June 19, 2025 • 34 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's that time time, time, Luck and load.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
The Michael Varry Show is on the air.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
So you ever notice how.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Something comes to your attention and you know that isn't
the first time you've seen it. You realize, I've seen
that a bunch of times, but you don't know how
long you've been seeing it.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
So I think the first.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Time I noticed it was a buddy of mine named
Mike Claypool brought his speaker over and we were playing
pickleball and he puts his speaker next to the.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Court.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
But he has horrible tastes in music, so I really
just wanted to turn it off. And it made me
stare at the speaker because I was trying to figure
out if I was gonna say something about it or not.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
And it was Turtlebox.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
And then I go into Republic Boot Company and there
they sell Turtlebox, and they're not like, they're not in
the speaker business.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
They're in the custom boot business and leather goods.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
And I just started noticing everywhere that it's sort of like,
how YETI came out of nowhere and then it was
everywhere that was Turtlebox. Well, I had no idea it
was a Houston company, So I just kind of started spotting.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
It here and there again and again and again.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
So last night on Facebook, I said, Hey, does anybody
know the Turtlebox boys because I went on their website.
It's for dudes, and they created this business, and I
am I am intrigued by the fact that an independent
business in a field like this is a very hard
(02:13):
thing to do because you've got the massive Japanese, American, German,
South Korean companies that can throw any amount of money
at mass production on something like this. So you've got
to be pretty darn good and bring your manufacturing process
down in order to create a product that people are
going to buy. So anyway, Will Bradley is I guess
(02:36):
the driving force I'm told behind Turtlebox.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Welcome to the program, Will.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Hey, great to be on you a life maker. That
is my partner, Jonathan.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
And what is Jonathan's last name?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Mackenzie.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Okay, his dad is Tim McKenzie at Second Baptist.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, that's it, that's it, Okay, Okay.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
So I got a message from my friend Cody Johnson
and not the Cody Johnson, the singer, and not the
Cody Johnson garage door doctor Biz, the least interesting. Cody
Johnson of the group. He's the one who's supposed to
put me with Frank Beard, but he hasn't made it happen.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
And he said, dude, you don't remember the turtle Box
guy coming to your house.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
He says, A long time ago. I met him there.
He made knives. It was probably three to four years ago.
He made you a knife that slid into the like
the butcher block, but it was it was a chunk
of wood from a tree, and he hollowed out a
piece so that the knife stuck down into there.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
He made you a custom knife out of that.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
He also made knives, and it was called McKinley Knife Company.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
If I remember correctly that Oh, he says, McKenzie.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Yeah, mackenzie Yeah, made of amazing knives. I've still got
a bunch of him. I wish he still made him
because he was very good at it.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
And he said, you got aggravated with him because he
was being all secretive about the finances, because I like
to ask people questions about the finances. But he was
with Turtlebox, and we were fascinated by Turtlebox and we
were asking questions. I had forgotten that. Wow, that's uh,
that's an interesting thing. So will tell me about these
four guys that are.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
On the photo.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
I'm looking at the about us section of Turtleboxaudio dot com.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Yeah, which one you are, Houston guys, I'm the far left.
If you're looking at that picture, the good looking one
on the far left.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Dude, you got a big old smile, like if you
were missing.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
One friends right there we were hunting. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
The one on the far right, it's not even smiling.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Uh, He's just he was serious to have smile O
collect the white earth of the group, you know, full
smile for him. All right, go ahead. Reagan on the
far right, and Jonathan you've met. I guess he's in
the next to Reagan. And all three of us were
Second Baptist High school, different grades, Houston guys. And then Jeff,
(05:04):
the one with the big beard. He is a Dallas guy,
but he's been in Houston for twenty years. We converted
him now, so he's on the.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Good one year. Did you come out of Second Baptist?
Speaker 1 (05:15):
I graduated in ninety nine, Reagan was ninety seven and
Jonathan was four.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
So Jonathan's a lot younger than y'all.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, he's four or five years younger than me. He's
the youngest. I'm in the middle of Jeff's the oldest
and the wisest, and Reagan's two years ahead of me.
Did you just wake up? No, I've been up for
a little while. Yeah, that would so hear me. Okay,
I can hear you. Great.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Uh, you just sound hungover or groggy. So tell me
what you did after graduation in ninety nine.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I'll take it off speaking from damn it ramon.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Tell me what you did after graduation in ninety nine.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Yeah, I went to Ole Miss and studied real estate
and finance. Came back and got into the real estate business.
Took a sales job with New Regional Planning. Here in
Houston is Blake Blake Tart. Yeah, Blake Tart gave me
a shopping center and a phone book, said go lease it,
and I did, and it was a great It was
(06:24):
like getting a masterclass in which was the shopping center business.
That was a funny story. He goes, well, you know,
how well do you know Houston? I know it like
the back of my hand. He goes, a great, Well,
I'm gonna give you the shopping center at Fuqua and
Saber I was like, what the heck is a fu
que in a Sabo? Never been down there? You know.
It was forty five South and I was an older center,
(06:45):
and turns out I didn't know Houston, and this was
a great way to learn every milking craney of Houston,
which I did. Spent fifteen years in real estate, and
about halfway through it was the kind of eight nine crash,
a real estate crash, and it was a brutal time
kind of for all of us. So me and Reagan
(07:07):
were real estate guys. Jeff and John we're in the
oil and gas business, and you know, that was just
a bad time for everybody in Houston, and so we
were pretty much all broke except for Jeff, and we
moved into a house together on Buffalo by You and
that really cemented our friendship and really is the beginning
(07:27):
of turtle Box. Jonathan Yup was making started making knives
in the garage. We were all tinkering with different stuff.
We had canoes and Buffalo and Buffalo by You would
ride them to downtown. We bought a sailboat in Galveston Bay,
cut it down in Keema, so spent a lot of
time on the water and turtle Box was kind of
born out of that. We were all very resourceful dudes
(07:50):
and just kind of figured it out.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
So two of you were still in real estate and
two of you were still in oil and gas during
this period of time.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Yeah, we all had full time jobs, and so this
was like you come home after you're nine to five
and you'd work on speakers or whatever, and we, you know,
stay up till midnight or two in the morning, and
then go do it again.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
All right, Hold on just a moment.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
The website is turtleboxaudio dot com.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
The bacon that I get from the show that I
don't seem to get from other places.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
The Michael Barry Show show.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
More How weird is it? Maybe I shouldn't be making
fun of Joe Biden. Cody Johnson reminded me this dude
hung out of my house for hours. We had drinks,
My wife made a cheese plate. He made me a
custom knife in this like a big old like a
(08:48):
sequoia piece of wood, and the knife slides down and
I remember it all now vividly. I'd completely forgotten he
was there because I found out he made custom knife
out of this wood, and I had emailed him and
invited him over, and invited Cody over, and we spent
the whole afternoon talking about the knives, and he made
me a knife. And oh, by the way, he was
(09:10):
involved in turtle Box, and of course I asked him
a bunch of questions and I didn't even remember that
whole thing. And then I go looking for the owners
and one of the owners has been in my house.
That's maybe I shouldn't make fun of Joe Biden after all.
