Business is a Marathon: Interview with Snowboarder and Entrepreneur Jon Callahan

I recently went one on one with former professional snowboarder and entrepreneur Jon Callahan.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Jon: I grew up outside NYC.  It was completely into subcultures growing up, whether it be punk music & hip hop/rap.  So naturally I was drawn to skateboarding which lead to snowboarding and eventually surfing.  Little did I know all this stuff would end up being as popular as it is now.

I ended up seeing a lot of my friends getting sponsored for skateboarding, snowboarding, and some for surfing.  I was lucky enough to have the same thing happening to me for snowboarding.  The crazy part was I had a really great deal happen my senior year in high school but it was either ride professionally and do the contest circuit, magazine shoots, and video parts or attend to school.  This was probably setback number one for me. I chose school because my mom had been dealing with Trigeminal Neuroglia and my dad was starting to show signs of muscular dystrophy. So, I decided to go to university but my plan was four years and done, nothing more.

Freshman year is college I did end up getting sponsored by another company that allowed me to continue my studies and snowboard.  Along the way I tried to learn as much as possible from product development, research and development, marketing and so on.  Also having the experience as a sponsored rider allowed me to know how to treat my own team in the future plus also how to run a brand, I was happy with.  It isn’t easy in the world full of billion dollar holding companies but we are doing and doing it our own way.  

I think when I first started LAUNCH it was interesting how many people told me not to do it and I would fail.  That was pretty eye opening, but I guess it is fairly common because it was the people around me that didn’t want me to experience hardships or failure, but that is all part of business.  You have to learn from hardships & mistakes and adjust accordingly and keep moving forward.

I think the most difficult setback we had was the development of our binding’s technology.  We had started a developing it and had used a Kickstarter to promote it.  But we ended up having setback after setback due to the fact that I wanted the product to be more streamlined and durable.  You add in being super lightweight and changing what people know from a traditional snowboard binding since the inception of snowboarding, it can be a lot.  So, it took a little longer than expected but it will be in the market this coming season for the 21/22 season and I think customers and the industry on the whole will be pleasantly surprised.  But from that, as much as we had setbacks and we were telling the world a snippet of our patented product that was coming, we learned a ton.  I personally realized the power of digital marketing and how to reach a broader audience. Even though we didn’t have full control over the marketing, it gave us an insight of the things not to do in the future.

Another interesting part of growing the business was using different types of materials that were eco-friendly in our products line.  We have done it in our clothing and apparel without jamming it down our customers throats, but doing it in our snowboards and skateboards was different, almost unheard of.  We used bamboo in our snowboards way before anyone was even thinking about it and then we successfully did the same for our skateboards.  It was just the right thing to do on so many levels from saving trees with a substitute that was sustainable and fast growing as well as an added performance benefit in our boards that gave them more pop, durability, and product life.  The one thing that was something we never thought about was when the pandemic came about, was the way raw materials would be affected.  For our skateboard division we were one of the few brands that had boards on the market because of the bamboo where our competitors were looking for maple and couldn’t get it.  So, it really helped our select retailers keep the market happy and helped them keep their doors open during a crazy time.  That was a pretty awesome thing to see happen.

Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas? 

Jon: My brand came to me simply out of frustration and my experience in the industry. I know what needed to happen and I was dead set on making it happen.

I think the best advice is that great ideas or concepts are all around you.  But it is the ideas that you set goals to and deadlines that make a difference.  Most people are afraid to get started, but when you get started the sooner you know if it is a real thing that will work or if it is not working you either pivot/adjust or kill it.  Business is all about persistence and you will make mistakes, it is all part of the game.

Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea? 

Jon: I just knew I wanted to make high quality products in the snow, skate, surf, and streetwear industry.  I went with my gut, if I knew I wanted something to be created, others would probably feel the same.  So, once I was excited about a particular product and when others see it and get excited or use it and love it, I know I am on to something.  Even after all these years we continue to follow that same model.  Plus, we don’t mass produce so having a particular item is not going to be all over the place.

Put your products or services out to those that would use them.  Sometimes these people can be friends and family.  But I prefer you go to people you don’t know, that way they are real with you about your products or services, no bias. See their response to it and how you can make it better, we still do that to this day, sometimes certain products are held back for a year or two before it is completely dialed and we release it.

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level? 

Jon: Some of the key steps we took to grow the business is focusing on the ever-changing world we are living in.  Since the pandemic, things have gotten crazy and we were already making steps to focus more on our digital platforms.  So that has been probably our largest initiative in our brand.  We have streamlined our buying process and make it easy to see our releases as they come out.  

We are also focusing on our social media as well.  We are keeping our customer base up to speed with new releases as they are coming and available.  Plus, we have been building and focusing on our email platforms as well.  We have a bunch of loyal customers so we are keeping them in the loop if they buy specific items year after year and letting them know when the release dates are coming so they don’t miss them.

I also see us opening up pop stores or a flagship store in the very near future. 

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips? 

Jon: The best advice I can give is control the process.  For us we have a Brand and a lot of businesses especially those that are newer get excited about the big PO (purchase order) and lose sight of why they started the brand.  Don’t get blinded by the money, it is very easy to lose sight of your goals and you very easily get lost in the mix of everyone else on the shelf or in that store.  Make sure the sales channel is the right fit.  We only work with select retailers, who fit our guidelines.  

Marketing is also about hitting your audience and further reinforcing your brand story and message.  That gets lost when you lose control of your sales channels.  Every business is all about getting in front of people.  Digital marketing has taken so much of the guess work out of the equation.  I see so many businesses fail because they either don’t know their audience or aren’t marketing to them.  If you know the basics of who buys your products or services you can set up specific parameters to a digital campaign and hit them.  Then you can look at the analytics to make sure it is working or needs to be adjusted.  

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Jon: I think in a lot of cases it depends on the situation or type of business.  But I think an effective leader is one that is able to listen, process, and implement the right strategies for success.  Plus getting your teams to understand what the goal is and getting everyone on the same page to achieve those goals.  

I think a lot of leaders just push and push and push and hope that the team will get them there.  But the world has changed so much.  I see a lot of people coming into the workforce that are driven by different things and it’s not necessarily a paycheck or money.  So be aware of your teams’ goals and aspirations, a lot of people want a job that is in the field they enjoy, a company that is charitable, gets involved with the community, eco-friendly, and/or innovated.  Know whom you are hiring and make sure they are the right fit and the rest will follow.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?

Jon: For me, it’s all about picking the right people who are passionate on the business we are in.  When people are happy and excited about the work they are in, they tend to perform better.  

In most cases we like to even see if employees leave or it is time to move on, that they go on to do something in and around the industry or even start their own business in the industry.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders? 

Jon: Focus on the end goal and work backwards from that.  It helps you create a roadmap of where you want to be and end up.  By working backwards from that, you can create the proper strategy to get there and make sure your team sees the bigger picture.  You don’t have to give the full picture but a clear vision is ideal.

Give back to the community as much as possible.  I actually got yelled at by sales managers and other staff members because they would make a million excuses why we couldn’t give back from the start.  Every time I start a new category or segment, there is purpose and reason behind it and I love to make sure that we are helping others who just need a hand, a nudge or a stepping stone in the direction.

Create products or services that are timeless and you fully stand behind.  That way when you go through times, which you will, it makes it easier to get through knowing you on point with what you are doing in your space or arena.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Jon: Business is a marathon not a spirit and perseverance will get you to where you want to be.

Love what you do and you will never work a day in your life.


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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