Meet Shawn Koch | Entrepeneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shawn Koch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shawn, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I came from a family of entrepreneurs. My father owned his own business for 30+ years; my uncle has created three successful businesses in his life. Oddly enough, the small business, entrepreneur lifestyle was never something that I aspired to. Although, after going back to college, finishing my bachelor’s degree. I knew something was not right. I’ve never felt as though I’ve truly belonged in any job that I’ve had since college. I’ve had this idea since my early twenties to start an apparel business; but, never went much past the dinner conversation stage. Until last year in June; I finally decided and put my full weight behind creating the apparel business I had though about. But, I wanted this to be completely different from the other pop-up apparel companies on the internet. I started with two of the most important aspects of my business. First, I knew everything had to be made in America. Second, I’ve always wanted to help people; so, I tied all sales to various charities. As American’s, we all buy apparel, but none rarely find apparel that is made in the United States. I want to change this reliance on imported apparel and so I created Viking’s Secreto.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think my career all started in high school really. I began working for my father’s business at the age of 13. I use work lightly; since my father owned a constructions business, I did what I could till I was allowed to actually start construction work around 16. Working from such a young age, I learned quickly what work ethic was and how important it was. From high school, I jumped right into the working world. But, after two years of construction and manufacturing, I knew manual labor was not what I was looking for. So, I headed back to college, a feat that was not so simple, having graduated high school with a cool 2.0 GPA, barely enough to walk.

But, I continued to work and work in college; being able to study what I wanted helped me graduate college Magna Cum Laude with a 3.99 GPA. A stark turnaround from the goof-off school hater I was in high school. Completely changing my life by putting myself through college with straight A’s is one of the accomplishments I can be most proud of.

It was not easy getting to the point that I am at. When I went back to school, I took the first job that would hire a post-construction worker in an office setting. I was the mail room attendant for a payroll company. Starting at Colorado’s minimum wage, I took a $7/hour pay cut just to get into an office setting to learn all I could about office life. But, work I did; in fact, in under two years, I went from mail room clerk to account manager at said payroll company. But, after I graduated college, I wanted to move on. So, I started working for the National Park Service as a financial analyst. But, this was short lived. Fast forward to my current job, I manage payroll for a local healthcare staffing agency. Something I have done for over a year now. In less than three years, I went from minimum wage employment to manager of payroll; all due to my work ethic. What sets me apart is the fact that I do not give up, especially when it comes to work. I am usually the first one in and the last one out. Cause work is not just about work, it’s about learning all one can so that learning can reflect in other areas of my life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I were entertaining a friend visiting Colorado, I would start off by going to all the fantastic eateries we have in Parker. From Doug’s Day Diner to West Main Tap Room, we would definitely enjoy the best of Parker’s food! Being born and raised in Colorado, I avoid Denver now as it’s become far too crowded for my taste. So, we would head-up to the mountains. My favorite spot is Steamboat Springs (if you’ve never been to Steamboat Springs in Spring, correct that mistake quickly). I would show my friend the Strawberry Hot Springs, Back Door Grill, and the mountain coaster there in Steamboat.

Next, we would jump over to Glenwood Springs, another favorite of mine. We would stop by Iron Mountain Hot Springs for a quick soak after hiking Hanging Lake. Then hop over to Doc Holiday’s bar for a few drinks before heading to Smoke, an amazing BBQ place in the heart of Glenwood. Finally, we would work our way down from the mountains to hit a live show at the one and only Red Rocks. No trip in Colorado is complete until you’ve been to Red Rocks!

Some of the best places in Colorado are the roads less traveled. I am not a skier or snowboarder (I know, shocking), so I avoid all the crowds during busy season and head up to the mountains in the Fall and Spring time. Some of the most beautiful places and people are found in the little mom and pop shops along the road during this time. Truly, there is no place that I’ve been that can match the Rocky Mountains in the fall time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are five people that I would like to briefly thank. The first four are my family, my mother, father, and two older brothers. Without the love and support they showed me throughout my whole life, I know I would not be where I am today. Secondly, is my wonderful girlfriend Sacha Knoll. The love, grace, support, and kindness Sacha shows me each day gives me the strength and drive to start my business and continue to grow my dream. Thank you, Sacha, Christine, Daniel, Travis, and Aaron! For everything!

Website: https://vikingsecreto.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vikings_secreto/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090062347924

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@vikings_secreto?_t=8aOv2Ht8w0p&_r=1 Pinterest coming soon!

Image Credits
Pictures were taken by myself or my girlfriend Sacha Knoll.