When the cramped confines of a college dorm room sparked a flash of innovation, Steele Shumway and Isaac Ballew didn't just see walls; they saw opportunities. Today's guests, the dynamic duo behind Outback Dummy Company, bring us an engaging narrative of their journey from necessity-driven inventors to emerging stars of the rodeo practice equipment scene. Their collapsible roping dummy, a marvel of PVC and wood, isn't just revolutionizing the way athletes train—it's a testament to the power of creativity when space and budget are tight. Listen in and be inspired by how these two enterprising college students lassoed their dreams and turned a personal pain point into a game-changing solution for rodeo enthusiasts.
Instagram:
@outbackdummyco
https://www.instagram.com/outbackdummyco?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
@steele_shumway
https://www.instagram.com/steele_shumway?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
@isaac.ballew
https://www.instagram.com/isaac.ballew?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Shoutout to:
Steele Shumway
The Shumway Family
Isaac Ballew
The Ballew Family
Outback Dummy Company
Alter Ego Ambassador: https://alteregorunning.com/
Miles & Mountains Promo Code: MMyr2
When the cramped confines of a college dorm room sparked a flash of innovation, Steele Shumway and Isaac Ballew didn't just see walls; they saw opportunities. Today's guests, the dynamic duo behind Outback Dummy Company, bring us an engaging narrative of their journey from necessity-driven inventors to emerging stars of the rodeo practice equipment scene. Their collapsible roping dummy, a marvel of PVC and wood, isn't just revolutionizing the way athletes train—it's a testament to the power of creativity when space and budget are tight. Listen in and be inspired by how these two enterprising college students lassoed their dreams and turned a personal pain point into a game-changing solution for rodeo enthusiasts.
Instagram:
@outbackdummyco
https://www.instagram.com/outbackdummyco?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
@steele_shumway
https://www.instagram.com/steele_shumway?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
@isaac.ballew
https://www.instagram.com/isaac.ballew?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Shoutout to:
Steele Shumway
The Shumway Family
Isaac Ballew
The Ballew Family
Outback Dummy Company
Alter Ego Ambassador: https://alteregorunning.com/
Miles & Mountains Promo Code: MMyr2
Steel Shumway and Isaac Ballou of Outback Dummy Company. How?
Speaker 3:are you? That's great Good. How are?
Speaker 1:you doing. Doing pretty good. Steel. It's good to see you again, man. You were here early October, mid-October, but you're. You're here because something came up. What would you call it? We ran into a problem. Yes, yes a problem a problem yes, now, it's not a problem if it's a good one, though yes, no, we.
Speaker 3:We wanted to be able to rope at college and practice our skills and obviously dorm rooms aren't very big anyways, so we wanted to go buy one. Well, there's not very many dummies out there that are not bulky or like take up a bunch of room and they're. They're super expensive, as you. You, as you, probably know. They're 300 to 500 dollars and as college students, we really can't afford to go buy a 300 to 500 dollar dummy right and so we were like, well, let's try to make one.
Speaker 3:Well, it turned out to be, we end up making one for 75 dollars and we were like, wow, this is, this is something that we could maybe possibly turn into a business. And we were kind of just lingering around with it because we were just really roping the dummy. And we were excited to be able to rope a dummy at college which GCU is not really known for, a Western college, and so it's kind of cool just to go rope a dummy and be able to practice your skills. And then all of a sudden it just kind of took off and here we are now trying to create a company out of it.
Speaker 1:Now roping indoors, or can you rope outdoors as well?
Speaker 3:Roping outdoors right now just because you know beautiful weather of Arizona. It's 70 degrees outside.
Speaker 1:Lucky, lucky. It's like 30. It's about to storm like crazy up here, maybe today or something Today tomorrow, and then rain for the following days. Yes, yeah. So why Outback Dummy Company man?
Speaker 2:As far as the name, yeah, there's about no reason to that. We tossed around a bunch of names and that was the one that sounded good, and we had no reason to name it anything else, so we went with that one. We don't have a whole lot of reason for it.
Speaker 1:Okay, and and with the roping right. You know there's a lot of people see I run, I don't know if still, let you let you know, it used to be track star.
Speaker 3:So OK, All right so a lot of my listeners.
Speaker 1:Yes, they're rodeo, you know athletes. But I also have a lot of runners and track athletes, mountaineers, climbers, you know that kind of thing. Yeah, the dummies Not yours, but the regular dummies that you can buy or you can find. What are they usually made out of?
Speaker 3:a lot of the dummies are made out of kind of a plastic material, like the smarty dummy. It's made out of more of a plastic material. There is one other pvc roping dummy, but it's it's not as strong and compact as ours, but really much out of plastic and that's really about it as far as I know. And there's one other pvc rope and dummy that is made okay, and it's bulkier too correct yeah, yes, the others.
