We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mila Shmurak. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mila below.

Mila, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Where do I begin? I guess I should start by giving a short history of my family. My parents came from Russia in the 70’s with little money and language. They met here and started a family and started a family business, Knitwear Doctor and ButtonHam Palace, which my sister and I grew up in. We would go there after school, help customers and learned the entrepreneurial way of life. I got my real estate license and when I got married I helped my husband Joseph in our family real estate company, Key Home Group. My husband and I have 4 kids. I had several side jobs; however, after I had our 3rd son, I was definitely missing my creative outlet. Not knowing where to create and grow, I kept trying to find my passion. My mother in law is a breast cancer survivor and I love her, she was always trying new natural deodorants.

I started to feel very passionate about finding a natural deodorant that worked and was beneficial to our body. I tried so many natural products out there; however, none worked well and so many were irritating. This is how Bare Pits was born.

I started researching and creating in my kitchen. It took months of trial and error to come up with the detox formula for sensitive skin, no baking soda. I decided to make a detox deodorant with all organic and food grade ingredients, an organic detox pit mask, organic deodorant sprays, and holy pit butter to heal the skin (all scented with organic essential oils). Since my launch, I tune into what customers need and what works best. A huge passion for me was going to events & wellness get togethers and educating others on the importance of clean deodorant and why sweating is a good detox. I have found a need for women in all parts of it and keep creating amazing pit products that feel good. I am meeting amazing people and making such great connections in the health and wellness world and I feel that I am making a difference.

In 2020 I was pregnant with my daughter and HSN had a show called the “BIG FIND”. I applied and had to prepare with a zoom meet when she was one week old. They chose me and we were able to launch on HSN, My products are in a few local stores, including Fermentation Farm, Center for New Medicine, and Mother’s Markets (all locations).

I thank my husband for supporting me through trial and error and meeting with labs. I love teaching our kids to follow your dreams and passion and push for what you want and things will fall into place, I hope to be an inspiration to them.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It definitely isn’t always easy to start a business and find the balance being a mom and wife because that is my priority. However, because of my passion, I keep pushing myself because I want to succeed. I also take everything very personal, whether Bare Pits is amazing for one but not someone else. I want it to work for all, so I keep on going to make sure every customer finds the right scent or uses the right strength for their body. I take all feedback and use it to perfect my formulas.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Mila and I am first generation in the US. I have 3 boys and a girl and have always worked hard for anything I wanted in life. I also love people, listening and helping them. Bare Pits is my company focusing on sensitive skin and detoxing your pits. Regular antiperspirants have so many chemicals and aluminum that blocks our toxins from being released and are known to have an effect on breast cancer. I specialize in natural organic detox deodorant, organic pit detox paste, and natural vegan deodorant sprays. I keep growing by adding products that we need for organic proper pit care. I think I am most proud of Bare Pits because women love it, it feels good and smells good. You can pick a scent that works for you and I custom hand make everything to keep quality control.

Every step forward I take, meeting new people and making a difference in someone’s daily life is everything to me. The biggest difference between Bare Pits and other natural deodorant companies is that I only use 7 ingredients and they are all the highest quality and truly natural, no added fragrances, soy, chemicals, or hidden toxins.

When I come up with the name and idea, someone said there are so many out there. But I knew there was a need for Bare Pits. My passion for learning never ends. I loved being live on HSN air, meeting others at shows, and bringing my products to locations that carry them personally.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Nothing is easy in life. Not everything is handed to you. I have learned not to take no as a final answer. I will continuously push because I believe in myself and my products, You need to put energy into whatever you are doing in life and comes full circle.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Funding is such a huge part of business My model was to grow organically and whatever was coming in, I put 75% back into the company. I hate debt, so I paid off credit cards quickly. It can be such a stressful part of the growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://barepits.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barepits/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barepits/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mila-shmurak-06aa87166/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQNPzm_AnNT7KAOfAMEouPQ