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I’m a founder-operator and commercialization strategist with experience building consumer…
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Melanie Cruickshank reposted thisMelanie Cruickshank reposted thisOur virtual tariff roundtable is happening this week! Figuring out how the latest U.S.-Canada tariffs affect your business? You’re not alone! Join us for a live conversation covering: 📦 What's changed and what it means for you 🔄 How to keep up with ongoing updates 🛡️ How to protect your business moving forward Register today: https://luma.com/rr7vj5qz Melanie Cruickshank Leroy Lowe, MBA, PhD UPS Export Development Canada | Exportation et développement Canada
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Melanie Cruickshank reposted thisMelanie Cruickshank reposted thisThis weeks chat on the Unfiltered Mindset podcast was with Melanie Cruickshank, founder of the Canadian clean beauty brand da lish cosmetics. Melanie shares with us what it really takes to be an entrepreneur - a whole lot of failures, learning curves & the biggest piece - taking ACTION. Stepping out of your comfort zone is an absolute must for growth. Check out the full episode on your favourite listening platform today. 🎙️
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Melanie Cruickshank shared thisRETAIL is not the strategy. DEMAND is the strategy! Yesterday I joined Startup Canada’s Women in Retail & E-Commerce Industry Roundtable to share some of what 20 years of building da lish cosmetics has taught me. And if I could leave an early-stage founder with one lesson, it would be this: The way customers buy will change. I’ve watched the landscape move from traditional retail to DTC, marketplaces and now an increasingly omnichannel world. da lish has had to evolve right along with it. Over the years, that journey has taken the brand into retailers and partnerships including Walmart, Amazon, Whole Foods, well.ca, IPSY, Pharmasave, Air Canada Rouge and Mattel — all while remaining bootstrapped. But getting into retail was never the finish line. Build something people want. Then make it ridiculously easy for them to buy it. Thank you to Amanda Logan, Tetiana P. and Startup Canada for inviting me to share some of the lessons — and mistakes — I’ve collected over 20 years of entrepreneurship. Here’s to the founders still building. #StartupCanada #StartupWomen #WomenInRetail #Ecommerce #WomenFounders #Entrepreneurship
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Melanie Cruickshank reposted thisMelanie Cruickshank reposted thisHave you been wondering how you can scale your brand across & beyond Canada? This one’s for you. 🚀 I’m excited to join Startup Canada alongside Cydney Mar and Melanie Cruickshank on the Industry Roundtable: Women in Retail & E-Commerce on September 10. I’ll be sharing insights from my work with Fashion by Informa (COTERIE, MAGIC, and PROJECT), and how Canadian apparel, footwear, beauty, accessories and lifestyle brands can unlock international growth/wholesale opportunities through the right mix of digital strategy and physical retail. I’ll also bring the agency perspective from Styled by Nif, Inc., where we help brands create customer engagement strategies that build loyalty, strengthen relationships and drive sustainable growth. Especially when navigating today’s tariff landscape and the complexities of international markets and culture. Because scaling isn’t just about selling more. It’s about knowing where to expand, how to show up, and which opportunities actually move your brand forward. I am here to help you realize your expansion goals! ��� September 10 | 10 am (MDT) Noon (EST) 🔗 Capacity is limited. Register today to secure your spot: https://luma.com/8b2oxlok If you’re planning to attend, let me know in the comments or tag another founder who should join us! 👇🏾 #StartupWomen #StartupCanada #FashionByInforma #StyledByNif #RetailGrowth #RetailBrands #CanadianFounders #WomenInBusiness #RetailStrategy #EcommerceGrowth #BrandStrategy #InternationalExpansion
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Melanie Cruickshank reposted thisMelanie Cruickshank reposted thisJoin #StartupWomen for the Women in Retail & E-Commerce Industry Roundtable on September 10! 🛍💻 This session brings together women-identifying founders to explore growth strategies, customer engagement, and operational insights across retail and e-commerce businesses! Hear from: Cydney Mar, Cydney Mar Consulting Melanie Cruickshank, da lush cosmetics Nifemi Adeleye, Styled by Nif Space is limited, register today: https://luma.com/8b2oxlok #WomenInRetail #WomenInECommerce #FemaleFounders #WomenInBusiness #Networking
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Melanie Cruickshank posted thisSometimes you need SOMEONE who isn't emotionally ATTACHED to the answer. One thing mentoring founders over the past few weeks has reminded me: Sometimes the most valuable person in your business is the person who isn't emotionally attached to your answer. I've sat across from founders who have spent months developing a product. Sometimes years. They've invested thousands of dollars. They've chosen the packaging. Worked with manufacturers. Perfected the formula. Built the website. They're excited. They're invested. And understandably, they want it to work. Then we start doing the math. Landed cost. Wholesale margin. Retail margin. Shipping. Marketing. Packaging. Minimum order quantities. And sometimes I have to ask a very uncomfortable question: "Can this actually become a profitable business?" That's a difficult question to hear when you've already invested your money, time, energy and identity into the answer being yes. But it's also exactly why outside perspective can be so valuable. A good mentor, consultant or advisor isn't there to tell you your idea is brilliant. They're there to see what you may be too close to see. To ask the question you haven't considered. To challenge an assumption before it becomes an expensive mistake. To tell you when the numbers don't work. And sometimes... To tell you to stop spending money. Over twenty years, I've made enough expensive mistakes to know how valuable those conversations can be. And after spending the past several weeks mentoring entrepreneurs, I've been reminded of something else: Getting experienced advice early can feel like an expense. Getting it after you've made the mistake is usually much more expensive. Sometimes the most valuable answer isn't the one you wanted to hear. It's the one that saves you from learning the lesson the hard way.