Speaker 1:The others yeah, and they're. I've seen a few of them. They're. It's like almost a skeleton, but with horns, wood metal.
Speaker 2:Yours is made out of pvc pipe yeah, we got, yeah, we got a wood base on ours, um, so we're able to attach it everything secures, into the wood base with wheels on it, um, and then there's a pvc frame that comes out of that and then we have a plastic roping head attached to the PVC on the front that you can rope that. But yeah, kind of combines everything.
Speaker 1:Besides being in the dorm there. Obviously you guys have this company. How did you find the need for this dummy?
Speaker 3:So a lot of rodeo athletes or even just team ropers in general, they're always on the go and where our dummy comes in hand, it's able to be collapsed into two pieces and you can just put it in the side of your camper or your horse trailer where a big, bulky robot dummy like we were talking about before it takes up so much space in the back of your truck or in the in your trailer, and where you can just fold our dummy up and put it together, put it in the area and you don't have to worry about it, and then, when you want to rope it, you take it out and you put it together and so it's portable and it's not a bulky roping dummy that you're carrying around all the time. And we just see a lot of need. I feel like I, as the roper myself, it's a need out there a portable rope that's not bulky and you can just transport now is there a need for rope and dummies in the sport there's definitely.
Speaker 2:There's always a need, because everybody at ropes is obviously going to be start on roping a dummy. Um, whenever they're not roping live cattle, they're roping a dummy. It's just kind of like it's a way to practice, an easier way to do it, um, and there's a lot of people that have more than one dummy. There's a lot of options on the market, um, but each one kind of fills a different need. Each one does something a little different from the other. Yeah, but they're definitely. They're all over the place, it's. It's a good way to practice and a good way to do it when you're not without having to like saddle up, get your calves ready, get out there open live cattle.
Speaker 1:So, overall, what sets you guys apart Is that from the others, from the competition.
Speaker 3:We're, like I said, the price they're anywhere from $350 to $550. And we're more affordable rope and dummy. Our price, as right now, is $250, which is below market. And we're also portable. Like I said, you can collapse it and there's not a collapsible dummy out there in the market today. So that makes us unique is that we can be a collapse and portable and moved and not as bulky as other dummies.
Speaker 2:There are some that try and be collapsible but they give up a lot in terms of the other stuff and quality and how well they work. So we've been able to do that without giving up and compromising in other areas, that we've made a quality roping dummy that is collapsible without compromising on either one of those, which I think is it's pretty exciting.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Whose idea was this? Uh, 50, 50, I'd say.
Speaker 1:Okay, so what you guys were getting caught on, I don't know.
Speaker 3:Uh, you guys drink coffee no, I don't drink I've been trying to make a little coffee, but no how we started was.
Speaker 2:It was one day we went out and I had a just the head, the one of the ones that you stick onto a hay bale and rope that sitting in my car from last year. I picked it up from somewhere. It was like laying on the ground. I picked it up because I was like who wouldn't want a roping dummy to sit in the back of that car? You never know when you might want to rope it. And so we're like all right, let's go find some way to rope the head. And we were just going to do that because we hadn't been able to rope at all.
Speaker 2:Um, I didn't grow up doing a whole lot of roping and so when I met him I was like, for sure, yeah, I want to get into this, let's go rope the head sometime. And I texted him and I was like, hey, you want to go rope the head. And then we're like, yeah, what are we going to work? And we're like you want to just throw out the roping part today. Go grab a bunch of pvc pipe and make a dummy instead. So we ran over to home depot, bought all the pvc pipe and that was pretty much.
Speaker 2:That was what started it. We ended up chopping up pvc pipe in my dorm room till like eight o'clock. That night floor was covered with pvc shavings. Looked like a workshop in there all of a sudden. But and then by the end of it we popped out with the dummy that we started roping. So it ended up working out and it was, yeah, spur of the moment, because we did not have the idea before that night yeah, well, and then I mean, you guys went to bed and then all of a sudden you woke up.
Speaker 1:You're like, hey, we got this, we should do this. How did it go, man?
Speaker 3:it like starting the business wise. We were just kind of starting like it was just spur of the moment, like we were looking out there and like, uh, at first it wasn't a collapsible dummy. And then we had a couple friends like, hey, if you could make this collapsible, you could have a business out of this. And so we started figuring out a way to make it collapsible. And then we were like wait a second, we could have something here. And then we tested out in the market and our because we sold six dummies already and we were we've been the dummy a lot, and so it's been, it's been a whole business idea and it it didn't really start out as one. It just started out as two college kids really wanted to go grow up at college.
