Stephan Aarstol
Stephan Aarstol | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Education | Western Washington University University of San Diego |
| Occupations | Entrepreneur, author |
| Known for | The Five Hour Workday |
| Website | www fivehourworkday |
Stephan Aarstol is an American internet entrepreneur and author of the book The Five Hour Workday.
Life and early career
[edit] | This section needs more citations. (March 2026) |
Aarstol grew up in Bellingham, Washington. He graduated from Western Washington University's College of Business and Economics in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts in Finance, Marketing and Decision Sciences.[1] In September 1999, Aarstol developed a web portal for the medical imaging community. In 2003, he launched a venture producing and selling high-end poker chips. Aarstol quit his day job the following year, by which time his venture was generating $50,000 per month.
Tower Paddle Boards
[edit]Aarstol founded Tower Paddle Boards in 2010. Aarstol pitched his business on Shark Tank in 2011. Mark Cuban made an offer and invested $150,000 for a 30% stake in Aarstol's company.[2] In 2013 and 2018, Aarstol was featured as one of Shark Tank's biggest winners by People Magazine.[3][4] In addition to selling beach products, Aarstol is also the Editor-in-Chief of Tower Life Magazine,[5] a biweekly publication that discusses beach lifestyle.[6]
His company, was ranked San Diego's number one fastest growing private company in 2014.[7] Jeff Bezos' 2015 annual letter to stockholders singles out Aarstol and his company.[8] Aarstol was featured on ABC's Beyond the Tank in January 2016.[9]
In November 2016, Harvard Business School professor Thales S. Teixeira published a case study on Aarstol and Tower Paddle Boards titled "Selling on Amazon at Tower Paddle Boards".[10]
In 2018, Aarstol launched the No Middleman Project, an online directory promoting direct-to-consumer retail models. The project was described by Inc. as part of a broader movement to reduce reliance on third-party marketplaces.[11]
The Five Hour Workday
[edit]In June 2016, Aarstol published The Five Hour Workday, a book about switching his company to a five-hour workday and the benefits this change yielded in productivity.[12]
References
[edit]- ↑ "College of Business and Economics welcomes alumni entrepreneurs for community event, April 22". Western Washington University. March 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Shark Tank Season 3, Episode 9". ABC. March 16, 2012.
- ↑ "Shark Tank's Biggest Winners". People Magazine. November 11, 2013.
- ↑ "The Stories Behind Shark Tank's Most Successful Products Ever — and How Much They're Worth Now!". People Magazine. November 25, 2018.
- ↑ "Stephan Aarstol's articles | Inc.com". www.inc.com. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ↑ "Tower Paddle Boards surfs to $30M in sales after 'Shark Tank'". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ↑ "Tower Paddle Boards Ranked #1 Fasted Growing Private Company in San Diego". San Diego Business Journal Online. San Diego Business Journal. July 14, 2014.
- ↑ "Jeff Bezos' 2015 Annual Letter to Stockholders". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. April 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Shark Tank – Beyond the Tank – Season 2, Episode 5". ABC. January 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Selling on Amazon at Tower Paddle Boards". Harvard Business School. November 2016.
- ↑ "Shark Tank Winner Launches No Middleman Direct-to-Consumer Directory". Inc. June 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ↑ "The case for a five-hour working day". Financial Times.