And I'm a lot younger than Joe Biden. I'm only
fifty four. Will Bradley is our guest. He's on his
(09:30):
coffee now, he's got a little more pep in his step.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I like that. Let's go. You ready, Well, we need
to get Jonathan on. Yeah, I'm ready.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
The shirt Jonathan is wearing his skin flesh toned, and
it looks like he's not wearing his shirt, which is
a little odd. And your shirt on that, yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Well, Jonathan had almost just died. It was one hundred
degrees out. He was wearing this long sleeved shirt, which
is bad, sweating profusely, and he literally almost had a
heat stroke. We'd just dumped a bunch of water on
his head. And then there's probably like ten minutes after
he recovered and we took that picture.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
I will tell you the honestly, when I went to
look y'all up and figure out who the hell you were,
the idea of four dudes and a friendship and doing
this together, uh, that was the real appeal, Not the speakers.
I thought, this is a cool story. I want to
I want to know what's behind it. So all right,
so about you said you said, you said the speaker.
(10:34):
The conception of the speaker is I used to, by
the way, I used to kayak down the by you
as well. I would start I would start out at six'
ten AND i even went as far as Belt way.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Eight that was a bad. IDEA i was exhausted by
the end of.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
It but my, kids my kids were so over, it
AND i would make them come with. Me and if
they didn't want to, paddle that was. Fine you, know
kayak is not the easiest thing to Get, NO i wasn't.
KY i was a canoe Because i'd have my kids
and and that's a that's a bear to get down there.
From SO i don't Have i've got noodles for. ARMS
i have no upper body. Strength so for me to
(11:08):
get down there and keep that canoe straight enough to
get to uh spaghetti, warehouse which is where Where allen's
landing where we would pull. Out it was work. Anyway
so tell me, How tell me how the speaker came.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
About, Yeah, uh the first one was never meant to
be a. Business LIKE i, said we were all. Resourceful
jonathan's working on, Knives jeff was working on some. KOOZY
i was ordering some parts On Ali baba and. Stuff and,
uh the speaker was just the result of us doing
life outside and canoeing the bayou and having a sailboat
On Gallison. Bay we needed something that was loud and
(11:45):
waterproof and not only waterproof and need to be marine
grade and saltproof and and. Uh so the first one
was not a. Business it was just something tinkering in our.
Garage and we came up with a speaker and we
used it for about a year and people wanted to buy,
it and eventually that turned into a. Business we, decided,
hey let's go into business, together and decided that was
(12:07):
a good. Idea we had no idea how hard it
was going to be or what we were getting into
this was twelve years ago or thirteen years, ago and
we started making our garage for a, year started buying
all kind of parts and testing out. Speakers it was
like getting our masters in the speaker. Business and you,
know none of us were audio. Engineers we were real
estate and oil and gas. Guys and we started building
(12:28):
them and we built and sold fifty On, CHRISTMAS i
think it Was christmas of twenty thirteen, approximately and one
of our only, investor a guy Named, prank super wonderful,
man bought one of the first. Fifty and after that first,
fifty we, said all, right there's a real market. Here
we got to figure out how to raise some money
and go get, this figure out the mass manufacturing. Game
(12:49):
this isn't going to work making in our, garage and
so it took us about four. Years it led us To.
Frank we asked for some money upfront to help get it,
tooled and we asked for our hundred and forty five thousand,
dollars which at the time seemed like a lot of. Money,
sure AND i THINK i think he kind of laughed
inside and, said, yeah IT'S i think it's probably gonna
cost you a little more than, That but, Yes i'll do.
(13:11):
It and he's been a wonderful, partner and we have
asked for more as we've, grown but it's been a very,
lean well run oiled. Machine but, yeah your comment that
seemed like we came out of nowhere IS i hear
that all the. TIME i tell people it's like an.
Iceberg you you see the tip of the. Iceberg you
don't see the ten years of hard work before, that you,
(13:33):
know grind it at night in the garage and all the,
hard hard work before you, know we became a profitable.
COMPANY i think we didn't pay ourselves for ten. YEARS i,
mean it was this hard, work a lot of hard.
Work and, anyway it's been wonderful to do it with
your best. Friends and we're all still, friends our wives are,
(13:55):
friends our kids are all about the same, age and
it's it's it's been a fun, journey for, Sure but.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Along kind of reminds me of the is it hey?
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Dude?
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Uh the guys that we beat him and and they
have built a billion dollar enterprisecute perfect, dude perfect?
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Perfect. Yeah, Yeah and it reminds me of those.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Times, Yeah and and they you, know by the time
anybody discovers them they're, like, well they have a, great great.
Life they just go out and and do crazy stuff
and throw basketballs off, of you, know high rises Into
but you don't realize that that one of them didn't
go get a. Job he kept the business going and
they're struggling and scratching and their girlfriends are going grow.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Up, guy what are you?
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Do you, know we're we got a family, now and
and yet when you do something together like, that it's
it makes it more. SPECIAL i think that's really. Cool
take me back to y'all. Tinkering, okay one of you had,
knives that one of you had.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
This what was that was?
Speaker 3 (14:55):
That were y'all searching for a way that we can
do a business? Together tell me what was on at that?
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Point what did y'all think was going on at that?
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Time, yeah, well let's just start with our. Ages we
were late, twenties early, thirties single, broke coming off of
the two thousand and nine, crash AND i mean in
that time of your, Life, yeah you're kind of searching
for meaning and purpose and still learning and very, resourceful
(15:23):
and so tinkering was just kind of part of. Life,
jonathan more than anybody probably wanted to do something in the,
business you, know like starting business. Together we were chomping
at the bit and we were kicking around. Ideas we
actually talked about. Buying. UH i was in real, estate
LIKE i, SAID i was leasing an Old fuddruckers In
galison used to be a. Brewery and we were brewing
(15:44):
beer at the same time, too so we were like they
we sued to start a brewery and by where you
were this old building In, Galveston so we were brewing
our own beer. Also so just a lot going. On
that was just kind of the nature of who we
were back.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Then all, right hold on just a. Moment Will Bradley
turtleboxaudio Dot.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Com this is The Michael Barry. Show will have big.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
FUN i don't know If Hank senior is the first
or only guy to put per rogue in a, song
but he's certainly the best at. It and that's probably
the first reference in SONG i ever heard to a per.
Rogue now you end up In johnson's BY U louisiana
and you will hear frequent Reference. Ramod do you know
(16:34):
we have a new show sponsor From JOHNSON'S Byu. Louisiana Dale,
morris the tax remover. Guys the utility tax remover guy
used to be AN rcc.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Member now he's lived here for twenty five.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Years comes striding up to me at THE rcc one
night and, said you spent a lot of time as
a kid In johnson's by You AND i, thought, oh,
lord DID i date his? Sister BECAUSE i had a
couple girlfriends From Johnson's value WHEN i was. Young AND i,
said AM i in? Trouble and he, said, NO i
just know that a lot of PEOPLE i know knew
you that y'all used to come Down my next door,
(17:10):
neighbor who was like my big, brother was From Johnson,
Bady so we used to go down there a, lot and, uh,
anyway so we got to be kind of. Friendly and
then he's built this company up and he reached.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Out and he, goes you'll remember. Me, NO i don't remember.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
You i'm the one From. Johnson oh, yeah, YEAH i remember.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
You.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Anyway Will bradley as our guest With turtleboxaudio Dot. Com
so we'll when y'all start, tinkering are y'all the finances
of how you? You you, know bubblegum and duct tape
and W d forty something. Together are y'all all four
still working while you're you're you're making this.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Happen oh, yeah one hundred. Percent so y'all are still
making a page. Jobs, okay we're still making a paycheck
for a long. TIME i mean it's probably six years
of a full time job Until turtlebock could eventually start
paying us a little bit of a.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Salary and is that what y'all do? Now is that
how you make a? Salary?
