In this episode of The Growth Class, host Phil Masiello interviews Kun Yang, co-founder and CEO of Pricklee. They explore the early days of launching a new beverage brand in 2021 and the unexpected momentum that followed when the team received an invitation to apply to Shark Tank just days after their initial launch. Kun shares the behind-the-scenes reality of navigating one of the most influential PR opportunities in startup history and explains how national television exposure became a catalyst for long-term brand awareness, customer growth, and retail expansion. The conversation highlights how Pricklee built a differentiated product in the highly competitive beverage industry by introducing cactus water as a healthier, lower-sugar alternative to traditional hydration drinks while emphasizing sustainability and innovation. Kun also reflects on the importance of staying resilient through long application processes, embracing unexpected opportunities, and recognizing that breakthrough moments—like a national TV appearance—are only part of the larger entrepreneurial journey. Pricklee website: https://pricklee.comThere are a lot of  "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.That’s not me. I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital. We don’t just advise — we execute. We write the playbook.So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.https://www.facebook.com/philmasiellohttps://www.instagram.com/philmasiello/https://www.tiktok.com/@philmasiellohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-masiello/https://www.youtube.com/@philmasiello#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips #ScaleYourBrand #DTCMarketing #PhilMasiello #GrowthClass #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #CrunchGrowth #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth