✨ 𝑺𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆. ✨

CEO had the BEST morning visiting Happy Up Inc. with owner — and CEO mentor — Shawnta' Ray!

Shawnta' gave our students an inside look at what it truly takes to run a successful brick-and-mortar “mom and pop” shop. What started for her in 1995 as a job at Once Upon a Toy eventually turned into ownership, a rebrand to Happy Up, and the growth into three buildings and additional locations.

Today, Happy Up is a staple in the Edwardsville community — 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙩.

Students learned about:

🛍️ Managing inventory and adapting to yearly cost changes
💰 Navigating loans and financial decisions
📍 The critical importance of location
🤝 The power of community support
🌟 Building and trusting an amazing team

Shawnta' shared candidly about the realities of retail — the strategy behind product selection, maintaining strong vendor relationships, creating memorable customer experiences, and staying nimble in an ever-changing market.

And yes… our students fully embraced the hands-on portion of the visit — playing games and snuggling the Jellycats may have been a highlight of the morning! 🧸💛

Shawnta', thank you for opening your doors, sharing your journey, and mentoring our students. Your story is a powerful example of how passion, perseverance, and community can build something truly special.