Coley Faircloth shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Coley, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Not every day is quite the same but most days if I have any time sensitive but not time consuming emails or projects I’ll take care of those right away. Then I eat breakfast, walk my dogs, and go to the gym. I have to deviate from time to time or push the gym back but that’s how I like to get going.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m originally from Georgia and I moved to Key West from Charleston SC in 2010. I took a brief hiatus out to California from 2018 to 2020. It was actually while I was there that I got the idea to create the brand. We like to say that we’re a lifestyle brand with a cause. Our original logo was created by one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead and it was gifted to an environmental non-profit down in Key West that I had a close relationship with called Reef Relief. They would use the logo from time to time for fundraising initiatives but I always thought that there could be more to it. During covid I got furloughed from my job and with all the time on my hands I got the idea to take that logo and create a brand that helps fund coral reef conservation efforts with a portion of the proceeds.
I reached out to a good buddy of mine from Charleston named Jason Clark who was a graphic designer, pitched him the idea, and he was all for jumping on board. We got everything trademarked, signed a licensing agreement with Reef Relief, and built out a catalog of designs to launch a company with. In early 2021 we brought it to market. It took a lot of trial and error and had some learning lessons along the way, but here we are almost five years later and we’ve seen steady growth and have had a lot of fun along the way, all while giving back to a cause that I’m extremely passionate about, environmental conservation.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
The world never told me who I had to be but the person that I am and the person I want to be are pretty damn close right now. With the mindset that I have, and I think most entrepreneurs have, you’re always setting new goals personally and professionally. I always say I’ve never actually reached a goal because I just keep moving the goalposts but things are going pretty good right now.
Before this phase of my life though, I was a lot of things. I worked in several different industries, hospitality, construction, and sales. Sales was where I thrived but it never really fulfilled me. I was also never a very career driven person. Definitely more of a “work to live” guy.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Everyone that’s ever started a company has almost given up. There are times, especially in the beginning, where you’re working harder than you ever have before and seeing no financial returns. Some days you wonder if it’s actually going to be worth it and pay off for you in the long run. That’s when you have to really dig in and push harder
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely. What you see is what you get. I’m a pretty outgoing person so whether I’m on a sales call or in a trade show booth that’s the same person I am all the time.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
As much as I love my brand, if I knew I had 10 years left I’d stop working. I mean I would find the right person to take it over and make sure the legacy continues but I’d be living out my days traveling, scuba diving, paddle boarding, hitting happy hours, and watching sunsets. The days of staring at a laptop would be over.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thegratefuldiver.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegratefuldiver/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegratefuldiverkw
