CYBER TECH
DIGITAL BOARDWALK
photography by TRAVIS L. PATTERSON / TLP MEDIA
Taking the Boardwalk From LA to Pensacola story by DAVID EKRUT, PhD
L
ong before Tim Shoop founded Digital Boardwalk, he lived in a tent on the beaches of North Malibu. In his mid-20s, Shoop moved to the West Coast to pursue an acting career. While finishing up his service in the Navy, Shoop read a People magazine about how Brad Pitt got his start and thought, “I can do that.” After exiting the Navy, he shipped his belongings to his parents in Pensacola and set out to become famous. “With no contacts or job prospects,” Shoop said, “I packed my Jeep with camping supplies, clothes, and $300 in cash, and set off for Hollywood.” He spent nearly three months on the beach, bathing at public showers
and living on cheap foods, such as Ramen, tuna, crackers, and beanie weenies. Shoop believes, “This period of voluntary homelessness allowed me to live within my means and focus on my larger goals,”—which at the time was to afford meals better than Ramen noodles. While trying to catch his big break, Shoop fell back on the one thing he knew well. “I got my first computer when I was 13,” Shoop recalled. He learned how computers worked and taught himself to write code. He had the online handle, Maniac, which he used to connect with other tech enthusiasts online as a kid. He had also been involved with theater and acting in his youth.
“So, it was acting or tech,” he said. While in California, he pursued both. In between auditioning for gigs, he earned a living in IT and took the opportunity to learn all aspects of the business, from answering phones, sales, and installing printers for Jamie Lee Curtis and other celebrities, but this wasn’t enough to sate his ambition. One night, powered by a vision and copious amounts of coffee, Shoop wrote his first business plan, called ShoopTek Industries. He found investors and pitched his idea, but nothing came of it. Pushing 30, Shoop looked at the bigger picture and decided to leave Hollywood. Though he never ended up on the big screen, he values his time chasing that dream. “I believe everyone has a unique path to follow,” Shoop said of his eccentric past, “and I will always have a fun story to tell my grandkids.” Shoop moved to Pensacola, where he began working for Steve Jones selling computer training. At the same time, he launched New Vision Computers, taking contracts to build custom computers. After growing into a multi-location retail chain, Shoop met with a broker to evaluate his company and was told the company was not worth much and a waste of the broker’s time. Though Shoop now agrees with the broker’s assessment, at the time, the news was devastating. “After the meeting,” Shoop said, “I sat in my car with tears in my eyes feeling disheartened.” His lowest point was not homelessness or rejections from his acting pursuits, it was that moment when he realized his business was not viable for the long run. “I was $200,000 to $300,000 in debt,” he recalled, and the broker had evaluated his business at about that much. ← Digital Boardwalk employs roughly 30 people, 90 percent of which are remote workers. Shoop discusses strategy with his team from the conference room of his offices.
50 | WINTER 2024 | 850BusinessMagazine.com