This week’s conversation is with Bob Hurley, founder and chairman of the global apparel brand, Hurley.

Something I love about these Finding Mastery conversations is we get to learn from people at all stages, across unique fields of expertise.

And in this conversation we get to learn from someone who built a globally recognized brand, which was acquired by Nike in 2002.

Bob has made his work his play from the beginning.

He started as a surf shop kid in Huntington Beach, shaping surf boards before acquiring the license to Billabong USA in 1982.

In 1999, he started his own clothing brand embracing the spirit and creativity of youth.

Bob has a phenomenal story to share and he opens up about how he built Hurley into the company that it is today, what his process looks like for making big decisions, and why he has a burning desire to be around “magic.”

He remains deeply involved in company operations today, except when “product-testing” in Indo or Fiji.

“I want to be around magic – that’s my burning desire. To be around magic and gifted humans.”

In This Episode:

• Growing up as a citizen of the world, courtesy of the Air Force and loving living in Japan
• How living in Japan has influenced his adult life and taught him to welcome diversity
• Why Hurley decided to split from Billabong and run independent
• His process for making big decisions
• His spiritual framework
• His burning desire to be around magic
• Being heavily self critical and trying to accept himself
• How he came up with the name Hurley
• Why people choose to suffer
• It all comes down to… imagination
• How his mindset on what matters most has changed over the years