Meet Nathaniel Wellen

We were lucky to catch up with Nathaniel Wellen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nathaniel, 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.

Like all of us, I’m a work-in-progress, but I’ve learned that with enough dedication, there’s virtually no obstacle that can stand in your way.

My story began at age seven. I was living in Atlanta; it was raining cats and dogs; my father and I were struggling to stay dry under a tiny, flimsy canopy; and it was clear we needed a better umbrella. What if there were a second, adjustable handle so two people of different heights could easily share an umbrella? I thought. My dad, an entrepreneur himself, helped me build a variety of prototypes and even secured a patent for the product. The dual-handle umbrella, or “The Duo” was born. When we moved to Los Angeles shortly thereafter, I competed in several invention competitions and even made cold calls to umbrella manufacturers.

That’s when I was presented with an opportunity of a lifetime: ABC’s Shark Tank. They were seeking students like me, who had competed in the Invention Convention. With ShedRain, the largest umbrella manufacturer in the world, on board to distribute The Duo, I knew I had to give the show some serious consideration. The odds were low, but the chance to be on a show that I’d grown up watching, inspired me. I’d been watching The Sharks for so long – like so many of us – I felt like I really knew them.

“I have nothing to lose,” people told me. But I certainly didn’t feel that way. Best-case scenario I got on the show. Worse-case scenario, I embarrassed myself in front of millions of people only to become a TikTok meme. Was I up for taking the risk?

I remember the night I made the decision. Shark Tank auditions were only a few days away, and there I sat in a Five Guys parking lot, stuffing myself full of hotdogs with my dad, contemplating my options. It had been countless hours of business conversations, collaborating with ShedRain, and competing in nearly a half-dozen competitions with The Duo. If not now, then when. If not me, then who? My dad asked me. This was my shot. I was all-in, and I never looked back.

The audition was a success, but that was only the beginning. There were at least ten more hurdles to clear before I got the word that I would tape the show. My family and I spent hundreds of hours designing sets, editing and practicing my script, rehearsing for questions, and meetings with producers. Every step of the way, the producers encouraged me, but also warned: there are no guarantees that your segment will ever air. Frankly, I was terrified, but I was as ready as I was ever going to be. It was a dream come true: I would pitch The Sharks.

I walked onto the set at Sony Studios bubbling with adrenaline, my heart racing. My 45 minutes in the tank went by in the blink of an eye. After a polite, but firm “no” from Mark, Barbara, and Kevin, I was down to Robert and Lori. All of sudden Lori was out. It was all down to Robert. I was seeking $100,000 in exchange for 10% equity in The Duo. Robert countered for 20%. I walked him back to 18%. It didn’t feel like much more than a symbolic victory at the time, but who knows: after all, I’m betting on myself, so that 2% may be worth a fortune one day.

Landing the deal felt great, but it was all about showing up: walking onto that set with those Sharks and pitching my heart out – deal or no deal. To this day, no experience compares to that moment and nothing has built my confidence and self-esteem more. I am a true believer that you miss all the shots you don’t take.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am the President of The Duo LLC.

Our mission at The Duo LLC is to strengthen community by bringing people together under a single brim.
The Duo isn’t your ordinary umbrella; it’s the world’s first umbrella with a second, extendable umbrella handle and a larger brim, so that two people of any height can comfortably hold and share an umbrella at once. Whether it’s your fast-walking, fast-talking business partner, your significant other, friend, or child, staying together, warm, safe, and absolutely dry is effortless with The Duo. All you need to do to release the second handle by pressing the “plus” button. The second handle then extends up to a foot in length and twists and locks in place. The Duo is available in three colors: Retro Blue, Black, and Stone. Right now, we sell a premium stick umbrella, and we expect to roll out a compact next year.

When I was seven years old, I discovered what a nightmare it can be to get drenched while trying to share an umbrella with someone taller than you.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

To succeed, you must 1) channel your passion, 2) develop stamina, and 3) operate as a team. If you do that, anything is possible in the world of entrepreneurship.

Passion:
Passion can’t be manufactured. It comes from within, and it can take many forms. At the heart of passion, you need to possess an unquenchable commitment and love for the work, from the people to the product to the problem. Passion takes time. Don’t rush it. Even to this day, I don’t necessarily feel passionate about umbrellas themselves, but instead, I do feel passionately about helping people by using umbrellas to solve a problem that we all experience across the globe. That’s what energizes me every day.

Stamina:
If I knew then what I know now, I might never have done it. But that’s the beauty of stamina. It’s not something you can sign up for. It just happens, and it’s the only way to move from surviving something to thriving at it. I could have never dreamed how much work it would take to make a deal on Shark Tank, and my life definitely didn’t change overnight. It was an important and successful milestone, but it was also just the beginning, and it unlocked a slew of new challenges. I’ve learned that how you respond to failure is a measure of your stamina, and for me, I need to work every day to build that muscle memory.

Teamwork:
The most rewarding part of this journey undoubtedly has been assembling a team and working together to accomplish a unified goal. I’m so early in my career that I have a lot to learn, so I rely heavily on the expertise of others. I am so grateful to have my father guiding me every step of the way, and in turn, it’s given me the confidence to reach out to titans in the industry, like Jeff Blauer, CEO of ShedRain, the global leader in umbrellas, or regularly seek mentorship from world-class entrepreneurs like Robert Herjavec of Shark Tank. All three of these leaders have an extraordinarily inspiring work ethic and it’s a gift to partner with them every day.

Bonus: Luck!
By embodying these three qualities, you improve your chances of success. Perhaps that’s what people mean when they say, “You make your own luck.”

How would you describe your ideal client?

The Duo stands for quality, innovativeness, and community, so when we’re looking for our next customer or partner, we seek out retailers and brands that align with these beliefs.

Our first collaboration was with “The Henry Ford” and “The Invention Convention” in mid-2024. Working closely with them, we created custom-branded Duo umbrellas as gifts to hundreds of international finalists of the 2024 Invention Convention Americas. We also worked with “The Henry Ford” to make umbrellas available for sale in the museum store. It was a perfect fit, and we are privileged to work with them. “The Henry Ford” and “The Invention Convention” embody creativity by bringing students together to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs and critical thinkers.

Your logo would look fantastic on a custom Duo umbrella. Whether it’s with your customers or your employees, if you are a company that wants to unite people together, two at a time, under a single brim, we’d love to work with you.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Alex Wellen, SHED RAIN

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