Business Is a Wave, Not a Roller Coaster

Everyone describes entrepreneurship like a roller coaster. The highs, the lows, the twists, the stomach drops.

I get why people use that metaphor. But I don't think it's right. At least not for me.

I think building a business is more like surfing a wave.

A roller coaster is something that happens to you. You strap in, you hold on, and you ride it out. You have zero control. The track was laid before you got on.

A wave is different. A wave requires you to read the water. To position yourself. To balance. To adjust in real time. Sometimes you ride it beautifully. Sometimes you wipe out completely. But you always paddle back out and try again.

Over 32 years of running Ocaquatics, I've wiped out plenty of times. In the early days I had $60,000 in credit card debt. I once put payroll on a credit card to make sure my team got paid on time. I had a contractor fall from a height of 16 feet into an empty pool during construction and he had to be airlifted to the hospital. I navigated a pandemic that shut down our entire business overnight.

But every single time, I paddled back out.

The difference between a roller coaster and a wave is agency. On a roller coaster, you're a passenger. On a wave, you're making decisions every second. You're reading conditions. You're trusting your instincts. You're choosing to keep going.

That's what entrepreneurship actually feels like. Not a ride you're strapped into. A wave you choose to surf.

So if you're out there right now feeling like you're underwater, here's what I'll tell you: paddle back up. Read the wave. And keep surfing.

Just keep swimming, right?