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Now? Yes in about twenty twenty is when kind of DURING,
covid we started jumping ship And jonathan And jeff went.
First they had more they. Did they had big boy
corporate well and gas. Jobs they couldn't even check a
turtlebox email during the. Day reag AND i worked for
ourselves in real estate and so we had a little
(18:29):
bit more freedom and we jumped on, later but we
could kind of do. Both but those those guys really
has quit their job one, day and that happened DURING.
Covid all happened during twenty.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Twenty so are all four of you full time involved
in this business right?
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Now we? Are?
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Yeah and do y'all do y'all go to an? Office
we Are.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
We're on the west side of town Of, houston just
outside Belt wagh eight nine ten where and a little
a little warehouse were right across FROM U haul On White.
Cliff it's a flex warehouse, building been here since twenty.
Twenty we moved in In may of twenty twenty with
fifteen hundred square feet and we've growned about half the
(19:12):
building now we're in about sixteen five hundred.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Feet, now you, Know i've watched concepts like this grow
built out of. FRIENDSHIP i think he's the coolest thing.
EVER i spoke for The arctic guys that were out
off to. Nine it was twins and WHEN i started with,
them they were pretty. Small but they figured out that
if you could make a product similar To yetti at
(19:38):
a much lower price, point then you do it with.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Volume and, THEY i don't know if you know their.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Story they came out of the packaging and mail, business
and so they went looking for a product that they
felt had a high price point that they could replicate
to some extent and make the money on the. Packaging
and they Made they sold. It they made a fortune
on that. Business the, uh the guys out OF a
AND m is a little different than y'all's but but
(20:03):
has a lot of. Similarities so when so when you
started the, speakers what did you think that speakers lacked
that y'all were going to?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Solve? What what was the? Challenge what was the? Solution,
YEAH i think one of the reasons that were, ONE
i think we had a lot of favorite From god
because we could have done this one hundred different times
and it would have. Failed So i'll start with. That
the second is we didn't start as a. Business it
started because we needed something that didn't. EXIST i had
(20:35):
broken a couple of both speakers back in the day
and there were two hundred bucks of pops OR i
shouldn't said the, name but it. Was they didn't make
an outdoor, speaker is my. Point and, uh and they
just broke in normal wear and tear. Outside didn't drop
them in the water or. Anything AND i was, like,
man there's got to be something. Better and you, know
the four of us figured it, out and, uh it
(20:56):
was for, us it wasn't meant to be a. Business
and then it turns out other people like us had
the same, problem liked music outdoors and most of the you,
know this is twelve thirteen years, ago so there weren't
as many portable speakers back, then and certainly no them were.
Waterproof but we built a speaker for the outdoorsman that
did not exist back. Then and turns out that other
(21:16):
people like us people and start buying, it and so you,
know there was a, knit there was a niche there
that just just kind of we fell into out of
out of. Necessity it wasn't started as a.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Business And i'm sure you've heard this kind of story.
Before but my Friend Kenny, allen who is certifiably, crazy,
says where is? IT i can't find the email that they,
shoot but they they string together a couple of them
and they put rabbit disgressed distress calls to get coyotes
(21:51):
and bobcasts to come, out and then they pop.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Them, yeah but he, said IT'S i do that.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Too it's so. Fun it's so. Fun it's. Great it's
great for. It. YEAH i, mean you can be listening
to your music and your players and then you, know
pop it out, there put a game call app on.
There there's a bunch of them predator call apps and
red light. Them it's it's it's super fun and it.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Works my FRIEND Jd, pettigo who's a show sponsor he
Owns velocity business, products Says, ZAR i love.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
THEM i have two of them.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Myself they are twice as expensive as anything, else but
we are willing to pay that premium for a premium.
Product they are well worth. IT a lot of folks
make the comment that you're hiring a cats. ASK i
don't see anything wrong with a high price for a
top quality.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Product.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Right if you don't want that quality, product you can't afford,
it you go BUY jbl or something else like.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
That but your pricing is.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Aggressive your argument would be better, product better, manufacturing better.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Story, YEAH i mean we built. So one of our
business principles when we started in our garage was. Best
if we're gonna do this, thing we want to the
best portable outdoor speaker in the. Market and to us
that meant two. Things one was. Loud you got to
hear it outdoors because the sound gets just lost, Outdoors
so it's got to be. Loud so that was, one
(23:10):
and then two was it's got to be. Rugged and
that's really where most of the costs comes in is
we've got all it's the only marine grade portable speaker out. There,
Still AND i mean there's other waterproof, stuff but marine
grade means, saltproof fog. Proof all of our hardware is
three sixteen stainless our tweeters, titanium so it's it's premium.
(23:33):
Materials it is a lot more expensive to.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Make why didn't anybody under that business? Will were the
materials too? DIFFICULT i mean because you said you're not an,
engineer you're not the smartest guy at building, stuff or
maybe you. ARE i, mean tell me why nobody got
into that. Business did they not see a market for?
Speaker 1 (23:50):
THAT i don't think they saw a market for. It
and they're probably not outdoor. Guys we knew what we
like to. Do we're hunt and fish and canoe the
bayou and sail the bay AND i don't think any
of the big boys are out doing those. Things and
back then was very. Interesting the portable products that were
out there were all really built for the, indoors and, like,
(24:10):
well why are people building portable products for the indoors
when you're around the plug all the, Time like and
so we put a huge battery in there still DUE
i tell, people we've got to, like well how long
does it? Last AND i SAY a three day. Weekend,
like my goal is if you take off the ranch
on A, friday you shouldn't have to charge that thing
until you get back On. Monday and so that's the
type of battery that we put in. There so, yeah
it's there's a lot more expensive to build, it but
(24:33):
you get what you pay. For it's it's gonna last.
You you, know your whole, outing your whole, adventure whatever
you're out.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Doing so you, know it's interesting because it's truly a lifestyle,
brand and it's it's the lifestyle. You it's such a great.
STORY i gotta be honest with. You turtleboxaudio Dot com working.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Out we're girling to.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
BOARD i, like like The Berry. SHOW i feel so.
BAD i got An.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
I'm so.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
LONESOME i knew this was.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
COMING i knew the MINUTE i read the borne on
the buy you.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
For Turtle, BOX i knew you were going.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
To try to figure out a worry to Put Linda
ronstad in.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
There you are so, predictable.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Y'all Remember Little henry last, Week Henry's Home, services the
little kid who for four years has been going out
and he'll do basically anything at your, house clean the trash,
cans mow your, lawn wash your, car wash your. Windows
little high school kid At Houston Christian, WELL i, said
let's build him a. Website and this Fella holiday At
(25:46):
Cursive media sent me an email SAID i got. THIS
i just got an email from the dad BECAUSE i
don't want anything done with kids through the. KID i
always wanted to go through the dad for obvious. Reasons
and he, Said, hey just want you to know your, Listener,
Uh holiday Is uh is taking care of the website
and it's almost. Done And henry asked me to tell
(26:07):
you that he had a great.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Week.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
Uh he, said he has a job every day this,
week which is a. First and he's been doing a
lot of.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Weeding, Oh, henry we got a we.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Got a narrow. Den what's? That? Yeah before it, well
that's true Before Dan patrick. Outlaws it is a very
very good.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Point you, know we used to have a show sponsor
more do you remember their, Name and it was kind
of a similar. Story they had a they had grown
up on The mexican. Border there's white, guys but they
had grown up on The mexican border and they had
a product.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
That was a cooking.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Product you you had, ONE i had, one and it
was like a what.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Fire?
