ANALOG X PAGNOL
Next up, the first rider to be featured for the 2nd time! But this time as an entrepreneur rider, Tony Prust from Analog Motorcycles with his well worn (bugs included! :) M1 jacket and M4 gloves.
Analog is not only a "custom bikes" business, but he also has some of the most tasteful, clean after market parts in the industry and apparel products, which makes him a full on entrepreneur dealing with production runs, shippings, online sales that include...you guessed it, Pagnol!
Check out his full gallery here featuring this latest simple but yet so so cool looking build shot by WhiplashRacingMedia.com
We talked to him about being an entrepreneur rider and here is what he had to say on our 2nd ever interview:
What did you do before becoming a full time motorcycles custom builder-designer?
I was a carpenter for several years prior to motorcycle building. The latter portion of my carpentry career was mostly high end finish carpentry like built-ins, staircases, mantels, etc. A lot of custom stuff until the market dropped out early 2000's. I have also dabbled in audio production and recording for several years on and off as a hobby.
I am sure some of this experience translated into the custom bikes and parts you do today! As my former career in the fashion biz in product development has helped big time to make what Pagnol is today.
What made you do the jump to have your own business?
I had my own business during much of my carpentry years as well. I guess you could say I prefer to work for myself as opposed to being told what to do. I typically get a vision for what needs to be done and then through mental process figure out the best way to achieve that vision. I tend to not like to change my path once it is set so it is just easier to work for myself ;-)
The spirit of freedom in moto riding I highly believe leads to freedom in our careers! So,...
What relationship do you see in being a Moto rider and business owner?
Well being a moto rider requires certain sets of skills that when working together can make you a better all around rider. The more you sharpen the different sets of skills the better the rider you become. For instance, some of the most successful Moto GP racers have extensive flat track and off road riding experience. I think owning your own business is the same way. I have a certain set of creative skills that have helped me achieve some pretty cool success but those skills don't make me a good business owner. So I have have had to sharpen a different set of skills to become a successful business owner like marketing, forecasting, etc. If you have some experience in multiple facets of business you can learn to sharpen different things and become a more successful business owner.
Pagnol as a moto gear brand is my 3d attempt at having my own brand! The other 2 times were not moto gear brands but "fashion" brands. One failed because of lack of funds, the other because of lack of sales! (Moto was not in fashion anymore). For the 3d time, I decided to focus on the passion part full on: Motorcycles, which made a HUGE difference, but also as you are saying, there were a couple of missing set of skills, business and marketing, which seemed boring, but I study them hard and now they are even fun!
But do you also think true Moto riders might have a fearless personality for doing their own biz?
I don't necessarily think true moto riders have a fearless personality. I think some of us just enjoy pushing limits and boundaries. Sometimes there is consequence and a lot of times there is reward. The more you push the limit on say a track day for instance the more confident you will become in your ability on the bike. That knowledge will help you adapt better when certain circumstance can come at you unexpectedly on the road. So I think the idea of pushing limits is what drives me to become a better business owner and the desire to succeed.