We recently had the chance to connect with Michael Okruhlik and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Michael, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Walking away from a “steady job” sounds bold on paper—but the truth is, that kind of stability can be the biggest illusion of all. The real risk was never leaving—it was staying. Believing in your passion and your vision is what truly fuels success.
I started My Coast Outdoors in May of 2016, more as a passion project than a business plan. I had an idea that wouldn’t let go, which showed the power of pursuing what truly matters. With a push from family, friends, and the assistance of my Fathers master machinist skills, we set sail. We built it piece by piece, growing a little every year until suddenly it wasn’t a side gig anymore—it was something real.
But I was still working full-time in Operations Management, burning the candle at both ends. My days started before sunrise, ended long after dark, and somewhere in between, I spent two to three hours sitting in Houston traffic, watching taillights and my family time disappear. The business started to stall, and so did I. I wasn’t losing ground, but I wasn’t gaining any either. I hit that dangerous spot where passion turns into maintenance mode.
Those long drives gave me a lot of time to think—and listen. I dove into podcasts on business, marketing, and mindset, covering topics like branding, sales, and leadership. I was searching for something, some new direction, and for a while I thought it might be a franchise. I was ready to escape the corporate grind, even if it meant starting under someone else’s brand.
That’s when my wife, Jolecelle, said the words that flipped everything upside down:
“Why not invest in your own business instead of someone else’s?”
She had a point—and it scared the hell out of me. I’d always kept My Coast Outdoors safe, running it on its own profits without risking our savings. But the truth was that the safety net had turned into a ceiling.
So, I started seeking advice from mentors, consultants, friends, and even one of my biggest retail customers. Funny thing is, every single one of them said the same thing Jolecelle did: bet on yourself.
So, I did.
I walked away from the highest-paying job I’d ever had, turned in my badge, and went all in. No backup plan, no half-measure—just belief in a product I knew could make waves. Taking that leap brought a sense of freedom and fulfillment I hadn’t felt in years.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
At the end of the day, I’m a family man before anything else. I’m a husband, a father, and the owner of My Coast Outdoors / Knockin Tail Lures, based right here on the Texas coast. At KTL, our motto is simple: “We help people catch fish.” That’s not just a slogan—it’s the standard we build everything around.
From the beginning, I wanted to create something different—products you couldn’t just grab off any shelf. Every lure we design is meant to give anglers a real advantage on the water, not just another color or shape. As a business owner, sales matter and profitability matter, but what truly fuels us isn’t the numbers—it’s the stories.
It’s the messages from customers who caught their personal-best fish. The first fish a kid ever lands is on one of our lures. Those moments hit deeper than any sales report. That’s what pushes us to keep experimenting, keep designing, and keep trying to outwork yesterday.
One of my favorite moments is at fishing trade shows. I’ll tell someone, “There’s a rattle built into the tail,” and drop one in their hand. The second they feel it, their expression changes—and that reaction never gets old. It reminds me of why we started.
Right now, we’re focused on expanding our reach, deepening it in both saltwater and freshwater markets, and continuing to innovate without losing the heart of what got us here in the first place.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed certain things in life wouldn’t be possible for me. I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe it was because I didn’t know anyone in my small town who had achieved those kinds of dreams. Maybe I didn’t understand the path to get there. Or perhaps it was because the people around me seemed to be moving ahead in ways I wasn’t.
Fitness is a perfect example. In sixth grade, I thought I was pretty good at most sports and couldn’t wait to get into seventh-grade athletics. But when that year came, I was shocked—almost overnight, it felt like everyone else had grown stronger, faster, and more developed. That gap stayed with me all the way through high school. I graduated tall and skinny, still feeling like I was always trying to catch up.
Then something flipped during my senior year. I made a decision that I was going to be in the best shape of my life—and better than anyone at our five-year high school reunion. What followed was six years of discipline, living clean, eating clean, and placing fitness second to nothing. For an 18- to 23-year-old, that kind of commitment isn’t easy. But I did it.
That season of my life became a springboard. It taught me that the limits I believed in as a kid were mainly imagined. It showed me what happens when you stop setting the bar low, stop comparing your timeline to anyone else’s, and fully commit to becoming who you’re capable of being. From that moment on, I stopped assuming specific goals were out of reach—and started believing they were waiting to be earned.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, it would be this: dream bigger.
There’s a quote from Thomas Edison I came across later in life that still stops me in my tracks every time I read it:
“When you think you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.”
I actually keep that quote as a monthly reminder on my calendar, along with a few others, just to reset my perspective and keep me pushing forward.
Growing up in a small town, my view of what was possible was pretty narrow. I had dreams, sure—but they felt more like wishes than real expectations. I wanted things to happen someday, but deep down I didn’t always believe they would. Confidence didn’t come naturally back then.
Thankfully, time and experience changed that. As I got older, I learned that most things really are possible if you’re willing to work for them, sacrifice for them, and believe in yourself when it would be easier not to. Looking back now, I can honestly say that many—if not all—of those childhood dreams have come true… and then some.
If there’s one lesson I’d pass along, it’s this: hard work, determination, and belief in yourself can take you much farther than you ever imagined when you were standing at the starting line.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
I’m very much a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of person, so yes—the public version of me is the real me. Always has been. Even as a teenager, I was fortunate not to get pulled too hard by peer pressure, especially when I knew something wasn’t right. Looking back now, I give a lot of that credit to my parents. They were strict, and at the time I didn’t always appreciate it—but that structure gave me a foundation that still guides me today.
That foundation taught me how to trust my gut, follow what I believe in, and stand on what I know is right—even when it’s not the popular choice. And over time, that’s turned into something simple but powerful: consistency. I don’t feel the need to be one person in public and another behind closed doors.
At the end of the day, being yourself in all situations is the best way I know to live. Some people will like that, and some won’t—but at least no one ever has to wonder where I stand.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Absolutely—I’ve experienced that more times than I care to admit. Early in my career, I believed fulfillment had a dollar amount attached to it. I would tell myself, “If I can just make X dollars one day, then everything will be perfect.” And when I finally hit that number, it felt suitable for about five minutes… until it didn’t. So I raised the bar. Then I raised it again.
What I learned along the way is that if you measure life strictly in dollar signs, the finish line keeps moving—and absolute satisfaction always stays just out of reach. Money is a powerful tool, no doubt, but it’s a terrible destination. Once that realization truly sank in, something changed. What I wanted out of life stopped being about a number on a paycheck and started being about purpose and self-fulfillment.
That’s ultimately what gave me the courage to walk away from the highest-paying job of my life. On paper, it didn’t make sense. But in my gut, it was the right move. I traded financial “certainty” for the chance to build something meaningful, grow our business, and experience the satisfaction that comes from helping customers succeed on the water.
And I can honestly say this—no paycheck ever gave me the sense of fulfillment I feel when someone sends me a photo of their first fish, their biggest catch, or a memory made with one of our lures tied on.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.knockintaillures.com
- Instagram: knockintaillures
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knockintaillures/
- Youtube: Knockin Tail Lures
