\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
Becca McCarthy says she\u2019s always been good at recognizing when something is about to break into the mainstream. She has spent her career inside startups, helping turn early interest into real markets and building products before most people realize there\u2019s demand for them.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why, a few years ago, when she started hearing people in her network talking about GLP-1 drugs, she paid attention. GLP\u20111 drugs such as Ozempic and Zepbound are among the fastest\u2011growing prescription medicines in the U.S., with total GLP\u20111 sales worldwide estimated at around $50 billion.<\/p>\n
But McCarthy was hearing about them long before they became cultural shorthand. Her otherwise healthy friends and family were injecting these drugs for weight loss and keeping it mostly to themselves. Using a medication designed for diabetes to manage appetite carried a stigma. It was considered cheating and ran counter to the wellness world\u2019s insistence on clean eating, discipline, and willpower.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when she saw an opportunity gap. \u201cI thought, what if you could come up with a solve for this massive demand that\u2019s building for efficacy from GLP-1 receptor activation without upsetting the diet and exercise police, then you have a massive solution.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer eventually became Evolv<\/a>, a natural, oral supplement designed to mimic the effects of GLP-1 without needles, prescriptions, synthetic hormones, or the judgment that surrounds pharmaceuticals.<\/p>\n Related: This Is How GLP-1 Drugs Are Forcing Restaurant Chains to Change Their Menus<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n To get there, McCarthy teamed up in 2023 with Dr. Corey Henderson, a molecular biologist who had designed a novel peptide that could interact with GLP1 and GIP receptors in the same way that the drugs do, but in a totally natural way without any synthetics. The company says the product supports appetite regulation and metabolic function by activating the same pathways that make pharmaceutical GLP-1s so compelling\u2014but through a natural mechanism that begins in the gut.<\/p>\n They experimented with different delivery methods\u2014first a shake, then a dietary supplement\u2014and eventually landed on a pill. Once they received encouraging feedback from early data, McCarthy committed fully. \u201cI realized this is going to change the world. So I just went all in,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Related: How This Founder Turned \u2018Dry January\u2019 Into a Year-Round Movement \u2014 And Built America\u2019s #1 Non-Alcoholic Beer Brand<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n McCarthy has had to push through her share of hurdles. One of the most persistent is being taken seriously as a female founder. \u201cThere is an inherent bias that we are up against, where it\u2019s really easy for me to be perceived as a highly competent and investable founder or entrepreneur or boss or leader, but it\u2019s very hard for me to be perceived as likable in that role,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n McCarthy recalls times she\u2019s gone to pitch meetings and was mistaken for an admin. Another time, she was turned down only to watch men get funding with a far inferior idea. It\u2019s hard,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s not handed to you in the same way when you\u2019re a female.\u201d<\/p>\n Another challenge has been the silence that comes with success. Customers see results, but they don\u2019t necessarily want to explain how they got them. \u201cPeople want everybody to think it\u2019s because they went to so many Pilates classes,\u201d she says. It\u2019s hard to build word of mouth when the very thing people like most about a product is that no one knows they\u2019re using it.<\/p>\n Despite the challenge of getting customers to talk openly about the product, McCarthy isn\u2019t dwelling on the marketing dilemma. She\u2019s focused on helping people manage their appetite without requiring a doctor, a prescription, or a needle. It\u2019s the results that will ultimately make the biggest difference. \u201cPeople just want to look better naked. So when we deliver on that, that\u2019s what works.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Becca McCarthy says she\u2019s always been good at recognizing when something is about to break into the mainstream. She has spent her career inside startups, helping turn early interest into real markets and building products before most people realize there\u2019s demand for them.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why, a few years ago, when she started hearing people in her network talking about GLP-1 drugs, she paid attention. GLP\u20111 drugs such as Ozempic and Zepbound are among the fastest\u2011growing prescription medicines in the U.S., with total GLP\u20111 sales worldwide estimated at around $50 billion.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Published by Dralys Blog \u2013 Stories | Insights | Innovation<\/strong><\/p>\n Discover more on DralysStore.com<\/a><\/p>\nA natural solution<\/b><\/h2>\n
Overcoming hurdles<\/b><\/h2>\n
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