The Rising Tidecast

Kelsey Barrett has spent eight years helping make Seakeeper a household name in boating, not by outspending the competition, but by out-thinking them. Branded trash cans at boat shows. Guerrilla marketing at boat ramps. A $60,000 AR headset experiment that did not work out and a leadership team that called it a learning, not a failure. I
 
Kelsey walks through what it actually looks like to build a category from scratch when your product is invisible, your competitors copy your campaigns, and your job is to make stabilization as obvious as air conditioning in a car. She gets into the naming challenge that came with launching Seakeeper Ride, why performance beats seasickness as a marketing message every time, and what it means to have a CEO who lets you spend and fail and figure it out.
 
If you work in marine marketing, run a brand that is trying to create its own category, or you are just curious how one team turned a gyroscopic stabilizer into a verb- this one is worth your time.
 



Connect With Steve Govel:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn
 
Connect with Kelsey Barrett
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn
 
Pick up a copy of "The Gondola's Awake": https://www.gondolabooks.com/

 
Takeaways:
Seakeeper has become for Gyro's what Kleenex is for tissues.
Marketing a new category means selling a future most people have not experienced yet.
Seakeeper Ride is harder to explain because its biggest differentiator has to be felt underway.
Pitch, roll, and yaw elimination may be technically impressive, but customers often understand comfort and performance faster.
Product demos matter more when the benefit is experiential instead of visual.
A hidden product needs stronger messaging because it cannot naturally appear in lifestyle content.
Boat builders can make or break awareness by how clearly they list, show, and talk about optional equipment.
A product that improves another brand's boat has to be marketed without insulting the boat itself.
Influencer partnerships work best when the creator understands their audience, their plan, and the brand's limits.
Good dealer content builds trust by showing real people, real process, and real expertise.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Kelsey Barrett and Seakeeper
01:42 Kelsey's Journey into the Boating Industry
05:28 Career Path and Transition to Seakeeper
09:24 Branding and Marketing Strategies at Seakeeper
13:04 Creating a New Category in the Marine Industry
16:37 Leadership Support and Marketing Freedom
20:28 Innovative Marketing Campaigns and Guerrilla Marketing Ideas
25:33 The Importance of Human Connection in Customer Support
26:11 Understanding Customer Needs and Marketing Strategies
27:03 Marketing Performance Over Seasickness
28:10 Pitch, Roll, and Yaw Elimination
30:00 Balancing Market Demands with Product Messaging
31:04 The Power of Demo Rides
32:22 Leveraging Influencers for Brand Growth
37:06 Qualities of Successful Influencer Partnerships
42:33 Challenges of Marketing an Invisible Product
47:38 Breaking into New Markets
50:28 The New Challenges in Boating
53:17 Lessons from Lake Boating
55:45 Overcoming Dealer Challenges
01:00:12 The Journey of Writing
01:07:07 Breaking the Mold
01:09:29 Embracing the Unexpected


Keywords:
Kelsey Barrett, Seakeeper, Seakeeper Ride, Rising Tidecast, Steve Govel, marine marketing, marine branding, boat stabilization, gyrostabilizer, gyro stabilization, boat stabilizers, brand strategy, creative marketing, experiential marketing, influencer marketing, boat builders, boat dealers, Barletta Boats, pontoon boats, marine industry, boating experience, boat comfort, boat performance, dealer content, brand awareness

Thinking about a new boat? The most important details usually aren't on the spec sheet. In this episode, Eric Sorensen breaks down what actually makes a boat safe, capable, and comfortable offshore, drawing on his years as a Coast Guard coxswain and Surfman, a Navy ship driver, and a marine design consultant who's run and compared boats across every category.
 
You'll learn the one sea trial move that can expose a dangerous boat before you buy it, why deadrise at the transom tells you almost nothing on its own, how to read a following sea on the way back to the inlet, and the small details (helm visibility, handhold placement, coaming height, reboarding access) that decide whether a bad moment stays minor or turns serious. Whether you're shopping for your next boat or just want to run the one you have more safely, this is a practical, no-fluff guide from someone who looks at boats more critically than almost anyone in the industry.


