Why Surfing Makes Me a Better Entrepreneur

Reflections on my 26th Time Paddling Out

December 2024, North Shore of Oahu Kingdom of Hawai'i

I'm watching the waves. Mother Nature is in charge and can change her mind seemingly on a whim. Surfing is a game of patience, slowly learning the sport while building endurance.

I just paddled out for the 26th time since starting to surf in 2020, when I moved to Oahu for three months and lived on the North Shore for most of that time.

What have I learned? I often think entrepreneurship is like surfing. Staying in the game, making the choice to be there and stay relevant and show your worth. Staying up, doing what it takes. Strength. Having fun, being profitable and marketing what you do to inspire others.

Since then, I’ve lived on Oahu for 2-3 months a year most years, coming up on ten months total now. Besides surfing Chuns Reef, Malaekahana, Waikiki Beach, Publics and Baby Queens, I’ve been planning my coworking and coliving around the world at locations where there are beginner surf breaks. Nosara and Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, Freights Bay, Barbados, La Jolla Shores, San Diego and Ponto, Encinitas/Leucadia/Carlsbad. Kedungu, Bali. Canary Islands. Biarritz. More place around Waikiki, Freddys on a small day and even my sister’s pool. It's lifestyle.

After this 26th time out surfing, I sense real progress. There’s often months between each surfing session, and even so, the skills accumulate. Now I get up on every run, and stay on the board. It’s fun. My photographer says I'm doing something that not many can do. His words are a Wow 🤩 a wake o wonder and add to the adrenaline rush.

If I were to really continue with my surf workouts, and move to a place where it’s easy to surf any time the conditions are good, I could get really good. Single-minded purpose is needed.

Surfing, like entrepreneurship, is a sport where what you put in is what you get out.

By the way, I’m writing this from a picnic table in the Ehukai / Pipeline beach parking lot, and the Vans Pipe Masters competition is on. The women paddled out earlier to today, where four heats of surfing happened. There 20 women competing in this year’s contest, and 40 men. Surfing stats have come a long way in recent years.

Can VC funding stats for women also see such progress? I say yes, as our product goes next level. I cover the building in public of MyLibrarian in other blogs, so you see. In short, I’ve done the work.

Our product has thousands of users in beta, we've applied for a provisional patent and we're looking to clear $1M in revenue in 2025. Surfing our way to success and better book recommendations, freedom to read for all.

Curiously, I have not surfed in my home city of San Francisco, or its environs. Too cold? Can I adapt? I'm home now, for good.

On Playa Hermosa near Ste Teresa CR, I paddled out with Del Soul surf company and the instructor said to me, You are very lucky, you are a woman who surfs. You will always be healthy if you surf.

Healthy, in body, mind and spirit. Healthy is wealthy. That’s a worthy goal. I think I’ll keep going.—MEZ

Read more at https://www.michellezaffino.com/why-surfing-makes-me-a-better-entrepreneur/