A Walk on the Wilder Side
David Schricker, founder of Wilder Side, launched his business in February 2019 in Peoria IL. Wilder Side provides landing gear solutions to individuals participating in water sports, specifically kayaking. His retractable landing gear system helps get the watercraft from the land into the water faster and easier than other solutions while avoiding situations that scratch the hull or put the human body in awkward positions. His solution is perfect for the solo kayaker or those with physical challenges, a unique solution for a very common problem.
Entrepreneurship and outdoor sports are in his blood. Schricker is proud to follow in his father's footsteps, who turned a farm into a campground in Minnesota that later expanded to include a short nine golf course. Schricker grew up here and spent most of his summer working in the family business. In between mowing and emptying trash cans, he enjoyed fishing, waterskiing, and kayaking at the family campground. These moments ignited his passion for water recreation and helped him to identify a market segment to focus on later in life.
Schricker invented the Freedom Launcher, Wilder Sides’ signature product, which drives his business today, to provide customers with a solution to make the kayaking experience more enjoyable. “There were solutions, but they weren’t what I wanted,” he explained. “I wanted to deliver a solution that satisfied my needs with a heavy electrically powered watercraft, that would make that experience - from the land to the water- as easy as possible. The result was the Freedom Launcher.” Having a concept in mind that could be mass produced, in the spring of 2021 he ended his career at Caterpillar to commit full-time to perfecting his product. He began by clearing a workspace in half his garage and creating a prototype shop. After testing his product over many iterations at the Lacon marina, by the fall he was satisfied with the product performance. He exhibited the Freedom Launcher at a trade show the following spring, where he sold two products. The feedback and experience at the trade show encouraged him to continue and further develop the product. He applied for a patent in December 2021, which was granted June of this year.
With little social media presence and no budget for more trade shows, it took him 11 months to make another sale. Realizing he needed to boost his online presence, he attended a social media training course with Theresa Bloom, his mentor at the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Bradley. Based on this training, he created a social media strategy and began making YouTube videos to grow his presence and get the word out about the Freedom Launcher. Bloom reviewed his website and offered to connect him with an intern who assisted with making his website easier to navigate and have a professional image. As a result of the improved YouTube presence and improved website, Schricker began receiving no-contact orders. “I have customers who see my website and place a $700 order without even checking the legitimacy of my business, and that shows the results of the improvements,” Schricker said. “I was totally amazed!” Schricker shares that connecting with the Illinois SBDC network is like having a secure safety net. With each area of challenge he faced along the way, the Illinois SBDC has provided a solution. “At that time, it was the help I needed, and now I’m at a different level in the business due to that assistance. The connection to the entire Illinois SBDC network- If I hit an obstacle- I know where to go,” Schricker shares.
Around the same time, he was contacted by an interested customer from California. The customer had injured himself using the competition and sought a better solution. Wilder Side listened to the customer's needs and circumstances and created a customized solution for him. As a result of one happy customer and the videos that resulted, the business began to take off again. Schricker reached out to his clients to ask them to complete a Google Review to help his business gain traction and within 24 hours Wilder Side had five 5-star reviews from happy customers showing off images of them with his products from across the nation.
Since then, he has sold products across several US states and exported to three continents. He recently had his first female customer, expanding his reach. His branding has been trademarked. Schricker attended a national tradeshow in July to begin developing a B2B structure to secure retail partnerships to take Wilder Side to the next level. Combining B2B sales with the consistent flow of online business will satisfy his thirst for continued growth.
His favorite part of launching Wilder Side is hearing his clients' stories, and he takes pride in the idea that he is adding more quality to their lives. “It’s beyond the money- it’s a passion to take me back to my roots- personal fulfillment and knowing I'm using my talents and abilities to help others enjoy the sport they love,” Schricker said.
Contact Info: https://www.wilderside.life | (309) 220-3947