Speaker 3 (26:50):
Disc, Yeah and it was like the uh it was
like the old box cutter on a on a tractor
and you use it to and and the problem was
that once everybody had a fire, disc they didn't need
anything else and they didn't have a secondary product lined.
Up but we sold a lot of fire. Discs that
was a cool concept AND i loved. It it was
(27:10):
a totally portable so you could take it out in the.
WOODS i like this lifestyle brand. THING i think this
is a good. Story Will.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Bradley, yes, Sir, hey Fire disc is coming out with.
It they came out with a small. ONE i don't
know if it's out yet, officially but they are coming
out with the new, ones so go check it. Out
they're good.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Guys they're great, dudes Local houston. Guys, yeah great. Guys
we spoke for them for several. Years we sold a
lot of fire. DISCS i say we a lot of our.
Listeners AND i know that because listeners would email and, go,
man you were, right this is. Great i've been you
know a lot of guys at camp go, out go
out hunting and do all. That by the, way my
(27:51):
Friend Jimmy. PAPPAS i say that with hesitation because he
has a terrible, RELATIONSHIP i, mean a terrible. Reputation he,
said he's. Grumpy he doesn't say anything nice about. Anybody,
everybody he runs down. Everybody but he says he's done
deals with, you and you are a great. Guy SO
i don't know what that.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
MEANS i Love, jimmy old real estate. Buddy jimmy is the,
man so you, said and he knows. Everybody you said
that you had of real. Estate well there you, go that's.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
True though his dad's in poor. Health so a prayer
For Spiro pappus. Everybody you, said you got to be
able to push volume. Out you got to push it
out because you're you're. Outdoors how did you achieve?
Speaker 1 (28:32):
That, YEAH i got a surprise for you. TOO i
Got jonathan, McKenzie the knife. Maker he should be joining
us on he's on, Yet But, Michael, Hello. Jonathan i'm
SORRY i didn't remember. You it's.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
OKAY i forgot about you.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Too my buddy better not be.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
True my, Buddy Cody johnson, SAID i got on your
last nerves with all my personal. Questions he, said you
did not appreciate, that not even a little.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Bit but that's just WHAT i, do not one, bit
not one.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Bit it's. Funny.
Speaker 5 (29:04):
Will it was text me AND i was, like oh, yeah, Man,
NO i was drinking you, know ranch waters or something
in your. Backyard you were picking lime trees off your
trees and uh, man that must.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Have been five years ago or. Something so main thanks
for having us.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
On, Man, jonathan you just brought up a very sore
subject in my house my thirty third wedding. Anniversary i'm
glad my wife is not able to hear, you because
you remember those delicious we. Had we had, satsumas we
had low, quats we had comb.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
Quats, yes we had great.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Limes and when when we lost all of them in the,
freeze she would make custom cocktails when everybody came. Over
and she has tried everything to put those do you
know in The state Of texas those, trees we had
trees that somebody had illegally brought Into uh the state Of.
Texas state Of texas will not allow you to bring
(29:54):
some of. Them we had all sorts of, exotics you,
remember and we made all those custom.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
Cocktails we lost every one of, them every one of.
Speaker 5 (30:00):
Them, Okay johnathan Holtim i'm a tree, ugger and that's,
yeah that hurts my.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Heart so, WELL i got to tell.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
You on y'all's, website you got a page that says Conservation,
partners AND i, thought you know, WHAT i hope these guys.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
Aren't going to be a bunch of left wing.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
Cooks every single organization on there Is Fantastic Coastal Conservation,
Association bonefish And Tarpin, Trust National Wild Turkey, Federation Mule Deer,
Federation Texas parks And, Wildlife buffalo By, You American Whitewater
captains For Clean Water Ducks, Unlimited Great, Organization Working Ranch Cowboys,
(30:36):
Association Junior, Rodeo Pleasant pheasant And Quail, Forever american Quarter Horse.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Association so at least.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Y'allin if you are left wing, nuts you kept out
out of.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
There the conservation.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Partner scared, me BUT i like, it, Okay BUT i
gotta know this.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Real how do you push the volume? Out how did
you achieve? That there is one, thing a little trade
secret we do nobody else does is we do our
curves outside next To Katie, freeway so everybody else. Doesn't,
well we started doing them in our backyards forever, ago
but everybod else does them in a quiet soundproof. Room
(31:11):
we do them outside with loud noise next To Katie
freeway about standing about thirty feet, back because that's how
we listened to, it and that's how our customers listened to,
it of. Course so that's that's one. Way and the
original idea kind of was from the wakeboard tower speakers
forever ago that throw sound like over an engine you
can hear it thirty yards back like that was kind
(31:32):
of what we set out to. Do and, UH i
think we've done it there Name. Bail so that's that
was the goal and we.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Accomplished did you have to bring in sound? Engineers did
you have to bring in outside?
Speaker 1 (31:42):
Expertise one hundred. Percent we try to hire the best
guys out. There we're not sound engineers by trade, obviously
LIKE i, said so we have hired, people people smarter than,
us and but surprisingly they still get it. Wrong and
that's why we still do sound tests ourselves like you
no go back fix, it and we still do them
(32:04):
outside here By Katie.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Freeway so, Well volume can share our.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Live free story with. You, yeah go, AHEAD i know
we're getting close to the. ENDS i wanted to share
our live free. Story is, so before we had a
business and a, product we had this thing called Live.
FREE i just see it on our website if you'll
go check it. Out i'll Let jonathan pipe in a
little a little bit too in the, story But i'll start.
IT i got back from this men's retreat up In.
(32:35):
Colorado it was a wild. HEART i don't know if
you've read that, Book, fuel and basically it was came
back pile on life and told all the guys like,
man we need to live. Free and we had this
sign on the back of our back door called lift,
free and kind of like a football. Player we were Second.
Baptist we had a sign you'd walk you'd walk out
and hit the sign before you. Go we had. That
(32:56):
when we were going to, work we put a sign
lift free on the back. Door we hit it before
we go to work and say live for you. Guys
and SO i don't, Know jolly will pick. Up, well
that's like the old play for, Sure, yeah, yeah go.
Ahead and it was.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
All about casting off the fear of.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Man you.
Speaker 5 (33:13):
Know it was like we were just a bunch of
young single, guys you, know trying to work out the
corporate world and find, wives and there's a lot of
things to be afraid of back, then like does this
girl like? Me DO i make enough? Money and there's
this really Awesome bible verse and proverbs that says the
fear of man is a deadly, trap that those who
trust in.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
The lord will be kept.
Speaker 5 (33:32):
Safe and so we were, like, hey we're not going
to live under the fear of. Man we're gonna we're
gonna cast that, off trusting The, lord and we're gonna
go live. Freely and we started doing that at this
house off Of gessner And, memorial And Turtle box was
really born out of. That it was really kind of a,
hey we're not going to worry what other people think of,
us even if they think we're silly for starting a
(33:53):
speaker company in our, garage which a lot of people
did back.
