Bruce Beach’s journey from amateur surfer to entrepreneur

Research methodology The case was composed using secondary data from newspaper articles, industry reports, and podcast interviews. Case overview/synopsis “Bruce Beach’s Journey from Amateur Surfer to Entrepreneur” details Bruce Beach’s journey from a young surfer with broad aspirations to work in the surf industry to a veteran sunglasses entrepreneur. As a young adult who decided that being a professional surfer would not provide much of life for him, he could not have imagined that the sunglasses field would have been the avenue by which he could realize his dream of working in the surf industry, mostly because sunglasses were not yet a salient component of sales in surf shops. With only a vague plan to make a career in the surf industry, Bruce’s passion for surfing and his connections to the surfing community served as critical resources as he navigated key moments and decisions throughout his life. Perhaps the most critical portion of his career was his relationship with Greg Arnette and his time with Arnette Sunglasses. He considered this time his “MBA” as he learned multiple aspects of running a successful business. He later started his own eyewear company, Electric Sunglasses, taking advantage of the contacts he made at Arnette and throughout the surfing industry. Complexity academic level This case was developed for use among undergraduate students in Entrepreneurship and Organizational Behavior courses. The case has been tested in class sizes between 8 and 30 students, but it can easily be used with larger groups. The case can also be adapted for online sessions with the use of breakout rooms.