Growing a Business with Roadblock and Roadblock

Nate Tschohl didn't close his business in 2020 when every single one of his customers was shut down. Instead, he buckled down, got creative and grew his business, swimnerd. With supply chain issues, mandates and other hurdles diving at him, what has Nate produced to keep swimming forward?   https://swimpractice.com/   Hear hosts Tim Ryan and Zack Miller chat with Nate Tschohl, Founder at SWIMNERD. Nate Tschohl didn't close his business in 2020 when every single one of his customers was shut down. Instead, he buckled down, got creative and grew his business, swimnerd.   This week hosts Tim Ryan and Zack Miller sit down with Nate Tschohl, Founder at SWIMNERD, to discuss how his business serves the global aquatics industry, navigating the COVID pandemic, and why you don't need to be a tech person to run a tech business. Tim Ryan is the Executive Director of StartWheel, an organization dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs with resources in Hampton Roads.   Learn more at: https://www.startwheel.org     Zack Miller is a serial entrepreneur and recent author of his new book Anomaly, a guide on how to differentiate yourself and your business from the crowd. Learn more at: https://www.zackmillersays.com     Enjoy what you hear? Listen to the Fervent Four Show LIVE every Thursday at 11AM. Live: https://www.startwheel.org/live/   Past Episodes: https://www.startwheel.org/fervent-fo...   Show notes:   0:00 Introducing Nate Tschohl + Discussing the SWIMNERD podcast Check out the SWIMNERD podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA5O...   22:20 What is SWIMNERD? + Why you don't need to be a tech person to run a tech business Learn more about SWIMNERD: https://swimpractice.com/   35:58 Connecting your passion with your business   41:57 Managing product launches + Is failure the crucible of success? Check out SWIMNERD products: https://swimpractice.com/   54:19 Growing your startup through partnerships SWIMNERD Twitter (@SwimNerds): https://twitter.com/SwimNerds   About Nate Tschohl and SWIMNERD: "My name is Nate Tschohl and I'm a swim nerd. In July of 2016, I left my job selling insurance, betting that I could build a better pace clock. I had already spent $20,000 building a prototype that - thank goodness - worked. We put together an inexpensive, semi-hilarious video that spoke directly to a swim coach from a swim coach and it resonated enough for 129 people to trust us to get the job done. Gold Medal Mel helped us out with exposure on SwimSwam. Unbeknownst to us, Ira Klein posted about it on the Swim Coaches Idea Exchange Group. We called and emailed thousands of swim coaches. And boy did ya'll come through. 129 of you backed us to the tune of $63,335. From there, we executed. We built a much better product than our initial prototype. We chose green LED's because of their superior visibility outside. We made the electronic boards impermeable to water and connected it to the Swimnerd mobile app so that you can quickly program sets. Currently, there are nearly 2,000 Nerds in the wild, helping swimmers every day in practice. Right before the pandemic began, in January of 2020, we created a podcast with Brett Hawke that goes inside the minds of swimming's highest achievers. We release two long form interviews each week as well as a live show on Wednesdays. It's enjoyed in over 120 countries and is regarded as the #1 podcast for swim coaches. Subscribe to the YouTube channel here." Learn more at: https://swimpractice.com   The Fervent Four Show: Did you know that only 4% of businesses hit $1M in revenue? Tim Ryan and Zack Miller are the creators of The Fervent Four Show, designed to help you get there. Check them out on Facebook Live every Thursday at 11 AM. Listen here: Live: https://www.startwheel.org/live/   Past Episodes: https://www.startwheel.org/fervent-fo...   Social Media: Nate Tschohl https://swimpractice.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swimnerdpace... LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/swim... Twitter: @SwimNerds (https://twitter.com/SwimNerds) Instagram: @swimnerds (https://www.instagram.com/swimnerds) Instagram:     Tim Ryan https://www.startwheel.org Twitter (personal): @ryantnt (https://twitter.com/ryantnt) Twitter: @StartWheel (https://twitter.com/StartWheel) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/star...   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StartWheel   Zack Miller https://www.zackmillersays.com Twitter: @zackmillersays (https://twitter.com/zackmillersays) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zackmillersays     Thanks to our Sponsors: The Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center – http://www.hrsbdc.org/en/ StartWheel – https://www.startwheel.org