 
Connect With Steve Govel:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn
 
Connect with Eric Sorensen:
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn
 
Buy the Book:
Sorensen's Guide to Powerboats: How to Evaluate Design, Construction, and Performance
 
Takeaways:
The best sea trial test is a hard turn to tell you if it's a showstopper or not.
Deadrise matters when you look at how it's distributed along the hull, especially where wave impact lands.
A smaller, well-designed boat will out-run and out-handle a bigger badly-designed one.
Low-speed authority is a sign of good design. Viking is proof it's possible even on 40-knot boats.
More power is the best upgrade for handling offshore.
A real sea trial covers flat, chop, and nasty. You need to see the boat in what you'll actually run in.
Reboarding ladders that are too short, missing, or buried in the console are a life-or-death problem.
The best boat details are often the ones no brochure lists: toe-kick space, coaming height, continuous handholds at the right angle, among many others.
 
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:57 Eric Sorensen's Work in Marine Design
04:22 The RFP Process in Boat Building
06:28 Visibility and Ergonomics in Boat Design
09:33 Low-Speed Control and Better Boat Handling
12:43 Learning From the Best Boats in Every Category
15:07 Coast Guard Lessons for Recreational Boats
18:56 Workload, Fatigue and Helm Ergonomics
23:40 Deadrise Myths and What Really Matters
25:41 How Deadrise Distribution Changes the Ride
28:56 Choosing the Right Boat Size
30:45 Seaworthiness Beyond Capsize and Sinking
32:49 Haulover Inlet, Ladle Boats and Common Mistakes
37:41 Handling Breaking Waves Safely
40:48 Returning to Port in a Following Sea
44:10 What to Check on a Sea Trial
49:59 Getting on Plane and Trimming an Outboard
55:14 The Turn Test That Can Reveal a Dangerous Boat
58:21 How to Recognise a True Turn
01:01:09 Visibility and Reboarding Safety
01:02:47 Handholds, Coamings and Fall Prevention
01:07:41 Fixable Problems vs Real Boat Showstoppers
01:08:27 Rapid-Fire Questions
01:12:17 Upgrades and Improvements for the Boating Experience
01:15:49 Final Thoughts
 
Keywords:
Eric Sorensen, Sorensen Yachts, Ray Hunt Design, Coast Guard Surfman, Navy, boat buying, boat sea trial, offshore boating, boat safety, hull design, deadrise, boat handling, rough water boating, inlet safety, following seas, helm visibility, cockpit safety, boat ergonomics, boat maneuverability, marine design, seaworthiness, offshore boat tips

Billy Pavlock did not enter the marine industry through a traditional path. In this episode of Rising Tidecast, he shares how a college football background, a boat detailing business, and one Instagram page eventually led to Boats Gone Wild, Nautical Network, and Surroundings Group, which has one of the largest social media footprints in the marine industry.
Billy and Steve talk about proving the value of social media before the industry fully understood it, building trust through storytelling, scaling a team around culture, and why consistency and collaboration matter for marine brands today. They also explore how AI, content, and digital search are shaping the future of how people discover, research, and buy boats.

 
Connect With Steve Govel
Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn
 
Connect with Billy Pavlock
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn
 
 
Takeaways
A clear vision can carry a business through the stage where the proof has not fully arrived yet.
The value of digital marketing is in the proof, showing real leads, not just reach.
Storytelling gives a marine brand the foundation that everyday content can build on.
Consistent content matters more than waiting for the perfect shot, perfect weather, or perfect launch moment.
Collaboration helps marine brands reach beyond their existing audience and tap into new buyers.
A strong content strategy should make people understand who you are, what you do, and why it matters.
Culture is one of the biggest keys to building and keeping a strong creative team.
AI is already changing how people search, create, and make buying decisions in the marine industry.
Chapters
00:00 The Power of Storytelling in Marketing
01:58 From Detailing to Digital: The Journey Begins
05:03 Recognizing the Digital Opportunity in Boating
07:55 The Aha Moment: Realizing ROI from Social Media
10:20 Proving Value: The Importance of Free Work
13:06 Building Trust with Marine Brands
16:18 The Role of Team and Culture in Business Success
22:01 Navigating Challenges: The Importance of People
25:43 Finding Passionate Team Members
30:23 Transitioning to a Full-Service Agency
30:52 Building Industry Expertise
33:40 Expanding into New Verticals
35:46 The Power of Collaboration
37:56 The Importance of Brand Storytelling
41:02 Common Mistakes in Social Media Marketing
43:44 Leveraging Content for Sales
45:12 Creating Content on a Budget
46:58 The Role of AI in Content Creation
52:50 Strategies for Launching New Boat Brands
56:41 Advice for Marine Brand Marketers
 
