Meet Raymond Higgins

We were lucky to catch up with Raymond Higgins recently and have shared our conversation below.

Raymond, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

Hey, thanks for having me! I’m super excited to be here and appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts and experiences.

That’s a fantastic question, and one I think gets often conflated with innate personality traits. In reality, I see confidence and self-esteem as more like a multi-faceted, complex skill, a belief, or even an attitude that truly takes time to cultivate. For me, it’s not about a single “aha!” moment, rather, it’s a gradual journey where these two qualities, confidence and self-esteem, really go hand-in-hand.

It all starts somewhere, doesn’t it? A child’s environment undoubtedly plays a huge role. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had an alright upbringing. I was the middle child in a middle-class family, and some of my fondest early memories are from Dodge Center, Minnesota. It was a small town, and during my elementary years, I had an incredible amount of freedom to explore and just be outside. Everything felt accessible, and looking back, I’d say that as a young child, I carried a pretty natural, unburdened confidence in going places and doing things.

Fast forward a few years, and we moved to Pensacola, Florida. This was a significant shift. Suddenly, everything was much more spread out, the schools were far larger, and the social scene felt completely alien compared to my small-town roots. Kids here acted differently, and I often felt out of the loop with their conversations about fashion, slang, music, how they carried themselves, and it all seemed to matter so much more. My parents were generally hands-off as long as my grades were good, giving me freedom if I had the money. But honestly, I disliked that period, and I definitely felt my confidence wane significantly. That is, until probably my junior year of high school.

When it came to high school, I had a crucial choice. I specifically chose Escambia High School over West Florida high school even though it was touted as a better school, because it was the only school that offered a NJROTC program that I could attend. This was something I was very interested in for potential military preparation. Within ROTC, I discovered the Orienteering Team, which involved navigating through woods with just a map and compass. I genuinely excelled at it, found it incredibly fun, and to this day, map reading remains one of those truly useful skills I carry. Beyond ROTC, I connected with some guys who trained at a local boxing and MMA gym and did that for a bit.

It was this combination of boxing, jiu-jitsu, and ROTC that truly kickstarted my confidence comeback. I even stepped into the ring for two amateur Muay Thai fights. Winning a few orienteering competitions also bolstered my belief in my abilities. I wanted my own money, so I proactively landed my first job at fifteen, and a second one at sixteen. I was tired of being scrawny, so I committed to working out religiously and tracking my macronutrients. For the first time, I truly felt great, confident and with a strong sense of self-esteem. It was a snowball effect from there.

Sharing a bit of my childhood felt important because developing confidence and self-esteem isn’t a linear path. It genuinely takes time, evolving through the various trials and tribulations we all face. Now, I recognize that not everyone is fortunate to have a stable upbringing. For those who faced significant challenges in childhood, the journey to developing confidence and self-esteem might be steeper, requiring even more intentional self-work, therapy, and building new support systems. But the underlying principle remains the same. It’s about taking agency over your present and future.

One profound realization I had as I grew older was that if I truly wanted something, I just had to go and do it. That early childhood freedom my parents gave me, to simply go and do things, really instilled that mindset. Before graduating high school, I constantly told myself that if I want it, I can make it mine, and I’ve lived by that ever since. Sure, there are always uncontrollable circumstances, but we work with what we have. Ultimately, I believe the most critical variables are within our control. Those are who you surround yourself with, how you choose to spend your downtime, and most importantly, how much faith you have in yourself. These three, you absolutely control.

I’m always reminded of Wayne Gretzky’s famous quote: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Developing confidence and self-esteem, for me, has been about continually taking those shots, even when I’ve doubted myself, knowing that trying is the only way to make progress.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Sure thing! These days, my professional life is a dynamic mix of ventures, and I absolutely thrive on the diversity. I’m the owner and CEO of Underwater Scooter Pros, I work at a bank, I’m an active Coast Guard veteran and now a Reservist, and I even dabble in affiliate marketing. While my schedule is certainly jam-packed, I find most of it incredibly exciting and fun.

My brand, Underwater Scooter Pros, is definitely the highlight. I built it from the ground up, and honestly, I genuinely enjoy every single day I spend working on it. Underwater scooters have this incredible ability to bring a smile to almost anyone’s face. If you love being in the water, they’re just a plain ‘ole good time! Beyond recreation, they’re also incredibly useful tools across a surprising range of applications. I particularly love testing out all the different models, engaging with customers, and helping them find the perfect scooter to meet their specific needs.

We’ve recently expanded our offerings to include some fantastic new brands and models. My personal favorite right now is the SeaNXT ELITE. It looks and feels like an underwater supercar that has the ability to take someone up to 13 miles per hour! Other stellar recent releases include the Asiwo U1, Sublue VAPOR, and LEFEET P1, all with their own cool new features.