Speaker 1 (33:56):
Then Hold, on we'll talk off their Hold.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
On we're going to post the rest of our conversation
to the. Podcast it'll be up by eleven. Thirty you
can go find. It Hang tight
It's that time time, time, Luck and load.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
The Michael Varry Show is on the air.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
So you ever notice how.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Something comes to your attention and you know that isn't
the first time you've seen it. You realize, I've seen
that a bunch of times, but you don't know how
long you've been seeing it.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
So I think the first.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Time I noticed it was a buddy of mine named
Mike Claypool brought his speaker over and we were playing
pickleball and he puts his speaker next to the.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Court.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
But he has horrible tastes in music, so I really
just wanted to turn it off. And it made me
stare at the speaker because I was trying to figure
out if I was gonna say something about it or not.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
And it was Turtlebox.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
And then I go into Republic Boot Company and there
they sell Turtlebox, and they're not like, they're not in
the speaker business.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
They're in the custom boot business and leather goods.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
And I just started noticing everywhere that it's sort of like,
how YETI came out of nowhere and then it was
everywhere that was Turtlebox. Well, I had no idea it
was a Houston company, So I just kind of started spotting.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
It here and there again and again and again.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
So last night on Facebook, I said, Hey, does anybody
know the Turtlebox boys because I went on their website.
It's for dudes, and they created this business, and I
am I am intrigued by the fact that an independent
business in a field like this is a very hard
(02:13):
thing to do because you've got the massive Japanese, American, German,
South Korean companies that can throw any amount of money
at mass production on something like this. So you've got
to be pretty darn good and bring your manufacturing process
down in order to create a product that people are
going to buy. So anyway, Will Bradley is I guess
(02:36):
the driving force I'm told behind Turtlebox.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Welcome to the program, Will.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Hey, great to be on you a life maker. That
is my partner, Jonathan.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
And what is Jonathan's last name?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Mackenzie.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Okay, his dad is Tim McKenzie at Second Baptist.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, that's it, that's it, Okay, Okay.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
So I got a message from my friend Cody Johnson
and not the Cody Johnson, the singer, and not the
Cody Johnson garage door doctor Biz, the least interesting. Cody
Johnson of the group. He's the one who's supposed to
put me with Frank Beard, but he hasn't made it happen.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
And he said, dude, you don't remember the turtle Box
guy coming to your house.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
He says, A long time ago. I met him there.
He made knives. It was probably three to four years ago.
He made you a knife that slid into the like
the butcher block, but it was it was a chunk
of wood from a tree, and he hollowed out a
piece so that the knife stuck down into there.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
He made you a custom knife out of that.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
He also made knives, and it was called McKinley Knife Company.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
If I remember correctly that Oh, he says, McKenzie.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Yeah, mackenzie Yeah, made of amazing knives. I've still got
a bunch of him. I wish he still made him
because he was very good at it.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
And he said, you got aggravated with him because he
was being all secretive about the finances, because I like
to ask people questions about the finances. But he was
with Turtlebox, and we were fascinated by Turtlebox and we
were asking questions. I had forgotten that. Wow, that's uh,
that's an interesting thing. So will tell me about these
four guys that are.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
On the photo.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
I'm looking at the about us section of Turtleboxaudio dot com.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Yeah, which one you are, Houston guys, I'm the far left.
If you're looking at that picture, the good looking one
on the far left.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Dude, you got a big old smile, like if you
were missing.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
One friends right there we were hunting. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
The one on the far right, it's not even smiling.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Uh, He's just he was serious to have smile O
collect the white earth of the group, you know, full
smile for him. All right, go ahead. Reagan on the
far right, and Jonathan you've met. I guess he's in
the next to Reagan. And all three of us were
Second Baptist High school, different grades, Houston guys. And then Jeff,
(05:04):
the one with the big beard. He is a Dallas guy,
but he's been in Houston for twenty years. We converted
him now, so he's on the.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Good one year. Did you come out of Second Baptist?
Speaker 1 (05:15):
I graduated in ninety nine, Reagan was ninety seven and
Jonathan was four.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
So Jonathan's a lot younger than y'all.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, he's four or five years younger than me. He's
the youngest. I'm in the middle of Jeff's the oldest
and the wisest, and Reagan's two years ahead of me.
Did you just wake up? No, I've been up for
a little while. Yeah, that would so hear me. Okay,
I can hear you. Great.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Uh, you just sound hungover or groggy. So tell me
what you did after graduation in ninety nine.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I'll take it off speaking from damn it ramon.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Tell me what you did after graduation in ninety nine.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Yeah, I went to Ole Miss and studied real estate
and finance. Came back and got into the real estate business.
Took a sales job with New Regional Planning. Here in
Houston is Blake Blake Tart. Yeah, Blake Tart gave me
a shopping center and a phone book, said go lease it,
and I did, and it was a great It was
(06:24):
like getting a masterclass in which was the shopping center business.
That was a funny story. He goes, well, you know,
how well do you know Houston? I know it like
the back of my hand. He goes, a great, Well,
I'm gonna give you the shopping center at Fuqua and
Saber I was like, what the heck is a fu
que in a Sabo? Never been down there? You know.
It was forty five South and I was an older center,
(06:45):
and turns out I didn't know Houston, and this was
a great way to learn every milking craney of Houston,
which I did. Spent fifteen years in real estate, and
about halfway through it was the kind of eight nine crash,
a real estate crash, and it was a brutal time
kind of for all of us. So me and Reagan
(07:07):
were real estate guys. Jeff and John we're in the
oil and gas business, and you know, that was just
a bad time for everybody in Houston, and so we
were pretty much all broke except for Jeff, and we
moved into a house together on Buffalo by You and
that really cemented our friendship and really is the beginning
(07:27):
of turtle Box. Jonathan Yup was making started making knives
in the garage. We were all tinkering with different stuff.
We had canoes and Buffalo and Buffalo by You would
ride them to downtown. We bought a sailboat in Galveston Bay,
cut it down in Keema, so spent a lot of
time on the water and turtle Box was kind of
born out of that. We were all very resourceful dudes
(07:50):
and just kind of figured it out.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
So two of you were still in real estate and
two of you were still in oil and gas during
this period of time.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Yeah, we all had full time jobs, and so this
was like you come home after you're nine to five
and you'd work on speakers or whatever, and we, you know,
stay up till midnight or two in the morning, and
then go do it again.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
All right, Hold on just a moment.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
The website is turtleboxaudio dot com.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
The bacon that I get from the show that I
don't seem to get from other places.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
The Michael Barry Show show.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
More How weird is it? Maybe I shouldn't be making
fun of Joe Biden. Cody Johnson reminded me this dude
hung out of my house for hours. We had drinks,
My wife made a cheese plate. He made me a
custom knife in this like a big old like a
(08:48):
sequoia piece of wood, and the knife slides down and
I remember it all now vividly. I'd completely forgotten he
was there because I found out he made custom knife
out of this wood, and I had emailed him and
invited him over, and invited Cody over, and we spent
the whole afternoon talking about the knives, and he made
me a knife. And oh, by the way, he was
(09:10):
involved in turtle Box, and of course I asked him
a bunch of questions and I didn't even remember that
whole thing. And then I go looking for the owners
and one of the owners has been in my house.
That's maybe I shouldn't make fun of Joe Biden after all.
