, and a lift, without straps, clasps, or cups, making it the perfect solution for strapless and backless styles.
Our hypoallergenic, latex-free tape feels comfortable on the skin, is customizable (a single strip can be placed in countless styles), invisible under clothes, waterproof (Hello, bikini season!), sweatproof, and easy to remove. And while the market for adhesive undergarments is seeing some recent growth, NUE was the first to provide breast tape in a range of skin tones.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your business?
I graduated with a BFA in fashion design, went on to design under contract for Nike, left to pursue a career in editorial, became a beauty director for a prestige online magazine, got laid off, became a freelance editor, and in 2020, launched NUE.
With years of experience behind the scenes, duct tape was always the secret to going braless under plunging necklines and backless styles. Full disclosure: I don’t have a perky pair. So, I tried the famous duct-tape styling hack. I hated it. It wrinkled, it pinched, and it was a nightmare to remove. But with an actual breast lift out of the picture (I hate needles, and surgery scares me!), I was doomed to wander the fashion world with some serious styling limitations. That is until I created Nue.
Nue blossomed from my own personal need into my mission to cater to women of all shapes, sizes, and skin tones. I’m Latina. I’m curvy. I’m short. I get insecure. I rarely feel spoken to in marketing campaigns, but Nue is out to change that. I do what I do to serve an already-underserved market of women.
How has the pandemic affected you or your new business?
Covid-19 definitely made things interesting. I launched Nue on January 31, 2020, months before the lockdown. I had to put in-person events, photoshoots, and so much more on hold but I believe if we can make it through a global pandemic, we can make it long after things are back to normal.
However, with adversity at the core of NUE (the brand was built after I was laid off as Beauty Director from my editorial job), we vowed to push upward and onward. I’ve since mustered up the courage to bare my own breasts for Instagram tutorials (and while they’ve been a game changer for our customers, it took some serious internal pep-talking). We’re also proud to have found NUE opportunities to give back. Besides our regular contributions to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, in March 2020 we also donated a percentage of proceeds from every sale to the Meals on Wheels COVID-19 Response Fund to keep our elderly communities safe and fed. If anything came from this time, it was an opportunity to help as many people as possible.
What were the top mistakes you made starting your business and what did you learn from it?
Since Nue is available in three skin tones (a first for the body tape market), I had to hand-select all three shades for the manufacturer to recreate. When I was selecting the shades from a collection of paint chips out of a Pantone book, it was so difficult to imagine the color on a fabric that complemented various skin tones. I requested sample swatches, which came with an additional cost and an extended timeline. Luckily I did because when the medium shade came back, it was a bright shade of orange. I still count my lucky stars I didn’t rely on photos and email correspondence because I would’ve been stuck with unusable stock.
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
I truly believe in the power of manifesting and speaking things into existence. I often vision board my ideas, write down big-picture goals, and talk about the accomplishments I hope to achieve one day. I don’t think Nue would be here without my vision boarding, specifically. I make actual boards with magazine clippings, quotes, and lists of goals and I hang them up where I can see them every day. They serve as a constant reminder of where I want to go in my career and business and I spend my days chipping away to my ultimate goal.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Nue is at the forefront of this new breast tape category. Since most potential customers have never heard of breast tape, it can be intimidating for new users. Video tutorials and before-and-after photos have been a major sales driver for us. Recently, we’ve been having success in posting off-the-cuff demonstrations on TikTok.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
The most important part of your business will always be its presentation. If you’re starting a product-based business, your product has to look incredible. You can have the best invention, coolest technology, the most flawless formulation, but if it doesn’t look good, the majority of consumers won’t give it a chance. Packaging is so important, especially in today’s day and age where the majority of products are discovered on social media. If it looks great, it’ll organically get posted on social media, and that always translates into sales.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
I have a few!
- Be nice to everyone. Your reputation is everything in any industry. I’ve always treated everyone with respect, from interns to CEOs, and over the years, so many of my peers have helped me along the way. You never know who you’ll end up crossing paths with.
- Don’t be above working for free. In my early days assisting and interning, I worked for free a lot. The lessons I learned and the contacts I made in those days have been invaluable to my career.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I still reach out to my peers for advice or opportunities. If I’ve exhausted all other avenues on my own and I still find myself in a bind, I don’t shy away from a helping hand.
- Pay it forward. I never could’ve made it to this point in my career or business without the help from others. When I can, I always pay it forward by helping others.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
I can’t function without my daily planner—I’m talking about an actual, physical-bound notebook and pen. While most rely on digital to-dos and productivity apps, I write lists 24/7. Every morning, I sit at my desk and write down every single thing I have to do that day, no matter how small. I include everything from conference calls to ordering restocks to simple approvals. It’s so satisfying to go down the list and check items off as I go.
What is your favorite quote?
fake it ‘till you make it
I’ve always lived by the motto, I’ve lacked confidence in the past (and still continue to from time to time) but this quote has always pushed me to commit now and figure things out later. When I made the career switch from design (I designed socks out of college) to editorial, I was asked to build the beauty vertical of an online magazine from the ground up. Truthfully, a part of me doubted myself, but I’m smart, observant, and driven, so I went for it. The beauty vertical went on to become the most successful of the site under my leadership.
How do you personally overcome fear?
Positive affirmations always help me when I’m feeling scared, anxious, or nervous. You’d be amazed how quickly you could switch your mindset with a few positive words. Like most people, I have a fear of speaking in front of a crowd. If I have a public speaking engagement, an on-air interview, or am participating in a panel discussion, I tell myself I’m capable, I’m smart, I’m prepared, and I can do this.
How can readers get in touch with you?
I’m always reachable over social media. To get in touch with me personally, you can find me on Instagram @stephanie_montes. You can also find the brand here, @the_brand_nue.
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