Sometimes the world of business can be like shark infested waters. It can be highly competitive with fierce ambition of budding entrepreneurs seeking success. Our newest Business Leader has proven that with hard work, unrelenting tenacity, and faith in ones product, one really can re-invent the wheel. Meet Zack Fleishman, the successful entrepreneur who is COO of Shark Wheel, the latest innovation in wheel technology that has changed the way we will roll forever. Let’s learn more about this breakthrough invention and the hot shot executive behind it.
Beverly Hills Magazine: What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?
Zack Fleishman: An entrepreneur means to create a business by following your passion, taking risks, and controlling your destiny. It typically means you are willing to learn many jobs and to take on the work of 5 people.
Beverly Hills Magazine: How did you start your business or come up with your product idea?
Zack Fleishman: I met David Patrick, who made a major scientific discovery. I didn’t know at the time there was a business hidden in the discovery. But, once I saw the idea for a product I jumped on the idea and accelerated the patent and Kickstarter campaign processes. A successful Kickstarter campaign that made almost 800% of its goal got the company off the ground. The discovery is based on nature. David realized that nature prefers sine wave motions and there are inherent advantages in the design. Nearly everything moves in a sine wave path including the shape of radio waves, how fish swim, how planets move around the sun, how humans walk with an alternating gait, and the shape of shark jaws.
Beverly Hills Magazine: What is the most challenging thing about being an entrepreneur?
Zack Fleishman: Trying to become a jack of all trades. Starting out, it is impossible to form a proper team so you must attempt to become an expert in patents, licensing, corporate structure, advertising, shipping, manufacturing, branding and the many other facets of small business.
Beverly Hills Magazine: The most rewarding?
Zack Fleishman: Seeing the hard work take shape. Seeing the sacrifices begin to pay off. Simply to see an idea turn into a product that people want and love is extremely rewarding.
Beverly Hills Magazine: What is your business mission?
Zack Fleishman: To create the most innovative and technologically advanced wheels in each marketplace. We want to give consumers an option for the first time in their wheels. Now they can choose between sine wave or circular.
Beverly Hills Magazine: What have been major obstacles/stepping stones that you overcame to achieve your success?
Zack Fleishman: It was one thing to reinvent the wheel and another to reinvent the mold. Once we had this amazing wheel, it took us 7 months to figure out how to mass produce it. Getting a complex shape to the same cost and manufacturing time lines as everyone else was a huge undertaking and something that was never guaranteed to happen.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Who or what have been your inspirations?
Zack Fleishman: Being a part of something that was never even thought possible. It was always assumed you could never reinvent the wheel, let alone create a better one.
Beverly Hills Magazine: What are your current goals for your business?
Zack Fleishman: Our current goals are to enter 4 markets per year. Shark Wheel has a goal to reach $10,000,000 per year in revenue within 3-5 years.
Beverly Hills Magazine: What makes your business different from others of its kind?
Zack Fleishman: We are the definition of different. What was the same design for over 5,000 years has changed for the first time.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Where do you see your business development/growth within the next 5 years?
Zack Fleishman: Shark Wheel wants to enter markets where we have a true performance advantage. Within three years, Shark Wheel plans to be on pallet jacks, forklifts, luggage, farming wheels, hospital beds, ambulance stretchers, casters, wheelchairs and much more. We want the Shark Wheel to become a household name.
Zack Fleishman: As a former pro tennis player, it has always been a challenge to balance my professional and personal life. Training to be a pro tennis player included many sacrifices. I missed my senior prom, was training when my friends were partying, and made a life decision to play tennis every single day when I was 12 years old. Now, I drive from Los Angeles to Orange County everyday to work. I work long hours and still teach tennis lessons at night. So, with my first child on the way with my wife, I have my hands full between my personal and professional life.
Beverly Hills Magazine: If you had to give a piece of advice to aspiring entrepreneurs out there, what would it be?
Zack Fleishman: Form a team. It is nearly impossible to do it yourself. Be realistic if it is an idea or a true business. I think platforms like Kickstarter will tell you if your idea is worth jumping the ship into full entrepreneur status.
Beverly Hills Magazine: What is “success” to you? DEFINE success.
Zack Fleishman: I think it is different for everyone. Setting an end goal and reaching it would be true success in a business sense. But, there can be many small successes along the way. Having a successful Kickstarter campaign was Shark Wheel’s first success. Getting on the Discovery Channel and Shark Wheel were subsequent successes. Doing two FedEx online commercials was another amazing success.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Have you discovered a personal purpose in what you do?
Zack Fleishman: Yes. Business is my new sport. I am very competitive and must master my new sport. I feel the need to move quickly and efficiently. It has given me a completely new business purpose when my former career ended because of a major injury.
There you have it; the re-invention of the wheel has come and is well on its way to taking over the world. Shark Wheel is the new best thing in wheel technology. With the endorsement of 3 executives on Shark Tank we are certain that the world is forever changed by this out-of-the-box invention and we will never ride, drive, or stroll like we have before. Now that the wheel has been re-invented, we know for sure, that nothing is impossible.
