Today we’d like to introduce you to Skylar Mandell.
Skylar, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I decided to apply to the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) This program was a 9-month course in which middle school and high school students were taught how to start a business from a-z. I applied and luckily was accepted. I had always been a very crafty and artsy person. Always painting and creating things, so naturally, I decided to create a handmade product.
My business would ultimately be a bracelet business. Originally I made buddha inspired bracelets and assorted charm bracelets, but my business quickly changed when I was approached by a surf shop in Jupiter who was carrying my bracelets. They had told me that they would like to purchase more of the sea turtle bracelet I had made.
Later that month, I delivered 20 sea turtle bracelets to that shop as they had requested and month after month the orders just kept coming as they would sell out continuously. I had done research and was shocked to learn that our state of Florida has the largest sea turtle nesting population in the world and these beautiful marine animals were endangered. I wanted to make a difference and knew I could, so that is when Florida Sea Turtle Company was born.
Has it been a smooth road?
As every entrepreneur experiences, I had moments where I doubted myself and wasn’t sure that I would be successful. But my mom taught me not to give up. Before I knew it, we had thousands of Instagram and Facebook followers, and our bracelets were being sold in over 20 shops in our state and beyond.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Florida Sea Turtle Company story. Tell us more about the business.
My business, Florida Sea Turtle Company, is known for making handmade sea turtle bracelets. We raise awareness for our sea turtles and donate 10% of our net proceeds to the three biggest sea turtle conservation organizations in our state, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in our hometown of Boca Raton, Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, and The Turtle Hospital in Marathon.
I think this aspect sets us aside from others. We are not just selling beautiful bracelets. They are meaningful and give back. We are proud and honored to have raised over $10,000.00 to the organizations that rescue, rehabilitate and release sea turtles in our state. Today our bracelets are carried in every corporately owned Hallmark in the state of Florida!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think that ocean conservation and marine conservation is growing throughout the world. More and more people are making smarter decisions about how they live their lives and being environmentally aware about how they can help with issues like these.
I see big things for our company. We hope to be a global brand, and we have plans for starting a scholarship fund for those who would like to study marine biology in college.
Pricing:
- Our bracelets sell for $16.00 each on our website
Contact Info:
- Website: floridaseaturtlecompany.com
- Email: floridaseaturtlecompany@gmail.com
- Instagram: floridasaeturtlecompany
- Facebook: Florida Sea Turtle Company
Image Credit:
Aubrie Gerber
954-980-0859
aubriegerber.com
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