Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alec Cameron, founder of Mañana, located in Austin, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We sell boards for riding on waves and gear before, during, and after you do. We're a meeting point where longtime surfers looking for the best boards on the market, and first-timers looking for a good pair of shorts that dry quickly enough for them to slip their phone in their pocket on the way back to the car, can both shop and find what they need.
Tell us about yourself
I'm from Austin. Not the most conventionally promising place for a surfer, but there are waves. People forget that. Even in Austin, you can get out on lakes and wake surf. Obviously, I wanted to surf in the ocean too, so I got out and started traveling. As I got into the craft of surfing and the related craft of board making, I realized Mañana needed to exist. I've seen all the positives that come from the surf lifestyle, the spiritual stuff, the worldview stuff, and all that. I know how powerful surf can be, so what keeps me motivated is the prospect of all the good we could do by bringing those values back to the surf and introducing them to those who have been left out of the sport.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Any person who is out surfing on a Mañana board. Just making riding waves possible for people - nothing is bigger than that.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The daily strain of the grind in those dark moments when it feels like no impact is being made. Or, the guys renting the space next to you leave and take their passwordless Wi-Fi with them.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Two are the obvious ones: don't let the fear of failure haunt you, and don't assume it's going to be easy. The less obvious one is about how you use people doubting you: you have to find a way to make that doubt constructive, to use it to drive you instead of tearing you down. That looks different for everyone, but you have to find a way, or else the doubt will drag you down.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://manana.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manana.surf/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alec-cameron-34b099159/
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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