Melissa Juried Kriebel – Icecream Sunscreen – Helping You Stay ‘Cool’ and Protected
“Becoming a leader of any company comes with many perks, yet plenty of hurdles to overcome as well.” – Melissa Juried Kriebel
Melissa Juried Kriebel was born in Queens, New York in 1981, and moved to sunny South Florida at the age of 9. As early as she could remember she always had an entrepreneur spirit as she learned from a young age, as her parents worked in the entertainment industry as freelancers. Her father, Michael, aka: Skip, was a very talented recording engineer and producer in New York City, recording the likes of Jimi Hendrix to Aretha Franklin and everything in between.
Her mother, Phyllis, was a triple threat and performed on several broadway shows and was one of the infamous June Taylor dancers on the Jackie Gleason show. Her parents then created their own production company which had great success until, unfortunately, her father was taken way to soon from this earth.
Her mother had no other choice but to continue the legacy of entrepreneurship to raise her three young children as a single mom. She founded and created a parenting newspaper in South Florida, “Today’s Parent”, that expanded throughout the state. So it only made sense that Melissa would continue what she learned as a child and start her own businesses.
Thank you for agreeing to do this interview with us. Our readers would like to know more about you. Why did you choose this career?
Melissa Juried Kriebel: My son would always give me issues putting sunscreen on and it caused a lot of unnecessary aggravation. I always thought to myself, “Why isn’t there any sun protectant product that is fun and playful and actually smells good?” in order to make this process easier.
In 2020 I was full force into the real estate industry, but I wanted to do something that my children could be involved in and possibly have something to leave behind for them in the far future. So IceCream Sunscreen was officially born the beginning of 2021.
Can you share a story that happened to you since you became the leader of your company?
Melissa Juried Kriebel: Becoming a leader of any company comes with many perks, yet plenty of hurdles to overcome as well. There are so many different things and avenues you need to consider when running a company from manufacturing, marketing, shipping, billing, reports, etc. The list goes on and on.
Days are long and scheduling everything out is a must. However, with all the dedication comes the reward. With that said, I had a pretty decent order that was local and I decided to drop the order to them myself to help eliminate the shipping cost for them.
We scheduled an appointment, I drove 30 miles, paid for parking, and brought the order to their front door and nobody was there. My schedule for that day was competely turned around and everything became that much more hectic.
That’s when I learned that running a company comes with a lot of patience as things normally do not go as smoothly as you planned.
Please share with us an outstanding woman that you have never met, who inspires you? Tell us how she inspired you?
Melissa Juried Kriebel: I have been following the journey of the founder of “Sweet Smarts”, Tara Bosch, as she started her business from scratch.
She had an idea and ran with it. She stayed consistent with her journey and turned it into a multimillion dollar company. I admire her dedication and focus to make this happen.
People who have helped us achieve success are very important to us. We should be grateful for everything they do for us. Can you share a story about how someone who PERSONALLY helped you succeed?
Melissa Juried Kriebel: My parents have always been my biggest fan and they’ve always wanted the best for me. My mom has supported me since the beginning of my idea for IceCream Sunscreen by brainstorming alongside my two children, Israela, 14, and Ryder, 10. She has since been an intricate part in helping with sales.
Women are more prominent in business than ever, however, there is plenty room for improvement. What can people do on their own, what can society do, and what can the government do? What are your suggestions?
Melissa Juried Kriebel: As the old saying goes, ” Behind every successful man is a woman who helped him along the way”. I believe women set the stage in business as they not only have the brains and passion, but the logical compassion to keep things balanced. Women are natural multitaskers and they need to be recognized in the business world the same way men are looked at.
Men shouldn’t take a business pitch from a women lightly as the idea may just become the next big thing.
Society needs to recognize a great woman when they see one and acknowledge that men and woman, in the business world, are capable of the same if not more.
Government needs to place mandates in the work force making sure pay for men and women remain equal and banks do not discriminate on business loans based off sex. They could easily fine institutions for not abiding.
There are many reasons why more women should become CEOs, Entrepreneurs, and founders. Some of these reasons may be obvious to you, but I think it is helpful to list them out. So, can you share a few reasons why more women should become business leaders?
Melissa Juried Kriebel: Women have a natural instinct to multitask, therefore, they are the ideal candidate to be in a leadership position of any company. It gives the woman a sense of being and fuels her full of accomplishment.
I am a single mom and nothing compares to the accomplishment of seeing my children succeed in life, but that’s motherhood. Work life is a different feeling of a rewarding experience. This ballgame of entrepreneurship gives a woman that extra freedom she didn’t know she needed.
The more and more we see the world of women-owned businesses, the closer society will come to realizing that woman are an essential part of keeping the economy growing strong.
What are some things people think about being a business leader that isn’t true? Can you give examples?
Melissa Juried Kriebel: Many people think it’s easy peasy and success comes overnight. They don’t understand the bloo, sweat and tears it takes to make a successful business and keep it going.
When they are sleeping, we as entrepreneurs are wide awake dealing with anything that still needs to get done for that day and brainstorming about ideas for the company moving forward
In your opinion, what type of person is likely to be successful as a business leader? What are the specific traits that increase the chance of success? And do you think everyone is cut out to be a business leader? Can you explain what you mean?
Melissa Juried Kriebel: In order to be a business leader there are a few essential traits you need. Not everyone fits the bill of running a company and that is okay.
First and foremost is dedication- Without being dedicated to what you are trying to accomplish your focus will not stay where it needs to. Secondly, consistency is key to growing a business. In everything you do in life you must stay consistent in order for success to happen.
And lastly, passion- passion is a strong desire and love for something. You have to love what you are trying to accomplish in order to stay consistent and have full dedication toward it. If any of these 3 things is missing, the business can not strive properly.
What are some things you wish someone had told you before you started your business? Why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
Melissa Juried Kriebel: Even when you have laid out a budget for your startup, make sure to have above and beyond for extra things you may not be aware of.
There are always extra fees or something that needs to get done in order to make the business a success. When I placed my initial inventory order I did not take into consideration how much quantity would need to be used for marketing and samples.
If I knew what I know now I would have seeked alternative routes in possibly obtaining smaller sizes for sampling. I plan on it for the future.
What do you plan on tackling during the year 2022? Share your goals and battles you expect to face.
Melissa Juried Kriebel: My main goal is to create brand awareness nationally and then move on into the international market.
This takes time, but with dedication, consistency and passion it will happen. I know not every place I try to promote the product will be welcoming and that is a battle I need to overcome as it still stings a little bit, but I know you can’t win everybody.
Thank you so much for your time but before we finish things off, I do have one more question for you. What was the last book you read that had a great impact on you, please tell us how?
Melissa Juried Kriebel: Funny enough, I don’t have too much time these days to read. The last book I read was actually a book I read with my 10 year old son for a project he was doing in school.
It is called Holes by Louis Sachar. It is a great book for children and even adults as it teaches us that not everything we see is as it is. I try to read online articles about entrepreneurship and investing as much as possible though.
This interview was originally published on ValiantCEO.
