Today we’d like to introduce you to David Callejas.
Hi David, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a born and raised Austinite who grew up with a family boat frequenting the local lakes. In 2013 after a few years of bouncing around corporate jobs, I took a part time gig at a local boat rental company where I realized that the industry needed disruption. The customer service was poor, the employees weren’t taken care of, and the boats were neglected… yet the demand kept pouring in. The following summer, a small crew of friends and family, started renting boats on Lake Austin! My early focus on customer service, internet marketing, and team culture helped separate Float On from the rest of the operating companies. Back then, it was more of a one-man-show where I took reservations, trailered boats, drove parties, handled the accounting, maintained the small fleet and much more… There’s rumors of me taking new reservations on the phone and inputting them in the calendar all while trailering a boat to the lake. My now-wife Santana was growing more unhappy at her own corporate job, especially as she me having fun at the lake every weekend. In 2015 we took a chance, and Santana quit her job to help try and grow Float On by taking most of the administrative duties along with some dockhand work off of my plate. The next couple of years were full of blood, sweat, and tears as Float On eventually found its niche with brand new chartered pontoon rentals. From pre-ordering boats before being approved or having the money to potentially scary safety incidents, many breakdowns and flat tires, hiring competitors best employees, trusting technology and switching booking systems mid-summer… Float On’s been through a lot to get to where they are today.
We opened our second location in 2017 on Lake Travis, with the help of Willo and some solid captains leading the charge trailering 30 round trip every day with three boats to the public park! Eventually, Float On found a permanent home at Hurst Harbor Marina, where they would experience another growth spurt thanks to the peace of mind and ease of doing business out of a private marina vs. a public park. Around this time, Float On switched its marketing from simply trying to get rentals to being the cool kids in Austin when renting boats. Through the help of Instagram influencers and new age media help, they were able to become the go-to place for locals and tourists alike. Today Float On continues to stay focused on marketing and growing our brand, which continues to separate us from the competition. As we continue our success, Float On makes sure not to lose touch with the importance of team culture and the community. Through regular team outings and countless charity boat parties and community- driven events, Float On tries to remind everyone that there’s more to life than just making a buck and prioritizes community involvement and teamwork!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My positive attitude makes me want to say it’s been a smooth road, but we’ve experienced many challenges that most growing businesses are faced with. I’ve had to personally transition from paying close attention to the customers to then focusing on our employees, and as of lately, hyper-focusing on our management/executive team. It’s been an interesting journey along the way. Transitioning from hiring close friends and family to relying on our processes and hiring and training from the outside. Mechanical challenges, especially in the early days as we relied on used equipment while we built up our finances. Off-season survival, learning to budget and save throughout the year and also to shut down strategically to be able to better survive the off-season.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We’re a small family-owned business that is dedicated to making memorable experiences that last a lifetime for our customers, co-workers and the community. Our involvement in our co-worker’s lives and the life of our community is really what sets us apart from others, especially others in our industry. We focus on career growth and experiences within what would normally be viewed as a strictly recreational industry. We care more about what our employees do with their time at Float On in broadening their skill sets (Ex. Marketing, Management, Accounting, etc.). We rarely outsource any roles at Float On and instead give our team a chance to learn new skills! As for community involvement… we are always willing to donate free boat rentals for non-profit organizations hoping to raise money. On top of this, we’ll be the first to volunteer at any lake event where our services could be of use. We’ve been regular contributors to Dam That Cancer that involves 10+ boats and 20+ of our employees to make a journey dam to dam on Lake Austin, raising money for FlatWater foundation.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Personally, I’m also heavily involved in another company called EarthSky, where I am currently part-owner and Marketing Director. I’m also very focused on continued education in growing both businesses. I think many people would think I’m happy with what I’ve built at Float On and enjoy some of the freedoms it could bring, but instead, I spend many backend hours in the office trying to continue to grow both companies!
Contact Info:
- Email: david@floatonboatrentals.com
- Website: floatonboatrentals.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/floatonboatrentals/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FloatOnBoatRentals
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/float-on-lake-austin-boat-rentals-and-lake-travis-boat-rentals-austin
