Mike Ragsdale and his family moved from Birmingham, Alabama, to Florida’s 30a area in 2006. Within a few years, he created the 30A lifestyle brand, the 30A Company, and 30a.com, one of the nation’s most popular lifestyle brands. I sat down with Mike at his bayside home to record this Southern Americana podcast episode in late June.
The iconic 30A sticker is seen nationally and internationally. (30a.com)
A product of Cullman, Alabama, Mike attended college at Auburn University and the University of Alabama. In fact, he met his wife Angela on a blind date in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Armed with a B.S. in communications and a master’s degree from Alabama, Mike dreamed of forging a path in the advertising world. Although the guy who created the iconic 30A lifestyle brand seems every bit the “laid-back beach dude” we envision, Mike downplays the label. The difference between him and others with similar beach vibes is that he had the courage to engage in the lifestyle he dreamed of. However, the journey is sprinkled with failure and success.
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His earliest venture involved a pitch he sent to AOL in the early 1990s. The company liked the idea, ultimately deciding to invest $150,000 for a 20 percent stake. Along with two of his best childhood friends, they grew the company to around 70 employees before selling in 2000. Mike compares his seven-year success to “hitting a home run your first time at the plate.”
Armed with a larger bank account, Mike worked as a corporate marketing executive before investing in other start-up ventures, including a restaurant and fitness business. Unfortunately, the next decade wasn’t so successful. According to Mike, his “false sense and an inflated ego” didn’t produce the results he experienced with his first company.
The family’s first idea was to move abroad. Frustrated by her parent’s talk of relocating, one of their daughters told them they would never act on their dreams. In 2006, Mike and Angela, along with their growing family, took a leap of faith by deciding to move to the 30A area. Mike also thought blogging about their experiences would be therapeutic. A year after moving, Mike purchased the 30a.com URL. In 2008 he came up with the idea to produce the 30A sticker we know and love. After the website began attracting the attention of locals, realtors and other business owners inquired about advertising on the site.
Mike and Angela Ragsdale enjoy an afternoon on the beach in their restored Land Rover, Truman. (AL.com/2020)
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To help pay the bills and fund his desire to pen the next beach-themed best-selling novel, Mike consulted for a couple of companies. When those gigs ended around 2011, he realized the time was right to build the 30A brand. As the saying goes, the rest is history.
“What I’ve told my children, and I try to tell myself because I’m really my biggest patient, is this beach happy lifestyle is a facade,” explained Mike. “I am the biggest proponent of it, but it’s because I need it. I’m not the laid-back beach guy I want to be. It’s the fake-it-until-you-make-it guy in the world. I’ve got as many problems as anyone. The difference is I try to practice what you preach. My wife has to remind me of that all the time.”
Today, an estimated three million or more of the blue and yellow 30A stickers are scattered throughout the country and abroad. Outside of the company’s three retail locations, other concepts include 30A Radio, Beach Happy apparel, and magazine, along with 30A beer, wine, and canned cocktails.
It’s not surprising that Mike remains bullish about 30A’s future. “30A is a really a small town. I believe people move here for our incredible lifestyle.”
Listen to this Southern Americana podcast episode as Mike discusses his path to Florida’s Emerald Coast and the bumps and bruises he endured before hitting it big on 30A.