We quickly became a truly global business with distribution in more than 60 countries and direct operations across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Most importantly, we were able to maintain our entrepreneurial culture—which was a big part of our success—as we grew revenue and EBITDA nearly 10x during the partnership with Seidler. I had a great management team, we all worked really hard, and we had a clear vision. It was great to have an investor that would help where we needed it—any time 24/7—but also left us alone to focus on what we knew best, such as our brand and product.
The fact that they didn’t encumber me with the usual handcuffs that often come from well-meaning financial partners was quite simply a CEO’s dream, and a huge factor in making the business so successful during our partnership.