Keywords
marine marketing, social media, boat industry, digital footprint, content creation, micro-communities, business growth, influencer marketing, luxury real estate, aviation marine industry, content marketing, brand storytelling, AI in marketing, social media strategy, influencer collaboration, boat brands, digital marketing, brand growth, content creation

Michele Goldsmith spent the past 35 years in the marine industry, doing great work from the ground up. Now, as VP and GM of Soundings Trade Only Group and founder of the Women in the Marine Industry International series, she's built one of the most unexpected success stories in the business. A personal passion project that started as a virtual breakfast in 2021 grew into 25 events, 5,500 registrants, global mentoring connections, and a walk across 15 countries.
In this episode, Michele shares what it really takes to build community from scratch in a small industry, why follow-through is one of the most underrated leadership skills, and what the first Women in the Marine Industry event taught her about human nature and unmet needs. We discuss values, bold storytelling, and why doing hard things, whether that's summiting Kilimanjaro or building a global mentoring program, shapes who you become.


Connect With Steve Govel:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn
 
Connect with Michele Goldsmith:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn

Women In The Marine Industry:
https://tradeonlytoday.com/women-in-the-industry/

One Plus One Mentoring Program 2026:
Registration is open until May 31, with the program running June 17 to June 26.
https://tradeonlytoday.com/women-in-the-industry-mentoring/
 
Takeaways:
Michele's father was great at ideas and terrible at follow-through. She became the follow-through person because she saw what that weakness cost.
The first Women in the Industry event in 2021 drew close to 400 women from 13 to 15 countries with a very engaged audience, which proved the need was real.
Only 2 to 3% of the marine industry workforce is women. The first international panel created something Michele hadn't even planned for: visible role models.
The One Plus One Mentoring Program has a 90% ongoing connection rate between mentors and mentees, and Michele hears more from the mentors about how much they valued it than from the mentees.
Her definition of great leadership, from a speaker she brought in: leverage and legacy - how many people you impact over how much time.
On content and bold storytelling: Don't just tell someone to run. Tell them why they need those Nike sneakers, and tell the stories of the people who wear them.
Chapters:
00:40 Introducing Michele Goldsmith
01:54 "You Have the Right Last Name. You've Got 30 Days."
03:52 Walking Boat Shows as the Only Woman in the Room
05:04 The Day She Stopped Being Her Father's Daughter
07:41 What Her Dad Taught Her About Follow-Through
08:32 People First, Client Second
09:56 Where the Women in the Industry Series Started
11:19 How a Virtual Breakfast in 2021 Became a Global Movement
15:12 25 Events, 5,500 Registrants, 15 Countries
17:36 The Global Women's Walk and Room to Read
19:06 Why the Energy Was Palpable Even on a Flat Screen
20:57 Creating Role Models Nobody Knew Were Missing
22:22 The Secret Sauce: Curating the Right People and Stories
24:37 The One Plus One Mentoring Program
25:10 Why Michele Built the Program She Wished She'd Had
26:21 How the Matching Works and Who the Mentors Are
29:41 A 90% Ongoing Connection Rate
32:25 Advice for Young Women Considering a Career in Marine
36:08 Why Values Are Non-Negotiable
37:54 Leadership Is Leverage and Legacy
39:18 Why She Started Trekking During COVID
41:31 Signing Up for Everest Base Camp With No Idea What She Was Getting Into
44:54 What Doing Hard Things Teaches You About Yourself
47:43 Lost on a Mountain Ridge, Listening to Miley Cyrus
50:55 What the Treks and the Mission Have in Common
52:42 What Soundings Trade Only Is and Why It Matters
56:30 How Trade Only Has Evolved and Where Media Is Going
57:33 Bold Storytelling Advice for Marine Brands
59:27 Don't Just Tell Them to Run -- Tell the Story of the Sneakers
01:00:36 Where to Follow Michele and Find Her Work
 
