The Conscious Entrepreneur is the podcast where founders come to sharpen their edge from the inside out - building businesses that are sustainable, aligned, and actually work for their life. It’s about becoming the kind of leader your business needs you to be, and doing it with clarity, connection, and purpose.
We don’t buy into hustle culture. And burnout? It’s not a badge of honor. Here, we believe thriving businesses are built by thriving people.
Hosted by Sarah Lockwood, The Conscious Entrepreneur is where growth starts within.
All content for The Conscious Entrepreneur is the property of Alex Raymond and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
The Conscious Entrepreneur is the podcast where founders come to sharpen their edge from the inside out - building businesses that are sustainable, aligned, and actually work for their life. It’s about becoming the kind of leader your business needs you to be, and doing it with clarity, connection, and purpose.
We don’t buy into hustle culture. And burnout? It’s not a badge of honor. Here, we believe thriving businesses are built by thriving people.
Hosted by Sarah Lockwood, The Conscious Entrepreneur is where growth starts within.
EP 109: Bootstrapped, Purpose-Driven, and On Fire: The Product Invention of LavaBox
The Conscious Entrepreneur
37 minutes
4 weeks ago
EP 109: Bootstrapped, Purpose-Driven, and On Fire: The Product Invention of LavaBox
Born on whitewater, built in an ammo can, Lavabox is Josh Thurmond’s proof that instinct and grit can power a bootstrapped business that gives back and keeps rivers wild.
What does it take to move from a design patent invention built in your garage to a product company trusted by tens of thousands? How do entrepreneurs balance protecting profits with opportunities for scale? And why might wellbeing and values be just as important as growth when inventing a new product and leading a business?
Josh shares how his background as a river guide shaped his entrepreneurship—reading the rapids, trusting instincts, and steering through uncertainty with purpose. He explains why he turned down multi-million-dollar deals, chose to stay 100% independent, and built Lavabox around authenticity, customer input, and community impact.
This episode offers a candid look at the entrepreneurship of product companies, what it really takes to bootstrap from idea to invention while protecting both your business and your wellbeing.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Josh Thurmond and LavaBox
03:16 The Birth of a Design Patent Invention
06:19 Patent Challenges and Market Strategy
10:25 Turning Down Multi-Million Dollar Deals
14:10 Bootstrapping and Financing a Product Company
19:00 Building a Lifestyle Brand and Company Culture
26:11 Giving Back Through Protect Our Rivers
27:46 Resilience and Advice for Entrepreneurs
Links
Connect with Josh Thurmond:
Connect with Josh on LinkedIn
Visit LavaBox Portable Campfire
Connect with Sarah Lockwood:
Visit HiveCast
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:
The Conscious Entrepreneur
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn
Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram
Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube
HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
The Conscious Entrepreneur
The Conscious Entrepreneur is the podcast where founders come to sharpen their edge from the inside out - building businesses that are sustainable, aligned, and actually work for their life. It’s about becoming the kind of leader your business needs you to be, and doing it with clarity, connection, and purpose.
We don’t buy into hustle culture. And burnout? It’s not a badge of honor. Here, we believe thriving businesses are built by thriving people.
Hosted by Sarah Lockwood, The Conscious Entrepreneur is where growth starts within.
