This 28-Year-Old’s Busy 9-5 Inspired Her Side Hustle That Gives Professionals a Boost. Now It’s in Walmart Headed for $1.8M: ‘Pretty Surreal.’

Georgia Young, a 28-year-old entrepreneur based in New York, started her side hustle Rallee, a line of caffeinated gummies for energy on the go, while working in consulting. Young's demanding job inspired her to create Rallee, as she needed a convenient and affordable way to get a energy boost.

Before starting Rallee, Young spent four years in strategy and sustainability consulting, advising private equity and private credit firms on their sustainability and impact investing strategies. Her background was in sustainable business, and she had to teach herself about the consumer packaged goods industry while balancing her full-time job.

Young developed Rallee in January 2025, and the inspiration came directly from her job. She was frustrated with the available caffeine options and wanted something better for her than traditional energy drinks. She researched gummy manufacturing, caffeine delivery systems, and ingredient interactions to develop a formula that was effective and enjoyable to eat.

Rallee landed in 1,940 Walmart stores in eight months, and Young invested $45,000 of her own savings to launch the business. The business is still 100% founder-owned and self-funded today. Young has learned that building a consumer brand is an ongoing process of testing, learning, and improving, and that perfectionism can be expensive when funding a business herself.

Young has found that one of the most challenging things about building a physical product is how much cash it ties up before sales are made. She has also learned that entrepreneurs have to wear many different hats, especially early on when they don't have the budget to hire experts for every problem. Despite the challenges, Young's business is on track to bring in significant revenue in the next year.

Rallee's success can be attributed to Young's hard work and determination. She has been able to secure national distribution with Walmart, and her business has seen a 7.6X increase in DTC sales. Young's story is an inspiration to other entrepreneurs who are looking to turn their side hustles into successful businesses.