Asutra: The Everyday Power of Magnesium
- KLS
- 2 hours ago
- 9 min read
For the 223rd feature of our "Together Talks" campaign, we collaborated with Asutra and Stephanie Morimoto, Owner & CEO. First she bought the product. Then she bought the company.
Their story is a little unusual and very serendipitous. In 2018, Asutra were just a small business with good products but no real direction. That was until Chicagoan and future Asutra CEO/Owner Stephanie Morimoto’s business acumen and passion for wellness led her to the company. Already an Asutra enthusiast, when she was presented with the opportunity to buy the little business she leapt at the chance. Under her guidance, Asutra has grown into the natural, accessible, well-rounded, active self-care brand you know and adore.
And not to be some annoying name dropper, but they also have a name worth dropping: Venus Williams. Turns out Venus used (and still uses) our magnesium cream as part of her pre-game workouts and wanted to know our secrets. So much so, that she became part owner/Chief Brand Officer.
In a time when diversity and inclusion seem almost trendy, they don’t just talk the talk, but walk the walk. Their company is run not only by women but also by women of color. Actually, 70% of their employees are people of color. Asutra is proud of their commitment to furthering the careers of people in marginalized groups.
As a brand that wants everyone to engage in active self-care, they water their roots so the fruits of their labor can feed more.
"Together Talks" feature # 223: Asutra presented by KLS - Your Trusted Shipping Solutions In The USA
What have you learned since becoming an entrepreneur? What aspect of entrepreneurship do you appreciate the most? Share a decision that you made that was detrimental?
Story of how it was created?
What’s interesting about my story is that I bought Asutra. I burned out in past corporate jobs, and the stress from that burnout showed up physically in my body, with symptoms like headaches and back pain.
I had to reassess my life and figure out how to live differently. I began a burnout recovery journey, working out, sleeping better, and trying to nourish and hydrate my body more intentionally. One of the things I added to my wellness routine was topical magnesium.
I discovered a magnesium spray online, and it helped me feel calmer, helped my muscles recover faster, and helped me sleep better.
Fast forward a bit: I decided I wanted to find a small business I could buy. Something with real potential that could be taken to the next level. While networking, I met a small business transactions lawyer who told me he had just received a memo for a wellness products business that he thought would be a perfect fit for me.
It turned out to be Asutra, the same brand of magnesium oil spray I had discovered and was already using as part of my wellness routine.
That felt like fate. I did the due diligence, and it became clear that this was a business we could grow. I bought the company in 2018, when it was still a very early-stage business selling primarily on Amazon. I hired a brand strategy firm, relaunched the brand, and we’ve been growing it ever since.
Was it the first business you looked at acquiring?
No, it wasn’t the first business. I looked at a wide range of opportunities, from banana-based ice cream to small-scale brass fittings manufacturing.
None of them really spoke to me. But as soon as I heard about Asutra, it did.
Learning that it was a product I was already using and loving, and that it had been a meaningful part of my own wellness journey, ultimately convinced me that this was the right business to pursue.
Have you ever reflected if you would have bought it had you not already been using the product?
That’s a good question. It’s hard to know in hindsight. There were strong fundamentals: genuinely good products, excellent customer reviews, and founders who clearly tapped into something real with topical magnesium, an ingredient that has since become increasingly popular in the wellness space.
So yes, there were compelling business fundamentals. But I do believe that personally using the product mattered. One of my core values is that I can’t sell or promote something unless I truly believe in it.
What separates you from your competition? Why magnesium?
My own experience with topical magnesium was that it helped my muscles recover faster after exercise, helped me feel calmer, and supported better sleep. As I started working out more and practicing yoga, the benefits became very clear.
That led me to research why magnesium is so effective. Magnesium is critical for over 300 bodily processes, from helping cells create energy to reducing cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. It helps manage stress, promotes calmness, supports sleep, and helps muscles and joints feel more relaxed by relieving tension.
More recently, studies have highlighted the benefits of topical magnesium in particular. One of the advantages is targeted relief. Our products also include FDA-approved pain relievers like capsaicin for warming relief and menthol for cooling relief. The neat thing about capsaicin is that the more you use it, the better it works. Capsaicin actually retrains your pain nerves to feel less pain over time. That’s why we call our best-seller Melt Pain Away, because it contains magnesium, which helps relax you, and capsaicin, which literally melts your pain away if you use it every day.
For example, during busy periods when I’m typing or using my phone constantly, my forearms and wrists get sore or I get tech neck. Massaging magnesium cream into those areas helps take the edge off the pain.
It’s also incredibly helpful at night. The ritual of massaging it into tense areas, combined with magnesium absorption through the skin, helps relieve aches while also calming the nervous system and supporting sleep.
It is interesting that my own experience using topical magnesium really helped my muscles recover faster after exercise, because I was starting to work out more and do yoga, and it helped me feel calmer.
And so I started doing a lot of research on why magnesium helps you. And it was interesting because, you know, magnesium helps a lot of things.
It’s critical for over 300 healthy body processes, everything from helping your cells create energy to reducing cortisol levels, which are your stress hormones. It helps you manage stress, helps you feel calmer so you can sleep better, and helps your brain recover and your muscles and joints feel better, like it relieves tension.
And more recently, there have been some great studies showing the power of topical magnesium, because the great thing about topical magnesium, and our products, which also use FDA-approved pain relievers, is that you can target the relief exactly where you need it, right?
For me, it’s the end of the year, it’s busy. I’ve been typing on my computer and using my phone a lot more, and my forearms and wrists are hurting.
