Dan Levine + Original Watermen. Family. High Performance Leader & Supporting Lifeguards Far and Wide
Dan Levine is a long standing industry leader with an incredible backstory that brought him from the East Coast to the West as part of the strategic plan that he created… when he was 11.
From his days at The Gap under the iconic Mickey Drexler to REI, Hurley, RVCA, Skullcandy, Stance and other iconic brands in the surf and outdoor markets; he now operates the premier lifeguard outfitter brand, Original Watermen.
Dan’s passion for business, the ocean and for those that work in and on it, is crystal clear, and how he came to this point in his career (and his life) is an extraordinary story.
Time: 1:46
Nature/Nurture
Time: 1:19
Mickey Drexler
Time: 1:05
Gravity
Time: 1:50
Lifeguards
0:00 – “Waterman: Lifeguard Gear Innovators”
6:01 – Nature vs. Nurture Debate
11:24 – Intense Dinner Table Quizzing
17:42 – Balancing IQ and EQ
23:57 – Multi-Sport vs. Single Sport Debate
29:09 – Entrepreneurial Beginnings: High School to College
34:33 – Surprising Business Acumen Without Degree
38:25 – “Art Gallery Leap to California”
45:38 – Merchant Strategy and Leadership Dynamics
47:31 – Empowering First Day Experience
57:15 – “Business Peaks and Personal Passions”
1:00:18 – “Gap’s Dynamic Career Development”
1:07:59 – Surf Culture’s Impact on Traeger Grills
1:11:36 – Lost Career Paths in Surf Industry
1:18:29 – Recognizing Lifeguards as First Responders
1:22:07 – “Waterman: Striving for Best-In-Class”
1:24:27 – Round-the-Clock Clothing Solution
1:29:35 – “Lifeguard Project Podcast Highlight”