Episode 85: What 1,500 Skydives Can Teach You About Business with Stephen Holden, Holden Brand — commonsku Blog

Stephen Holden is the VP of Operations at Holden Brand. He attended St. Edward’s University but left in 2001 to set up a security software company with a few friends in Austin, TX. In 2005, Stephen sold the company to Symantec, where he managed the research analysis team. In 2007, Stephen joined the 2^nd generation family business, where he is responsible for new business development, trend spotting, and driving website traffic.

In this episode, we sit down with Stephen to talk, not only about the legacy sales at Holden and his experience at launching an e-commerce platform, but also how his adventurous life outside of work, fuels his entrepreneurial spirit. We also discuss:

• The creation and eventual sale of his security company to Symantec and how that experience prepared him for the promo world
• Moving into the family business and introducing an e-commerce platform
• How commonsku led to creating an open office environment that improved transparency, communication, and collaboration
• His unique passions outside of work and where his drive to live on the edge comes from
• Online sales and how Holden Brand stays competitive and profitable
• How legacy sales and online sales differ and yet compliment each other

Join us as we explore the adventurous and daring world of skydiving, motorcycles, and business risk!