Duck Dynasty's Willie Robertson Shares Real Story Behind Faith, Fame & Family Business
“Duck Dynasty” fans can gain a little something from Willie Robertson as he shares some insight into exactly what makes him the man he is today.
Robertson’s business mindset stemmed from the fifth grade when he earned the nickname “Little Tycoon.” Here, he began selling and trading things to his classmates as a way to earn money in his first business, according to CBN.
The “Duck Dynasty” star grew up in a poor family, which drove him to come up with ways to make money such as selling candy.
While this worked for a while, the school principal soon told him that the selling had to stop.
Robertson didn’t let this deter him as he came up with the idea of a Human Jukebox. Yes, for a quarter he’d sing any song that his classmates would request while riding on the school bus.
This earned him some cash, but not as much as he wanted.
In 1972, his dad, Phil Robertson, started a business making and selling duck calls. He took out a loan for $25,000 from a family of entrepreneurs — the Howards — who would soon become Willie Robertson’s in-laws.
Soon the business grew, and Phil Robertson found himself filming and selling their stories on VHS tapes called “The Duck Men.”
These tapes of the family hunting helped the duck call business thrive, and soon Walmart was carrying the calls, which began selling at 500,000 calls per year.
When Willie Robertson was 30 years old, his father made him the CEO of the business with the job of expanding it and getting their duck calls out to sporting good stores.
By 2008, the family business got an offer from Benelli Shotgun company to tape a show on the Outdoor Channel.
With a nudge from his wife, Korie, Willie Robertson accepted, thinking it would help them sell more duck calls. Phil Robertson hated the idea.
The show called “Duck Commander” had a strong following, giving the family business more exposure in the hunting arena.
Fast forward a few years later, and Robertson and his family starred on “Duck Dynasty” — a reality series that ran for five years and had 130 episodes.
The show became the most-watched nonfiction series on cable with the finale episode airing on April 12, 2017.
“For the Robertson family, we redefined what success meant, beyond just worldly good and riches,” Robertson told CBN. “For us, success meant you can make a living off hunting and fishing and being together. To us, that was success.”
For Robertson, the entrepreneurial spirit lies deep within his faith. He keeps a Bible on his desk and starts each day with a prayer and a moment of reflection.
He lives by Psalm 5:3. “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”
“There is a wealth of magnificent wisdom in the scriptures that can help the American entrepreneur, or anyone else, thrive through risk, danger, and adversity, and master the challenges of failure and success,” Robertson told CBN.
Today, he lives by an entrepreneur code of faith that includes wisdom, courage, compassion, integrity and humility.
This code has helped him even in the darkest of days. He told CBN about a time when the business was out of money and owed an $800 banknote.
Phil Robertson went to check the mail to see if any checks had arrived even after being told that none were on the way. A check for exactly $800 was there, pre-paying for an order of duck calls to Japan.
Because of this faith, Robertson and his family were able to make their bank payment and save the family business.
“The Lord truly does works in mysterious and beautiful ways,” Willie Robertson said. “He certainly has for this American entrepreneur and his family.”
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