Rebel Friday featuring Ryan Pamplin, the CEO & co-founder of BlendJet.
On Oct 2, 2020The BlendJet portable blender is perfect for making smoothies and protein shakes at work or on-the-go. It crushes ice, recharges quickly via USB, comes in 14 colors, and even cleans itself! We're big fans and can't wait for you to meet Ryan. Check out our interview below:
GM: What norm is your business breaking?
RP: Even at the scale of over 1 million customers in 195 countries, we haven’t raised any capital, and continue to have full control of our business. A top-tier VC recently said to me, “No one ****ing bootstraps to this level anymore!” We know exactly what to do and build for the next decade to continue to innovate and redefine what a blender is.
GM: What's your WHY?
RP: I almost died in a freak accident - I had a terrible head injury, and ended up on medical leave for a year. When I got my health back, I was very motivated to find a way to help people live longer and healthier lives. Without that experience, there would be no BlendJet. My goal was to do something that benefits so many people that I could never regret what my wife and I went through.
GM: What's your favorite rule to break on the reg?
RP: Don’t work with your significant other or spouse. So many people advised me not to do it. When you run a startup, it consumes you, and usually your significant other has no idea what you’re going through, and can’t fully enjoy the highs with you, or help you through the lows. The bond we’ve formed by working together is incredible, and our experience solving problems together benefits us in all aspects of our lives. We eat, sleep and breath BlendJet, and we love being on this amazing journey together.
GM: What's a rule you've broken that you've never told anyone about?
RP: When hiring, give more credence to passion than experience. I’ve interviewed hundreds of candidates in my career, from entry level to C suite, and the people who exceed expectations are always very passionate and excited about the company, the future, and their role. Inevitably, everyone becomes experienced, but few become passionate.
GM: What's your advice for future rule-breakers?
RP: There are no rules. Go above and beyond for your team and your people, and pave your own way. The most successful ventures are ones that introduce and defend innovative concepts, that find strong product market fit, and scale quickly. Don’t go for a slice of pie, go for the whole pie!