A crippling illness hasn’t stopped Surefire Boards’ founder Mick Slattery from wanting to build a global surf brand | #476

Today’s guest is on a mission to create a global surf brand – despite at one point having to write a farewell letter to his wife and kids 80kms off the coast of Sumatra! It’s a roller-coaster ride of an episode 476 of The (award-winning) Small Business Big Marketing Show thanks to American Express.

Long-time listener and Surefire Boards founder Mick Slattery shares how he’s on a mission to create a global surf and stand-up paddle board brand, despite some business and personal challenges that have been thrown his way.

A little bit more about Surefire Boards’ Mick Slattery …

Mick Slattery is the founder of Surefire Boards, a small stand-up paddle and surf board business based in NSW.

He started the business as a side-hustle in 2009 before going full-time a few years later, only to contract an auto-immune disease that nearly crippled his dream.

Mick made the trip up from Sydney to join me in my Noosa studio where we  talked about:

• The challenges of taking the business from a side-hustle to a full-time concern
• What to do when a price war starts in your industry
• How contracting an auto-immune disease changed everything
• The joys of manufacturing in China
• And plenty more

Here’s what caught my attention from my chat with Surefire Boards’ Mick Slattery:

1. When a price fight begins in your industry avoid getting caught up in it … instead, remain focussed on what you’re best at … in Mick’s case it was producing a quality product.
   
2. I love how Mick remained positive through those tough times as he dealt with his auto-immune disease – instead of being the victim and looking for others to blame, he was always looking for the upside.
   
3. I loved Mick’s overall enthusiasm. He flew up from Sydney for the interview / he was excited to be in the studio taking lots of videos / he got me to ring a mate of his who listens to the show … and then he was off to visit retailers in the local area.

Mick Slattery Interview Transcription

Tim 

So Mick Slattery finally mate. Welcome to the small business big marketing show. 

Mick 

Awesome. Thanks so much. 

Tim 

I’ve just got one question for you mate.

Click Here To Download Full Transcription

Resources mentioned in episode 476 of The Small Business Big Marketing Show:

• Surefire Boards official website
• Surefire Boards on Facebook
• Surefire Boards on Instagram
• Surefire Boards on YouTube
• Last week’s interview with The Breathe Project’s Kat & Bodhi
• Interviews I’ve done concerning business owner wellbeing:
  • Interview with Andrew Griffiths on business owner isolation
  • Interview with Damien Lee of Mt Lee’s Noodles about how to overcome adversity in business
  • Interview with Leanne Faulkner on mental wellbeing in business

The winner of this week’s Monster Prize Draw

Dan I’Anson of Applied Design that specialise in the design, design development, production and installation of environmental graphics and branding in the workplace

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