I started laying the groundwork for an adventure-centric life early. Growing up in the country meant that you had to be creative to find things to do. TV wasn’t an option with our 4 channels, so most of my childhood was spent exploring the outdoors. In addition to camping, kayaking, biking, tubing, hiking and fishing, my friends and I embarked on some unconventional outdoor adventures, including constructing homemade zip lines, sledding on roofing tin-and-2×4 contraptions (we called it a bobsled), and skiing behind cars, with only boots on.

I’ve spent the majority of my career in the medical device and custom manufacturing industry which was a great portion of my life. Over the years however I’ve had some ideas that just needed to come to reality for me, which is how my first idea of the HydraQuiver came to life and the business that would later become Orange Mud.

I’ve been an avid adventure racer and trail runner who has participated in multiple full and half ironman races and had first hand experience with the frustrations of carrying adequate water during exercise. After a day of striving to stay hydrated while training, I came home and created my first prototype. Using a gun holster, a tie down, and a waist pack, I built what would become the HydraQuiver, Orange Mud’s first product.

Orange Mud was formally launched in 2012. Expanding on my initial inspiration, I’ve continued to leverage an athletic experience to create products that solve problems for outdoor adventurers. Our most notable product, after the HydraQuiver, is the multifunction Transition & Seat Wrap, which was named #1 Gear of the Year by Runner’s World in 2013. The Runner’s World article spurred rapid growth for the company, growing the 30-store pre-publication availability to a presence in hundreds of stores across 27 countries. As of 2015, the company offers a variety of products, with over twenty new innovations in the development pipeline.

One of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 5 Emerging Entrepreneurs of 2014, I’ve been able to share my entrepreneurial insights with a new generation of start-up leaders as a member of The Young Entrepreneur Council. I also sit on the advisory boards of Norco College and ITT Technical Institute. Through Orange Mud, I’ve invested widely in community involvement, supporting numerous local races with free gear, advertising, business support, and sponsoring local clubs and athletes.

Companies 

Orange Mud (Founder, CEO)

Organizations

YEC (Member), ITT (Advisory Board Member), Norco (Advisory Board Member)

Want to read more? Learn more on EntrepreneurWiki.