How Tony Hawk Uses Falling to Learn and Grow his Business

Creating and managing a business often involves hurdles and setbacks.

That’s especially true for Birdhouse Skateboards CEO and professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, who turned his love for skateboarding into a career – redefining the sport and evolving his passion into a brand platform.

During a recent Office Hours episode, Hawk explained that no matter how many times he struggles or falls, he finds a way to learn from it and do better next time – on the ramp and in his business.

Here’s how Tony Hawk learns from mistakes and navigates the unknown, while making sure his passion is always in first place.

1. Learn as much as possible.

Hawk started Birdhouse Skateboards in 1992 with fellow professional skateboarder Per Welinder. While Welinder had a business degree, Hawk did not.

To move the company forward, Hawk learned everything he could to understand what it would take to grow the company.

“Embrace every aspect of your business,” Hawk said. "Just because you understand certain aspects of it – finance, marketing, whatever – shouldn't keep you from understanding the entire picture.”

It’s similar to how skateboarders think, he noted. When you already know one trick, what’s next?

“All of us [skateboarders], even the ones that have made it successfully through skateboarding, we just keep challenging ourselves,” Hawk said. “That's how we get better. I think that if you want to jump into skateboarding in a big way, you've got to be ready for the long haul and also to not rely on any of your previous accolades. You're only as good as your last big trick.”

2. Get back up.

According to Hawk, his successful skateboarding career and household name didn’t automatically translate to skateboard sales for Birdhouse.

“I would say every six months or so, we would have a heart to heart that was about ‘How do we cut costs? What's the critical point that we can reach but keep this business going?’ Those were really hard conversations,” he said.

But like in skateboarding, Hawk learned how to get back up, adjust, and improve the company's strategy.

He noted that he falls all the time, whether people see it or not, and that process of getting through it is crucial for growth.

“I’m making minor adjustments until I finally figure out what is going to work to make this thing happen,” he said. “Sometimes I leave here dejected, frustrated, and upset, but I know I’m going to come back to it. There’ s a fine line of letting it go temporarily or permanently.”

3. Lead with your passion.

The shift from skate parks to running a business wasn’t always easy. Hawk helped finance the business himself and adjusted to essentially starting a new career – much different from when his love of skateboarding accidentally became a profession.

“There was no roadmap for what we were doing. Skateboarding was not a business, necessarily, or career when I first started and when I started getting good at it,” he explained. “So it wasn't like I thought I was choosing my life path. It was more like, ‘Oh, this is super fun to do, and I'm sure when I reach an age of responsibility, I'll have to get a job.’”

Even though he runs the business, as well as nonprofit The Skatepark Project, Hawk still skateboards too. However, since 2003 he’s focused less on competition and more on enjoying it.

“I kept skating as much as I could,” he said. “I may have gotten a lot better because I didn’t have the pressure of skating for competition: I was doing it just for the passion of it.”

According to Hawk, prioritizing passion can help small-business owners gain perspective and move through setbacks.

“I think following your passion is such a huge way to take back your mental health,” he said. “I weathered plenty of storms in my day and made it out the other side. They helped me get a better perspective on everything, and I embrace the lessons I learned.”

The Takeaway

No business is perfect, and everyone can experience mistakes and setbacks. Learning to move through them – and even using them as fuel – can help you find new tricks and strategies to do better next time, improving both yourself and your business.

This article is part of Office Hours, a series that connects you with entrepreneurs and expert tips for running and growing a business right now. Find their can’t-miss conversations here.