“Hi my name is Shelby Anderson, and my venture is Sol Sisters which provides sun sensitive women with fashionable UV protective clothing.
In the summer of 2013 I suffered a severe third degree burn that left my skin permanently damaged. Since then I have had to be even more conscious about how much time I spend in the sun, because of the risk of skin cancer. When I went out to look for UV protective clothing for myself, I found a very limited selection. Not only were there few options, but what was available was, in my opinion, not very fashionable. I thought to myself, I must not be the only one struggling with this issue. So I decided that I would solve my own problem by creating a line of clothing designed in the modern styles, but make it in a UV protective fabric. I am still currently building my company, but I feel very proud of the progress that I have made so far.”
“I think being an entrepreneur means seeing a problem in the community, and being passionate about solving it. Whether the project is a success or failure, I think being an entrepreneur means seeing it through to the end.”
“If you aren't good at something, get help from someone who is. I learned very quickly that I have no talent whatsoever in website design. I spent many hours trying to learn how to build a website, only to have it turn out not the way I wanted. It is okay to get help in an area that you aren't good at, being an entrepreneur doesn't mean you have to be a master at everything.”
“You are in charge! haha! Though that can also be the worst thing about being an entrepreneur, I think it is wonderful how you have the power to decide how you want your company to go or seeing your vision come to life.”
What was a time that you were most proud of your efforts? “I think it was when I won my first business competition. I had put so much work into preparing for the competition, practicing every day all day, making sure I had my pitch down, answers to questions in my head, and all kinds of other stuff. Then of course, I got sick the day before the competition and lost my voice. I felt like all I had prepared for went to waste. But, I struggled through the event and still had a fairly good presentation and won the competition, even with a scratchy voice. It felt really good that I powered through it and didn't give up.”
