Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Adam Pener. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Adam, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
Work ethic is built, forged early in life as we are forming our identity. For me, it stemmed from my first go as an entrepreneur — launching an owner / operator lawn care company at 14. Looking back, it was a tremendously successful business. The overhead was low, the debt paid off within three months (i.e., paying Dad back for the lawn mower), and the lessons were ones that proved useful throughout my career, namely, the importance of sales, customer service, hard work, and running a debt-free company. By definition, the job forced me to build a strong work ethic. Many clients arose from the failings of competitors: it was easy to see who’s lawn service wasn’t showing up, especially in the Spring when cuts were weekly. Attending an elite college preparatory school and playing two sports, it was never “easy” waking up at the crack of dawn on April weekends to do the work. Nor were the grueling 100-degree days in the Kansas City summers. Work ethic is built, not only on those experiences, but on the rewards that come with a successful venture.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Sniper Bladeworks is going to be the next great “Americana” brand. We see it everyday when we win business from more well-known competitors such as Benchmade and Microtek. We see it in the “Capital-P Product,” which offers the best quality/price mix in the $1.25B annual U.S. outdoor and EDC knife market. We see it in feedback from our customers who love their Sniper blades. While there are ventures that pay me more and investments with higher upside, Sniper has become a labor of love. The reason is simple – we make tools for everyday Americans. There’s no billionaires in our world, just hard-working people who use our blades every day, whether its first responders on the frontlines, men and women serving in our Armed Forces, blue collar workers, or those who make their living on a ranch or farm. We make our knives for Great Americans and take great pride in being their tool of choice.
Today, Sniper is growing at a fast pace and the list is too long to thank and acknowledge everyone who has rolled up there sleeves to lend a hand. I will note that, in November, we’ll be announcing a major partnership in the outdoor space and, as always, we welcome people to join our mailing list and learn more about Sniper Bladeworks at: www.sniperbladeworks.com
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most important skills and qualities as an entrepreneur are patience, a willingness to fail and learn, and hard work. I’m always amazed at how many people claim to be an entrepreneur and, even more so, how many people look to these posers for advice. Selling ideas on LinkedIn is not entrepreneurship. Neither is a “personality” who chooses to put their name on a restaurant or Tequila brand. Quite literally, you need skin in the game to be an entrepreneur and, if you’re looking for answers or solutions or investors on LinkedIn, you’re going to fail. True entrepreneurs bleed. They lay awake at night wondering how they’ll make payroll. They hit the road, selling, promoting, and, when necessary, begging. How do I know if someone is a true entrepreneur? Easy, I can see the blood, sweat, and tears. No offense to Jennifer Garner, George Clooney, and other celebrities claiming to be businesspeople…
<u>Patience</u>: to understand that success comes only after many failures. Try this, pitch that, take this meeting, fall, get up, try again. It’s a process. If you don’t have patience, it will burn you out.
<u>Willingness to Learn</u>: Don’t be wedded to your idea or product, but rather to learning what the market wants and why. Moreover, there are people in your industry that have blazed a trail, Find them and learn from them. Finally, do your homework. I can say with 100% certainty that if you’re not researching, analyzing, reading, and applying your learnings, you won’t be successful.
<u>Hard Work</u>: Successful people outwork others. Period. As I write this, it’s 5:30 am on a Saturday. Want to win in this game — roll up your sleeves and get dirty.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Always! Look, life is about meeting people and creating with them. Throughout my career, I’ve taken every call and responded to every (non-spam) email. I love learning about what people do and finding a way to work together. It leads to adventures and, in my experience, success. Folks can always find me on LinkedIn and, if they’re interested in learning more about Sniper Bladeworks, they can email me at [email protected].
Finally, a shout out to Walmart’s CEO, who at one time responded to my email despite not knowing me. Like I said, successful people take a minute to write back.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sniperbladeworks.com
- Instagram: @sniperbladeworks
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sniperbladeworks/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adampener/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9riI52l7VBYWhQD9SYBksw
