Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcus Sorensen.
Hi Marcus, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My career started in marketing while in college at Brigham Young University getting a degree in Business-Finance. Following that, I went to law school at Arizona State University. I graduated in 2007 and took a job in real estate/finance law in Denver, Colorado. Shortly thereafter, the great recession set in, and business at our firm slowed down substantially.
During this time, I made the hard decision that the practice of law was not for me. I left to start a pest control business and since then have been involved in several early-phase small businesses. I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of creating and growing a business and the opportunity it gives me every day to put my fingerprint on that business and its growth.
I currently am co-owner of two separate small businesses and enjoy all the ups and downs that come along with that.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
By no means has this been a smooth road. Starting a business from scratch is a TON of work and stress. We operate in a very competitive category (outdoor products and super coolers). As a result of this, we have to be very disciplined about how we market and grow our business. There have been hurdles all along the way with some of the biggest challenges we have faced being right now.
The supply chain troubles have been a very real challenge for our business as we manufacture most of our products overseas. During this time, we have seen shipping delays, record cost increases, and hiring difficulties. However, looking back all the challenges we have faced as a business has forced us to get better along the way. I have no doubt the current supply chain challenges will be no different.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My current primary business venture is Blue Coolers. We are an outdoor products brand that primarily specializes in heavy-duty super coolers. My business partner and I started Blue Coolers from scratch in late 2017. Until early 2019, it was just a side hustle as we tested out the concept. In April of 2019, we quit our jobs and committed 100% to grow Blue Coolers.
We started entirely as an eCommerce D2C business and in the past years, we have seen our B2B business grow very steadily to where it now represents about 50% of our total business. Our growth has been deliberate through this period as we have almost entirely self-funded our growth. During this time, we have been able to grow our business year over year by 275%, 418%, and 68% each year. We anticipate our business will continue to grow at a strong pace for the next several years to come as well.
An interesting side note, the entire process of us quitting our jobs and struggling through our first year of business (2019) was documented by a film crew and became part of an 8-part series on Discovery Channel called “I Quit” which aired in primetime in late 2020. That too was a very interesting and fun experience.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
We offer great products that we believe nearly every American can enjoy and put to use. The best way people can support us is by going to www.bluecoolers.com and buying one of our products. We also offer great customization options for businesses looking for employee gifts, customer incentives, etc.
Finally, we are always looking for opportunities to collaborate with like-minded companies especially companies in the outdoor/sporting goods space.
Pricing:
- Blue Coolers come in a variety of styles, colors, and options with prices ranging from $129.99-$450 (typically 35-40% less than the leading brand)
Contact Info:
- Email: marcus@bluecoolers.com
- Website: www.bluecoolers.com
- Instagram: @bluecoolersusa
- Facebook: @Blue Coolers
Image Credits
Jace Kelly and Lauren Whitney
