Joey Jannsen and Rich Breuner are the founders of Ocelot Grips. We talked about their “why” for starting a climbing hold company, why the small details matter, how to make dual tex, why you can’t buy their holds online, building relationships with your customers, being fans of sports, the future of indoor climbing, the entrepreneurial spirit, producing underground hip-hop concerts, cage fighting, and much more!
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*Not a paid endorsement, I just think they're cool!
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We are supported by these amazing BIG GIVERS:
- Leo Franchi, Michael Roy, David Lahaie, Robert Freehill, Jeremiah Johnson, Scott Donahue, Eli Conlee, Skyler Maxwell, Craig Lee, Mark and Julie Calhoun, Yinan Liu, Renzollama, Zach Emery, and Brandt Mickolas
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Show Notes:
thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/joey-and-rich
Nuggets:
0:04:20 – Soundcheck and bevies
0:05:30 – Rich talks about producing underground hip-hop shows during the summers in college
0:09:08 – Joey talks about cage fighting
0:11:53 – My background in manufacturing climbing holds, and our conversation six years ago about their idea for Ocelot
0:14:05 – Why they decided to outsource their production
0:15:37 – Joey’s background in route setting and shaping
0:18:52 – Joey’s “why” for starting Ocelot Grips
0:22:06 – Rich’s “why” for starting Ocelot Grips, and his background in business operations and management
0:24:53 – Expressing your identity through business
0:26:15 – The Hedgehog concept
0:28:12 – Why they chose the name Ocelot
0:29:09 – How The Nugget got its name
0:33:08 – What sets Ocelot apart from other brands, and the Shade Theory series
0:38:56 – Having a flavor
0:40:55 – Wanting to be involved in the setting community
0:44:47 – Why you can’t buy Ocelot holds online
0:48:50 – Getting feedback
0:51:53 – Attention to detail
0:56:26 – How you do something is how you do everything
0:56:58 – Ocelot’s manufacturing partner Peak Performance Polymers
1:00:23 – Joey’s dual tex process, and how climbing holds are made
1:05:29 – The logo
1:07:05 – The business planning phase, processing orders, and learning as you go
1:09:33 – Biggest challenges, and building Ocelot as a side hustle
1:11:46 – Bluey
1:12:40 – How far they’ve come, and what it will take for Ocelot to be their full-time jobs
1:15:48 – Making career choices to maximize time
1:18:40 – Where to climb on Ocelot holds, and gratitude
1:21:38 – Joey describes the four current families of Ocelot holds
1:25:38 – Wanting to see their holds in competitions
1:29:54 – Being sports fans, and being excited about where climbing is heading
1:38:45 – Novel moves in competitions
1:41:15 – Putting on more than 50 competitions
1:44:11 – Joey shares a few nuggets for route setters (relevant for creative people)
1:54:01 – Rich shares a few nuggets about business
2:01:48 – Where to find Ocelot, and wrap up
