John Hellweg was a normal homeschool guy who had a big vision: start a company. Everyone knows homeschoolers are great at academics, but what about being “cool?” Or, what’s even more dubious, what about building and running a company that makes its bread and butter on being totally awsome?
John was about eighteen years old when he founded Wakeside.com with his father. They took some big risks, like a second mortgage on their house. Building the company was a long, arduous task, and took time away from other activities, such as sleep and college. Mark took the college route, and would prove his talents in the company later on.
I met John’s brother Mark, a bright young sophomore at Patrick Henry College, when I arrived in Purcellville, Virginia as a freshman. This school was a place where 98% of the student body was homeschooled. We had a lot of fun, but I am afraid to say that we were a little too eager to prove that we were not like “the others.” But hey, what young male in the prime of life could resist that agonizing itch? That virulent urge to be different at a place where you were all the same, and all homeschooled? It was beyond me. And I was not alone. We both ended up leaving PHC that year with outstanding academic records, of course (…and no police records).
I reaquainted myself with Mark in my junior year at Hillsdale College, when Mark transferred there after taking a year to work for Wakeside. Mark has been one of my best friends since that time, and we graduated from Hillsdale together.
After getting his degree, Mark joined his brother’s company again as the director of finance. He also got married to a beatiful woman and has a beautiful baby girl.
If you want to meet some cool, bright, entrepreneurial people who haven’t wasted their youth playing video games and doing drugs, you will want to hang out with homeschoolers like John and Mark Hellweg, and the rest of their family.
Go to www.wakeside.com to see this incredible Web site, straight from the minds of homeschoolers. Buy some great towers, incredible boards, and if you are a female rider (and you’re tired of all the boarding stuff being made for guys) you need to check out the section made exclusively for you.
Don’t wakeboard? Then maybe you snowboard and you can see their new Web site, www.TruSnow.com. If you don’t do any of these things, well, you’re a big loser!
Finally, I am a happy customer, not just a friend trying to bring business to another friend. I bought my Nixon rotolog watch (see photo in bamboo wood, check out the walnut also) at Wakeside.com and it was a great experience. They send you little handwritten notes from the guy or girl who packaged the thing. Very cool.
Wakeside.com is beyond cool. What’s cooler than being cool? ICE COLD. No, really. How about being real? Wakeside customer service is out of this world, fusing local-feeling, boutique service with the power of the Internet. Check out the ingenuity of homeschoolers at Wakeside.com.
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