Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset.

Today I sat down with Gabby Arancio, Founder and CEO of GamePlan Skincare, the first skincare brand built specifically for athletes. Before she was a founder, Gabby spent a decade as an athletic trainer — at LSU in the SEC, with the Miami Dolphins in the NFL, and as head trainer for Miami FC — which is where she noticed the problem nobody was solving: by her count, most of the athletes she worked with struggled with sport-induced breakouts, and there was nothing built to handle it.

In this episode, Gabby breaks down how she built GamePlan from the sidelines, the emotional story behind why she actually started the company, how she sourced and tested her formula directly with real athletes instead of guessing, and her advice for founders raising their first round.

This is the episode for anyone who's ever had an idea and needed one person to believe in them first.

Key Topics Covered:

— Growing up in New Jersey and choosing Miami for college

— Discovering athletic training as a major

— Becoming one of the first female students at UM awarded an NFL internship, with the Miami Dolphins

— Life on staff at LSU during the 2019 National Championship season

— Becoming head athletic trainer for Miami FC

— The insight that started GamePlan: sport-induced breakouts nobody was solving

— The friend who told her to go build it — and the loss that came days later

— Why his initials are on every GamePlan package

— Sourcing formula and manufacturing, and why she chose a Korean lab over domestic options

— Testing the product directly with athletes instead of guessing

— Sending her first international wire while still working full-time

— Early demand from sports agencies for athlete care packages

— Raising a friends-and-family pre-seed round, and why she's raising a seed round now

— Selling out at Urban Outfitters four times

— Becoming a top pick on Amazon in her category

— Her advice for founders on fundraising, hiring, and product versus aesthetics

— Why she says to ask the market before you build

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Gabby Arancio

10:11 – Growing Up in New Jersey & Choosing Miami on a Whim

10:18 – Discovering Athletic Training as a Major

14:20 – Becoming One of the First Female NFL Interns with the Miami Dolphins

15:58 – Life on Staff at LSU During the 2019 National Championship Run

18:00 – Becoming Head Athletic Trainer for Miami FC

21:50 – What GamePlan Skincare Actually Is

24:30 – The Friend Who Told Her to Go Build It & the Loss That Followed

31:55 – Sourcing & Manufacturing: Why She Chose a Korean Lab

33:18 – Sending Her First International Wire While Working Full-Time at Miami FC

35:45 – Testing Formula & Packaging Directly with Athletes

37:21 – Early Demand from Sports Agencies for Athlete Care Packages

38:53 – The Friends-and-Family Pre-Seed Round & Raising a Seed Round Today

40:30 – Selling Out at Urban Outfitters & Becoming an Amazon Top Pick

48:13 – Founder Advice: Fundraising, Hiring, Product vs. Aesthetic

42:02 – Lightning Round

52:00 – Where to Find Gabby Arancio & GamePlan Skincare

Tags:

Gabby Arancio, GamePlan Skincare, athlete skincare, sport-induced breakouts, women founders, female entrepreneur, skincare startup, CPG founder, athletic trainer, NFL, LSU football, Miami FC, seed round, bootstrapping a startup, Urban Outfitters, Amazon best seller, STACKED podcast, Emily Dempsey, Brickell Babes, women in business podcast, founder story

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