Meet Brian Kujawa

 

We were lucky to catch up with Brian Kujawa recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brian, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My mom is the original or first real push for my work ethic. I watched her work her butt off while raising my brother and I. She would always pound in our heads that nothing in this world is free, and nothing comes without cost. Then the Army does a good job of forcing you to work nearly every day that you are enlisted especially during combat tours – in which I did two in Iraq. When you end up out of the Army and have to re-learn everything about our society again you realize that you really do have to work hard in this life to get ahead. Day in and day out you have to always actively progress in some area of your life. Whether it is from your work, improving your home, or improving your thought process. Anything to better yourself and your surroundings. Then when you have a family, trying to improve their lives in every way possible. We all want the best for ourselves and our families, but you have to earn it. Nothing in this life worth having comes without working hard for it.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

So, I kind of invented something. It has been happening for a while, but it hasn’t been affordable or as easy to do as how I made it. I made Create-A-Lure, it is a one-of-a-kind craft kit for kids to paint and put together their own real custom fishing lures. Each kit comes with everything you need, the lures the paint, the brushes, the hooks, eyes and jump rings. Everything that you need to Create-A-Lure, the paint is non-toxic and washable, and the sealer is non-toxic. The hooks come in a separate bag and in hook protectors, that way no one can accidentally poke themselves.

I do it all though. I manufacture this out of my garage in Central Minnesota, I put the paint into the paint pots myself, I put the hooks into the hook protectors myself. I shrink wrap everything. But I do it all, of course friends and family come into help from time to time when orders explode. Needless to say, my garage is pretty full.

What is fun about Create-A-Lure is that you get to watch people realize what it is and how it pulls them out of their normal line of thinking. You can literally watch their brains working and buzzing with what and how it works. That is probably the most fun. But it is also fun to tell them how this is all my creation and how it all started with my own kids on a negative 40-degree January day, here in Minnesota.

Create-A-Lure and starting up a small business with no real outside help has been my focus for the past nearly 4 years now and it is one heck of a roller coaster trying to build a company in an industry that I knew nothing about 3 years ago (it took nearly a year to develop before sales). We launched on Thanksgiving 2021 and have been rocking and rolling ever since. I have done trade shows all over the country, including my latest in Orlando, Florida. It was called iCAST and I think it is the biggest fishing trade show in the world. But Create-A-Lure won their best of category in Kids tackle, and we got a sweet trophy for it.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

You have to be a people person. If you are not willing to put yourself out there in front of every person that you walk by then you are going to have to go and try and learn those skills. I talk to random people all the time about Create-A-Lure and what I do, and I constantly get messages saying ‘hey I met you here or there and now I am buying one for their kids’ birthday, or their youth group’.

You have to risk it all, I have risked my wealth, my independence, my family’s lifestyles, my own personal qualities and abilities for this. Everything is put on the line for this. But how can you look at yourself in 50 years without some regret saying I never went for it.

You also have to love it. You can’t just believe in it; people can tell the difference usually. You have to love what you are doing and or trying to do. For me and Create-A-Lure it was the love I have for my kids and my family, where we were all together around the kitchen table. Laughing and joking and painting our own fishing lures, I loved it so much that I realized that others would love this experience too.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

I think the number one obstacle or challenge that I am currently facing would be needing more help with the business. I do not have anyone in my core group that knows the retail industry. I am learning on the cuff, but sales would be through the roof by having someone that knows how to negotiate/ navigate with the big retail chains. I am currently sitting on some large contract negotiations with the major retailers throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and Canada. And frankly that is just a lot for one former electrician to take on by myself.

We have a lot of expanding coming very quickly and I would love to partner with someone who has the experience needed in doing that. I am also trying to introduce about 10 more products in the market that have never been seen before, but I am so wrapped up with Create-A-Lure that it could be another decade before I get the chance to bring these to the market.

One way that I am trying to resolve this is reaching out to sales reps that I can bring into my business and help to expand it in a way that would greatly benefit the company.

Take a peek at my website www.northernlightstoys.com you can contact me through there, or just purchase your own Create-A-Lure and see how much fun it is.

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