Today we’d like to introduce you to Billy Walsh.
Shark Zen is a convergence of Billy Walsh’s passion for ocean wildlife, art, and entrepreneurship. Without intention to launch a brand, Billy created a couple of sea life designs behind the cold brownstone walls of Boston, Massachusetts. Whenever anyone saw the designs, they were taken by their simplicity, yet realistic portrayal of the sea life’s anatomy. Billy moved back home to South Florida, printed a few shirts featuring his designs, showed them around, and shortly after, Shark Zen was born. Since 2014 the brand has taken on a life of its own helping people style their lives with ocean wildlife featured on high-quality apparel and fine art. A portion of Shark Zen’s proceeds helps give at-risk children their first ocean experience – snorkeling, fishing, kayaking, etc.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No entrepreneurial venture has a smooth road, but Shark Zen has had a mostly “zen-full” ascent. That said, a few of Shark Zen’s growing pains have included the process of committing to certain sales channels and saying no to others, scaling the operational model to fulfill increasing volumes of online orders, and expanding the line rapidly while accommodating unique consumer tastes and styles.
Please tell us about Shark Zen.
At the core of Shark Zen’s brand are striking, yet stylish ocean wildlife designs. Product types featuring the designs are carefully chosen based on quality and function. Premium, super-soft t-shirts and sun protective swim shirts (aka Performance Shirts) are some of Shark Zen’s most popular products. Unique designs, excellent products, superior customer service, and an innate drive to help future generations appreciate the ocean and its wildlife are what set Shark Zen apart from others.
What role has luck had in your life and business?
Shark Zen has been very fortunate to have many exceptional business and operational partners located in close geographic proximity in South Florida, which has made building the business an easier process than it otherwise would be. It’s hard to find great partners in general, but especially unlikely to find so many close to company headquarters.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://SharkZen.com
- Phone: 855-981-9444
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/shark_zen
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/SharkZen
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeSharkZen
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