Boating Industry March 2023 | Page 17

Founder & CEO , Wavve Boating

What first drew you to the marine industry ? I had the great pleasure of growing up in and around boats . Once I was ready to enter the working world , I was fortunate to land a position at a marina to pay for my engineering degree . Later in life , I saw an opportunity to blend my creativity with my engineering skills by tackling problems in an industry I was super passionate about that also happened to be my favorite pastime – boating . I started Wavve Boating in 2018 and haven ’ t looked back . What was your first job ? A gas dock attendant . Did you have any key mentors or influences in your career ? During my university years , I joined an engineering team that would build and race an open wheel racecar each year ( think junior version of Formula 1 ). As part of this team , there was no credit associated with our engineering degrees , or individual financial compensation , but there was a shared passion and sense of freedom to design , build and race something that was our own . I saw firsthand what a group of talented and passionate individuals can accomplish in a short period of time , and I had the pleasure of taking on a leadership role with this team in my later years . Ever since this experience , all I want to do is build cool stuff with cool people . How do you set goals for yourself and set yourself up for success ? Perhaps it is the engineer in me , but whether it is personal or company goals , I take a data-first mindset to identify and prioritize the right goals and associated benchmarks . With this , I can set targets and derive strategies to make it happen .

Who was your hero as a child ? A tie between my dad and the red power ranger . Why should young professionals choose a career in the marine industry ? It can be more than just a job . I ’ ve found a lot of people in the marine industry have a real passion for boating and being on the water . I think if you ’ re passionate about what you do every day , and it ’ s not just about the bank account , the immense hours you dedicate to ‘ working ’ in your life can be more fulfilling .

President , Buckeye Sports Center

What first drew you to the marine industry ? I grew up in the boating industry as the third generation in the business . We spent a lot of time when I was young on and around boats and I loved it . I went to college with the expectation of working in the corporate world ; however , I quickly realized that working in a small business in a fun industry where I could make a difference was more appealing to me . Did you have any key mentors or influences in your career ? My father , Jim Armington has been next to me on a day-to-day basis and he has helped me with employee management , leading our staff and special projects . Also , in 2013 we joined a 20 Group with David Parker . David , and the group , certainly have been a huge help in really taking our dealership to the next level .

As a young professional , what are the biggest challenges you ’ ve faced in the marine industry and how did you overcome them ? I think that inventory management and building up and creating strong relationships with manufacturers is challenging for younger professionals . Obviously , it is a partnership , but you need to build trust and understanding with the manufacturer so that when your inventory is too high or too low you can have a conversation that works for both sides . I have found that honesty and some data on sales in our market or during a specific time frame has helped with those relationships and inventory management . How do you set goals for yourself and set yourself up for success ? I think that the 20 Groups have helped me in coming up with good goals and setting expectations for myself and our team that are attainable . With 20 Group meetings and industry or dealer meetings , I set up action lists that have usually three to five things on them that I put together five or six times a year and focus on taking action on those items throughout the year instead of a bigger list you are trying to tackle all at once . This makes hitting the goals much easier and less overwhelming . Why should young professionals choose a career in the marine industry ? The industry is relatively small , so even younger professionals can make an impact . And , of course , it is a fun industry and has a positive vibe . We are selling awesome boats and helping improve people ’ s lives , not just selling commodities . There are tons of opportunities in the marine industry whether it be at the dealership or the manufacturer level or somewhere else altogether . So many dealerships are desperate for passionate people that a young professional can see themselves actually making a difference within the dealership and progressing very quickly when compared to the large corporation where you are sitting in your cubicle wondering what impact you really have .

Marketing Director , ABYC

What first drew you to the marine industry ? I am an outdoorsy person ( my first word was apparently “ outside ”), so basically , I wanted to play for a living and that motivated me to earn a

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