Beyond our direct-to-consumer sales, we’re now proud to be serving both government and commercial clients. This includes providing solutions for rentals, tourism, life rescue operations, law enforcement, and even military applications. It’s incredibly rewarding to see our products used in such impactful ways.

For our valued community, if you’re a military member, veteran, teacher, first responder, government worker, or healthcare professional, we’ve partnered with GovX ID to offer exclusive deals. Just swing by our website to secure your special code. If you don’t fall into those categories, fear not! We regularly offer email subscription savings and other exclusive promotions, so there’s always an opportunity to snag a great deal.

Finally, if you’re an affiliate marketer who owns an underwater scooter, we’d love for you to join our program and earn while sharing the fun!

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

Well, this is a tough one as there are certainly many skills and areas of knowledge that have shaped my journey. Narrowing it down, the most impactful have definitely been a confident and resilient mindset, paired with a strong initiative.

For me, it often starts with an idea followed by a spark of initiative that makes me just jump to it. It’s about being proactive, taking that first step, and really getting started. Naturally, not every attempt is a success. I’ve certainly faced setbacks and failures along the way, but that’s where resilience comes in. It’s the ability to take those bumps in the road, learn from them, and keep pushing forward rather than letting them derail me. Underpinning it all is confidence, the consistent belief that I can achieve what I set out to do, day in and day out. These three qualities have truly been the foundation of my progress.

Generally, if you’re thinking about starting your own business you possess a little bit of knowledge on what it is you’re looking to do. If you’re early on in your journey, ask yourself the following questions: Are you confident in your own abilities? Are you resilient and willing to accept failures as teaching moments? Do you have the initiative or drive to take the first step to making your thoughts become reality?

Are you still considering whether or not you should take that first step? Don’t wait for permission or the perfect moment. If you see a problem, propose a solution. If you have a question, go find the answer. Look for opportunities to take ownership and lead, even in small ways. The more you exercise that muscle of initiative, the stronger it becomes. It often just takes that first step, even a small one, to unlock a whole new path.

Not confident you’ll make it to your set goals? Start small. Set tiny, achievable goals and celebrate every single win. Don’t wait to feel one-hundred percent confident to begin. Action often creates confidence. Focus on developing your skills, because mastery in one area often spills over into a broader sense of self-assurance. Challenge yourself and work towards positive self-talk. At the end of the day, your inner critic is often a liar.

Worried about failing? Embrace your failures as teaching moments, not judging moments. Understand that setbacks aren’t reflections of your own worth, but opportunities for growth. Build a strong support system around you. It’s okay to feel disappointed or frustrated. Resilience isn’t about not feeling, it’s about how you respond after feeling.

I’m no more special than anyone. If I can do it, so can you.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

That’s a classic debate, isn’t it? The specialist versus the generalist question. For me, especially as an adult navigating the complexities of career and life, I’ve always leaned heavily into the belief that it’s far more beneficial to be well-rounded.

Now, I distinguish this from childhood because I think there’s immense value in a child deeply exploring and leaning into their natural strengths. I believe that’s how passions are discovered, and unique talents are honed. But for the purpose of building a business or simply succeeding as an adult in a dynamic world, being well-rounded not only makes you inherently more valuable, but it also significantly expands what you can achieve as an individual.

Imagine you’re looking to launch an online business. Perhaps you have truly exceptional customer service skills, and your passion is connecting with clients, but you don’t know the first thing about website development, online marketing, running ads, or managing finances. In that situation, you’d quickly find yourself heavily reliant on third parties or needing to hire additional staff to handle those critical areas. On the other hand, if you might not be super strong in any one specific area, but you’re genuinely open to learning and building the diverse skills required to be a well-rounded online business owner, you’ll dedicate time to those various tasks. Through that process, you’ll gain efficiency, save money by avoiding constant outsourcing, and ultimately become far more intimately familiar with every aspect of your business.

Now, when I started my business, Underwater Scooter Pros, I didn’t know anything about business operations or how to build, but by taking the time to learn and build those essential skills myself, I became a much more well-rounded online business owner. Yes, it meant more hours upfront diving into areas I knew nothing about. I had to learn the nuances of various advertising platforms, figure out SEO, understand payment gateways, and even get comfortable with basic accounting software. But that investment paid off exponentially. I became incredibly efficient, saved a significant amount of money by not having to outsource every little thing, and gained a deep understanding of every moving part of my business.

This hands-on knowledge not only allowed me to know exactly how things operate, but it also built a solid foundation of transferable skills. If or when I ever decide to scale up and bring on more team members, I can effectively manage them because I understand the work. And if the day ever comes to pass on the business, I can articulate its entire operational framework with deep confidence.

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