Keywords:
Michele Goldsmith, Soundings Trade Only, Soundings Trade Only Group, Trade Only Today, Women in the Marine Industry, Women in the Marine Industry International, One Plus One Mentoring Program, Global Women's Walk, Room to Read, Active Interest Media, Todd Enterprises, Darlene Briggs Marine Woman of the Year, Alan J. Friedman Leadership Award, Neptune Awards, marine industry, marine industry mentorship, women in marine, women in leadership, marine media, B2B marine publication, marine industry events, marine industry community, marine industry role models, Chris Carroll, Joan Maxwell, Mark Schwabaro, Tom Damrick, Eric Fetchko, Anya Denari, Gus Blakley, Brunswick, NMMA, Navico Group, Dometic, Suzuki, Grady-White, Metz Trade, IBEX, marine industry careers, follow-through leadership, leverage and legacy, servant leadership, Everest Base Camp, Kilimanjaro, Camino de Santiago, bold storytelling, brand storytelling, marine brand marketing, Rising Tidecast, Rising Tide Film, Steve Govel

In Episode 22 of the Rising Tidecast, Winn Willard, president of Ray Hunt Design, shares stories from his 50-year journey in the world of naval architecture. From his childhood on the water to working alongside the legendary Ray Hunt, starting Hunt yachts, and carrying on the Ray Hunt Design legacy, Winn provides a deep look into the evolution of boat design and the industry that has defined his life.
 
He reflects on the transition from the tedious, manual calculations of early ship design for the Navy to the creative freedom he found at Hunt Associates. He talks about the impact of the Deep V hull, explaining how Ray Hunt's intuitive approach changed power boating forever by allowing vessels to maintain high speeds in rough water. Throughout the episode, Winn's enduring passion for the craft of creating new things shines through, offering invaluable insights for boating enthusiasts and aspiring designers alike.
 
Connect With Steve Govel
Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn
 
Connect with Winn Willard
Website | LinkedIn | Facebook
 
Takeaways
Repetitive technical work can be the catalyst for seeking a more creative and personally fulfilling career.
Practical, hands-on experience in boatyards and running launches is essential for a well-rounded designer.
The Deep V hull revolutionized the industry by allowing boats to go fast in rough conditions without losing stability.
Successful marine design often relies as much on sharp intuition and practical experience as it does on formal engineering
Innovative designers must be uninhibited and willing to apply successful concepts across different types of vessels.
Seeing a tangible creation move from the drawing board to the water remains a primary source of career satisfaction.
The most impactful designs are those that eventually become the standard for the entire marine industry.
A genuine passion for the process of creation is the key to maintaining joy in a career for over fifty years.
Chapters
00:00 The Journey Begins: Winn Willard's Early Influences
02:47 From Naval Architecture to Design: A Career Path
05:35 The Evolution of the Deep V Hull: A Game Changer
08:30 Ray Hunt: The Creative Genius Behind the Designs
11:28 Innovative Designs: The Intersection of Function and Creativity
14:09 The Day-to-Day of a Boat Designer: Challenges and Rewards
17:06 Client Relationships: The Heart of Boat Design
20:05 Working with Grady White: A Longstanding Partnership
21:14 The Design Spiral and Client Collaboration
22:40 Aesthetics and Trends in Boat Design
24:50 The Future of Electric Boats
26:01 Timeless Principles in Naval Architecture
27:16 Advice for Aspiring Naval Architects
30:00 The Importance of a Good Running Hull
31:04 Challenges in Boat Design Requests
33:03 The Journey of Building a Boat Business
34:39 Sustaining a Design Legacy
37:02 Creativity in Design and Innovation
38:01 Rapid Fire Questions and Reflections