With his ZZ Top-style beard and his trademark red, white and blue bandana, Willie Robertson doesn’t fit the image of your typical CEO.
But this self-described “redneck millionaire,” who owns and operates one of the most successful duck-call making businesses in America today, is also one of the best modern-day examples of the American dream come true.
Through his family run business Duck Commander, Robertson, along with his wife and business partner Korie, and the rest of the Robertson family, have cornered the market when it comes to products for duck hunters including duck calls, clothes and videos, while also branching out into deer hunting empire Buck Commander. Even their autobiography, The Duck Commander Family: How Faith, Family and Ducks Built a Dynasty, has been a smashing success for the bayou state’s favorite first family, selling more than a million copies and climbing to No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
The Robertsons have been so successful in their business ventures, their story has been turned into the mustsee reality show, “Duck Dynasty” — breaking several ratings records on both A&E and cable TV. Yet the Robertsons’ appeal isn’t merely about its colorful cast of camouflage-clad characters, but rather the dynamics of operating a thriving duck call and decoy business while staying true to their family values. Almost every episode of the show revolves around these family relationships that make the business work and ends with the family gathering around the dining table, sharing a meal and praying together.
The Robertsons’ lives are a familiar storyline for any family business struggling to make it in the world — and, for the Duck Commander Family, making the best duck call possible.
“We didn’t bring in a consultant from the Harvard Business School to create a business model or strategic plan for us,” Willie has stated. “In fact, very little of what we’ve done has been by the book, but I think we took some chances and risks over the years in our quest to make Duck Commander a success.” Even when facing insurmountable odds, the Robertsons’ faith, family and passion for duck hunting has helped them persevere.
“We’ve always thought that if we did what was morally and ethically right, while continuing to steadfastly believe in what we were doing, we’d be okay in the end,” Willie wrote in his book. “More than anything else, Duck Commander is about building solid products, fostering relationships that last, and treating our
employees like family.”
Read more in the May 2014 edition of the Business Magazine
