Davis Smith is the Founder and Chairman of Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear brand built around fighting poverty and doing good in the world. Before stepping back as CEO after a decade of leading the company, Davis grew Cotopaxi at 85% CAGR into one of the most purpose-driven brands in the outdoor industry. He left and moved with his wife and four kids to be a mission president for his church in Brazil, leading nearly 500 young missionaries from 24 countries over three years.
He's a dad of four, married to his wife who studied family science and served as a court-appointed special advocate for foster children, and together they've raised their kids across Latin America, Brazil, and the United States with a family culture built around service, faith, intellect, travel, and hard work. We discussed:
Leaving a dream job to serve others: Why Davis walked away from the CEO role at Cotopaxi at the peak of its growth to lead 500 young missionaries in Brazil for three years.
Building intentional family culture: How Davis and his wife created five core values tied to the letters S-M-I-T-H, complete with rituals, traditions, and a weekly family meeting.
Values as a compass, not a club: Why family values should guide behavior rather than be used as a weapon when kids fall short.
Unconditional positive regard: How loving your kids and missionaries no matter what gets better results than demands, disappointment, or conditional approval.
Raising kids with financial discipline: The Bank of Smith Savings, the 50/40/10 rule, and why Davis matches whatever his kids save by age 16 for a car.
Letting kids go through hard things: What Davis learned watching his daughter struggle through a mission in the Philippines and why he believes difficulty is essential for growth.
Where to find Davis Smith
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davismsmith/
Where to find Adam Fishman
FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
X: https://x.com/fishmanaf
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Welcoming Davis Smith, Founder & Chairman at Cotopaxi
(02:37) Why Davis walked away from his dream job as CEO
(05:12) Moving the whole family to Brazil for three years
(07:23) What almost broke him in the first year
(09:36) Why stepping away from comfort at a young age is transformative
(13:53) Survival trips with his daughters and the origin story
(16:18) How Davis built intentional family culture at home
(21:03) Breaking down the SMITH family values
(24:08) Unconditional positive regard and how to lead with love
(28:19) The Bank of Smith Savings and the 50/40/10 rule
(32:06) The most surprising things he's discovered as a dad
(33:32) What the teen years and adult kids have taught him
(38:59) Advice for parents who are building companies
(41:04) Frog Mouse bedtime stories and using AI as a dad
(43:18) Lightning round: smoothies, Back to the Future, and minivans
Resources From This Episode:
Cotopaxi: https://www.cotopaxi.com/
H2O: Just Add Water (TV Series): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814976/
Back to the Future (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/
Peace Corps: https://www.peacecorps.gov/
Brigham Young University (BYU): https://www.byu.edu/
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