Speaker 2:And then it turned into a business idea and we kind of just took off with it yeah, I would love to say that we had this great idea and plan set out before we started everything and we're just that we made it happen. But we kind of we honestly kind of just stumbled on it. We ended up making the product and they're like looked at it one day oh wait a second, this is good enough. People can want this too. So I would say I would say a little bit more luck than anything else.
Speaker 1:That's pretty awesome, man. I mean, look at Amazon, look at the other companies that are out there Microsoft, they all started in a garage. You guys started in a dorm room, which is crazy. So I mean, it's wild man, it's wild, it's not a bad idea, but you guys are on to something. So now, did you before, before we go, did you guys look at other competition or see the need for the more you know in the market and everything else? Did you see what you guys are up against?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So we've obviously like seeing that growing up, because that's what we've been around is just seeing what's on the market. That's what we've been using and then, once we started to take this as a business, look at it as a business, we did some more like research on everything that's out there and obviously the ones that we've seen the most of are the main competitors. They got the big name. They're the ones that we've seen the most of are the main competitors. They got the big name. They're the ones that pop into people's head first when they think about roping dummies.
Speaker 2:So our biggest challenge, I would say, is going to be breaking into taking market from the big name competitors. But since word of mouth and it's a small community and roping word of mouth travels fast, everybody's connected. Being able to have a product that stands out If people start seeing that, that travels quickly and being able to stand out, as we mentioned before, like the portability, being able to collapse it. That is something that we did not see taking a big part of the market before, but there's a need for it. So there is definitely competition out there and we've looked a lot at the ones that are out there, but we believe that there's a missing part of the market for those collapsed ones that hasn't really been tapped into yet.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right, and you guys got your LLC and all that stuff.
Speaker 2:Working on setting that up right now. It's all gone so quick. Everything's kind of putting the cart in front of the horse a little bit on this, but we're getting everything caught up, yep.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you guys, you guys ecstatic, you guys are ready to go take the bull by its horns. Yeah, yes, we are.
Speaker 3:It's it's been a fun process and there's so much more than just roping a dummy to a business that I've learned. So it's a cool process and I can't wait to see where it goes.
Speaker 1:That's awesome, man, and Pops and Mom all support you too.
Speaker 3:All supportive. My dad's actually one of the I guess both of them are really one of our people that have helped us out financially. And and then also just uh, tips on what we need to improve on our rope and dummy I'm pretty sure they're all game until you start roping indoors, correct?
Speaker 2:or until we start skipping classes to rope. That one, for some reason, causes problems too. I don't know. I haven't figured that out, so all right.
Speaker 1:So you know, isaac, are you a header or a healer?
Speaker 2:uh, we don't know. Yet you got to be good on those to be a healer. It's a work in progress, okay, one day he's really good.
Speaker 3:It looks like he could maybe heal the next day. He can't and he switches the heading in. Then he can head.
Speaker 2:So it's a work in progress.
Speaker 3:We're working on it.
Speaker 1:So, since you're working in work in progress. We're working on it. So, since you're working in pro, work in progress, right, is dad getting a little jealous there? Still no.
Speaker 3:I don't think he has to worry yet.
Speaker 1:We got a long way. We got a long way.
Speaker 2:I'll be the proof that I can teach somebody how to rope.
Speaker 1:Gotcha, gotcha. So that's all, that's all, that's good. That's awesome guys. And the last thing are you going to start regionally? I think that's your best start, man, your best answer.
Speaker 2:Yeah for sure. Um, one thing that's actually this is another thing that's complete luck. Um, but Wickenburg, arizona, it's a roping capital of the world. They have some of the biggest ropings in the country minutes away, and before we even came up with this idea, um, we'd gone up to wickenburg just to be like around roping and the stuff that we love, um, so we've gone up there and there's a huge community there. So that's kind of our first point of going out attacking that market first. Um, there's a big, especially during the winter when obviously you know it's cold everywhere else in the country and everybody comes to Arizona to be able to rope. So, starting getting into the Arizona market first before we have to start reaching out, obviously, if we have chances in other places or back home, like we got friends from back home that are wanting some, we can, we'll make that happen. But as far as looking for a market at first, we definitely have a good chance to go after the Arizona market, targeting Wickenburg.
Speaker 1:Hey Steel, I know you know some people up north east. That's why I said, hey, you better start regional.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's definitely cool because team roping is constantly growing. It's never going to stop growing unless something magically happens. But no, it's, it's one of the biggest growing sports in rodeo and it yeah, it's rodeo there's a huge community, community in team roping, like isaac said, and team open is always. It's constantly growing. It's not and just in rodeo, but like there's always jackpots everywhere so we can venture out into those and go to jackpots and try to sell dummies there okay, so will your dummy have heels?
Speaker 3:yes, yes, it does yeah all right off the ground.
Speaker 1:How far off the ground will your heels be? It's two I'd say two pages it's not.
Speaker 3:We've had a couple tips about it, so that way we you know, healers are picky you gotta, you gotta watch.
Speaker 1:So that's why I ask. I mean, hey, that's why I asked you know, so yeah so did we hit on everything, man you want to talk?
Speaker 2:about the challenge. Oh, actually, yeah oh, the update.
Speaker 1:You got some other stuff going on, sorry, sorry. Yes, no, you're good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we actually just got out. Right before this call, we were in a meeting, for there's a thing they do at GCU. I'm sure you and pretty much everybody's familiar with Shark Tank, at least in some manner Shark Tank at least in some manner. So they have a program here for students. It's a pretty similar to Shark Tank, but they take student businesses and we pitch to our entrepreneurship club on campus. They select the top five businesses from that to go to the Canyon Challenge is what it's called and we're competing for prize money. I think it's five thousand, six thousand, somewhere between six and like eight thousand is what I've heard. They're still getting those numbers nailed down as far as the prize money that will be there. But those five businesses which we just got selected for today will be pitching for that money. That comes no strings attached. That's money that GCU has provided to help stimulate the student businesses and get us going.
Speaker 2:Um. So we have a chance to do that. It'll be next friday. Um is when we got to have our whole pitch ready and they got. They got the whole venue set up and everybody's coming in. They make a pretty cool event out of it. So we get, we have the chance to go throw our business up there, and we're going to be going against a lot of uh pretty technological companies and most of them are not roping dummies that somebody built in their dorm room, so I think it's pretty exciting that we got the chance to do that. Yeah, we'll be up there and tell everybody about the idea.
Speaker 1:You know the name dummy is dumb, right, but dude, you guys, I mean, you guys have a need, there's a want, right? I mean, obviously you guys are onto something, man, and to set you apart, you guys got to get that. You got to have that heel, so make sure you get that heel. Yeah, yep, we got it. Yeah. So I mean, hey, you guys, you guys got it. Man, I got full faith in you guys and everything else. But was there anything else? You said there was other things as of right.
Speaker 3:I don't think there is. I think no, okay, everything. Yeah, I don't. That was just the canyon challenge, like you said. Huge deal for us to be able to do that, considering, like you said, a lot of technological companies. Yeah, and we're just a roping dummy that a lot of people at dc have never heard of in their life, but we're about to go present it to them and hopefully sell it to them and sell it to the judges and hopefully do get there. So, yeah, we're excited and this is a cool opportunity that we're getting to do, and that's what I love about GCU is there's always opportunity here to grow.
Speaker 1:Heck yeah, man, and the cool thing is, dude, you just started your. Heck yeah, man, and the cool thing is, dude, you're starting. You just started your freshman year, man.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Yes, and now like you're pitching business. I mean, come on, do you think you would have had this opportunity elsewhere up here?
Speaker 3:No, no. Well, I was just talking to him. We were just talking about this after we got done with our meeting and we were like, oh, wow, we just got to the Canyon Challenge. Like this is crazy. If you had told me two months ago that I was starting a dummy roping company, I would have said no way, Sorry, I'm right. But here we are.
Speaker 1:Well, congrats guys, congrats and Isaac. Eventually I want you on man. I want to know all about you, man, and what you do and why this company. Yeah, yeah, that would be fun, because I already heard Steel and Steel. Are you coming home for the holidays?
Speaker 3:I am not coming home for Christmas. My parents are coming down here for Christmas. I was home for Thanksgiving. I almost reached out to you, but I should have. I should have.
Speaker 1:Nah, but family first man. But hey, when you do come down, you you got, you always got a seat on the at the uh teacup studio okay I'll have to come up and we'll have to do a podcast up there the heck. Yeah, and isaac man, hey, when you're bored and free, anytime make it happen make it happen.
Speaker 1:Let's talk, let's talk. So, guys, I'm excited for you. Man, it's this awesome opportunity. I do need some pictures on how it collapsed and what it looks like not collapsed, just so I can put you guys on the air and, you know, just plaster you guys on instagram and whatnot. But I'm excited for you guys. You guys are going to do good things, great things, you know, with or without that money, gcu you guys. But hey, keep in touch, let me know how it goes, or let the listeners know, and, uh, until next time yes, thank you until next time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we appreciate it. Yes, oh yeah, we'll see you next time.