Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in eyewear but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Chase Fisher, Founder & CEO of Blenders Eyewear, located in San Diego, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I founded Blenders in 2012 in San Diego, California. We produce a wide range of men's and women's sunglasses and snow goggles. We're driven by a company-wide motto of "life in forward motion" our products are predicated upon a bold aesthetic that emphasizes progressive colorways aimed at the active and lifestyle demographic. Now a talented team of spunky and spirited designers, photographers, and communicators, Blenders has become one of America's fastest-growing sunglasses brands.

Tell us about yourself

I was born in Santa Barbara, California. As a kid, surfing wasn't simply a hobby. It was a tremendous part of my daily life and also one of the first avenues through which I discovered a love of brands. There was a vibe and a company story behind all my favorite gear, and those brands inevitably became connected to and inseparable from my fondness for the ocean. Growing up in Santa Barbara was incredible. It marked the beginning of my competitive career as a brand-sponsored surfer, the beginning of my passion for music, and was the origin of so many "firsts" in my life I can scarcely list them all. So when I moved to San Diego to join the San Diego State University surf team, I took all that love and passion with me.

When I graduated, my professional career path was mired in murky water. I didn't quite know what I wanted to do, but those early passions I carried from Santa Barbara still burned true. I worked as a surf coach and took comfort in all the interests that had brought me to where I was, and like so many incredible beginnings, the Blenders brand was inspired by something else I loved.

In 2012, I witnessed an absolutely virtuoso performance from one of my favorite DJs in a downtown San Diego nightclub. With me was a pair of neon green "beater" sunglasses — affordable, fun, and just something I picked up on a whim before the show. And guess what? They were a hit. Everyone loved them, and so what began as a night full of close friends and good music quickly escalated into a full-fledged obsession with sunglasses. Fresh out of San Diego State and following months of research, I started selling shades on the beach out of my backpack. People thought I was crazy to do it (a surf coach shaking up the sunglasses industry?), but I wanted something different and radical. I didn't quite know what I was doing. But as I quickly learned, life's finest teacher is an experience — and the only way you're going to fail is if you stop. So I never did, and now, Blenders has become a major disruptor in the eyewear space.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Man, there's been many high highs with more low lows. But to name a few, being acquired by Safilo was one of the greatest achievements yet. This is what many founders dream of, and I'm extremely proud of the accomplishment. I was also asked to give the 2020 SDSU commencement speech, and given my struggles in school, this made this a very meaningful/humbling accomplishment for me.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Being an entrepreneur isn't an easy life; it's an extreme life. At times, it can be one of the loneliest journeys to embark on. That's the dark side of entrepreneurship no one likes to talk about because loneliness isn't sexy. And it's not just the loneliness you experience. It's the other emotional demons like fear, anxiety, paranoia, and self-doubt – all ingredients that can crack any new entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is about breaking the mold. Disrupting the status quo. That's a challenge in itself because people innately feel more comfortable doing things in groups. They follow societal norms and trends, then seek and value external validation as a way of determining that what they're doing is right. In entrepreneurship, when you first start out, you will be doubted, judged, and even looked at as a clown. Few will believe in you or take you seriously. Real support comes after you've shown success, which can take many years. It took me about three to four years to gain any real external validation with Blenders. And so, from day one, you're left entirely dependent on your internal motivation to keep you going. Your thoughts and worries are largely unrelatable, making them nearly impossible to share with anyone. So you're left with them, often alone and misunderstood.

When times get tough, and you're making little progress, sometimes all you need are some words of encouragement. Our brand mantra actually spawned from a very low point in the early stages of Blenders. It came at a time I almost quit. I was struggling, and I remember someone telling me, "Chase, the only way you're gonna fail is if you stop; just keep going." And that was the best advice I could ever get at the time I needed it most. There's no way to avoid loneliness on this journey, but there are ways to deal with it. Start by inserting yourself around like-minded individuals. Learn from people in your field. Find a mentor. Role models them. Join an entrepreneur group or form one yourself, as I did. There are far more opportunities now than there were when I started, and some of the most successful people I know are now my best friends.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Master the Monotony: It's incredibly important you learn how to zoom in and focus on one day at a time. When you first begin this journey, the vision is just a shiny object in the distance and feels so far away. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle. But the best and most successful people in the world understand the power of routine. They understand that success, fulfillment, and greatness aren't found in results but through hard work, discipline, and resilience to achieve something meaningful. Building an extraordinary life takes extraordinary work, and it's the daily drip that compounds into huge successes. Focus on the day. Win the day. Do that enough times over and over, and you will find yourself exceeding even your own expectations.
  2. Have fun: I also find it incredibly important to fuel your life with things that connect you to your business through fun, adventure, and challenge. For me, that is surfing and the ocean. It's a big piece of my identity as well as Blenders' identity. And surfing is simply the most fun I know how to have on this planet. I use it to rejuvenate me, re-inspire me, reconnect me, and remind me why I do what I do. It's a great metaphor for entrepreneurship and life and something that always connects me.
  3. Follow Your Intuition: Intuition is one of your best friends in this game and can be your most powerful weapon. Being an entrepreneur is being a visionary. It requires dreaming, designing, creating, building, and leading. It's an abundance mindset driven by the desire to unleash what's in your soul into the real world. It's about having pure intentions – doing the right thing, whether that be for your customers, your product, or your team. Your intuition plays a part in keeping you centered, and your vision plays a part in driving you forward.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.blenderseyewear.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasefisher/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blenderseyewear
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chase-r-fisher/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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