We were lucky to catch up with Josh Schieffer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Josh, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

My two boys Blake (21) and Jacob (17) wanted to create a surf brand selling shirts and asked for my help. After having a few entrepreneurial failures in my past I wanted to pass along what I’ve learned from those mistakes. I agreed to help them under one condition, while learning , all of the profits will go to charity. They obviously looked confused but reluctantly agreed but wanted to know why. I explained that money should never be the driving force and your passions with an element of purpose was a formula for success and happiness. So we brainstormed on their passions which ultimately boiled down to water related activities. I then asked, “what would be the purpose for the brand?” “The purpose is to make money” said one of the boys. I too have fell into that trap before but realized there are so many ways to make money that you ultimately take the path of least resistance and chase the easier buck.

Great success comes from those who have the persistence when times get tough. We need something more than money, we need a purpose that motivates us beyond financial gain. After another brainstorming session where we combined the passion and purpose, Watermans Warehouse was born. A surf brand that provides financial assistance to those seeking swim lessons. During our research we learned 50% of Americans can’t swim and nearly 80% of low income and minorities can’t swim. Due to segregation, many black families didn’t have access to pools and created a culture where swimming was reserved for white people. Even though segregation is gone it has created a ripple effect in the black community. We decided to focus on closing the swim gap by focusing on inclusion. Our branding then became “Black & White”. It’s kinda the secret menu to Watermans Warehouse. Many don’t know that fact but given the opportunity we highlight our backstory.

Josh, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The business model is simple; we create clothing we would want to wear, sell the clothes and use the profits to provide swim lessons to low, middle and even upper income families regardless of race. Why upper income? We want Watermans Warehouse Students to feel part of something cool not just something reserved for the poor and minority kids. Our financial assistance is tiered based on family income levels. In our first two years we have been able to provide financial assistance to over 250 students with no paid staff.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

We sell our products in core surf shops, at special events, and online using Shopify. For us Shopify has been a game changer. We have the ability to manage inventory and sell nationally. With the large volume of Shopify supported apps, we can pay sales tax using Tax Jar and integrate with Mailchimp. With our 501c3 status we have the ability to receive tax deductible donations and Shopify has been a great tool for that too.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

There are two stories id like to share:

We received a special request last year. A young father to be wanted desperately to join the Navy and provide a stable future for his family. He was also the only one in his family’s history not to serve his country.

The problem; he had to drop significant weight and learn to swim. The other problem, he worked tons of hours but still struggled financially and couldn’t afford swim lessons. If you know anything about Watermans Warehouse and our amazing team of Board Members (many Navy veterans) this was a mission we were willing and excited to take on.

I’ll never forget the day I came to watch him train. This young man humbled himself into a pool of students many of them much younger and began to struggle and flail. Honestly, it was hard to watch. Fast forward through the lesson plan and the weight is starting to drop and he’s swimming, really swimming! I’ve never cried tears of joy in my 25+ professional career but that day in the pool house, I was a wreck.

My two boys have worked their butts off for Watermans Warehouse without any financial gain but just recently they received something money couldn’t buy. We have been listening to The Elovaters, a reggae band from Boston for years now. We have jokingly said they are the unofficial band of Watermans Warehouse since we listen to them the most. Through the magic of social media, primarily Instagram, we got connected to the band and realized both loved each other’s work. My boys have now hung out with the band, talk to them regularly on social media and get special perks from the crew at concerts. The band also wears our clothes from time to time on stage and it just blows their minds. As a father, I am so stoked that they get rewarded like this for their hard work. The Elovaters are truly a great band for so many reasons and we are stoked to have their support.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://watermanswarehouse.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watermanswarehouse/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatermansWarehouse
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/watermans-warehouse/

Image Credits
Arial Photo by Dave Allen