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Melanie Cruickshank posted thisThe LONGER I'm in business, the less impressed I am by "BUSY." I used to wear it almost like a badge of honour. A full calendar meant things were happening. More meetings. More products. More retailers. More opportunities. More projects. Surely all of that activity meant the business was moving forward. Except sometimes it wasn't. Some of the busiest periods of my twenty years in business produced the least meaningful growth. I was doing A LOT. But I wasn't always doing the things that mattered most. That's something I've been thinking about lately. As founders, it's incredibly easy to confuse activity with progress because activity feels productive. You answered 50 emails. You took six meetings. You worked until 10 PM. You crossed fifteen things off your list. But did any of it actually move the business forward? Today, I ask myself a very different question: What actually moved the business forward this week? Sometimes the answer is surprisingly small. One important conversation. One decision I've been avoiding. Following up with the right person. Improving one product instead of launching five. Saying no to something that would have consumed weeks of my time. Focusing on the customer who's already buying instead of constantly chasing the next one. Twenty years later, I'm much less interested in how much I can get done. I'm interested in whether I'm doing the right things. Because I've learned something the hard way: You can be incredibly busy and still be standing still. And sometimes doing less, with far more intention, is what finally moves you forward.
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Melanie Cruickshank reposted thisMelanie Cruickshank reposted thisMark it down! 🗓️ Join us on September 10 for our next Industry Roundtable, happening next month for Women in Retail and E-Commerce! 🛍️ A closed-door virtual session featuring expert talks from founders and networking built to connect you with people who get your industry! Hear from our speakers: Cydney Mar, Cydney Mar Consulting Melanie Cruickshank, da lish cosmetics Nifemi Adeleye, MBA, Styled by Nif, Inc. Save your seat ➡️ #StartupCanada #StartupWomen #WomenEntrepreneurs #CanadianBusinessWomen
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Melanie Cruickshank posted thisCould the RETURN to OFFICE Give RETAIL the BOOST It Needs? After what has felt like a slow start to the year for many retailers and brands, I've been wondering if we're about to see something interesting happen. Not because consumers suddenly have more money. But because millions of people are about to change their daily routines. Over the past few months, I've noticed more and more companies announcing mandatory return-to-office policies for September. Some employees will be heading back three days a week. Others full-time. And for many, it'll be the first time they've had to get ready for work every single morning in over five years. That kind of lifestyle change doesn't just impact the workplace. It changes how people shop. Think about everything that quietly becomes part of your routine again. A new blazer because yours doesn't quite fit the same. Shoes that are comfortable enough to wear all day. A work bag that has been sitting in the closet since 2020. A travel mug. Lunch containers. Hair appointments. Skincare. Makeup. Fragrance. None of these purchases happen because people suddenly decide they need more. They happen because routines create demand. As someone who's spent over 20 years building beauty brands, one thing I've learned is that consumer behaviour often changes long before the sales reports tell the story. When routines change, purchasing habits usually follow. I don't think consumers are going back to buying overflowing makeup bags or chasing every trend on social media. If anything, I think they'll become even more intentional. Products that save time. Products that perform. Products that simplify busy mornings. That's where I think beauty brands have an opportunity. The brands that understand today's consumer isn't looking for more—they're looking for better—will be the ones that stand out. I'm genuinely curious to see what happens over the next few months. Could the return to the office be the catalyst retail has been waiting for after a challenging first half of the year? Or has consumer behaviour changed permanently? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Will returning to the office change how—or what—you shop for this fall?
