Marketing Happy Hour Breaking Into Entrepreneurship: Tips for Young Founders
Bonus: If you’ve ever dreamed of turning a personal story into a product — this episode is for you. I’m joined by Kristan Kelly, CEO and founder of Shade Rayz Sunscreen: a mission-driven brand born from her journey as a breast cancer survivor and Latina entrepreneur. In this mentorship-focused conversation, Kristan shares the real story of building her company from the ground up, how she tapped into her local community for early support, the marketing strategies that have worked, and the mindset shifts that help first-time founders succeed.
Key Takeaways:
// How to turn a personal journey into a product and brand with purpose
// The early decisions that shaped Shade Rayz Sunscreen’s success
// How Kristan approached building brand identity and messaging (luxury + water safety + everyday use)
// The power of leveraging your school and local community for support and connections
// Tips for how to make the ask when building your network
// Encouragement for women and young entrepreneurs breaking into wellness and consumer products
Learn more about Shade Rayz: Website | Instagram
____
Say hi! DM me on Instagram and let us know what content you want to hear on the show - I can't wait to hear from you! Please also consider rating the show and leaving a review, as that helps us tremendously as we move forward in this Marketing Happy Hour journey and create more content for all of you.
Join our FREE Open Jobs group on LinkedIn: Join now
Get the latest from MHH, straight to your inbox: Join our email list!
Follow MHH on Social: Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok | Facebook