And I'm a lot younger than Joe Biden. I'm only
fifty four. Will Bradley is our guest. He's on his
(09:30):
coffee now, he's got a little more pep in his step.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I like that. Let's go. You ready, Well, we need
to get Jonathan on. Yeah, I'm ready.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
The shirt Jonathan is wearing his skin flesh toned, and
it looks like he's not wearing his shirt, which is
a little odd. And your shirt on that, yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Well, Jonathan had almost just died. It was one hundred
degrees out. He was wearing this long sleeved shirt, which
is bad, sweating profusely, and he literally almost had a
heat stroke. We'd just dumped a bunch of water on
his head. And then there's probably like ten minutes after
he recovered and we took that picture.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
I will tell you the honestly, when I went to
look y'all up and figure out who the hell you were,
the idea of four dudes and a friendship and doing
this together, uh, that was the real appeal, Not the speakers.
I thought, this is a cool story. I want to
I want to know what's behind it. So all right,
so about you said you said, you said the speaker.
(10:34):
The conception of the speaker is I used to, by
the way, I used to kayak down the by you
as well. I would start I would start out at six'
ten AND i even went as far as Belt way.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Eight that was a bad. IDEA i was exhausted by
the end of.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
It but my, kids my kids were so over, it
AND i would make them come with. Me and if
they didn't want to, paddle that was. Fine you, know
kayak is not the easiest thing to Get, NO i wasn't.
KY i was a canoe Because i'd have my kids
and and that's a that's a bear to get down there.
From SO i don't Have i've got noodles for. ARMS
i have no upper body. Strength so for me to
(11:08):
get down there and keep that canoe straight enough to
get to uh spaghetti, warehouse which is where Where allen's
landing where we would pull. Out it was work. Anyway
so tell me, How tell me how the speaker came.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
About, Yeah, uh the first one was never meant to
be a. Business LIKE i, said we were all. Resourceful
jonathan's working on, Knives jeff was working on some. KOOZY
i was ordering some parts On Ali baba and. Stuff and,
uh the speaker was just the result of us doing
life outside and canoeing the bayou and having a sailboat
On Gallison. Bay we needed something that was loud and
(11:45):
waterproof and not only waterproof and need to be marine
grade and saltproof and and. Uh so the first one
was not a. Business it was just something tinkering in our.
Garage and we came up with a speaker and we
used it for about a year and people wanted to buy,
it and eventually that turned into a. Business we, decided,
hey let's go into business, together and decided that was
(12:07):
a good. Idea we had no idea how hard it
was going to be or what we were getting into
this was twelve years ago or thirteen years, ago and
we started making our garage for a, year started buying
all kind of parts and testing out. Speakers it was
like getting our masters in the speaker. Business and you,
know none of us were audio. Engineers we were real
estate and oil and gas. Guys and we started building
(12:28):
them and we built and sold fifty On, CHRISTMAS i
think it Was christmas of twenty thirteen, approximately and one
of our only, investor a guy Named, prank super wonderful,
man bought one of the first. Fifty and after that first,
fifty we, said all, right there's a real market. Here
we got to figure out how to raise some money
and go get, this figure out the mass manufacturing. Game
(12:49):
this isn't going to work making in our, garage and
so it took us about four. Years it led us To.
Frank we asked for some money upfront to help get it,
tooled and we asked for our hundred and forty five thousand,
dollars which at the time seemed like a lot of. Money,
sure AND i THINK i think he kind of laughed
inside and, said, yeah IT'S i think it's probably gonna
cost you a little more than, That but, Yes i'll do.
(13:11):
It and he's been a wonderful, partner and we have
asked for more as we've, grown but it's been a very,
lean well run oiled. Machine but, yeah your comment that
seemed like we came out of nowhere IS i hear
that all the. TIME i tell people it's like an.
Iceberg you you see the tip of the. Iceberg you
don't see the ten years of hard work before, that you,
(13:33):
know grind it at night in the garage and all the,
hard hard work before you, know we became a profitable.
COMPANY i think we didn't pay ourselves for ten. YEARS i,
mean it was this hard, work a lot of hard.
Work and, anyway it's been wonderful to do it with
your best. Friends and we're all still, friends our wives are,
(13:55):
friends our kids are all about the same, age and
it's it's it's been a fun, journey for, Sure but.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Along kind of reminds me of the is it hey?
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Dude?
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Uh the guys that we beat him and and they
have built a billion dollar enterprisecute perfect, dude perfect?
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Perfect. Yeah, Yeah and it reminds me of those.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Times, Yeah and and they you, know by the time
anybody discovers them they're, like, well they have a, great great.
Life they just go out and and do crazy stuff
and throw basketballs off, of you, know high rises Into
but you don't realize that that one of them didn't
go get a. Job he kept the business going and
they're struggling and scratching and their girlfriends are going grow.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Up, guy what are you?
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Do you, know we're we got a family, now and
and yet when you do something together like, that it's
it makes it more. SPECIAL i think that's really. Cool
take me back to y'all. Tinkering, okay one of you had,
knives that one of you had.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
This what was that was?
Speaker 3 (14:55):
That were y'all searching for a way that we can
do a business? Together tell me what was on at that?
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Point what did y'all think was going on at that?
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Time, yeah, well let's just start with our. Ages we
were late, twenties early, thirties single, broke coming off of
the two thousand and nine, crash AND i mean in
that time of your, Life, yeah you're kind of searching
for meaning and purpose and still learning and very, resourceful
(15:23):
and so tinkering was just kind of part of. Life,
jonathan more than anybody probably wanted to do something in the,
business you, know like starting business. Together we were chomping
at the bit and we were kicking around. Ideas we
actually talked about. Buying. UH i was in real, estate
LIKE i, SAID i was leasing an Old fuddruckers In
galison used to be a. Brewery and we were brewing
(15:44):
beer at the same time, too so we were like they
we sued to start a brewery and by where you
were this old building In, Galveston so we were brewing
our own beer. Also so just a lot going. On
that was just kind of the nature of who we
were back.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Then all, right hold on just a. Moment Will Bradley
turtleboxaudio Dot.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Com this is The Michael Barry. Show will have big.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
FUN i don't know If Hank senior is the first
or only guy to put per rogue in a, song
but he's certainly the best at. It and that's probably
the first reference in SONG i ever heard to a per.
Rogue now you end up In johnson's BY U louisiana
and you will hear frequent Reference. Ramod do you know
(16:34):
we have a new show sponsor From JOHNSON'S Byu. Louisiana Dale,
morris the tax remover. Guys the utility tax remover guy
used to be AN rcc.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Member now he's lived here for twenty five.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Years comes striding up to me at THE rcc one
night and, said you spent a lot of time as
a kid In johnson's by You AND i, thought, oh,
lord DID i date his? Sister BECAUSE i had a
couple girlfriends From Johnson's value WHEN i was. Young AND i,
said AM i in? Trouble and he, said, NO i
just know that a lot of PEOPLE i know knew
you that y'all used to come Down my next door,
(17:10):
neighbor who was like my big, brother was From Johnson,
Bady so we used to go down there a, lot and, uh,
anyway so we got to be kind of. Friendly and
then he's built this company up and he reached.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Out and he, goes you'll remember. Me, NO i don't remember.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
You i'm the one From. Johnson oh, yeah, YEAH i remember.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
You.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Anyway Will bradley as our guest With turtleboxaudio Dot. Com
so we'll when y'all start, tinkering are y'all the finances
of how you? You you, know bubblegum and duct tape
and W d forty something. Together are y'all all four
still working while you're you're you're making this.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Happen oh, yeah one hundred. Percent so y'all are still
making a page. Jobs, okay we're still making a paycheck
for a long. TIME i mean it's probably six years
of a full time job Until turtlebock could eventually start
paying us a little bit of a.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Salary and is that what y'all do? Now is that
how you make a? Salary?
