Nate Lawrie…Unknowns
The hardest part of being an entrepreneur is the unknowns. And the unknowns are many: production capacity, quality, what the competition is doing, product/market fit, capital, when and how much to pay yourself, will paying yourself hinder growth, marketing strategy, etc. Each unknown comes with really hard decisions and there are a million tradeoffs you have to make along the way. For a bootstrapped, organically growing company, like we are, each decision is even more critical.
Focus
One of the hardest things for me personally, is deciding what ideas to focus on. We are constantly working to innovate new products and improve on our current products. And without the budget of a large corporation, a lot of times you have to make decisions by going with your gut. It’s hard and it’s scary. But it is also the ultimate reward when you get it right. I feel lucky that every day I get to create. And I get to learn and grow with each hard decision. -Nate Lawrie, Founder of Brazyn Life, LLC
Questions
The preceeding two paragraphs were the written response by Nate Lawrie to the question “What has been the hardest part of this journey, been most stressful…”. I’ve started asking this question of inventors we’ve interview to build a Facebook post to help promote their podcast episodes. I like Nate’s response so well that we’ve began the show notes from Episode 74…Nate Lawrie and the Morph Collapsible Foam Roller with it.
Ok…so the last description may sound odd to those who haven’t watched season 9, episode 6 of Shark Tank. Nate had the sharks fighting over who would partner with him, ultimately agreeing to with Sara Blakely and Lori Greiner.
Brazyn Life
(from https://brazynlife.com/ ) Nate Lawrie writes…
BRAZYN LIFE is inspired by my lifelong dedication to one word – mobility. Mobility is a multi-faceted word. On the physiological level, mobility is crucial to living a healthy, active life. On a metaphysical level, it means flowing, freely, from place to place. As an athlete, I constantly sought to increase my physical mobility. As someone who is passionate about learning, I prized mobility as a means to experience the great variety of life that this world can offer. Brazyn Life was born out of my passion for both. In 2004, I was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I was an All-American Tight End at Yale, and I fully expected to continue winning honors as I entered my pro career. Unfortunately, the game of football is a game of unknowns. During my 3rd year in the NFL, when I was playing for the Saints, I suffered a season ending back injury. The years of pounding I put on my body led to a debilitating herniation in two of my lumbar discs. I remember sleeping on our living room floor, because it was the only surface hard enough, then getting up, scarfing painkillers, and going into practice. I wasn’t going to let pain get in the way of my dreams. I’d go into the training room, lie to the coaches and trainers that my back was feeling better, and go out and grit through practices and games. It wasn’t sustainable. Click here to read more.
Brazyn Morph Foam Roller
Foam rollers are bulky and annoying to carry around. I wanted something that I could take with me; whether it was to an away-game, the gym, or when I was traveling around the globe with my wife in the offseason. The idea for The Morph was born and I set out to create the worlds best foam roller. It is my goal to make The Morph the most relied on self-maintenance tool for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and mobility seekers. At Brazyn Life, we’re impassioned to help people accomplish their fitness goals through innovative, high-quality, and convenient products. Our first product, The Morph emphatically meets all three criteria – it’s a true foam roller (like any you’ve seen at the gym), but when you’re not using it, it takes up a fraction of the space.
Coming Soon…Episode 74 of the Invention Stories Podcast
Brilliant…Successful…Works Smart… There is so much more to Nate Lawrie than can be shared on a forty minute podcast, but it’s a great place to start. So we invite you to listen to our interview with Nate Lawrie, Inventor of the Morph Collapsible Foam Roller on Episode 74 of the Invention Stories Podcast… coming soon on Invention Stories on YouTube
Nate Lawrie Current Occupation
(From Linkedin profile)
Brazyn Life, LLC
Founder
2015 – Present
Brazyn Life is a performance lifestyle brand centered around providing the “athlete-on-the-go” withthe tools they need to stay in peak physical condition. Introducing THE MORPH foam roller in mid-2015 as it’s launch product. The most portable/storable foam roller in the world, THE MORPHprovides the usability and functionality of a standard size foam roller with groundbreaking Collapsible Core Technology (CCT).The MORPH
Connecticut Greenstar
Director of Business Development & Marketing
Jan 2010 – Present
CTDoor Hardware Company focused on designing and developing new & innovative storm door hardware. Over 9 million sold of initial product, the Touch ‘n Hold Door Closer.
-As Director of Business:
Handle day-to-day business operations which include managing customer relationships, distribution chains, sales initiatives, negotiations, employee management, and strategic development; maintaining company books and financials; coordinating import/export activities; and working closely with international suppliers.
-As Director of Marketing:
Led an initiative to re-brand Greenstar by designing and updating website, logo, packaging, and marketing tools. Reconfigured eCommerce platform to capitalize on consumer trends and have realized substantial growth in online sales (currently the #1 selling storm door closer on Amazon.com). Leading several initiatives to increase market visibility through web, print, and broadcast media. Wrote and produced a product infomercial. www.touchnhold.com
-As Director of Marketing: Led an initiative to re-brand Greenstar by designing and updating website, logo, packaging, and marketing tools. Reconfigured eCommerce platform to capitalize on consumer trends and have realized substantial growth in online sales (currently the #1 selling storm door closer on Amazon.com). Leading several initiatives to increase market visibility through web, print, and broadcast media. Wrote and produced a product infomercial. www.touchnhold.com
Additional Nate Lawrie Links
Nate Lawrie – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nate_Lawrie
Nathan Earl “Nate” Lawrie (born October 7, 1981) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the …NFL Draft: 2004 / Round: 6 / Pick: 181College: YalePosition: Tight endEarly years · Professional career · First stint with Bengals
Nate Lawrie, TE at NFL.com
www.nfl.com/player/natelawrie/2506095/profile
Nate Lawrie. #89 -. TE. HT: WT: 6′ 6″. 255. AGE: DOB: 37. 10/ 7/ 81. EXPERIENCE: 5 Seasons. COLLEGE: Yale. STATS OVERVIEW, CAREER STATS, GAME …
Nate Lawrie: Career Stats at NFL.com
www.nfl.com/player/natelawrie/2506095/careerstats
Nate Lawrie. Height: 6-6 Weight: 255 Age: 37. Born: 10/7/1981 Indianapolis , IN. College: Yale. Experience: 7 Seasons. REC. 4. YDS. 43. AVG. 10.8. TDS. 0.
Nate Lawrie Stats | Pro-Football-Reference.com
https://www.pro-football-reference.com › Players › L
Nate Lawrie: Pos: TE, Career: 26 G, Bengals/Buccaneers/.. 2004-2008, born IN 1981.
Nate Lawrie – Founder, CEO – Brazyn Life, LLC | LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelawrie
Nate Lawrie – San Francisco 49ers – 2019 Player Profile – Rotoworld.com
www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/2878/nate-lawrie
Nate Lawrie 2019 player profile, game log, season stats, career stats, recent news If you play fantasy sports, get breaking news and immerse yourself in the …Team: San Francisco 49ers
Who are we? – Brazyn Life
https://brazynlife.com/pages/about-us
Nate Lawrie – Inventor / Founder. Graduated from Yale in 2004, Played 8 years Professional Football, 3.5 years as Director of Business Development …
Nate Lawrie – Yale
www.yalebulldogs.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/lawrie_nate00.html
Notes: Great athlete for his size … Second team All-Ivy last fall … A “go-to-guy” in the Yale offense … Thrower on the Yale track and field squad who pulled rare …
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