While most people scoff at the thought of being 'a jack of all trades and a master of none', sometimes it pays off to go for versatility. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu expert, Hans Molenkamp, is an avid practitioner of Muay Thai, Boxing and Wrestling. He is also a prolific marketer, designer and photographer. Clearly, being a 'jack of all trades' has worked out just fine for him.
A resident of Oceanside, California, Hans worked as a manager at SurfRide Boat Shop between 1995 to 1998. For a year after that, he worked as a marketing director and apparel designer at XYZ Clothing, DC Shoes and Rap Logic. After gaining years of experience in this industry, Hans finally started his own company in 2005. Today, he is the CEO of Triumph United Equipment Company and an MMA Athletic Influencer Program Developer at Monster Energy and CbdMD.
A student of political science, Hans believes that he didn't choose this career route, it chose him! He says, "I never turn down work. When I am asked to do something, I just do it regardless of the turn out and eventually find a way to get the desired result. Today, I am able to add value to many people's private ventures and companies."
Hans categorizes himself as a modern 'brand builder'. He utilizes his skills in marketing and design to build online brands out of companies and athletes. He has successfully managed to build multiple million dollar companies and athletes. In 2018, Hans decided to build his own personal brand. How that came into being is also an interesting story as well.
Hans says, "After preaching to many of my clients (companies and athletes) about social media and how to use it to create and share content, I decided to push my own personal brand and build my own legacy." In just a year and a half, Hans grew his social media following from 8k to 90k. The engagement on his social media remains higher than ever.
Hans does not believe in buying likes and followers. He keeps a constant flow of solid content on his social profiles and that does the magic. He also has several celebrities as a part of his vast network. As said by Hans himself, "Your network is your net worth!" But even before social media was a rage, Hans created global skateboard tours which were covered by numerous publications and television networks.
In addition to creating these World Cup Skateboard events, Hans has created numerous brands of best-selling shoes, apparel and combat sports equipment. Not many know that he discovered and sponsored major athletes like Conor McGregor, Rampage Jackson, Kimbo Slice, Corey Duffel, Danny Way and Jaime O'brien before their rise to main stream success.
A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Hans offers daily advice and motivation on his Instagram to those who seek it. At the end of the day, the 41-year-old wants to inspire others to have a journey as remarkable as his.
