Meet Jeffrey Tousey | Founder & CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jeffrey Tousey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jeffrey, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The first business I started is the digital marketing agency Beekman Social, a collective of digital storytellers that approach everything through a social-first lens. Prior to launching Beekman Social, I was the social media director at Vanity Fair, and often found that when brands would send us content for sponsored posts that they would just send us campaign images that really didn’t fit with how we told stories on our social platforms, and further we knew wouldn’t perform well with our audience. Brands were not thinking about creating platform or surface specific content for their social channels, and as a result— across industries, companies were struggling to build engaged communities on social media. Beekman Social was born as a social-first agency, pioneering platform-specific content that helped brands and creators break through algorithms to tell an authentic story. Three and half years later, I was approached by two of my best friends to launch a lifestyle sun care line together, and that we would incubate it through Beekman Social, and then Florida Squeezed was born.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

Beekman Social was a natural transition for me, because I knew we were building a company that was rooted in a skillset I had been developing for many years. Launching Florida Squeezed was a different challenge because I hadn’t created a product from scratch before, I knew how to market products, but I hadn’t had to deal with manufacturers, packaging, shipping, ingredient sourcing, forecasting how often we would need more product, etc. Fortunately, my two business partners ( Michael Katzenberg and Max Ricci) in that endeavor are both brilliant and resourceful when it comes to operations, sales and overall logistics.

Florida Squeezed is a really incredible sunscreen that is made locally here in Florida. Not only does it feel incredible on your skin, it also really does protect you from the sun’s most powerful rays. As Florida natives, Michael, Max, and myself have all experienced first-hand how dangerous the sun in Florida can be if you don’t wear sunscreen everyday, and we wanted to create a product that imbued the spirit of a fabulous Florida vacation— gorgeous days on the water, beach bbq’s with friends and family, long days by the pool, on the golf course, traversing through theme parks, and all of the other amazing outdoor activities Florida has to offer all year long. But it was also critical to instill confidence in the consumer that the product would also protect them from the harmful UV rays. So finding the balance between fun in the sun and the serious nature of what the product needs to actually do has been incredibly exciting and challenging. Florida Squeezed is reef-friendly, anti-aging, and infused with hydrating Aloe Vera and Jojoba Oil, there and no parabens and no phthalates, and never tested on animals. Further, we made sure there was no oxybenzone or octinoxate which are chemicals that are really tough on our reefs and oceans. Lastly, and one of my favorite features is that our sunscreen is naturally scented with essential oils from cold-pressed oranges that we source from local orange groves here in Florida. When you apply the sunscreen you immediately get a fresh citrus scent that smells like a perfect day in the sunshine state.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

It would most certainly be a weekend on the water in and around Palm Beach. We would start the day with a morning bike ride up the lake trail and then head over to SurfSide Diner for a great breakfast. After that we would hop on the boat and head out to the ocean for a refreshing swim in the gorgeous blue water. We would then likely cruise south for a classic old Florida lunch at the Key Lime House. After lunch, we would take a slow cruise up the intracoastal checking out the gorgeous houses and maybe do one more dip off the coast of Peanut Island. For dinner, we would head over to the Palm Beach staple that is Buccan— where you can always guarantee a great crowd, terrific service and even better food (pro-tip always order the chocolate chip cookies). Lastly, we would head home for a night cap, before starting it all over again the next day.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been extremely lucky to have met an incredible group of mentors and friends that have guided me through the years. I was told at a very young age to always surround yourself with people who are smarter than you are and be open to what they have to share. As a result, every job I have ever had I have made life long connections with colleagues who really became some of my closest friends. Graydon Carter, the former editor of Vanity Fair took a risk on me when I first was getting my start in publishing and social media, and really changed my career trajectory. I wouldn’t be where I am today had I not had the privilege of working with him and seeing him in action everyday. He is truly the most incredible editor and storyteller, and really shaped how I view the cultural landscape and further how to find authentic ways to engage in the zeitgeist.

Website: www.beekmansocial.com, www.floridasqueezed.com

Instagram: @floridasqueezed

Linkedin: @floridasqueezed

Facebook: @floridasqueezed

Other: TikTok: @floridasqueezed

Image Credits
personal photo by Justin Bishop