Community Highlights: Meet Amber Leigh of Flifoil

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Leigh.

Hi Amber, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I go by many names; The Honey Badger, Problem Child, Wild, Free, Best Friend, La Loca Chica, Favorite Daughter, and many more. I was born and adopted in Fort Lauderdale, Florida but growing up I moved around a lot; Florida, Maryland, Kansas, Texas, Nevada, Washington, & Arizona. When I turned 18, my parents were teaching on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona and I hitchhiked to Phoenix with my best friend a kitchen knife, and a pair of nun chucks. I’ve been here on and off for the last 14 years. I moved to Seattle for a bit and to China for almost two years. I also lived in Australia, Indonesia, and Thailand.

But I always keep coming back to Phoenix, my home and favorite place in the entire world. Life has always been full of travel and unique experiences; I thank my parents for this. They taught me to test boundaries and explore the unknown. I was adopted by my mom, a beautiful and intelligent African American woman who worked for NASA and has a full-hearted passion for Teaching. My dad, a Caucasian, Indiana backwoods country boy who is smart and full of sarcasm with a passion for travel. He works as an aeronautical engineer. Two smart cookies. WILD they would call me, but my energy is my superpower and my smile is contagious. I love to bring people together, experience new things, and spread love everywhere I go.

It’s hard to be wild and free when you work a 9-5, although it keeps me grounded it does not fulfill my heart’s desire. So, when I traveled, I traveled with the purpose of learning, about business, culture, language, and people who sought to live differently than the norm. In Seattle, I learned about cryptocurrency, in China, I visited the manufacturing capital of the world and was introduced to technologies and products that have still yet to hit the United States. Indonesia and Thailand were where I met a lot of entrepreneurs in cowering spaces. They expanded my way of thinking. At Dojo in Bali Indonesia, I launched my tequila brand called “Tequila Amber” – Making you happy since 1990 was my slogan. I started my first business in 2017 before I moved abroad, an online boho clothing store. It saw its highest success when I was living in Australia and working with some talented people who had successful online stores. I feel blessed.

I moved back to the United States shortly before the 2020 Toilet Paper Crisis and I’ve been here ever since. 2020 shut a lot of things down but not me. I started a successful paddle board company and spent a lot of time outside and on the water and I worked as a Grocery Store Manager at Sprouts. Figured it was a safe place to be, seeing it was one of the only places still open. I still felt unfulfilled. I was talking to one of my mentors who, at the time was living in Dubai, and we started brainstorming about the different businesses I could start and he mentioned eFoils. “These things are littered all over the beach here!” And that was that.

I got together with two of my friends and we started FliFoil, an electric hydrofoil company, or a “flying surfboard” that some people call it. Flifoil has been one of the most exciting adventures I’ve ever been on and I can’t wait to see how the years start to unfold for this company. It’s the wave of the future. It’s like jet skis when jet skis first came out. This concept will revolutionize water sports. I’m pumped to have been able to get in at the start and be a part of it.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Life is about change and growth; it’s always been a unique road for me. Being adopted into a multicultural family and moving around a lot has presented challenges and questions about who I am as a person. I also feel like these experiences have helped to shape me into the uniquely perfect person I am today.

I’ve faced scary challenges where I ask myself “Where am I going to sleep tonight?” or “Am I going to die right now?” One of my fondest challenges was when I was transferring flights inside the Hong Kong airport and trying to decide what to do with my oversized luggage bag while I’m island hopping in Thailand. I did not want to take it with me,

What a big bulky headache. So, I left it at baggage claim praying that it would be in the lost and found when I came back in two weeks. Sure enough, it was.

I like to take chances, test boundaries and explore the unknown. I always tell myself “One step at a time baby!” “There’s no hole too deep you can’t dig yourself out of” and “always forward never backward” Even if you have to slow down, it’s okay, “Just keep swimming”. Sometimes I feel down and not capable, weak, discouraged, or stuck, but I am proud of myself for the positive self-talk I have and the confidence I have in myself and my abilities. I truly feel that if I want it, I can have it.

Practice makes perfect. Just as much as this is true for me it is true for everyone, including you.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Flifoil is one of the world’s first fully – electric hydrofoils. It’s like a flying surfboard. We created boards for all skill levels, from beginner to pro, and we plan to change how people explore the water and help revolutionize the future of water sports. Our unique electric propulsion system lifts you above the water giving you a sensation of flying. So unique to anything you’ve ever experienced and riders of all ages and abilities can learn what it’s like to Flifoil easily.

We are a small family-owned company founded by 3 enthusiasts in love with the concept. We spend a lot of time on Arizona lakes and provide lessons on all of the lakes in the four corners. We’ve expanded our reach to lots of other lake states like Florida, Texas, Indiana, California, and Michigan. These boards are proudly designed in Arizona and we curate parts from all around the world to build our unique FliFoils. Our remotes are built by two brothers from the Netherlands, who are based out of Mexico, and our boards and fins are made from carbon fiber in Asia where our cofounder was first introduced to efoils back in 2018.

The Future is here! As we collaborate with renowned board shapers and premier carbon fiber suppliers to deliver the highest-performance and most affordable efoil setups currently on the market, we also continue to refine our classic foil lineups. We continue to add new customers to our ever-expanding family and they provide us with continuous feedback that is integrated into our design processes. We are still firmly devoted to always upholding the best standards for our products.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Practice patience and always prepare yourself for your future self. Success is progressive and it may not happen overnight but when I look back and see how far I’ve come and how much I have achieved I feel proud and accomplished. Looking back and reflecting motivates me to continue working forwards toward my goals and dreams.

One step at a time. Trust your intuition and believe in yourself. A mistake is a lesson learned. A failure is a lesson on what not to do. Never give up, never surrender. Surround yourself with people you admire and people you want to be like. Take chances. Find mentors, and trust yourself. Learn to constantly seek growth and love.

People, that’s what makes the difference. People.

Pricing:

• $200 for a Flifoil lesson
• $8,000 for a brand new Flifoil customized and delivered right to your door.

Contact Info:

• Website: Flifoil.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Flifoils/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FliFoil/