Eric Watkins is the owner of The Fighter Store in, Morgantown, West Virginia – in Monongalia County.
Eric was raised in Morgantown since the age of 4 years old. At the age of 24 he decided to go to college at West Virginia University as an untraditional freshman, exactly 5 years late.
At the time Eric was training to be a professional fighter and had his first professional fight the first week of school.
Little did he know – but his life was about to change forever.
He is a serial entrepreneur and it really got started by winning The West Virginia Colligate Business Plan Competition in 2013 – and his first start-up – a designed driver business that was designed to flatten the bell curve for DUI arrest in Morgantown.
Today – as a Former Professional Fighter and Fight Promoter – Eric Watkins is currently creating an eBay type marketplace specifically for fighters to make money on – called The Fighter Store.
Like all great boxers – he also has a great nickname –
Eric “1 Armed Bandit” Watkins
SHOW NOTES:
- 3:11 Eric take a minute, fill in some gaps from that brief intro and give us a little behind the curtain look into your company.
- 5:41 How did you get started in the fighting and boxing arena?
- 8:19 What is your 30 second pitch for The Fighter Store?
- 10:48 How did you come up with the idea of entering this contest for entrepreneurial ideas?
- 14:20 Can you tell us what your idea was for the business plan competition in 2012?
- 14:59 What changed in your presentation for the competition in 2013?
- 16:58 What did you call your business after winning the competition in 2013?
- 17:55 What is one takeaway from that entrepreneurial venture coming out of the statewide business plan competition?
- 18:55 What made you decide to close that business?
- 21:21 What’s the worst business moment you’ve had so far?
- 23:10 Positively West Virginia Commercial Break
- 23:49 What is the long term vision for The Fighter Store?
- 24:45 How many fights did you have as a professional fighter?
- 25:06 Who was the biggest name you got in the ring with?
- 25:29 What was it like being knocked out by Roy Jones Jr.?
- 27:28 What’s one piece of advice you’d like to give to young entrepreneurs?
- 28:50 What’s one piece of advice for young entrepreneurs regarding their parents?
- 29:15 One thing you do everyday that contributes to your success?
- 30:04 Book or podcast to recommend to listeners?
- 31:05 How can our listeners learn more about your company and contact you?
- 32:16 Outro