Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsy Myers.
Hi Kelsy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started Girly Pop Soda Shop in 2024 because I loved the idea of dirty sodas and fun, over-the-top drinks, but there really wasn’t anything like it in my area at the time. I figured if I wanted it, other people probably did too, so I decided to just go for it.
I started very small, literally hauling everything to pop-ups, setting up tables, syrups, coolers and all of the things that come with running a mobile soda shop. I had no idea how much work would go into it when I started, but I learned as I went. Girly Pop grew through local events, markets, fundraisers, private parties and a whole lot of word of mouth and social media.
Over the last almost two years, I’ve gotten to take Girly Pop places I never expected. We’ve worked events all over Oregon and even traveled out of state, and I’ve met so many amazing people through the business. Somewhere along the way it went from being this fun idea I was trying out to something I genuinely want to build my future around.
I’m still very much in the growing stage. I currently work another job while running Girly Pop, and a lot of days it feels like I’m working more than full time between the two. I recently went part time at my day job so I could put more energy into the business, which was exciting and honestly a little terrifying.
My next big step is getting my trailer fully up and running so Girly Pop can grow beyond the pop-up setup I’ve been using from the beginning. I definitely don’t feel like I have it all figured out yet, but I’m proud of how far it’s come from me just having an idea and deciding to try it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I think one of the hardest parts of starting a business is realizing how many things you have to figure out that have absolutely nothing to do with the fun part of the business.
Even the name has been a challenge at times. I’ve worked really hard to build Girly Pop Soda Shop into its own recognizable brand, and then you run into other businesses using the same or similar names and have to figure out how to keep establishing what you’ve built as your own.
Licensing and health department requirements have probably been one of my biggest frustrations and learning curves. I started with an idea to make fun drinks, and suddenly I was trying to understand permits, exemptions, what I could and couldn’t serve, what equipment was required and what I would eventually need in order to operate out of a trailer. There wasn’t exactly a guide for what I was trying to build, so a lot of it has been researching, asking questions, getting different answers, changing plans and figuring things out as I go.
And more recently, competition has honestly been hard. When I started Girly Pop, dirty soda wasn’t really something I was seeing in my area. I was out there popping up, hauling everything around and trying to introduce people to the concept before it became as popular locally as it is now. Since then, I’ve watched more soda businesses open around me, and some of them have grown really quickly.
That can be frustrating because there are definitely moments where I think, “I was doing this first. How did they get there before me?” Especially when I’m still doing pop-ups and working toward the trailer and bigger goals I’ve had from the beginning. It’s really easy as a business owner to look sideways and feel like you should be further along.
But I’ve also learned that somebody else growing doesn’t erase what I’ve built. Girly Pop has its own personality, customers, experiences and story. I’m still learning, still growing and still figuring things out all the time, but I’ve kept going through every frustrating part of it, and I think I’m probably more determined now than I was when I started.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Girly Pop Soda Shop is a mobile dirty soda shop based in the Eugene/Springfield area. We specialize in fun, customizable drinks using soda, flavored syrups, creams, energy drinks, lemonade and all the extra toppings that make them feel a little more special than just grabbing a soda somewhere.
I started Girly Pop before dirty soda really became a thing in our area, and I’m really proud of being one of the first to bring that concept here. Since then, we’ve grown through popups, community events, fundraisers, private parties and larger events, and I’ve gotten to take the business places I never expected when I first started.
What I think sets Girly Pop apart is the experience behind it. I wanted the brand to feel fun, colorful and a little over the top bows, disco balls, cute drink names, gummy toppings, glitter and drinks people actually get excited to order. I also love creating custom menus for events so it feels personal to whoever we’re serving rather than showing up with the exact same menu everywhere.
Brand wise, I’m probably most proud that Girly Pop actually feels like Girly Pop. People recognize the look, the drinks and the personality behind it. I’ve built so much of it myself from the ground up, and even while the dirty soda market has grown around me, I’ve stayed focused on making Girly Pop its own thing.
At the end of the day, I want people to know that we’re not trying to take soda too seriously. It’s supposed to be fun. Whether someone finds us at a local pop-up, books us for their event or orders one of our ridiculous candy-covered drinks, I want them to leave with something that made their day a little more fun.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think persistence has been the most important quality to my success. There have been plenty of times when things felt frustrating, slow, expensive or just harder than I expected, but I have kept showing up and figuring out the next step. I did not start Girly Pop knowing exactly how to run a business. I learned by doing it, making mistakes, asking questions and adjusting as I went. Even when I have compared my progress to other businesses or wondered if I should be further along, I have never really been willing to give up on the idea. I think being willing to keep going, even when I do not have everything figured out yet, is probably the biggest reason Girly Pop has made it this far.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlypopsodas?igsi=OTJzZDNvcm52dGli&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GirlyPopSodaShop?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr
