The Unintentional Entrepreneur with ElliptiGO Founder Bryan Pate

What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw

Bryan Pate was a runner who couldn't run anymore. Injuries forced him onto elliptical trainers but he grew weary of gym life. When he couldn't find an elliptical to ride outside, he and a partner invented one. His company, ElliptiGO, created a new category of elliptical and stand up bikes. Prior to founding ElliptiGO, he was a consultant at McKinsey, a military intelligence officer in the US Marine Corps, and a law clerk in the US District Court.

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw, Bryan talks about what drove him from Stanford University to serve as an intelligence officer in the US Marine Corps and to Columbia Law School. Coming from a family of lawyers, he broke tradition to start ElliptiGO.

What I Wish I Knew with Mike Irwin & Simon Daw...

Life and career rarely go to plan. Breakthroughs happen on the ragged edge when things aren't quite going as expected. What I Wish I Knew podcast hosts Mike Irwin and Simon Daw explore lessons learned by leading athletes, creators, entrepreneurs, leaders, and difference makers. They all have three things in common: none are perfect, all are humble, and they've learned a few things along the way. In What I Wish I Knew, they share their lessons with you.

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One of our mentors said there are three parts of a business life, well-lived: learn, earn, and return. Learn your craft, earn a living, and return what you know to those who follow. We believe life is a learning experience and we've benefitted from the insight of others. Through What I Wish I Knew, we highlight the voices of people with great stories to tell and valuable lessons to share.

Mike Irwin is an advisor, business strategist, entrepreneur, and writer. He served as global head of strategy, chief financial officer, and VP marketing at WD-40 and on boards of for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Through Bottle Rocket Advisors, he helps clients grow revenue, improve profitability, and scale-up. Simon Daw is a global commercial, innovation, and marketing expert. He's scaled B2B and B2C businesses across Europe and internationally, serving in commercial marketing leadership roles with Bel Fromageries, Kimberly-Clark, Tate & Lyle, WD-40, and Whitbread. He guides clients in developing competitive advantage and achieving step-change profitable growth.

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