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Santiago Aguerre
Santiago Aguerre
01:22

Santiago Aguerre

Reef Clothing

La Jolla, CA USA

"Integrity has got to be there-it's not even questionable."

Career Roadmap

Santiago's work combines: Fashion, Sports, and Accomplishing Goals

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Day In The Life

Co-Founder

I immigrated to the US and started a sandal company with my brother, supporting and promoting the surf community.

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    At the age of 20, he had it all: he was Argentina's surf champion and studying law in university.

  • 2.

    He soon realized, however, that his heart was not in his studies.

  • 3.

    Moved to the United States to pursue work in the center of the surf industry: Huntington Beach, California.

  • 4.

    He found work running surf contests and working as a busboy at a Mexican restaurant to pay the bills.

  • 5.

    After building up his industry knowledge and becoming partner in a small surf shop, he and his brother founded Reef in 1984.

  • 6.

    Reef became one of the largest surfwear companies in the world, but it was taking up the time that Santiago wanted to be spending with his young children.

  • 7.

    In 2005, the brothers sold the company so that they could spend more time with their families.

  • 8.

    Says you have to do what you love-money should not be the sole motivation; money should just be a consequence of doing what you like.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from undefined:

  • How I responded:

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

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  • On one side I was knowing I was in the right direction, running the surf contest and understanding the surf industry here. On the other side I was a busboy in a Mexican restaurant.