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Founder·$8K+ Revenue In Two Months

Purple Wake Austin

Purple Wake started with me teaching friends how to wakesurf.

I eventually turned it into a real business by building the website, booking and payment systems, advertising, customer communication, camps, and everything behind the lessons.

Because I’m in school most of the year, I run Purple Wake primarily during the summer. Last summer, it brought in $8K+ in revenue in two months while I was also building TheEverlasting. Today, most new customers find me through search, reviews, and referrals.

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Purple Wake lesson options: surfing, foiling, and wakeboarding, from the Purple Wake website

From word of mouth to a business

Friends turned into friends of friends, and parents began asking me to teach their kids.

Once I decided to build Purple Wake into a real business, I created the website and booking system, started advertising, collected reviews, and created camps.

Google Ads helped bring in new customers early on. As reviews grew, Purple Wake began appearing near the top of local searches, and referrals started doing more of the work.

Now families I had never met reach out months ahead to get on my schedule.

The Purple Wake summer 2026 camp flyer
  1. BookingFamilies pick a lesson or camp online.
  2. PaymentPaid through Square, and the spot is locked in.
  3. CalendarIt lands on my schedule automatically.
  4. Email / waiverConfirmation, details, and a waiver once a season.
  5. Personal textA message from me before the day.
  6. Lesson / campOut on the water.
The Purple Wake Austin homepage: Ride the Perfect Wave
The homepage I designed and built.

What I’m most proud of

What I’m most proud of isn’t the website or the revenue. It’s the reputation I’ve built with families.

Parents trust me knowing that I’ll get their kids to try things they might not have been willing to try before while making them feel comfortable and confident doing it.

Some are genuinely disappointed when I leave for college because they want me there to teach their kids.

That trust is a big reason Purple Wake now grows through reviews and referrals.

What I run

  • Website
  • CRM
  • Booking
  • Payments
  • Advertising
  • Scheduling
  • Customer Communication
  • Camps
  • Helpers
  • On-Water Operations

I usually have two people helping me, and sometimes three, primarily with lessons and camps. I still run the business itself.

I also built a scalable CRM system that helps me stay connected with customers and maintain those relationships beyond a single lesson.

Purple Wake has taught me how much of a business can be systemized and which parts shouldn’t be.

A rider wakesurfing behind the Purple Wake boat
And yes, I still teach the lessons.

$8K+

Revenue in two months

6–62

Ages taught