We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Eric Feola a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Eric , 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?
I have been fortunate enough to see nothing but hard work growing up. My grandpa was a successful businessman, my dad is currently running his second successful business and my mom never stops working until the task is done. My wife and sister run a successful hair salon. It’s just in our blood. It’s pretty difficult to be lazy when I grew up and continue to surround myself with the hardest workers in the room.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
At Alibi Boat Company we focus heavily on gelcoat and fiberglass repair on boats. We got our start detailing vehicles, and we still do that.
Gelcoat and fiberglass repair is an art. It’s far more difficult than I ever expected. It’s pretty rewarding to cut a hole on a $300,000 surf boat and be able to repair it to the point you’d never know there was damage.
There aren’t many businesses in the Denver area offering the service we do. We strive to be the best. We will deliver the best customer experience possible. This summer, we will be adding mobile gelcoat repairs to our ever growing list of services.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I truly believe work ethic will get you where you want to be in life. You can’t be afraid to put the work in. Invest in yourself and surround yourself with like minded individuals. Surround yourself with people that don’t view your success with jealousy, surround yourself with people who genuinely want to see you succeed. The last thing I would say is to be “Fearless.” My cousin Avery passed away from a brain tumor when she was 11. “Fearless” was her motto and she proved it everyday. It didn’t mean to not be scared or fearful, but it meant to face the challenges ahead with courage. A lot of people asked me how I left my career and went into the unknown. The best answer I can give is to go forth and be fearless. Its never too late to reinvent yourself and you never know, it might just be the best version yet.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
One of the best books I have ever read is, “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F$&k” by Mark Manson.
This book taught me that life inherently is problematic and you just have to figure out what problems are worth your while. It also teaches that you really learn to value things more when you’ve had to struggle, endure pain, and even rejection. That all makes you stronger. You truly learn from your mistakes.
This book is straight to the point and somewhat raw. The quote that sticks out to me the most from this book is, “Who you are is defined by what you’re willing to struggle for.” If you truly want to be the person you think you should be, there’s going to be some sacrifice.
I am becoming the man, husband, father, businessman I could have only dreamed of 10 years ago. Life is good but it doesn’t come without problems. I have found I enjoy having problems. Problems give me something to solve. Problems mean I am moving in a direction of growth and in turn I’m happy when those problems are solved.
The book is a good one and I highly recommend it to anyone. I’ve read it probably 5 times and I always take something away from it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alibiboatco.com
- Instagram: alibi_boat_co
- Facebook: Alibi Boat Company
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