Turning A Hobby Into A Business, Pete White of Abstract Ocean

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In This Episode

Today we were joined on the show by entrepreneur Pete White.  Pete is the co-owner of Abstract Ocean along with his wife Christal.  During the show Pete shared his journey from a full-time job in the IT world to a business owner by pursuing a hobby related to their new Tesla vehicle back in 2013.

You see, neither Pete nor Christal had any thoughts about leaving their full-time gigs to start a business.  It just sort of happened over an 8-year period.  They happened to have an interest in electric vehicles at a time when that market was starting to grow.  Luckily they tapped into a growing market with Tesla and what started out as a hobby and side gig on nights and weekends has now grown to where as of the summer of 2021 both Pete and Christal are full time with Abstract Ocean.

Pete shared some insights for how things progressed starting with a simple key fob that sold out 50 items almost instantly and how this has grown to over 200 SKUs.  He also talked about the importance of the online community and their involvement in Tesla related forums from the outset as members of the community.  Pete also touched on how the competitors evolved from being friendly early on to the point where they would sell each other’s items on their respective web sites to now having worldwide competition including with suppliers who ship directly from China.

One of the key lessons learned along the way was how not to approach someone in customer service.  This is based on their experiences dealing with customers.  Let’s just say you’re likely to get a better response with a little honey vs. coming in hot and comparing about defective products!  Pete also talked about how difficult it is to leave the day job and all the relationships and people, not to mention the healthcare!  Another key for Pete is that he’s passionate about Tesla and that makes the long hours easier!

Along the way there have been some significant changes including moving fulfillment from their garage and house to a third party as well as switching to “best of breed” platforms and technology. We think you’ll enjoy listening to the Pete’s story and perhaps you’ll even be inspired to take that hobby you’ve been messing around with for years and turn it into a full-time gig!

 

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

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