Going on ABC's "Shark Tank" is a big publicity event that can immediately supercharge your business.
But making a pitch in front of five celebrity investors can also be tremendously nerve-racking.
Tower Paddle Boards CEO Stephan Aarstol knows that, as he almost choked during his presentation on the show.
Still, Aarstol was able to land a deal with Mark Cuban, and the company took off. Now he works only five hours a day. More amazingly: He forces all his employees to keep that same schedule.
We recently caught up with Aarstol to hear his story ...
SEE ALSO: These superstar execs made more than $5 million selling business software last year
This is Stephan Aarstol, CEO of Tower Paddle Boards. His startup sells stand-up paddleboards.
Here's what a stand-up paddleboard looks like. It's basically a surfboard with paddles. Paddleboarding is one of the fastest growing water sports in the US.
Source: YouTube
Aarstol's company is doing well. It only has 11 employees but is on track to hit nearly $10 million in revenue this year. In 2014, it was among the fastest-growing private companies in San Diego.
Source: Tower Paddle Boards
See the rest of the story at Business Insider