We were lucky to catch up with Daniel Sedlak recently and have shared our conversation below.
Daniel , so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
I have always been a very optimistic person. I started my career as a professional athlete when I was 18 years old. Sports and entrepreneurship are very similar in the sense that you are always dealing with a lot of uncertainty around your future. I found that being open to change and being flexible in my approach helped me be more optimistic in my day to day life. I believe that my best days as an entrepreneur and as a person are ahead of me and that excites me a lot.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
The idea for “SOS” Sedlak Offroad School was developed over the past two decades. I started my professional motorcycle racing career at the age of 18 in Germany and shortly after jumped on a plane to Dubai to race in the Middle East. For 12 years I traveled around the world racing professionally in the Motocross World Championship, Supercross, Enduro and Desert events. In 2013 I wanted to do more than just race and formed Sedlak Offroad School. Riding and racing motorcycles took me around the world, eventually ending up in San Diego, CA. My passion for riding and the adventure of traveling and experiencing the world on two wheels is as strong as ever and I’m happy to share my passion with our clients every day, helping them to become better safer riders.
Over the past 5 years we’ve added more and. more programs to our offering. Our “Day in the Dirt” allows people to come out and experience riding dirt bikes for the first time and learn from one of our professional instructors. We provide everything from the motorcycle to all the safety gear. We also have our Enduro and Adventure Bike courses for existing riders that are looking to improve their skills and grow their confidence on two wheels. If you are interested in riding a motorcycle off road, we have a program for 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?
1. Resilience is one of the most important qualities when it comes to achieving success. It’s really easy to get started with the excitement and the thrill of something new but it’s the resilience to show up day after day, year after year when things are difficult and tough that lead to success down the road.
2. Keeping and open mind and being ok with changing your strategy along the way is really important. Most people spend too much time planning and analyzing. In my experience it’s best to get started right away, move as quick as possible and then make changes along the way if necesary. Keeping an open mind to new ideas or new ways of working helps a lot with that.
3. Communication is key. You have to be able to communicate with your target audience and your team and get everyone to see your vision for the project or company.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents gave me the time and space to figure life out myself. I wasn’t a great student because school bored me to death. When I was 18 I decided to move to the Middle East to pursue a career in motorsports. It would have been easy for my parents to try and force me to stay in school or to follow a more traditional path but they trusted me and let me make my own mistakes along the way which is the best way to learn. I’m grateful every day that they gave me the chance to find my passion.
Contact Info:
- Website: sedlakoffroadschool.com
- Instagram: @sedlakoffroadschool
- Facebook: @sedlakoffroadschool
- Linkedin: Daniel Sedlak
- Youtube: @sedlakoffroadschool
