A Camera, A Chance Encounter With Nikki Sixx, to An Incredibly Successful Entrepreneurial Career-Doug Pick

Doug Pick has had quite a ride. With dreams of becoming a record executive he entered the music industry in a totally different way. Instead of producing albums he produced earplugs. In this episode we discuss his entrepreneurs hero’s journey.

Maybe a more appropriate description would be a ‘Hearo’s’ Journey. Doug Pick is the founder of Hearo Earplugs. Doug has become a friend, and he’s an incredibly talented storyteller and has plenty of stories to showcase his talent.

Join me for this episode where the nuggets of wisdom rain down like mana from Heaven!

Through a series of unforeseeable events, at age 13, Nikki Sixx (yes — THE Nikki Sixx, leader of the heavy metal band, Motley Crue) invited me to be the band’s official local photographer. This once in a lifetime experience left an indelible mark and set the stage for my life as an entrepreneur.  

I attended USC’s Entrepreneur Program, all the while, fixated on becoming a music business executive. Just days after graduating, Jerry Moss, Chairman of the Board of the famed A&M Records, hired me to work in sales. Through A&M, I enjoyed concerts and noticed frequently the only people protecting their ears were those on stage. I was a curious 24 year old and had no idea this single perplexing observation would lead me on a wonderful 26 year journey to become a recognized global leader in foam ear plugs.

Research, research and more research on the ears and how to protect one’s hearing. By completing a viability study, I knew I could bring to the masses an innovative new brand and product. In 1992, I trademarked HEAROS and went to work. I lived by the saying “the only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary” and was eventually rewarded beyond my dreams. By 2008, HEAROS had claimed the position as the #1 and #2 selling foam ear plug brands in the country through the nation’s largest retailers. 

With nearly 20 years experience of buying hundreds of millions of ear plugs from others, I craved to support my desire for disruptive proprietary innovative designs and building enterprise value for my company. 

In 2011, from the ground up, I built a state of the art ear plug manufacturing, assembly and distribution facility.  Looking back, it was the most difficult project I ever took on.  Fortunately,  I was blessed with a brilliant and passionate team.  When completed, our ear plug manufacturing facility would be capable of producing 120 MILLION ear plugs annually.

As fate would have it, a large private equity group saw synergy and acquired all four HEAROS companies in October 2018. By the time my HEAROS chapter concluded in 2020, I’d made a transformative mark in the ear plug category and sold more than 500 MILLION ear plugs worldwide. 

As a next step, I invested in a Metaverse startup and accepted a senior position to apply my talents and experience.  While it was a thrill to work with the entertainment community and raise funding from venture capital, I felt the pull to return to my roots of product marketing and distribution.

So begins my next chapter.  I’m exhilarated to offer my energy, experience and skills to help other bold dreamers achieve extraordinary success.