012. Pamela Anderson's Skincare CEO Built Her Career Fixing What Beauty Gets Wrong

Send me a text 💌She started a recycling club at 16, launched a clean beauty brand into Sephora, sold out her launch — and nearly went out of business because of it. In this episode, Susannah Dellinger sits down with Kailey Bradt, CEO of Sonsie Skin, to talk about what it actually takes to build differently in beauty — and why the industry's biggest gap isn't innovation, it's access.In this episode:What happened in Gloria Steinem's living room — and what shifted for Kailey walking out of that conversationThe high school recycling drive that filled an entire gymnasium, canceled gym class, and required tractor trailers to clean up — and what it taught her about impactHow Kailey launched Sansci into Sephora in 2021, sold out the launch, couldn't restock fast enough, and got pulled off every marketing calendarWhy the Sephora Accelerate program prepares you for the pitch — but not for what happens after you're inWhat "speaking seven different languages" means in beauty — and why that skill is rarer than any ingredient innovationHow Syndeo was born to give indie brands access to biotech, sustainability, and product development infrastructure they couldn't afford aloneWhat Sonsie Skin is building for women over 40 who are tired of being sold to — and why Pamela Anderson asking every question nobody else would answer changed everythingWhy female founders are still locked out of the funding conversations that matter — and where Kailey sees the next gap to close01:34 Can Beauty Be a Tool for Feminism? What Gloria Steinem's Living Room Taught Her 04:14 The Recycling Drive That Canceled Gym Class and Changed Everything 06:45 She Sold Out Her Sephora Launch — Then Almost Lost Her Brand 09:37 Why Scientists and Founders Can't Talk to Each Other (And How She Fixed It) 13:24 How Syndeo Is Giving Indie Brands Access to Biotech They Can't Afford 14:42 Building Sonsie Skin for Women Who Are Done Being Sold To 18:07 Is Retail Next? What She Learned the Hard Way About Timing 20:14 Female Founders Are Still Last in Line for Funding — Here's the Data 21:41 Where to Find KaileyCONNECT WITH KAILEY BRADTInstagram: @kaileyraee Sonsie Skin: SonsieSkin.com | @sonsieskin Syndeo Accelerate: SyndeoAccelerate.com | @syndeoaccelerateOff the Shelf is a podcast about the people, brands, and behind-the-scenes forces shaping the beauty industry — money, relationships, risk, and what it really takes to scale.CONNECT WITH SUSANNAHInstagram: @brightbeautyconnectLinkedIn: linkedin.com/susannah-dellinger