What does it take to build a business in a hundred year old industry when you are young, bootstrapped, and going head to head with billion dollar giants?
In this episode of Forward to Extraordinary, part of the Strictly From Nowhere network, we sit down with Zechariah Thomas, founder and CEO of @SwiftHockey . A former pro hockey player from Oshawa, Ontario, Zechariah turned a problem he lived every season, sticks that cost a fortune and broke constantly, into a mission driven company built to make the sport more accessible and affordable.
We get into his zero to market story, why content volume became his single greatest competitive weapon, and how he survives a business that operates week to week with bills stacked on bills. Zechariah shares hard won lessons on financial literacy, building a team rather than a family, and why he believes entrepreneurship is not for everyone. It is an honest, unfiltered look at the grit behind the accolades.
What we cover:
- The zero to market story behind Swift Hockey
- Why content and distribution beat venture capital
- Treating your company like a team, not a family
- Embracing pressure as a tool for growth
- Why financial literacy is the skill founders wish they had sooner
- Going up against hundred year old giants as a young founder
- The daily calculated gamble of running a business
If you are building something against the odds, this conversation is for you.
https://swifthockey.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zechariah-thomas
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