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Melanie Cruickshank liked this✨ Great to see our ingredient in action at the IFSCC Congress ! 🌿 Roka Cirkle® Sotabosk is our natural, upcycled multifunctional active ingredient, developed to bring together performance and sustainability in cosmetic formulations. Its properties include antimicrobial and anti-acne benefits, antioxidant protection and SPF-boosting capabilities. We are proud to see our ingredient being explored and its potential shared with the cosmetic science community. Thank you, Ramón Pagán , for bringing this research to the IFSCC Congress! 🙌 #RokaFuradada #RokaCirkleSotabosk #IFSCC #CosmeticScience #UpcycledIngredients #SustainableCosmeticsMelanie Cruickshank liked thisAlways great running into friends at the IFSCC Congress! Cosmetic chemist and product developer Ramon Pagan shares his research on a lignin-based sunscreen as an SPF booster and colorant. He explains that this ingredient can be used to develop tinted sunscreens for darker skin tones and address a consumer demand. Thank you, Ramón, for sharing your research!
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Melanie Cruickshank liked thisMelanie Cruickshank liked this🏆TBDC has received the Best Startup Ecosystem in Canada Award at StartupBlink's Startup Ecosystem Awards 2026! The awards recognize standout achievements across startup ecosystems worldwide, based on the StartupBlink algorithm and progress measured in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index. We’re proud to celebrate this recognition with the founders, investors, and organizations helping our ecosystem grow. Explore the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026: https://lnkd.in/ghMxkU-y #StartupEcosystemAwards2026 #StartupBlink
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Melanie Cruickshank liked thisMelanie Cruickshank liked thisStarting over in your 40’s is not the end of the story. It’s actually where things started getting interesting for me. When I left a 12-year career, started over, tried new things, got let go from my last chapter… I definitely didn’t have a master plan. What I had was a growing feeling that I was meant to do something different. A year later, I’ve learned: ✨You don’t need to have it all figured out. ✨Your experience doesn’t disappear when you change direction. ✨Starting over doesn’t mean starting from zero. ✨Sometimes getting uncomfortable is exactly what moves you forward. ✨And it is NEVER too late to build something that feels like you. At 49, I’m building a personal brand, growing a podcast, facilitating Human Design workshops for teams, and figuring it out as I go. Would I have expected this a few years ago? Probably not. And honestly… I’m pretty glad I didn’t. If you’re in the middle of a career pivot or wondering if it’s too late to try something new: It’s not. ❤️
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Melanie Cruickshank liked thisMelanie Cruickshank liked thisToday we wear orange to acknowledge the resilience, dignity, and strength of survivors of residential schools. 🧡 ~Melanie . . . . . #socialmediamarketing #businessmarketing #advertising #torontobusiness #ontariocanadabusiness #torontosocialmediamarketing #durhamregionsocialmediamarketing #socialmediamarketingexperts #digitalmarketing #torontomarketing #durhamregionmarketingagency #CanadianBusiness #SmallBusinessCanada #CanadaBusiness #CanadianEntrepreneurs #CanadianMarketing #OntarioBusiness #MarketingHelp #internetmarketingcompanyuxbridge
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Melanie Cruickshank liked thisMelanie Cruickshank liked thisCalling all parents, educators and carers of little ones under 10 💕 I am building something very close to my heart with Auntie A, and I would love to speak to you! Would you be willing to hop on a quick 10 min call with me. I have a few questions about children, reading, storytelling & children’s content and the type of content you’d genuinely like to see more of. If you are up for a little chat, please comment or message me directly. I would be so grateful for your thoughts…and if you know someone else who might have some thoughts please forward along. 👩🏫✍️📚
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Melanie Cruickshank liked thisMelanie Cruickshank liked this🇪🇺 The GoEU Crew Alex Garkov | EU Business Development Lead | London GoEU is TBDC’s program for Ontario founders ready to expand into Europe. A big part of that is having a team on the ground, building the relationships that help companies hit the ground running. Since July, Alex has been growing GoEU’s partner network across The Netherlands, Germany, France, Poland and the Baltics. He brings more than a decade of experience working with European financial institutions, and he works in English, Spanish and French. Alex also leads founder matchmaking, connecting Ontario companies with the right European partners early. With Zachary Nixon now on the team in Copenhagen, that network keeps expanding. When your company lands in Europe, the GoEU team is already there, waiting to support your success. Learn more about GoEU: tbdc.com/goeu #GoEU #TBDC #PeopleOfTBDC #CanadaEU #TheGoEUCrew
