Today we’d like to introduce you to Shea Geist.
Hi Shea, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
You know lots of people like me…butterflies who flit from passion to passion, never quite settling on one. I always thought it was a shortcoming, but now I see how rich it has made my life. I’ve come to understand how lucky I am that my quiet, unconscious resistance to the standard path pushed me in my own direction. I’ve sat with rape survivors through forensic exams, feng’d some shui, breathed with mothers through their births, shown women how beautiful they are with a makeup brush, and pushed forests of paper to help fund and facilitate non-profit (and some for-profit) operations. It all came with happy tears, crippling boredom, searing pain, and lesson learned after lesson forgotten after lesson learned.
Today I have the privilege of being the Boss Momma (some places this person is called a CEO) of Shark OFF. We make shark repellent jewelry. That’s right. There is something that repels sharks! We took that amazing technology and made it into jewelry that you’d wear even if you weren’t going into the ocean.
There are usually two questions at this point. First…shark repellent in Kansas City? As far from an ocean as you can get in the US? You betcha! I was born here and loved my hometown. KC has a warm, vibrant entrepreneur community that we consider integral to our success. And do you see any sharks around here? You’re welcome.
The second question is usually…how did you discover this? TV! My husband and Big Kahuna (or COO), Geoff, and I were watching TV and saw a program demonstrating the technology. Having just returned from vacation in Hawai’i, we looked at each other wondered where the consumer product was. We thought it should have been in every beach shop we visited there. That was the beginning.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The only way you know if you are made of steel is to be tested. The biggest life challenge was our son being born 9 1/2 weeks early, spending 90 days in the neonatal intensive care unit, and coming out with a gastrostomy tube. Shark OFF has bested a hurricane, a tornado, bootstrapping, lots of learning curves, and, of course, a pandemic. Steel.
We’ve been impressed with Shark OFF, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We make shark repellent! It’s hard for people to believe that something in the world repels sharks. The movies have led us to believe that sharks are sort of invincible. They’re not. They’re just amazing animals who deserve our respect and compassion.
Our product uses a mix of metals that dissolve in the water. As they dissolve, they give about 1.5 volts of electricity. It’s a process called hydrolysis. You’ve heard that sharks can smell blood in the water for hundreds of feet? That’s right! They can also sense tiny electrical fields. “Tiny” like five one-billionths of a volt (5/1,000,000,000). They can feel your heartbeat. Our product overwhelms that sense millions of times. It’s incredible to see a 400 lb shark charging a piece of bait do a full 180 degree turn when they encounter Shark OFF.
I am proud that my husband and I had and have the creativity, fortitude, and resilience to bring this product to the world. I am proud that we are saving sharks one human at a time.
What makes you happy?
Hearing Miracle Max (that NICU baby, who is now 12 years old) giggle. Taking a breath on a random Thursday afternoon, gratefully acknowledging that I am not sitting in a cubicle waiting for 5:00 pm so I can go home to my family. Working in my pj pants. Daily. Painting my toes funky colors with sparkles. Helping other entrepreneurs make their dreams come true, especially by sharing my mistakes. Double G’s (Geoffrey Geist’s) kick-ass margaritas. Singing in Spanish at the top of my lungs in my car with all the windows open. The F word. Making tacos. That’s a lie. Eating the tacos I just made. If you don’t know why these are happy things, I can’t help you. But I wish you lots of happiness and maybe a few butterflies.
Pricing:
- Single Bimini $29.95
- Single Rio $39.95
- Multipack Discounts Available!
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@thesharkoff.com
- Website: https://thesharkoff.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesharkoff/
- Facebook: facebook.com/thesharkoff
- Youtube: youtube.com/thesharkoff.com
- Other: tiktok.com/@thesharkoff
Image Credits
Kellen Burgess
