Meet Eric Lupton | President of Life Saver Pool Fence Systems, Inc

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Lupton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born at Bethesda Hospital in Boynton Beach, FL. My parents lived in a townhouse in a neighborhood called Golf View Harbour — a funny name, considering that the subdivision has neither golf, view, nor harbor — less than a mile from the hospital I was born in.

As a baby, I moved with my parents to another house in Golf View Harbour. When I was 18, I moved out on my own — quite the feat for an 18-year-old with cerebral palsy who uses a wheelchair — into a house I purchased, also in Golf View Harbour. A few years later, I upgraded to my current home, also in Golf View Harbour. I have lived my entire life in this tiny subdivision, in four different houses, a stone’s throw from the hospital I was born at. I’ve traveled extensively, from Europe to Hawaii, but Golf View Harbour in Boynton Beach, Florida has been my residence for four decades.

Being so firmly rooted in my hometown has shaped the way I have built my companies. I have ignored the old adage warning against hiring friends and family. In fact, I have done exactly the opposite! Almost all of the office staff here are related to me or friends going back years, if not decades — friends that I have because I’ve been in one place for so long.

While growing up in Golf View Harbour, my parents started and ran multiple businesses. It was established early on that the family identified as entrepreneurs and business owners, much in the same way that other families might identify as Yankees fans or inherit a religion. The identities we give ourselves heavily affect our direction in life, and there’s no question that this family identity is the reason that I do what I currently do now.

What should our readers know about your business?
We have always done the opposite of what “they” recommend.

Our product is becoming a commodity. We need to make it cheaper.

We made it the most expensive option available.

Never hire friends or family.

We only hire friends and family.

You can’t sell something this expensive and this complex online.

We sell eight figures a year in revenue either directly online or through our website.

And so on. There is a lot to be said for going against the “traditional wisdom”.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Food Shack. That’s it. It’s an hour wait, an hour away from my house, but it’s the best food in Florida. If they were adventurous, perhaps we would go to Guanabanas right down the road from Food Shack afterwards to see legendary South Florida band, The People Upstairs.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I don’t think he will appreciate it, because he’s dead, but I think my dad, Robert Lupton, is the obvious choice here. He started the company that I now run, taught me about business, but most importantly, was a role model for the principles and character traits that I try to live my life by.

Website: www.poolfence.com, www.poolfencediy.com, www.childsafetystore.com, www.crippledceo.com

Instagram: instagram.com/lifesaverpoolfence

Facebook: facebook.com/poolsafetyforchildren