On Success & Happiness with Serial Entrepreneur & Inventor: James Crumb, Jr.

I had the pleasure of interviewing serial entrepreneur and inventor, James Crumb Jr. He combined his entrepreneurial skills and love for sports to create SportieCups, more than a symbol of sports teams, the cup is a symbol of freedom and the power of second chances. He has a background of many hardships that only made him stronger and ambitious. A man of faith, he knew that he was to lead the broken, the hopeless to success and employment no matter what their background is. SPORTIECUPS is designed to harness America’s love of sports and to build a foundation for employment for Americans still able to dream the American Dream. He wanted to instill in them “The Audacity of Hope”.

Can you tell us your journey that brought you to this particular career path?

I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve never felt content when employed in any capacity for other companies during those seasons in my life. My spirit is not at peace when there are limitations to income potential because I desire a certain quality of life. The other reason why I am in this career path is I’m most comfortable contributing to economic development and affording others to excel and reach beyond fair market employment and financial stability. Our companies aspire as a mission to bring economic development representing ethical principles of honest dealings, fair labor practices while providing a quality product for all of our customers.

What has been the most important part of your entire business journey?

Early on I was convinced it was having earned a seven-digit income. Then, there was a humbling season in my life when I was physically at my lowest, and it would have been easy to resign from the circumstances and lay down and play dead. However, I was maxing-out on the spiritual faith richter scale and my can-do spirit, entrepreneurial rhythms, and a vision of invention/innovation dominated my spirit. The invention of the SportieCups came to focus. Most rewarding feeling of accomplishment to date, our inaugural brand of products to market. Why a sports related beverage container? Sports have been a part of my life since youth, and I continue as an avid sports fan. Being a lifelong entrepreneur having owned several businesses, but I have always aspired/envisioned manufacturing and distributing Crumb’s brand of products to worldwide consumer markets.

What do you consider your biggest failure and what did it teach you?

Starting in 2004, I committed a wrongdoing that could of cost me my liberty. Humbling I add, I harbor deep remorse for poor decisions and it’s just been lately that through much prayer and the encouraging support of those closest to me that I actually came to terms with the fact, that if I’m to lead and be a winning example and my mission to, “lift up the least of us” that I can no longer be ashamed or reluctant to speak about the very experience of captivity; the principal instrument of our social policy that’s directed more harshly at some more than at others. My invaluable experience has strengthened my determination, it amazes onlookers at my ability to overcome extraordinary obstacles and meet each day with fresh optimism; continuing to dream and probe for greater accomplishments.

What has been your biggest A-HA moment?

My “a-ha” moment(s), what I have learned along the way is the many promises that come at a fee, the advice given at a grander fee are all methodically accomplishing the same goal — end game for their services solicited that I personally grind to do daily (minimized by paid -for-opinions) marketing our products. Creating a new exciting product category is the holy grail of what most companies are trying to achieve. No one wants to be just another me-too player in a highly crowded market. But, at the same time, creating a new or superior product category is not easy and many shy away from it, thinking it is not necessarily possible when building a successful company brand. Yes, it is hard. It is easier to follow the pack with an undifferentiated product strategy and copycat positioning. But you are only a me-too player slugging it out with a bunch of similar-looking companies and products. My philosophy is, “say what you mean and mean what you say’.

What drives you to keep going when the going gets tough?

It’s only tough until you do it… so like Nike says, “Just do it”. Foremost, our intentions are the same as our target distribution markets (College & Professional Sports). Winning. To quit is failing and failure is not an option. Creating a new product category allows us to set the ground-rules based on our key advantages. It is like creating a game that only you can win. Not only are you the first-mover, you get to define the path to take. Of course, it has to be truly unique and solve an important and unmet customer need. But, you are defining that need and offering up your product as not only a must have but truly exclusive. It allows you to say we have something so unique, and so new that we need to call it something completely different than everything else out there. SportieCups (smiling). Constantly refining our game plan keeps me going and our products are second to none in our market share.

What to you is non-negotiable?

My (our) INTEGRITY and SportieCups viability.

What’s your definition of happiness & success?

Would I be happy with billions of dollars in the bank? YES. Early in life this would be a defining moment. Most people measure their success by how much money they make or the people that they associate with. Today my true success is measured by how happy I am. I have many unmet goals that I gauge and measure my success and will give me a feeling of happiness for the accomplishment. The measure of my success and happiness goes far beyond the two metrics of money and power, and consists of four pillars: well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving. It’s my life’s purpose to “Lift Up the Least of Us”, and these four pillars that I use as my gauges are the ingredients necessary to put an explanation point on my happiness and success. Scripturally, according to The Holy Bible, that is how I will happily & successfully, “Leave an inheritance for my children, children’s children.”

For those inspired by your journey, how can they connect with you?

Facebook, Instagram @SportieCups and through my website at Crumbsventures.com