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Melanie Cruickshank liked thisMelanie Cruickshank liked thisThere are only a few months left in the year. You can't keep marketing your business like it's 2021 and expect to maintain what you have built or even grow in 2026. Your customers have changed. How they find businesses has changed. Has your marketing kept up? Your existing customers may have forgotten half of what you offer. And that sales pipeline isn't going to fill itself. Your customers are spending hours every day on social media. Is your business showing up where they're looking? RainSpark is a critical part of your sales ecosystem. We keep your business visible across multiple channels, attract new customers, remind existing ones why they chose you and keep your brand top of mind. You've already had the conversation with us. We can't get back the months you've waited. But we can make the next three count. Call me. 😉 ~ RainSpark Media Group Inc. info@rainspark.ca 🏆️ Top 3 Best Marketing Agencies in Whitby, Ontario (2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026 ThreeBestRated.ca) Prices start at $899 a month. . . . . . #socialmediamarketing #businessmarketing #advertising #torontobusiness #ontariocanadabusiness #torontosocialmediamarketing #durhamregionsocialmediamarketing #socialmediamarketingexperts #digitalmarketing #torontomarketing #durhamregionmarketingagency #CanadianBusiness #SmallBusinessCanada #CanadaBusiness #CanadianEntrepreneurs #CanadianMarketing #OntarioBusiness #MarketingHelp #internetmarketingcompanyuxbridge
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Melanie Cruickshank liked thisMelanie Cruickshank liked thisYour bath could take you to St. Lucia 🌴 After the success of our Bathorium™ X Taylor Swift Era Tickets Sweepstakes in 2024 we are back for another! This time with one of our largest hotel partners in the Caribbean Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort. Five star iconic property in the iconic Sugar Beach. Steps away from the Pitons. This sweepstakes gives two lucky people 5 nights in a luxury beach front villa plus airfare. A prize valued at over $15K. Free to enter and many bonus entries available. Draw is Dec 8, 2027. Enter now 👇 https://lnkd.in/gxDeBjxh
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Melanie Cruickshank liked thisMelanie Cruickshank liked thisSome news from TBDC: we signed an MOU with Huge Thing, a Polish-based accelerator! When you enter a new market, the hardest part is knowing who to call. This partnership provides Ontario founders a direct line into Poland's startup ecosystem and gives Polish founders the same in Toronto. Izabela Kluzek-Kot Founder and CEO of Space To Grow and Huge Thing alumni, liked our Horizon program so much that she came back for a second time. That's what told us this partnership was worth growing. Big thanks to Monika Synoradzka Maryla Wojcieszek Natalia Litman (Sadownik) and the Huge Thing team for making it happen. Cia Prior Shaunik Sachdev Who's building something that could use a foothold in Poland?
Experience & Education
Projects
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IDS | Interior Design Show | Astley Gilbert Collaboration
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da lish cosmetics won **GOLD** for best booth design at the 2020 International Design Show in Toronto!
The first time a beauty brand has ever collaborated with a design firm; Astley Gilbert, to showcase how integral the beauty industry is in conjunction with design and fashion. A collaboration that certainly proved its weight, by bringing home GOLD!!! -
Consumer Wellness Product Innovation Strategy
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Developed a consumer wellness innovation concept focused on the growing pain management category within natural wellness. Project included market analysis, consumer insights, commercialization strategy, pricing rationale, competitive positioning, and go-to-market considerations for premium retail environments.
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ICYMI: Bubble Skincare targets deeper Canadian expansion as affordable skincare gains traction Bubble Skincare, a five-year-old skincare company founded by Shai Eisenman, is pushing deeper into the Canadian market as it continues a rapid international expansion built on mass retail partnerships rather than standalone stores. The company, which launched in Canada in late 2022 and early 2023, is now sold through Walmart Canada and Shoppers Drug Mart, with four new products set to hit shelves at both retailers starting Feb. 1. Eisenman said Canada has become a strategic focus as the brand looks to widen access while maintaining its positioning around affordability and clinical performance. https://lnkd.in/gFRfcW8u #BubbleSkincare #CanadianExpansion #AffordableSkincare #SkincareBrand #BeautyRetail #WalmartCanada #ShoppersDrugMart #RetailExpansion #CleanBeauty #ClinicalSkincare #BeautyNews #GlobalGrowth
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