011: How a Navy Seal went from Garage to SHARK TANK to Millions in Revenue – Eli Crane

Background on Eli Crane:

Eli Crane is the Founder and CEO of Bottle Breacher, a company that creates hand crafted 50 caliber bottle openers made by Military Veterans. As President of Bottle Breacher, Eli has grown Bottle Breacher’s annual revenue to over $5 million in 2015, applied for and received 7 patents, and Negotiated a partnership with Mark Cuban and Kevin O’Leary on ABC’s hit show Shark Tank.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

[1:08] He is the Founder and CEO of Bottle Breacher, veteran owned and made in the USA brand operating in Tucson, Arizona that specializes in personalized men gifts.
[1:18] Started the company in a garage in San Diego California with his wife, Jen.
[1:30] The company was featured on ABC’s hit show Shark Tank in 2014.
[1:39] They started with 5 employees and now they have 35-45 people working for the company.
[1:47] Their goal is to build the biggest, baddest, made in the USA brand in world.
[1:57] Forbes ranked them 13th in the top 25 military companies in the United States.
[2:18] After exiting military, they decided to start their business in Arizona because it has lesser regulations than California.
[3:30] “Successful entrepreneurs learn to look out failures in a completely different light.”
[3:48] He barely finished high school.
[4:11] It was always his dream to serve the country.
[4:32] He took Criminal Justice classes at Arizona Western College.
[4:40] He transferred to University of Arizona and took up Sociology.
[5:08] A week after the 9/11 incident, he left college for the Navy.
[5:25] His failure in Commanding Officer training became one of the biggest eye openers in his life.
[6:35] He got an opportunity to come back in CO training and became a Navy Seal in 2005.
[6:46] He spent 9 years as a Seal.
[6:54] “I don’t even have a business degree but what I do have is a PhD from the school of Hard Knocks.”
[9:08] The biggest enemy that an entrepreneur face is running out of capital.
[9:46] His little brother, who’s a Marine Corp helicopter pilot, brought him a generic 50 caliber bottle opener and that’s when it all started.
[10:56] He started buying dummy rounds online and personally work on it.
[11:10] Her wife Jen helped him market the product online.
[13:20] After getting featured in Shank Tank, their product orders increased tremendously that they were struggling with manufacturing.
[16:09] The only negative thing brought up about the product during their Shark Tank gig, was the political correctness aspect of whether or not people will buy it because it’s a bullet.
[19:10] He went in the show because he was looking for tactical partners.
[21:26] One of the biggest problems a company face is how to remain legitimate.
[23:38] Their mission is to support veterans and non-profits.
[24:27] “Being in “the made in the USA” company and supporting veterans and no-profits is a way for me to continue to serve.”
[26:00] His day to day job is to promote the company, come up with a new products and make sure the company continue to grow.
[26:42] “You better stay hungry, you better keep pushing forward and you better keep grinding because somebody will take it from you.”
[28:25] He learned how difficult it is to work with your spouse.
[29:38] It’s important to have a chain of command.
[32:22] “Follow the green and not the dream.”
[35:26] Right now, he is getting ready to be a contributor for Entrepreneur Magazine and just started writing his book.

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