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Now? Yes in about twenty twenty is when kind of DURING,
covid we started jumping ship And jonathan And jeff went.
First they had more they. Did they had big boy
corporate well and gas. Jobs they couldn't even check a
turtlebox email during the. Day reag AND i worked for
ourselves in real estate and so we had a little
(18:29):
bit more freedom and we jumped on, later but we
could kind of do. Both but those those guys really
has quit their job one, day and that happened DURING.
Covid all happened during twenty.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Twenty so are all four of you full time involved
in this business right?
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Now we? Are?
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Yeah and do y'all do y'all go to an? Office
we Are.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
We're on the west side of town Of, houston just
outside Belt wagh eight nine ten where and a little
a little warehouse were right across FROM U haul On White.
Cliff it's a flex warehouse, building been here since twenty.
Twenty we moved in In may of twenty twenty with
fifteen hundred square feet and we've growned about half the
(19:12):
building now we're in about sixteen five hundred.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Feet, now you, Know i've watched concepts like this grow
built out of. FRIENDSHIP i think he's the coolest thing.
EVER i spoke for The arctic guys that were out
off to. Nine it was twins and WHEN i started with,
them they were pretty. Small but they figured out that
if you could make a product similar To yetti at
(19:38):
a much lower price, point then you do it with.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Volume and, THEY i don't know if you know their.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Story they came out of the packaging and mail, business
and so they went looking for a product that they
felt had a high price point that they could replicate
to some extent and make the money on the. Packaging
and they Made they sold. It they made a fortune
on that. Business the, uh the guys out OF a
AND m is a little different than y'all's but but
(20:03):
has a lot of. Similarities so when so when you
started the, speakers what did you think that speakers lacked
that y'all were going to?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Solve? What what was the? Challenge what was the? Solution,
YEAH i think one of the reasons that were, ONE
i think we had a lot of favorite From god
because we could have done this one hundred different times
and it would have. Failed So i'll start with. That
the second is we didn't start as a. Business it
started because we needed something that didn't. EXIST i had
(20:35):
broken a couple of both speakers back in the day
and there were two hundred bucks of pops OR i
shouldn't said the, name but it. Was they didn't make
an outdoor, speaker is my. Point and, uh and they
just broke in normal wear and tear. Outside didn't drop
them in the water or. Anything AND i was, like,
man there's got to be something. Better and you, know
the four of us figured it, out and, uh it
(20:56):
was for, us it wasn't meant to be a. Business
and then it turns out other people like us had
the same, problem liked music outdoors and most of the you,
know this is twelve thirteen years, ago so there weren't
as many portable speakers back, then and certainly no them were.
Waterproof but we built a speaker for the outdoorsman that
did not exist back. Then and turns out that other
(21:16):
people like us people and start buying, it and so you,
know there was a, knit there was a niche there
that just just kind of we fell into out of
out of. Necessity it wasn't started as a.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Business And i'm sure you've heard this kind of story.
Before but my Friend Kenny, allen who is certifiably, crazy,
says where is? IT i can't find the email that they,
shoot but they they string together a couple of them
and they put rabbit disgressed distress calls to get coyotes
(21:51):
and bobcasts to come, out and then they pop.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Them, yeah but he, said IT'S i do that.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Too it's so. Fun it's so. Fun it's. Great it's
great for. It. YEAH i, mean you can be listening
to your music and your players and then you, know
pop it out, there put a game call app on.
There there's a bunch of them predator call apps and
red light. Them it's it's it's super fun and it.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Works my FRIEND Jd, pettigo who's a show sponsor he
Owns velocity business, products Says, ZAR i love.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
THEM i have two of them.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Myself they are twice as expensive as anything, else but
we are willing to pay that premium for a premium.
Product they are well worth. IT a lot of folks
make the comment that you're hiring a cats. ASK i
don't see anything wrong with a high price for a
top quality.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Product.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Right if you don't want that quality, product you can't afford,
it you go BUY jbl or something else like.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
That but your pricing is.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Aggressive your argument would be better, product better, manufacturing better.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Story, YEAH i mean we built. So one of our
business principles when we started in our garage was. Best
if we're gonna do this, thing we want to the
best portable outdoor speaker in the. Market and to us
that meant two. Things one was. Loud you got to
hear it outdoors because the sound gets just lost, Outdoors
so it's got to be. Loud so that was, one
(23:10):
and then two was it's got to be. Rugged and
that's really where most of the costs comes in is
we've got all it's the only marine grade portable speaker out. There,
Still AND i mean there's other waterproof, stuff but marine
grade means, saltproof fog. Proof all of our hardware is
three sixteen stainless our tweeters, titanium so it's it's premium.
(23:33):
Materials it is a lot more expensive to.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
Make why didn't anybody under that business? Will were the
materials too? DIFFICULT i mean because you said you're not an,
engineer you're not the smartest guy at building, stuff or
maybe you. ARE i, mean tell me why nobody got
into that. Business did they not see a market for?
Speaker 1 (23:50):
THAT i don't think they saw a market for. It
and they're probably not outdoor. Guys we knew what we
like to. Do we're hunt and fish and canoe the
bayou and sail the bay AND i don't think any
of the big boys are out doing those. Things and
back then was very. Interesting the portable products that were
out there were all really built for the, indoors and, like,
(24:10):
well why are people building portable products for the indoors
when you're around the plug all the, Time like and
so we put a huge battery in there still DUE
i tell, people we've got to, like well how long
does it? Last AND i SAY a three day. Weekend,
like my goal is if you take off the ranch
on A, friday you shouldn't have to charge that thing
until you get back On. Monday and so that's the
type of battery that we put in. There so, yeah
it's there's a lot more expensive to build, it but
(24:33):
you get what you pay. For it's it's gonna last.
You you, know your whole, outing your whole, adventure whatever
you're out.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Doing so you, know it's interesting because it's truly a lifestyle,
brand and it's it's the lifestyle. You it's such a great.
STORY i gotta be honest with. You turtleboxaudio Dot com working.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Out we're girling to.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
BOARD i, like like The Berry. SHOW i feel so.
BAD i got An.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
I'm so.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
LONESOME i knew this was.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
COMING i knew the MINUTE i read the borne on
the buy you.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
For Turtle, BOX i knew you were going.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
To try to figure out a worry to Put Linda
ronstad in.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
There you are so, predictable.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Y'all Remember Little henry last, Week Henry's Home, services the
little kid who for four years has been going out
and he'll do basically anything at your, house clean the trash,
cans mow your, lawn wash your, car wash your. Windows
little high school kid At Houston Christian, WELL i, said
let's build him a. Website and this Fella holiday At
(25:46):
Cursive media sent me an email SAID i got. THIS
i just got an email from the dad BECAUSE i
don't want anything done with kids through the. KID i
always wanted to go through the dad for obvious. Reasons
and he, Said, hey just want you to know your, Listener,
Uh holiday Is uh is taking care of the website
and it's almost. Done And henry asked me to tell
(26:07):
you that he had a great.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Week.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
Uh he, said he has a job every day this,
week which is a. First and he's been doing a
lot of.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Weeding, Oh, henry we got a we.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Got a narrow. Den what's? That? Yeah before it, well
that's true Before Dan patrick. Outlaws it is a very
very good.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Point you, know we used to have a show sponsor
more do you remember their, Name and it was kind
of a similar. Story they had a they had grown
up on The mexican. Border there's white, guys but they
had grown up on The mexican border and they had
a product.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
That was a cooking.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Product you you had, ONE i had, one and it
was like a what.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Fire?
