Boat Boy: The Scout Story of Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose

by Steve Potts

Overview

Hop aboard an adventure on the water with Steve Potts, a shy, South Carolina outlander who overcame outsider status, lack of education, and a series of monumental business setbacks to establish one of the most respected and innovative brands in the boating industry.

“Queer for boats” as a child, Potts dropped out of high school to navigate the boat-building universe with an abiding belief in tolerance and respect, sharpened by his early experiences with racism in the Deep South. Navigate the winds of fortune with him as he jettisons a successful management position to bootstrap his company, but not before it crashes on the rocks of misfortune so often that his exasperated wife advises him to give up. Propelled by his obsession with boats, his ethical principles and his refuse-to-fail attitude, Potts endures humiliation and catastrophic weather to steer his company to success, learning and sharing his life lessons along the way.

Even if you’re an inveterate landlubber, you’ll appreciate his water-borne humility as he absorbs lessons about what not to do before embarking on his own entrepreneurial adventure. Part memoir, part business primer, part hero’s journey, Boat Boy will have you alternately shaking your head, laughing, and taking notes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798887505879
Publisher:	Advantage Media Group, Inc.
Publication date:	07/01/2025
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Born in Connecticut to a submariner and stay-at-home mom, and shipped to the Deep South in the 1960s, STEVE POTTS learned early on how to navigate the shifting tides of personality types. Bitten by the boat-building bug outside Charleston, South Carolina at age fourteen, he neglected his studies and toiled at the trade, the only job he’s ever had. Working his way up in various manufacturing companies until he and his wife saved $50,000 and took a second mortgage to begin Scout Boats in 1989, Potts is slowly extracting himself from the business as the second generation takes over. He and his wife, Dianne, enjoy traveling the world and learning about other cultures, and then returning home to their children and grandchildren in Charleston, South Carolina.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Prologue

Chapter 1: Growing Up along the Coast
Chapter 2: “Why Don’t You Just Build a Better Boat?”
Chapter 3: Keelhauled
Chapter 4: A Barn Burner
Chapter 5: Build What’s Never Been Built … As Long As It’s Scout-Worthy
Chapter 6: The Kids Join the Team
Chapter 7: Going International and Digital
Chapter 8: Entrepreneur of the Year
Chapter 9: Considering the Future

Conclusion: Paying Off My Dad