Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Allen Gardner, Owner of The Catch and The Hatch, located in Glenwood Springs, CO, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
The Catch and The Hatch. We serve fly fishermen and women looking to improve at fly fishing from beginner to intermediate and advanced skill levels.
Tell us about yourself
Passion for fly fishing, the future of E-commerce, and other emerging technologies to blend together a business that generates a flexible lifestyle for my family and me and generates long-term wealth. I really enjoy growing my business, teaching people with my online courses, and maintaining a good work-life balance. I'm motivated by anything I can enjoy and obsess over and fly fishing, emerging technologies, and e-commerce are all three great things I love to obsess over.
Do you have daily rituals for work / wellness / fitness / mindfulness?
For work, I give myself only 6 hours a day to work, and I fast during that time. It motivates me to work quickly and not waste time. Leaves me 2 hours a day to work out, rest, or go fly fishing or hiking. I meditate 2-3 times a week for anywhere between 15 - 60 minutes; I spend at least an hour outside daily and spend breakfast, lunch, and dinner with my family when they are at home.
Lately, I've been practicing gratitude by spending 10 minutes a day writing down or speaking aloud what I am grateful for.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is probably being able to grow my business to be a full-time job for me while I worked another job. It was a ton of 60+ hour weeks for a couple of years to really grow it before I could go out on my own. I'm proud of the effort I put in.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
A common issue, but I wear all hats. If I hired it all out, I wouldn't generate enough profit, so I take on a lot of tasks in different areas. This is tiring sometimes, but I've also found doing just a single task all the time is boring, and getting to jump around on different projects is much more enjoyable in the long run.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Figure out where you want to be and work backwards. Don't sell a physical product for example, if you don't want to worry about fulfillment. Figure out what that perfect business is ahead of time, then work backwards to find a way to make it work.
- Keep testing and working really hard until you find that success. It's common to have a bunch of failures as you start off; just keep trying new angles, researching, and outwork your own stupidity.
- Work with something you love and that you won't stop loving. Work with a passion, not a hobby.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://thecatchandthehatch.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCatchandTheHatch/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catchandhatch/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allengardner1/
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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