I massage magnesium lotion or cream into my forearms, and it just helps kind of take the edge off that pain.
And then it’s great for sleep at night too, because I think both the ritual of massaging it in somewhere where you’re feeling tension, as well as the actual magnesium absorbing into your skin and into your system, helps relieve those aches and pains, but also helps you calm down.
What have been the biggest challenges?
There have been many. Early in my journey with Asutra, people often shared stories about entrepreneurs constantly needing to pivot. That has absolutely been true for us.
When I first acquired and relaunched Asutra, we redesigned the brand for mass retail. We wanted packaging that would look great on Target shelves, and we aimed to expand into brick-and-mortar stores.
At the time (2018–2019), many DTC brands were struggling to grow online alone, so retail expansion felt like the right move. Initially, it worked. We got into Target nationwide, as well as Walgreens and CVS, and we grew for a few years.
Over time, however, retail became increasingly challenging and less profitable. Post-COVID shopping behaviors changed significantly. In-store browsing and brand discovery declined, and driving retail sales required substantial marketing spend.
Because we haven’t raised outside capital, we couldn’t compete with larger brands on that front. Additionally, one of the key lessons from my burnout recovery was the importance of values alignment. In retail, the work increasingly felt misaligned with our values and simply wasn’t enjoyable anymore.
At the same time, other channels were performing well. Amazon continued to grow, and we launched successfully on QVC. Because we had prioritized retail and operated with a lean team, we hadn’t invested meaningfully in our DTC channel.
Ultimately, we decided to pivot away from retail and focus on DTC, where we have more control over the customer experience. The key lesson was knowing when to pivot—and letting your values guide that decision.
Goals for upcoming year + Next phase of the company?
Our primary goal is continued DTC growth. After pivoting our focus, we invested heavily in this channel, hiring a strong marketing agency and making improvements in everything from product packaging to cost of goods to shipping to our website. As a result, we quadrupled our website sales this year.
Next year, our goal is to continue growing significantly from this year’s base and to start building a community of Asutra users. As the founder, I’m excited to find ways to share what I’ve learned in my own journey recovering from burnout, and practical tips for how to keep burnout at bay.
We also expect growth from Amazon and QVC. We’re forecasting meaningful growth on both channels. With QVC’s 40th anniversary approaching, there will be additional opportunities to reach new customers.
Right now, we’re focused on ensuring we have the right people, processes, and systems in place to support that growth.
What were your concerns to transition to starting your own business?
In retrospect, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I lacked prior CPG experience, and that learning curve was steep. While I had exposure to many businesses through my career at McKinsey, I wasn’t deeply familiar with the operational details of running a CPG brand.
That said, one of the most important lessons—both for entrepreneurs and anyone seeking to make an impact—is self-awareness. Understanding who you are, what motivates you, and what values matter most is foundational.
Recovering from burnout required deep self-reflection. Through therapy, I learned that I have codependent tendencies and that I thrive in environments aligned with my values. That insight led me to realize I needed greater control over my work environment, boundaries, and pace.
Owning a business allowed me to create that environment, for myself and for others.
What have you learned since becoming an entrepreneur?
On a practical level, I learned just how much the details matter in CPG: cost of goods, pack sizes, pricing, shipping costs…the list is endless!
At a higher level, I learned the importance of hiring exceptional people early. In previous roles, I always hired top talent first and figured out how to afford them later. With Asutra, I initially hired based on affordability rather than need, which I now recognize as a mistake.
Cash constraints make those decisions hard, but strong people make everything else easier.
What aspect of entrepreneurship do you appreciate the most?
I love being my own boss, even with the stress it entails. While the responsibility is constant, the flexibility and control are worth it.
Asutra is deeply mission-driven for me. It’s about helping people feel better, especially those who don’t realize how much better they could feel. Aligning my personal values with my work and helping employees do the same is incredibly rewarding.
We also operate a small fulfillment warehouse, where we intentionally hire people who may not be traditional candidates. Our employees earn living wages, receive health benefits, and have been able to transform their lives. They’re buying homes, improving their health, and creating stability for their families.
That impact alone makes everything worth it.
Share a decision that you made that was detrimental?
One of our biggest missteps was expanding too aggressively into mass retail. Despite concerns, I allowed myself to be persuaded into a rollout that was too large. Execution issues, such as poor shelf placement and inconsistent store coverage, had a bad impact on performance.
In retail as in anything, execution matters a lot, and much of it was out of our control. That experience reinforced our decision to exit mass retail and refocus on channels we can control. We still distribute Asutra products through specialty natural retailers like Grove Collaborative, iHerb, Natural Grocers, and Thrive Market. We can reach a very aligned customer base through those retailers, and they’re all a pleasure to work with.
Do you have a moment that brings you the most joy?
Seeing our employees thrive brings me immense joy. So do our customer stories! People telling us that a $20–$30 magnesium cream has meaningfully improved their quality of life, or that it’s been a “game changer” (this is a phrase we hear often from our customers), is incredibly fulfilling.
Piece of Advice
Self-knowledge and self-awareness are essential. Create space for reflection, whether that’s through journaling, mindfulness, or just a few minutes of quiet time alone. I like to check in with myself often to confirm that I’m spending my time and energy on things that matter to me, and that I’m spending my time and energy with people who contribute to my joy, growth, and fulfillment.
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In Closing
KLS wants to thank Asutra and Stephanie Morimoto, for today's "Together Talks" feature. Follow along for their journey with their social handles below!