Ep. 532: Breaking Free from Spreadsheets to Handcraft Wooden Paddle Boards - Tony Smith

It’s not easy leaving something secure to go after something so uncertain. However, that’s one of the necessary ingredients to have a true adventure. Tony Smith knew that when there was sawdust left in his hair during a work meeting after working on his passion for crafting over a lunch break, it was time to take a leap. He left a stable career to jump full-time into handcrafted wooden paddle boards but gave himself the deadline to try it for a year.  With a young family and no real certainty it would work out, the journey of building Jarvis Boards was truly an adventure of a lifetime. Today, 5 years into the adventure, Jarvis Boards is still going strong and getting more and more publicity. Today, we talk to Tony to get a feel for what it was really like to make the leap, the reality of risk when doing what you love for a living, and the highs and lows of growing upon a new and solid foundation. Enjoy! www.jarvisboards.com Instagram: @JarvisBoards Facebook: @JarvisBoards Photo credit here Athletic Brewing Company is a pioneer in craft non-alcoholic beer. They make great-tasting beer for the healthy, active, modern adult. Athletic uses certified all organic grains and only 50-70 calories a can. With IPA, Golden Ale, stouts, and tons of seasonal style offerings. Save 15% by using ADVENTURE at athleticbrewing.com @athleticbrewing If you're in need of some personalized advice before buying your gear, go to backpacktribe.com. You're not only able to purchase the gear you need on their website but talk with someone with the experience and know how. They also offer gear bundles and free shipping. @backpacktribal ASP is also sponsored by CS Instant Coffee. CS Instant Coffee is 100% Arabica Instant Coffee. Their compostable packaging provides guilt-free convenience that is perfect for the trail, office, and fitness.  Visit csinstant.coffee and use promo code 'Adventure' for 20% off at csinstant.coffee @c.s.coffee Support the Adventure Sports Podcast by giving as low as $1/month to our efforts to produce this show at patreon.com/AdventureSportsPodcast Call and leave us a voicemail at 812-MAIL-POD or 812-624-5763 or send an email to [email protected] Trip blog for William Cairns, who's starting the Tour Divide on June 13: http://findpenguins.com/cairnswm  Our Sponsors:* Check out Nathan and Sons: https://nathanandsons.com* Check out Outdoorsy and use my code ASP for a great deal: https://www.outdoorsy.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy