Successful “frog entrepreneurs” Rhett Power’s and Peter Gasca’s new Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign aims to raise funds for their new book titled, One Million Frogs.
The book is an entertaining twist on start-up entrepreneurialism as it chronicles the challenging and often comical journey and personal transformations of two businessmen and one very unlikely frog company. The campaign needs to raise $15,000 by June 12, 2013, in order to fund publication of the book and the employment of an editor. After the book is published, all proceeds will go to promote entrepreneurship in youth. You can participate here.
The pair started their company, Wild Creations, and purchased the business concept. With an extensive business plan and strategy for growth, Wild Creations, was to be the first of many successful businesses in their promising portfolio. But when Lehman Brothers filed bankruptcy and the financial industry collapsed, Wild Creations’ lines of credit dried up. Power and Gasca persevered and took to the roads, driving over a hundred thousand miles each, to attend trade shows for one year. Fast forward eight years. Wild Creations’ EcoAquariumsTM has grown from a modest 50 retail outlets to more than 1,500 stores. Frog sales are still strong, but even more impressive - many of Wild Creations’ products are invented by kids.
The company has won numerous industry awards, including a nomination as Toy Industry Association Toy of the Year. Wild Creations was recognized by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce as the #1 fastest growing company in South Carolina, and by the Inc 500 twice as one of the fastest growing private companies in America.
So much for traditional tips, Power and Gasca have first-hand experience on what it takes to win in business. “Forget the MBA study guides and DIY entrepreneur books, with One Million Frogs, we are giving you an inspirational road map through our experiences, and real-life antidotes that are at times troubling and emotional, often comical and unbelievable, but always lesson filled,” said Gasca. “The book is not just directed at entrepreneurs, but at anyone who has grand aspirations to achieve something bigger in life, who feels held back by uncertainty or societal peer pressure.”