If the Kropfl family was on TV—again—they could call it “The Real Struggles of an OC Family Startup.”
Two years ago, Carson Kropfl became an overnight sensation after the then-11-year-old appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank” to promote Locker Board, a startup producing a small skateboard that fits into a school locker.
After a $65,000 investment from “Shark Tank” venture panelist Sir Richard Branson, Kropfl splashed across national media, and was nominated as a Business Journal “Innovator of the Year” award and named to its OC 500 in 2017.
He and his business are growing up.
Now a fledgling teen with the sheen of notoriety wearing off, Kropfl is grinding away at his San Clemente-based firm trying to balance two busy schedules: those of an entrepreneur and a soon-to-be high school student.
Carson said schoolmates may think “running a business is easy, but you have to get all these patents, make sure everything is right with the boards, and push it so you actually sell.” Overwhelming at times, “you have to keep on pushing.”
Kropfl handles Locker Board’s social media and marketing, meets with retailers, sets up in-store retail displays and leads new product development. He’s added public speaking—and of course there are those monthly calls with reps for his first big investor: Branson’s people in New York to discuss financials, strategy and legal issues.
Retail Sales
“Everyone is like ‘Oh you must be making millions,’” said Carrie Kropfl, Carson’s mom and the company’s only other employee. “You are just like, ‘You have no clue.’”
She handles much of the daily duties: scheduling meetings, paperwork, running the website and shipping orders.
Locker Board outsources graphic design and a few other tasks.
Dad and husband, Keith Kropfl, reviews financials and brainstorms with Carson. He dove in the first year, providing funding—and teaching Carson how to use the tools to make all the boards by hand—but is busy as a full-time commercial real estate broker and principal at Avison Young’s Irvine office.
The company signed PS Stix Skateboard Manufacturing in Costa Mesa to meet demand for the boards.
Locker Board has sold about a thousand skateboards at prices running $98 to $116 via its website, Amazon.com, local retailers including Jack’s Surf Shop in Dana Point and Huntington Beach, and Common Ground, a bike shop also in Huntington Beach.
Carrie said the company is self-supporting; Branson’s buy-in valued the company at about $325,000.
It’s working for wider distribution in a retail chain such as Irvine-based Tilly’s Inc. or Lynnwood, Wash.-based Zumiez.
“I expected it to be this hard, but yeah it’s a process,” Carson said.
He said connections with smaller retailers have opened doors.
“My goal is to have a locker board in every backpack and locker across America,” Carson said.
Cutting Class
At the end of the day, Carrie said, Carson’s the one people want to talk to. She said most people understand that he’s a kid chief executive and will work around his sometimes conflicting schedules, but if it’s one or the other, her son chooses work.
“If it’s Locker Board or something else, I’m just always going to choose being an entrepreneur,” he said.
Still, just after “Shark Tank” aired, the Kropfls tried homeschooling but Carrie said Carson’s too social for it.
“He was miserable,” she said.
Finance Major
Even if Carson misses class, he’s still getting an education.
The company made early miscues—working with people who didn’t do what they said they would or who wanted to use Carson or the company to get to Branson.
The kid learned quickly.
“He can size people up,” Carrie said. “We go into meetings, he tells me what he thinks and he is dead on.”
Branson’s the first choice for more funding, but Locker Board may look beyond for partnerships, as well.
Someone “strong in retail, to help grow the company,” said Carrie, including globally. “[Carson] has people all over the world following him [on social media] and we haven’t even tapped into those markets.”
