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Entrepreneur Stories 4⃣ Inspiration

018: From Boat to Kayak... Find out what Motivated Bill Bragman to Success (on Millionaire Interviews)

Entrepreneur Stories 4⃣ Inspiration

Millionaire Interviews Podcast & Sir Austin Peek

Careers, Business, Business:careers

4.72K Ratings

🗓️ 1 January 2021

⏱️ 41 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Bill Bragman began YakGear with a little innovation and open water. He was an avid fisherman and curious inventor, often tinkered with ways to improve the kayak experience. When he happened across two seemingly simple designs — leashes for paddles and fishing poles — friends took notice, and he knew he was on to something. Bill refined his idea and, in 2006, made the products available to the public under the name Reel Deels. Word got out and, as the company grew, so did its offerings. In November 2007, with 20 items to its name, YakGear made its official debut as the original ‘yak accessory company. *** For Show Notes, Key Points, Contact Info, & Resources Mentioned on this episode with Bill Bragman, visit here. ***

Transcript

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0:00.0

So what do you think about that group call?

0:05.0

That was good.

0:06.0

It's cool because you get to see what other people are doing.

0:10.0

They're kind of the same stage as me.

0:12.0

Hopefully that was helpful.

0:14.0

Definitely.

0:15.0

Yeah, actually a lot of stuff.

0:17.0

The Upwork thing was very interesting.

0:34.0

My first year doing the Acura, I actually moved to a very not so nice neighborhood.

0:39.0

My friends used to tease me that that's where the criminals lived.

0:42.0

And I would tell them, yeah, but they go to your neighborhood to steal stuff.

0:46.0

So that's how it started.

0:48.0

I look at the little things and make great things out of them.

0:51.0

And I said this before stuff happens.

0:53.0

You fix that stuff and then more stuff happens.

1:00.0

Well, my office is on the street.

1:02.0

Okay.

1:03.0

That on the street literally.

1:04.0

So you live on the street?

1:06.0

Yes.

1:07.0

I'm a homeless person now.

1:08.0

That's a good one of the benefits of owning your own business.

...

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