From Stand-Up to Start-Up

When Wendy Kushel walked into Walmart’s Open Call event in Bentonville, Arkansas, she carried more than just a product – she carried a dream. That dream came one step closer to reality when she walked out holding a coveted golden ticket, a symbol that Wendala’s, her Bluffton-based sugar scrub brand, had secured a chance to appear on the shelves of one of the largest retailers in the world. 

Her product? A citrusy concoction called Fish Away, designed to eliminate stubborn food and fish odors while softening hands. Her mission? To show the world that grit, passion, and belief can transform even the most unexpected ideas into national success stories.

“I had never heard of a sugar scrub in my life,” Kushel said with a laugh, recalling the moment in 2018 when someone casually recommended she mix sugar and coconut oil in the shower. “I fell in love and knew I had to start a sugar scrub business.”

But the road from a spontaneous discovery to mass retail wasn’t easy – or linear.

Originally from Maryland, Kushel relocated to the Lowcountry in 2018 to take a job with a liquor distributor. She enjoyed the work and the lifestyle, but something inside her kept whispering that she was meant for more.

“I loved my job,” she said, “but I really needed to be working for myself.”

That whisper became a roar when she started experimenting with her first sugar scrub recipes. Rather than casually handing out samples in plastic containers, Kushel immediately thought bigger. She created a logo, sourced jars, and designed a label that popped. But despite her early enthusiasm, she shelved the idea, channeling her abundant energy into competing in triathlons instead. However, the idea for her own business was never too far out of mind.

“I thought, if anyone can put one foot in front of the other and run a few miles, why can’t I start a company?” she said. “How many people think about it, but never do? I didn’t want to be one of them.”

So, in 2020, she took the plunge. With no business background and only a spark of inspiration, she launched Wendala’s, coined from her childhood nickname. She started with the basics – registering the business, building a website, and securing certifications like WBENC and South Carolina Woman-Owned.

Kushel’s breakthrough came not from a corporate boardroom, but a local pop-up event at Lowcountry Fresh Market. A women’s group requested a rosemary mint or eucalyptus lavender hand scrub to eliminate cooking odors – products she’d never made before.

“That request changed everything,” she said. “That day, I debuted the scrubs and, bam! I got a text from Barbara Corcoran’s podcast producer asking me to be on her show. I cried. It was just so surreal.”

From that moment, “Fish Away” and its sister scents were born. Designed to deodorize and soften, they quickly caught the attention of customers and retailers alike. With the help of her daughter – an industry veteran in consumer-packaged goods – Kushel transitioned her scrubs into sleek screw-top tin cans and refined her branding to stand out on shelves.

Built by hand, fueled by heart

Unlike most brands on the road to big-box retail, Wendala’s hasn’t yet outsourced manufacturing. Kushel still makes every batch of sugar scrub with a small team of mostly retired locals, including a woman named Paula whom she calls a godsend.

“This Walmart order for 10,600 units? We made it ourselves – by hand,” she said. “These incredible women and men are in there right now, filling jars and assembling display units. It’s wild.”

She uses a massive Hobart mixer, like those normally found in bakeries, to whip her formula into the buttery-soft texture customers love. The team works out of a modest facility, fueled by passion, purpose, and a whole lot of determination.

“I hope someone calls and says, ‘Hey, can you be on QVC in two months and provide half a million units?’ You know what I’ll say? ‘Let’s go!’ I’ll figure it out,” Kushel said with her signature fire. “That’s just how I am.”

While the Walmart deal is monumental, Kushel refuses to see it as the finish line. Fish Away will initially roll out in the sporting goods departments of more than 200 stores around the country, targeting communities where fishing is a way of life. But she has plans to expand further – to Whole Foods, Target, and beyond.

“My ‘Eucalyptus Lavender’ and ‘Beach Day’ scents are best-sellers,” she explains. “The ‘Beach Day’ scent? That’s my ‘Frasier Fir.’ You know that candle everyone loves? That’s how I see this product. It just needs to get out there.”

She’s currently exploring buying a full production line in Beaufort to speed up the process and meet growing demand. If the equipment works, she’s willing to raise capital to make it happen.

“This can’t be the end all, be all,” Kushel said of the Walmart order. “It’s just the beginning.”

A mission bigger than money

While the entrepreneur’s work ethic is undeniable, her “why” is what sets her apart.

“I’m not doing this to make money,” Kushel said. “I’m doing it to prove to myself, to my friends, to my family, and to others, that you can build something from nothing.”

It’s a sentiment she shares often with aspiring business owners and anyone who dares to dream.

“You don’t have to know everything to start something. You just have to start. Move one foot in front of the other every day.”

Her advice is simple, but powerful. Whether you want to sell at farmers’ markets or pitch to national chains, Kushel believes success comes from doing it the best you can and not being afraid to jump in, even if you don’t have all the answers.

It’s no surprise that Kushel is a natural in front of crowds. A former SAG-certified actress and stand-up comedian, she’s now using her stage presence to inspire others. She frequently speaks at Rotary clubs and women’s organizations, including the well-known Women’s Association of Hilton Head Island (WAHHI), where she not only spoke to the large crowd, but dispensed samples to everyone who attended.

“I love being on stage,” she says. “I love sharing my story. If I can help one person say, ‘If she can do it, I can do it,’ then it’s worth it.”

With unstoppable energy, a grassroots team, and a mission that’s bigger than the bottom line, Kushel is building more than a business – she’s building a movement that says, “Start now. Learn as you go. Don’t quit.”

“Whatever you decide to do, do it the best you can,” she said. “You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need to believe you can.”

As she continues filling jars, pitching retailers, and expanding Wendala’s reach, it’s clear that belief, and a whole lot of hustle, are taking her exactly where she belongs: onto shelves, into homes, and into hearts across the country.