The Story
About Eric
Eric's Story
A lifelong believer in doing good for others and making the world a better place, Eric was born at home to a family of entrepreneurs just one hundred yards from a runway. At the age of seven he went to work at his Great Grandmother’s 5 Star bed & breakfast. From working the line to washing dishes, serving tables to working as a bellboy, offering tours of the historic grounds and more, Eric was willing to do the work to buy his ultimate goal. An airplane that would allow him to escape the imperfect realities of his world.
Early Years
At 13, he bought that airplane as a kit and quickly discovered that ADHD and airplane kits don’t mix well. Spawning from that “mistake” Eric launched one of the first online aircraft sales businesses in 1999. Selling hundreds of aircraft before he dropped out of high school and pursued mentors in the internet marketing industry. Those mentors led to him starting a marketing and publishing company, which eventually brought him to speaking at marketing conferences across the country.
Family Life
In 2009 at the age of 23, Eric married Nelle. A few weeks later they found themselves at a conference in Texas where Eric closed the best sales speech of his life… But a few days later under the stars of the hill country she expressed concern that he hated what he did. She told him that the money didn’t matter, but him following his passions did.
Through that conversation they launched a photography business that grew into multiple others working under their brand, shooting weddings all over the world. And re-ignited his love for Aviation. A love that shifted when they had their first child and realized just how expensive having kids is.
Aviator PPG and Personal Battles
Eric found a few sponsors to try his hand at a new form of flying called Paramotors. A fan on your back with a soft glider that allows you to launch from almost anywhere and run above the clouds. After a rough start, he quickly recognized that the niche was in dire need of professionalization and he dreamed of creating a business where people could come to learn properly and find all of the equipment they needed. 11 years later, his company Aviator Paramotor is considered worldwide to be the ultimate paramotor training location. His tiny passion based business now employs over 20 and generates millions in revenue every year.
But most importantly for him has been the past 3 years where he has refocused his attention onto his family, building systems and hiring the right people so he has to work less than 3 hours each week on Aviator while it generates a passive income.
Despite spending over half of his life in crippling pain brought on by breaking his back twice, losing his brother to a car accident, seeing his sister become a quadriplegic (but a badass), and saying goodbye to far too many friends, Eric remains someone who can silver lining the shit out of anything.
Today and National STOL
In the time he is focused on his three children, August, Arthur, and Eloise, Eric works to support his wife’s energy medicine business and consults companies through rapid growth periods in exchange for equity.
He recently bought a controlling interest in another passion-based business called National STOL, an airplane racing series. And intends to use his media company to help promote it through YouTube and television.
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