Did you enjoy making sandcastles as a kid? I bet you have some fond memories…and some not so fond. Let’s face it – sandcastles are way more of a pain than they should be. If only there was a way to make sandcastles bigger and better than ever while eliminating the hassle. Enter this week’s podcast guest, Kevin Lane! Episode #45 of the Wild Business Growth Podcast is HERE and features the inventor of Create A Castle – the product that’s revolutionizing the way families build sandcastles. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts / iTunes, Spotify, Overcast, and your other favorite audio platforms – subscribe and leave a 5-star review if you want to Create A Castle of your own!
What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?
Hear how entrepreneurs & innovators unleash creativity to grow bigger and better businesses. Hear from an exciting new guest every single Wednesday morning who’s turning wild ideas into wild growth. Guests include startup founders, product inventors, social media influencers, and much more. Hosted by our digital marketing dude Max Branstetter – that’s me!
Episode #45: Kevin Lane – Inventor of Create A Castle, Sandcastle Genius
Kevin Lane, the Sandcastle Genius, Web Developer, and Founder of Create A Castle joins the show to share his journey revolutionizing the way families build sandcastles and snowcastles. Kevin was introduced to me by my buddy Brendan O’Marra, who appeared on Episode 2 of the podcast and was friends with Kevin in high school. As soon as I checked out the Create A Castle website, I was intrigued. I had never seen a product like this before, and was blown away that Kevin thought of the idea on a beach and has totally changed his life to bring it to fruition. Kevin is one of the most creative, kind, imaginative, and hard-working leaders you’ll ever hear from (see picture below). This episode covers everything from how he came up with the idea for Create A Castle to the role 3D printing played in the invention. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- How Kevin first became an entrepreneur with his web design business, Code Hounds
- What it’s like doing market research at the beach
- How Kevin splits his time between Code Hounds and Create A Castle
- The creative inspiration that comes from sand sculptors
- How Create A Castle differs from traditional sandcastle molds
- Why listening to new music leads to new ideas
- How Create A Castle got featured on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan and has QVC up next
- The top GEICO commercials of all time
Connect with Kevin at CreateACastle.com, KLane@CreateACastle.com, and on social media.
Enjoy the show and create some castles! Check out the show notes and picture below for much more detail.
Show Notes
- Intro & Code Hounds
- [0:31] Email me at max@hippodirect.com for help starting and building your own podcast or with digital marketing
- [0:43] Connect with Kevin at CreateACastle.com, KLane@CreateACastle.com, and on social media
- [0:59] See Create A Castle on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan, QVC
- [1:21] Bud Light
- [1:31] Wild Business Growth Podcast Episode #2: Brendan O’Marra – Digital Marketing Director at Bic
- [1:55] Code Hounds
- [2:04] Kevin’s background (see picture of him at the warehouse below)
- [2:23] Green Mountain College
- [2:47] Digital Madness, Joey Neal
- [3:12] Internet.com
- [3:42] LifeCare
- [5:01] What does Code Hounds focus on
- [5:20] WordPress
- [5:29] Application Programming Interface (API), System Administrator (SysAdmin)
- [6:15] Kevin’s passions of art and tech
- Create A Castle
- [7:47] What is Create A Castle
- [8:47] Where did the idea come from
- [9:39] Ace Hardware, Laguna Beach
- [11:20] How to turn your idea into a business
- [12:22] Amazon
- [12:40] How Kevin designed the Create A Castle
- [12:55] Photoshop, Computer-aided design or Computer-aided drafting (CAD)
- [14:17] Taglines for Create A Castle
- [14:35] Create A Castle Instagram
- [14:56] Create A Castle products
- [15:15] LEGO
- [15:40] How to decide what products to offer
- [16:30] What it’s like doing market research at the beach
- [17:40] Experimenting with other substances to put in Create A Castle
- [18:54] Jell-O, Michael Scott
- [19:12] How Create A Castle got featured on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan and has QVC up next
- [21:26] Brigantine Beach Sand Castle Contest
- [22:05] iHeartRadio
- [22:11] Lisa Ascolese
- [23:22] Field of Dreams
- [23:47] How Kevin splits his time between Code Hounds and Create A Castle
- [25:00] Difference between designing a website and physical product
- [26:44] The role 3D printing played in the invention
- [27:02] MakerBot
- [28:23] The Home Depot
- [28:44] How is Create A Castle manufactured now
- [30:03] Struggling with your podcast? Email me at max@hippodirect.com for help starting and building your own podcast
- Inspiration & Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
- [30:41] What can you do to stay creative
- [31:00] Heidi’s Cake & Cookie Shop
- [31:33] Draw 50
- [32:16] Impact of Kevin’s childhood experience with castles
- [33:48] “Think like a child” Hippo Tip – thanks to Brendan O’Marra
- [34:01] Kevin’s favorite types of music
- [34:26] Spotify
- [35:48] The creative inspiration that comes from sand sculptors
- [36:04] Michelangelo
- [36:44] Where to watch sand sculptors
- [38:09] Top sand sculpting events: Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival, Neptune Festival, Siesta Key Crystal Classic
- [39:35] Quartz
- Wild Business Shoutout of the Week
- [40:10] GEICO
- [40:22] “Life’s a Beach” commercial
- [41:16] Caveman, Gecko, Hump Day
- [42:20] My Grandma Adele & Grandpa Henry
- [42:59] Maxwell the Pig, Squirrels, Spy
- [43:11] GEICO ads are made by The Martin Agency
- The Unusual: Pet Peeves, Quirks, and Weird Talents
- [43:45] Kevin’s biggest pet peeve
- [44:25] Bluetooth
- [44:38] Quirks
- [46:08] Weird talents
- [46:55] Agway
- [47:12] Brendan O’Marra’s woodworking
- [47:18] Immaculate High School
- Rapid-Fire Q&A
- [47:47] Game of Thrones
- [48:04] Harry Potter
- [48:09] Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
- [48:19] Kevin’s favorite bakery treat
- [48:46] Boogieboarding
- [48:50] Myrtle Beach
- [49:32] Connect with Kevin at CreateACastle.com, KLane@CreateACastle.com, and on social media
- [49:55] Kevin’s final thoughts
- [50:19] Subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes and more!
- [50:29] Check out the Hippo Direct Blog at HippoDirect.com/Blog for show notes, Favorite Books, and the Hippo Digest
- [50:33] Get your creative juices flowing with the Hippo Digest – your Weekly Recap of Creative Marketing
- [50:41] Connect with Hippo Direct on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube including #HippoTips
- [50:46] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn at @MaxBranstetter
- Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – Jungle Tribe – provided by Jamendo
How do I start a podcast?
How’d you like a podcast of your own? Email me at max@hippodirect.com with questions on any part of the podcasting process:
- Podcast Planning
- Podcast Production
- Podcast Promotion
- More!
If you’re interested, we’ll connect for a free 30-minute consultation and provide some helpful resources that have been instrumental in getting the Wild Business Growth Podcast up and rolling and connecting with high-quality guests. We love making your podcast the best it can be. Let your podcast Run Wild!
That’s all for the No-Hassle Castle!! Who’s building what next? Get pumped for a new rockstar guest every single Wednesday morning! Let us know any guests you’d like to see on the show and follow along for your favorite marketing tips, business tips, and podcasts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. You’ll especially enjoy this list of the favorite books of Wild Business Growth Podcast guests. Sign up for the Hippo Digest email newsletter for your Weekly Recap of Creative Marketing. Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!