Speaker 3 (26:50):
Disc, Yeah and it was like the uh it was
like the old box cutter on a on a tractor
and you use it to and and the problem was
that once everybody had a fire, disc they didn't need
anything else and they didn't have a secondary product lined.
Up but we sold a lot of fire. Discs that
was a cool concept AND i loved. It it was
(27:10):
a totally portable so you could take it out in the.
WOODS i like this lifestyle brand. THING i think this
is a good. Story Will.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Bradley, yes, Sir, hey Fire disc is coming out with.
It they came out with a small. ONE i don't
know if it's out yet, officially but they are coming
out with the new, ones so go check it. Out
they're good.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Guys they're great, dudes Local houston. Guys, yeah great. Guys
we spoke for them for several. Years we sold a
lot of fire. DISCS i say we a lot of our.
Listeners AND i know that because listeners would email and, go,
man you were, right this is. Great i've been you
know a lot of guys at camp go, out go
out hunting and do all. That by the, way my
(27:51):
Friend Jimmy. PAPPAS i say that with hesitation because he
has a terrible, RELATIONSHIP i, mean a terrible. Reputation he,
said he's. Grumpy he doesn't say anything nice about. Anybody,
everybody he runs down. Everybody but he says he's done
deals with, you and you are a great. Guy SO
i don't know what that.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
MEANS i Love, jimmy old real estate. Buddy jimmy is the,
man so you, said and he knows. Everybody you said
that you had of real. Estate well there you, go that's.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
True though his dad's in poor. Health so a prayer
For Spiro pappus. Everybody you, said you got to be
able to push volume. Out you got to push it
out because you're you're. Outdoors how did you achieve?
Speaker 1 (28:32):
That, YEAH i got a surprise for you. TOO i
Got jonathan, McKenzie the knife. Maker he should be joining
us on he's on, Yet But, Michael, Hello. Jonathan i'm
SORRY i didn't remember. You it's.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
OKAY i forgot about you.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Too my buddy better not be.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
True my, Buddy Cody johnson, SAID i got on your
last nerves with all my personal. Questions he, said you
did not appreciate, that not even a little.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Bit but that's just WHAT i, do not one, bit
not one.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Bit it's. Funny.
Speaker 5 (29:04):
Will it was text me AND i was, like oh, yeah, Man,
NO i was drinking you, know ranch waters or something
in your. Backyard you were picking lime trees off your
trees and uh, man that must.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Have been five years ago or. Something so main thanks
for having us.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
On, Man, jonathan you just brought up a very sore
subject in my house my thirty third wedding. Anniversary i'm
glad my wife is not able to hear, you because
you remember those delicious we. Had we had, satsumas we
had low, quats we had comb.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
Quats, yes we had great.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Limes and when when we lost all of them in the,
freeze she would make custom cocktails when everybody came. Over
and she has tried everything to put those do you
know in The state Of texas those, trees we had
trees that somebody had illegally brought Into uh the state Of.
Texas state Of texas will not allow you to bring
(29:54):
some of. Them we had all sorts of, exotics you,
remember and we made all those custom.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
Cocktails we lost every one of, them every one of.
Speaker 5 (30:00):
Them, Okay johnathan Holtim i'm a tree, ugger and that's,
yeah that hurts my.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Heart so, WELL i got to tell.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
You on y'all's, website you got a page that says Conservation,
partners AND i, thought you know, WHAT i hope these guys.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
Aren't going to be a bunch of left wing.
Speaker 3 (30:15):
Cooks every single organization on there Is Fantastic Coastal Conservation,
Association bonefish And Tarpin, Trust National Wild Turkey, Federation Mule Deer,
Federation Texas parks And, Wildlife buffalo By, You American Whitewater
captains For Clean Water Ducks, Unlimited Great, Organization Working Ranch Cowboys,
(30:36):
Association Junior, Rodeo Pleasant pheasant And Quail, Forever american Quarter Horse.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Association so at least.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Y'allin if you are left wing, nuts you kept out
out of.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
There the conservation.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Partner scared, me BUT i like, it, Okay BUT i
gotta know this.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Real how do you push the volume? Out how did
you achieve? That there is one, thing a little trade
secret we do nobody else does is we do our
curves outside next To Katie, freeway so everybody else. Doesn't,
well we started doing them in our backyards forever, ago
but everybod else does them in a quiet soundproof. Room
(31:11):
we do them outside with loud noise next To Katie
freeway about standing about thirty feet, back because that's how
we listened to, it and that's how our customers listened to,
it of. Course so that's that's one. Way and the
original idea kind of was from the wakeboard tower speakers
forever ago that throw sound like over an engine you
can hear it thirty yards back like that was kind
(31:32):
of what we set out to. Do and, UH i
think we've done it there Name. Bail so that's that
was the goal and we.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Accomplished did you have to bring in sound? Engineers did
you have to bring in outside?
Speaker 1 (31:42):
Expertise one hundred. Percent we try to hire the best
guys out. There we're not sound engineers by trade, obviously
LIKE i, said so we have hired, people people smarter than,
us and but surprisingly they still get it. Wrong and
that's why we still do sound tests ourselves like you
no go back fix, it and we still do them
(32:04):
outside here By Katie.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Freeway so, Well volume can share our.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Live free story with. You, yeah go, AHEAD i know
we're getting close to the. ENDS i wanted to share
our live free. Story is, so before we had a
business and a, product we had this thing called Live.
FREE i just see it on our website if you'll
go check it. Out i'll Let jonathan pipe in a
little a little bit too in the, story But i'll start.
IT i got back from this men's retreat up In.
(32:35):
Colorado it was a wild. HEART i don't know if
you've read that, Book, fuel and basically it was came
back pile on life and told all the guys like,
man we need to live. Free and we had this
sign on the back of our back door called lift,
free and kind of like a football. Player we were Second.
Baptist we had a sign you'd walk you'd walk out
and hit the sign before you. Go we had. That
(32:56):
when we were going to, work we put a sign
lift free on the back. Door we hit it before
we go to work and say live for you. Guys
and SO i don't, Know jolly will pick. Up, well
that's like the old play for, Sure, yeah, yeah go.
Ahead and it was.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
All about casting off the fear of.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Man you.
Speaker 5 (33:13):
Know it was like we were just a bunch of
young single, guys you, know trying to work out the
corporate world and find, wives and there's a lot of
things to be afraid of back, then like does this
girl like? Me DO i make enough? Money and there's
this really Awesome bible verse and proverbs that says the
fear of man is a deadly, trap that those who
trust in.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
The lord will be kept.
Speaker 5 (33:32):
Safe and so we were, like, hey we're not going
to live under the fear of. Man we're gonna we're
gonna cast that, off trusting The, lord and we're gonna
go live. Freely and we started doing that at this
house off Of gessner And, memorial And Turtle box was
really born out of. That it was really kind of a,
hey we're not going to worry what other people think of,
us even if they think we're silly for starting a
(33:53):
speaker company in our, garage which a lot of people
did back.
Speaker 1 (33:56):
Then Hold, on we'll talk off their Hold.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
On we're going to post the rest of our conversation
to the. Podcast it'll be up by eleven. Thirty you
can go find. It Hang tight
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