Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Clinton Runyon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Clinton, thanks for joining us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

This is a wonderful question! If I were to start my business over tomorrow I would do one very specific thing differently. I would have taken the time develop and write a comprehensive business plan! Not a simple one pager or a brainstorming document. A complete and comprehensive business is critical to informing the perspective business owner of the viability of the potential business and to work through all of the details and timelines. A business plan forces the individual to look at the fiscal side of the business and truly evaluate whether or not the concept is financially viable, how intense the competition is and if the new business will be profitable over a period of time. A good business plan, if done correctly, will steer the perspective new entrepreneur in a positive direction with clear information!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Clint Runyon and I am the owner of Runyon Surfboards. I served in the United States Marine Corps as Combat Photographer for 24 years. During my time in the military I learned to surf in souther California. As I moved around I realized I needed a different surfboard for the varying conditions from east to west coast and over seas. While I was stationed in Beaufort, SC back in 2002 I decided to try and build myself a surfboard, so I got all of the required tools and pieces and went for it! I enjoyed the process so much I kept doing it and over time it truly became my passion outside of the military. When I retired from active military service in 2020 I knew I wanted to build surfboards full time, so I opened Runyon Surfboards in Jacksonville, NC and have been going full speed ahead ever since!
With Runyon Surfboards I decided to manufacture custom, one of a kind surfboards for people who are truly passionate about their surfing experience. My goal is to provide my customers with an amazing experience when they get their new surfboard. Much like purchasing a custom tailored suit, a custom surfboard is specifically tuned to the rider. I take the extra time to work with the client to develop the exact board they need to enjoy and improve their surfing experience. I truly enjoy the process and my clients absolutely love the one on one experience and service they get. I send photos and videos to them throughout the process so they can see their board come to life. They pick their style, color and graphics and I build it for them.
In today’s market a lot of surfboards are built overseas in mass quantities and only in stock sizes. The quality of the boards are fairly low and there is little to no customization. My goal is to give the customer the ability to fully customize their board from board type and size to how to the board looks and what type of fins they want in it. I take pride in the craftsmanship of my boards and the quality of the finished product. I prefer to make boards that of an heirloom quality and can be used for a very long time.
I use as many American made products, supplies and consumables as I possibly can and upcycle or recycle as much of my waste as possible! Upcycling is a key component to my business. I try to remove as much waste as I can from the process so that I am having a lower environmental impact in my area.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Starting a Manufacturing business is very difficult. I have been building surfboards on my own for more than 20 years. In 2020 after I retired from the Marine Corps I switched over to a full time surfboard business and it was a lot more complex than I thought it would be. I built my business from the ground up, bootstrapping from the very beginning. At a certain point you can only go so far without more capitol. It was very difficult to accept the fact that I would need to get outside funding. My business could only grow so much without more financial input to properly build out my production equipment. Luckily I was able to get a business line of credit and that has allowed me really engage the business an professionalize my work. It took a lot of perseverance and at times I wasnt sure if it was going to work out, but I stuck with it and my business is stronger than ever.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

As a former United States Marine I spent more than 24 years working incredibly hard to serve our great nation. I am very proud of my service and thankful that I could be a U.S. Marine for so long. BUT, when I transitioned into my own business I had to unlearn some of my habits from the military. One of those habits was to never stop working. In the military you work unitl the misssion is accomplished. Although that sounds like a good trait to have it does not bode well for personal health and family time. When I retired from the military putting my family first was a priority. But I still have a “workaholic” personality. It is important to know when to step away and give yourself time to rest and enjoy family and friends. The work will always be there!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://runyonsurfboards.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runyonsurf/
• Facebook: Runyon Surfboards

Image Credits

Sylvia Runyon with RP Studios
Josh Schieffer