SEBASTIAN — Life is but a dream paddling down the St. Sebastian River. It is the jewel in the crown that is Indian River County.
Kayaking around the gentle bends and tributaries, it could easily be the secluded, pristine Amazon, though businesses, homes and even busy roads are nestled out of view at the narrowest navigable section of the river.
Bald eagles soar overhead, their white heads and tails marking them majestically and clearly from the many other birds spotted on the journey.
Mullet do their best grand jetés from the water’s tranquil surface, which glints warm with sunlight. The canopy of trees keeps kayakers cool.
With alligators, turtles, manatees and dolphins among the wildlife, and orchids and other flowering plants along the shore, it is a photographer’s reverie.
For Steve Philipson, it literally is a dream. He is the owner of About Kayaks, and an entrepreneur of a number of other businesses that taught him success skills by lumps and triumphs in his 37 years in Indian River County.
He now teaches his children, and any other youngsters who will listen, how to skip the bumps and get to the triumphs: It all boils down to finding something you love and finding a way to do it for a living.
“I always dreamed of doing something with the natural environment,” said Philipson, whose business is located on the west side of Sebastian Municipal Airport, just across Roseland Road from the launch or return site for his kayaking customers: the unique Dale Wimbrow Park.
“The park is a centerpiece for [Indian River County] that really represents what we have to offer,” he said.
Practically on cue, skydivers float down from the clear blue sky over their landing site, airplanes circling after the drop and thrilling kayakers as they glide above the river on their return.
“I get to enjoy all this natural beauty and share it with others. I have always wanted to be a part of the environment, take care of it, be aware of it, and share that passion with others.”
It’s not as though Philipson is alone on the river, though he is the only company located at the St. Sebastian’s edge.
Many other companies do the same thing and much more, but from a distance.
They drop adventurers at various land and water locales, from the comprehensive offerings of Capt. Hiram’s to mom-and-pop operations.
Mike and Kristen Beck of the Florida Outdoor Center share Philipson’s love of nature and desire to share it with others.
“We pride ourselves in educating our guests and students,” said Kristin Beck, Florida Master Naturalist and Marine Biologist. “We love to play with a purpose, teaching about the local ecology and history as we have adventures.”
She is the president of Pelican Island Preservation Society, a board member of Citizens for the St. Sebastian Preserve State Park and the activity coordinator for the Friends of St. Sebastian River.
Mike Beck serves as the vice president of the Friends and Trail Keeper for the Florida Paddling Trails Association.
Mickey Capp, one of the owners of Capt. Hiram’s Resort and its water sports adventure center, where adventurers can arrange a trip on the St. Sebastian, launching right on the facility’s Indian River Lagoon shore.
“We want our guests to be able to do everything they want to do without leaving the resort, and if so, we want to provide that excursion as well if we can,” Capp said.
What sets Philipson apart from similar businesses is that kayaks and the St. Sebastian are the only things he does on the water.
But water adventuring is not all Philipson does, which leads him to entrepreneurial tip number two.
In addition to finding something you love, don’t make it the only thing you rely on for a living.
Another of Philipson’s businesses works in tandem with About Kayaks, and that is About Storage.
“It works well because it provides a more steady income to depend on, and the kayak business in turn supports that business,” he said. “I get very few customers coming in each day with the storage business . . . but when they do, they want someone to be here.”
Philipson solves the problem by manning the adjacent storage facility at the kayak business, forwarding calls to his cell phone if he does need to be gone for a few minutes, and an employee, Chris Davis, drives customers and kayaks to and from their launch and return sites.
Another business on site, All About Florida Plants, didn’t fare as well as the other two businesses.
Philipson took his lumps, but holds out hope for a future triumph should he get the right management team in place.
Philipson believes in people not only pursuing their passions, but in getting certified in the required skill or trade. He is certified to do many things, from teaching elementary school to insurance adjusting, but after making a living on his own – partially by kayaking the beautiful St. Sebastian River – he says he wouldn’t work for someone else again.
“I could always go back to my old job working in schools, but I never did,” said Philipson, who along the way picked up a small strip mall that he rents out to small businesses.
This conglomeration of business endeavors, though definitely not a 9 to 5 job, suits him better than anything, even being the boss somewhere else.
“I didn’t like the stress of having a bunch of people working under me. That’s why I prefer the small-business environment,” Philipson said. “It takes a lot of dedication to be a business owner. It’s not for the faint of heart. It really has to be something you absolutely have to do because you don’t want to do anything else.”
