Alex de Boer, an entrepreneur in the triathlon industry, began his journey selling wetsuits at triathlon events and eventually secured a license with Ironman, building it into Europe's leading wetsuit brand. After Ironman sold the license, he founded his own brand, De Boer, which focuses on high-end, innovative wetsuits and swimwear for triathletes and swimmers. Emphasising customer relationships and empowerment, Alex's story highlights the importance of seizing opportunities and following one's passion. De Boer, driven by a commitment to making athletes faster in the water, started with Jan Frodeno's endorsement of the Fjord 1.0 wetsuit. The brand has since partnered with top athletes like Daniela Ryf and Ben Kanute and aims to be one of the top swim brands globally. Takeaways - Seize opportunities and take risks in entrepreneurship - Building relationships with customers is crucial - Allow customers to make their own decisions - Passion for innovation drive success of De Boer wetsuits to fulfil their mission of making athletes faster in the water. - Partnerships with top athletes have helped drive product improvements. - The company is expanding into the swimwear market. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:48 The Journey from Selling Wetsuits to Building a Brand 11:19 The Power of Seizing Opportunities 16:08 Passion and Innovation: Keys to Success in the Wetsuit Business 28:07 Recognizing a Gap in the Market 33:53 Creating the De Boer Brand 39:18 Aiming for Olympic Gold in 2028 PILLAR Performance Shop online: https://pillarperformance.shop/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pillarperformance_/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pillarperformance STRAVA: https://www.strava.com/clubs/1108245 Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pillarperformance De Boer https://deboerwetsuits.com/ https://www.instagram.com/deboerswim/