Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristopher Studer.
Hi Kristopher, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Before 2020 I used to work for a big box store corporation at their warehouse in southern Utah. I was the head maintenance mechanic on the weekend night shift. I was there for about 10 years. The co-workers I worked with at that time had a lot of the same hobbies and interests as myself and each other. We would discuss ideas for starting our own business together.
We had several ideas like youtube off-road influencer stuff, writing a short book, buying a ship and becoming captains, and selling canned water. That water idea is one I regret not following through on to the end. Someone is doing what we talked about. It’s a bit of a bummer. Someone else started selling the water. Anyways, 2020 came and I lost my job. I was depressed, bitter, and angry about the whole situation.
As I was working on getting past the situation I was thinking about what I was going to do now. I knew I no longer wanted to work for someone else. During this time I got a new air compressor for airing up my tires after an off-road adventure. I wanted to hard mount this air compressor to my rig.
While I was looking into hard mounting my air compressor I ended up building a multi-tire inflate/deflate kit. I thought was pretty sweet. People were commenting on how cool it was and some started asking if I could build them one. I thought if people are wanting these and it was something to do with off-roading I think that maybe this was something to pursue. That’s what I did.
So, I reached out to several of the guys I used to work with and asked if they were still serious about starting an off-road business that we have discussed. They were onboard at the beginning. There were three of us at the beginning. Then they dropped out. One decided to pursue other interests in building gates and fences and the other just didn’t have the time to commit to starting a business, so they both resigned. It wasn’t a big deal I just had to change how things were getting accomplished now that I was solo.
I wasn’t going to let anything deter me from starting a business built around the hobbies I love to do. Off-road exploring and anything outdoors. Since then it has just been me trucking along. However, even though it is just me, I still have family and friends that have been a big help and support who help me out when they can.
Then there is my wife, Sarah, she has been my biggest supporter with everything to get Whoop Chicken expeditions where it is today. Working more than she should to help get Whoop Chicken expeditions off the ground. Without my Wife, family, and friends the business wouldn’t be where it is today. Growing and thriving.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has had its speed bumps here and there. All those speed bumps do slow the forward momentum, yet if you just give the throttle after those bumps you get back up the speed you need to be going to make the jump of success on the road of business life. Which is my thought process on the road of life. The bumps that have slowed me down are capital, learning new things, marketing, supplies, and time.
Like any business it needs capital. I used money from savings and sold my 1st Gen 4Runner to get the start-up phase going. Now we are looking into getting more capital to grow. I work a part-time job while working on getting the business up to speed. My wife works two jobs to help with my part-time job of mine. Being a solo person and to save money I have to find the time to learn and keep learning stuff like software, social media, how to sell, how to build the things I am making, business office stuff, and how to build a website.
Then there is marketing which is another thing to learn and its own creature of bumps to learn. It takes more than just an ad or word of mouth is great but also limited to the spread of the words, “hay check out our stuff.” We had supply issues with the pandemic finally catching up to some of our vendors. This was more of a blessed speed bump.
Ended up finding better parts to build the multi-tire kits with and I also took the time to learn how to sew my own bags for our products. Time… time. There was never enough at first until I found my groove on how to do everything I need to do. At first, I would work on one problem until I made it really great. Then move on to the next problem. This was just too slow of an approach. I now work in a faster circular pattern of making everything good.
I start with one thing, let’s say the website. I make it good enough instead of great for that point in time. Then I move on to the next problem. Like product R&D. Until I come back around to that first problem. I make it just enough better which would be considered really great from where it started.
In short, I work on one problem for only a day then move to the next problem the next day until I get back to the beginning. Before, was one problem that was worked on for like a week, so by the time I got back to the first problem it was like a month later. Time affected other parts of my life not just the business. Spending time with the family is shortened when I spend too much elsewhere working. A juggling act for sure.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Whoop Chicken expeditions, LLC?
Whoop Chicken expeditions. Is an off-road-oriented business. At this moment we specialize in multi-tire inflate/deflate kits. The Multi-tire i.d.k is the flagship product. The kit allows you to air down and air up your tires all at once. Save time and make it easier than squatting in front of a tire for about three minutes to air down then do that three more times. Now it will take one – three minutes to do all 4 tires at once.
There are some other companies that make similar kits, yet what separates our kit from other kits out there is our kit is modular by design. Let’s say you get a two-tire kit and then want to upgrade to a four-tire kit, with our kit is just an add-on air hose with air chucks. You would only be buying an add-on piece. For the other kits on the market, you would have to buy a completely new kit. This is just a starting product for the company.
I am currently developing a plug kit, for those that have to open the hood on their rig to connect an air compressor. With the plug kit, you will just plug your air compressor into the mounted plug connector on the front of your vehicle. One misconception people have in the off-road community is they believe we are just a company making multi-tire kits like our competitors that only do multi-tire kits. I will tell them that is not the case.
We will be building other products that have nothing to do with airing up. I am currently working on three more products. You will have to wait and see what that will be. Some fine-tuning before we show it off. We also will be doing guided overland trips within the United States and Internationally. Another thing to keep an eye out is for our shop where we will be installing off-road components onto customer rigs. We are hoping to have a shop by the end of 2023 to the beginning of 2024.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Besides my biggest supporter and one the hardest working women I know is my wife Sarah. Not only does she work, but she is right by my side helping me at the booth during off-road events we attend. My siblings and their families came out to show being supportive and showing up in their Whoop Chicken swag.
My mom and her support and help. She was the one who taught me how to sew my own bags when my supplier ran dry. My Dad for his willingness to always help at the booth during shows. My mother-in-law was very supportive and the best proofreader I got. My family also helped provide some capital to get the business rolling. My nieces and nephews think Uncle Kris’s Business is the coolest thing ever! They are always asking for more shirts. LOL.
My cousin Weston has his business Salt City Steel. He is always texting or calling to either ask how the business is going or for advice on something and anything that can help the growth of the business. Simeon my best bud. He is always coming over to help either help build tests, videos, or just anything that I need an extra set of hands to assist me with.
Steve with Desert Does It has been an inspiration for the growth of their business. Some really good friends and family have given great advice or great support. Rick my boss at my part-time job great advice and help on the how-to business side of things. So many friends and family have supported me and my endeavor. Thanks to everyone. All of their help means a lot to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: whoopchickenexpeditions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whoopchickenexpeditions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Whoopchickenexpeditions
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqZXNb4AoL_jwRTaDnf0Uqw
