Meet Tara Martucci and Jessica Winkler

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tara Martucci and Jessica Winkler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tara, Jessica, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

We moved to the small town of Navarre, Florida, where there isn’t much going on, and fishing is a big deal, especially around the Gulf. We developed a passion for fishing that fostered friendships among veterans and within the local community.

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

Jaylynn and I met in our community, where we became good friends. We realized that her sales potential, my computer skills, and our shared passion for fishing would make a great business combination. The business idea for Thick Rods was conceived during a gathering with friends at a local restaurant. We took advantage of low-budget resources, such as Fiverr, to help with the graphic design of our trademark sketch and website creation. Our trademark would soon be used for fishing merchandise, with a touch of humor. As we continue to progress, we are adding more innovative fishing products and accessories. We’ve started to branch out with different vendors in our local community, including fellow veterans.

Jaylynn and I are the owners of Thick Rods, where each of us is responsible for social media growth, marketing, designing new products, and organizing vendor events. We officially launched in August 2024, and we continue to drive sales and collaborate with local businesses around Northwest Florida’s Panhandle. The most exciting part is meeting new people along the way and knowing that this is our creation. Hearing positive feedback from people gives us the drive to keep going. It’s also surprising that two women own a business in the male-dominated world of fishing. The humorous aspect gives our fishing products a unique, clever edge in the sport. We have new ideas to improve our current selection and will continue to attend local vendor events. Follow Thick Rods on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for more updates and products.

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

The three most important skills that helped us get started are having a technical background in Computer Information Systems, strong interpersonal skills, and being fishing enthusiasts. You really need to enjoy what you do, and fishing has always been a passion of ours. Be confident, maintain a strong work ethic, follow your passions, and integrate your strongest skills into your business. Always keep up with social media, the latest business trends, and take advantage of any technical resources that can help your business grow.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

We are always looking for opportunities to expand our small business. We would love to integrate our logo into new products and sell them in outdoor stores and other locations. Check out our website www.thickrods.com or reach out to us on social media for collaborations or send us an email at [email protected].

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Cait Wanex

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