We recently had the chance to connect with Josh Schieffer and have shared our conversation below.
Josh, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Before sunrise, I’m scanning the surf forecast and cloud cover to see if my water camera will join my board. If the swell’s flat, I pivot — checking the wind for fishing or the water clarity for an inshore spearfishing session. The dog gets breakfast, I fuel up on strong coffee, and lean into my most creative hours. From there, it’s either saltwater or straight into the day’s grind.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
For the past 16 years, I’ve built and run a variety of businesses. Recently, we consolidated them all into Mad Pelican Marketing. I’m the co-founder and an advisor, while my son and a crew of skilled freelancers handle the day-to-day. Being minutes from the Atlantic, most of our clients share a connection to the coast — and we know how to create marketing that speaks their language, from sharp visuals to strategies that deliver results.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Sixteen years ago, the country was in a recession and I was working 70-hour weeks for a company that wanted to relocate my family to a place we didn’t want to be. I felt trapped — and like I had failed because I had no real options. I’d always believed in having a diversified portfolio for retirement, but that experience made me realize I needed multiple income streams right away to avoid ever being in that position again. That decision set me on the path to building my own businesses.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I grew up in Los Angeles in a split home, usually raised by one parent at a time, with family drifting in and out. My parents were consumed with their own failed and new relationships, so I was often an afterthought. I was wild, didn’t like authority, and coasted through school as a D student. The only expectation was to graduate and get out of the house. Deep down, I knew if I failed in life, it would just prove them right — and that thought lit a fire in me to chase goals I never thought were possible.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
In Pender County, over 50% of children don’t know how to swim. We have no public pools, and many families here live on low incomes, making lessons out of reach. Through Waterman’s Warehouse, we worked to change that — funding and running programs to get kids in the water safely. When we dissolved the business, we gave everything to the local YMCA, and I joined their board. We still don’t have a learn-to-swim program in Pender County, and I’m committed to bringing one here, no matter how long it takes.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
I’m tap dancing when our clients hit big wins — like an author making the bestseller list or a business landing a major account. The kind of successes where they reach out just to say thank you. Those moments matter because we know we’ve played a part in their progress. Their growth fuels ours, and the better they do, the more we can achieve together. At the core, our goal is simple: happy clients. It may sound cliché, but it’s the compass we follow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://madpelicanmarketing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madpelicanmarketing/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mad-pelican-marketing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Mad-Pelican-Marketing-61578683950155/
- Other: https://www.joshschieffer.com/
Image Credits
All images have been taken by me Josh Schieffer. They highlight some of our client work.
