“There is no success or failure — only how you look at your current situation” With Olympian Eric Jackson

I had the pleasure of interviewing Eric Jackson, an Olympian, 4-Time World Freestyle Kayak Champion, co-founder/President of Jackson Kayak, and Pro fisherman, whose primary focus is his family.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us about your journey to becoming CEO?.

I had two goals in college, to be a millionaire by age 30 and a world champion by age 30.

I struggled to kayak and do anything business related during my 20’s. Finally I gave in to my kayak obsession and focused on my athletics, winning my first world championships in 1993 at age 29. In the mid-nineties I began doing work for kayak brands, such as boat design. My first big production kayak design was “X” in 1997 for Wavesport with my current design partner, David Knight, sales rep work (East Coast of USA for Wavesport Kayaks).

Father and Son in 2003, when Dane just started really getting good at kayaking. (photo: Corey Rich)

In 2002, my son Dane was really getting into kayaking at the age of 9. David and I designed a kid’s kayak for him, for Wavesport (my employer), but Wavesport wouldn’t make it, citing lake of a market. I quit Wavesport…