We were lucky to catch up with Meredith Madsen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Meredith, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

The COVID-19 pandemic definitely had a huge impact on my company. You want to talk about a total shock to a business, the pandemic was just that. Overnight in March of 2020 our business went from thriving with no end in sight, to quite literally all doors shut as the nation went into mass lockdown. That means all small businesses, all big box retailers, everyone went indoors, no one was shopping (unless it was online). On top of that, you have parks, beaches, amusement parks, travel destinations closing to the masses. By the end of that first week hundreds of thousands of dollars of orders went dark per se–ordered canceled, put on hold or sent back. Imagine unboxing hundreds of bottles of skin and sun care products that were set to be received by stores. That was our reality. I had a series of huge decisions to make, and none of them came easily. I had to let my team go, as the offices had closed and product was at a standstill, would I sell my business, or painstakingly wait and hope that I could rebuild from the ground up when things returned to some semblance of normalcy. Building and running a company is incredibly difficult, there’s no question about it. Sunshine & Glitter was built on joy and I desperately wanted to return to sharing that joy with the world. So I took the plunge and I rebuilt, restructured and two years later we are set to double our output in 2023 with some absolutely incredible partnerships in the works. We have so many small businesses across the nation that love the brand and were thrilled to have us back in their stores and I am just so appreciative. I look forward to what this company has to offer both now and in the future. Sending out sunshine and gratitude every single day!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Sunshine & Glitter started in 2018 with a mission of creating a sun care line infused with joy. I wanted to combine the joy and sparkle of glitter with good-for-you ingredients. Components that I would not only use on my skin but also put on my children’s skin.

We have since expanded to multiple lines of health and wellness products. Loaded with antioxidants, all our products are nourishing, eco-friendly and reef safe. We use only the best ingredients with a transparent supply chain completely made in the USA.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

I’ll pull a story out from one of my more recent experiences. At a trade show recently, I met with a store we had a relationship with. In 2020 we were to ship hundreds of bottles of our SPF out to them right before the pandemic hit here in the United States. I remember being so heartbroken and feeling so deflated taking the shrink wrap off that huge pallet. Unpacking those boxes felt like one of those punches that takes the air right out of you. Well wouldn’t you know it, that I bumped into the store’s buyer at a recent trade show and they committed to not only take a hilariously fun video with me, but to place an even larger order than they had pre-pandemic. Talk about the best feeling in the world, when a customer, a store, anyone really, believes in you and loves the products. You really have to trust the process.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I think for me personally, the best client is one that comes in organically. They find us at a Trade Show, on Instagram, hear me on a podcast, or they find us through a friend. I also thrive in just calling the stores, resorts, you name it, and sharing the beauty that is our product line. Meeting store owners at the shows is incredibly fulfilling, you are seeing the face of small businesses across the country that are really making towns and cities unique with their storefronts and offerings. It is so empowering and we love chatting with them about their journey’s and what relationships we can build with them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sunshineglitter.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsunshineglitter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialsunshineglitter
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxXRS-E2gwjBxs-kbc46vQ