Summary
In this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Victoria Dickerson interview Yoon Kim, founder of Outdoor Media Summit and Outdoor ECOM. Yoon shares his entrepreneurial journey, including failed attempts and success stories. He also discusses his personal life, including how he met his partner and his perspective on life and business. He offers insights into the struggles and triumphs of entrepreneurship and provides inspiration for those looking to start their own business.
Show Notes
(0:57) Yoon’s Origin Story and Entrepreneurial Journey
(6:33) Yoon’s Current Projects
(11:25) Arkansas’s Involvement in Outdoor Recreation
(18:17) Outdoor ECOM and AI
(24:15) Yoon’s Choice to Give Back
(31:27) What Keep’s Yoon Up at Night?
(37:17) Advice to the Younger Self
(39:33) Closing Thoughts
Links
Quotes
“I think just being super patient and waiting for the right opportunity and then taking advantage of it—that’s kind of my way [the] way I look at my style of entrepreneurship.” – Yoon Kim, (3:47)
“It’s cool because in Arkansas, we’re leaders in some of these [outdoor spaces]. We’re the brown trout capital of the world and the mountain bike capital of the world. Pretty soon we’re going to be one of the paddle capitals of the world. We have the Paddle Industry Association that was formed here in Northwest Arkansas. So we have leadership in different pockets of these outdoor industries.” – Yoon Kim, (12:38)
350: From Failed Attempts to Successful Entrepreneur: Yoon Kim’s Journey on Outdoor Media Summit
In this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Jeff Amerine, Caleb Talley, and Victoria Dickerson interview Yoon Kim, founder of Outdoor Media Summit and Outdoor ECOM. Yoon shares his entrepreneurial journey, including failed attempts and success stories. He also discusses his personal life, including how he met his partner and his perspective on life and business. He offers insights into the struggles and triumphs of entrepreneurship and provides inspiration for those looking to start their own business.
Yoon’s Entrepreneurial Journey
As a serial entrepreneur, Yoon has an abundance of experience starting businesses—some of which have been successful, while others were learning opportunities. Early in his career, Yoon struggled to find success, but his fortunes changed after meeting his partner Joy, who he credits with having the Midas touch. Since, he’s founded multiple successful ventures, including Outdoor Media Summit and Outdoor ECOM, which was formerly known as Blogs for Brands.
Outdoor ECOM was an early pioneer in the outdoor industry. Founded in 2011, it was the industry’s first digital marketing agency, and by 2013, it had become the industry’s first Google Ads and Shopify partner.
While many entrepreneurs are fast-acting and always searching for the next great idea, Yoon takes a different approach to entrepreneurship. He describes himself as a moray eel, waiting for the next opportunity to appear within reach. Unlike most entrepreneurs, he is less concerned with creating a company that dominates the market and instead focuses on creating businesses that allow him to live his ideal life.
“I think just being super patient and waiting for the right opportunity and then taking advantage of it—that’s kind of my way [the] way I look at my style of entrepreneurship.” – Yoon Kim, (3:47)
Outdoor Media Summit
In 2015, Yoon created the outdoor industry’s first conference for marketers and media—Outdoor Media Summit. The summit is where the brightest minds in media and marketing gather to share their secrets of what’s working and what isn’t, and forecast the future of the industry. Top outdoor brands reveal the next year’s hottest gear, and keynote speakers look into the crystal ball predict what the outdoor recreation economy will look like.
“It’s cool because in Arkansas, we’re leaders in some of these [outdoor spaces]. We’re the brown trout capital of the world and the mountain bike capital of the world. Pretty soon we’re going to be one of the paddle capitals of the world. We have the Paddle Industry Association that was formed here in Northwest Arkansas. So we have leadership in different pockets of these outdoor industries.” – Yoon Kim, (12:38)
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