Meet Chelsea: Founder of Urgo Beauty

Momentum Equine Media
Oct 27
4 min read

Name: Chelsea DiPeppe

Age: 33

Occupation: Founder & CEO of Urgo Beauty

Tell us about Yourself:

I have been an equestrian since I was 7, following in the footsteps of my mom and older sister. My background is actually in event planning and marketing, but I started my business as a side hustle built off of my frustration and it has grown into an actual business.

I have always loved makeup, especially because I have struggled with acne for as long as I can remember, but makeup didn’t always love me. I have always had extremely sensitive skin as well. I have battled with products that irritated my skin to the point that my eyes swelled shut, have been annoyed by gentle products that look horrible after just a few hours and used to constantly carry a full makeup bag with me because I needed to touch up throughout my long days.

I could never find something that would last all day, treat the different needs of my skin and not cause breakouts. Well, I finally got sick of it all, and set out to find a solution myself.

Tell us about the day-to-day with Urgo Beauty:

Currently I run URGO Beauty full time. I spend my days fulfilling orders, working with customers on custom orders and marketing my business. I make my products myself, so I freshly make them and ship them out each day. The most unique part of my business is that I make my products to order. So, pretty much every day you can find me in my office mixing up products to ship out. I love that I get to make products so they are fresh as well as customize products to meet every individual customer’s needs.

How did you get to where Urgo is today?

I worked in the corporate world for many years, but I was not passionate about the path I was on. I really wanted to enjoy my work every day and grow something I truly cared about. I am very lucky to have the support of a very entrepreneurial husband, so he encouraged me to quit my job and focus my efforts on URGO Beauty. I started slow and steady. I started my business on the side and it remained that way for years. I think it’s important to perfect what you’re doing before trying to grow too big.

Do you have a team? Is it just you? Give us the details and how that works in your business.

Currently my business can only support me, but my husband does consult and help me where he can. I also am so lucky to work with Cassidy who has supported my business for several years, helping me come up with creative ideas, brainstorming together, troubleshooting and creating content for me that makes marketing my business so much easier.

I honestly love wearing multiple hats because it keeps every day interesting. I think the hardest part is when you want to brainstorm or talk things out, but you don’t have someone to do that with. Being a part of the equestrian community on social media has transformed that for me. I absolutely love connecting with other small business owners.

What are the most important skills you’ve learned along the way?

Never underestimate the importance of connection. Talk to people. Tell them your story. Hear theirs. Help each other.

Share one "game changer" piece of advice you'd give an aspiring entrepreneur?

Do something you love. You will always be more successful when you enjoy what you do. We spend far too many hours working to hate what we do.

How do you use social media in your business?

I really enjoy using social media for my business. I love getting to share stories, beautiful photos and videos and how it has connected me to so many people. It is the most amazing and free tool out there, so let go of focusing on numbers or a pretty grid and just put your story out there!

What is your why?

I spent so many years feeling insecure about my skin and struggling to find products that worked for me. I want people to feel comfortable and empowered to wear products that not only make them feel good, but help them long-term as well. Makeup should be fun!

How do you create balance in your life?

Honestly, I think having horses to take care of forces it. I can only work so many hours in a day because my horse is waiting for me to feed him or turn him out, etc. So, I get forced time away from work, which I definitely need to clear my head and spark creativity.

What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had told you when you were just starting out?

I honestly wish someone had told me to go all in sooner. I spent so many years thinking I needed to be at a certain point to be able to go full time, but when you can go all in and really focus on your business, so many more amazing things can happen. It will never feel like the right time, but loving what you do makes it all worth it.

What’s next for you?

I am excited to keep sharing my products and expanding into some stores. I think there is so much more to come from URGO Beauty and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store.