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

Hi Marek, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?

I want to be remembered as a person who possessed grace and goodness. As a Dad who was generous with his love, his compassion, and his empathy. As a trusted friend who showed up, time and time again. And, as the founder of a business that facilitated positive changes in people, and helped them improve their physical and mental wellbeing.

What should our readers know about your business?
In 2016, I was ready to burn my running shoes. I was training for a marathon and had the worst foot and back pain of my life. I was depressed by my loss of mobility, and almost quit my training. Everything changed when my friend introduced me to “rolling out” with a rubber lacrosse ball. With daily self-massage, my pain went from unbearable to non-existent. The downside was that the ball was heavy, and made with synthetics and chemicals. As an athlete (and single working Dad), I knew that daily self-care was vital for my physical and mental wellbeing. But I wanted natural tools to support my routine: ones that were also lightweight and durable. I discovered that Portuguese cork was the perfect combination of sustainability, weight, and durability for a massage ball. I joined forces with an ethical cork manufacturer, and began marketing my eco-friendly massage balls to the long-distance hiking community. As a backpacker myself, I knew the value of self-care on the trail. The reception was amazing! Rawlogy continues to innovate with our laser-engraved graphical balls. We want to make recovery tools that are as unique as you are. Tools that start conversations about self-care, and inspire you—and others—to want to practice it. Tools that are a positive reminder that you can get through a tough day on the trail, and just in life in general, by giving yourself love, and remembering things that make you smile or laugh. At the end of the day, our vision to help people with self-care on a whole new level–one that is holistic and encompasses both physical and mental wellness. Here are some of my takeaways from being a business owner: the road is not easy–it never is for an entrepreneur. There is always the fear of failure, rooted in self-doubts about money, supply chain, scalability, competition, workforce, and more. However, if there’s anything I’ve learned well, it’s that confidence and obsession are the keys to success. If you are obsessive about executing your company’s mission, and have confidence in yourself and your vision, then you can overcome any obstacle in your path. If your’e stuck on something, get creative with your thinking and ask a trusted friend or advisor to help you see outside of your box. It’s so easy to have self-doubt when all you see is within the confines of a box. But, fresh eyes can change everything.

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?
First of all, I would definitely tell them to fly into Burbank Airport–the BEST airport in the area (and also only 7 minutes from my front door). I’d hit up Magnolia Park, a hip little shopping and dining district in Burbank. The Palm and Blvd Cafecito both have outstanding coffee and food, and of course Porto’s is a must. We’d head out to Griffith Park for a hike up the Rattlesnake Trail (much less crowded than some of the other GP trails, probably because of the inviting trail name) and see where the vastly interconnected trail system takes us. I’d wrap up the outing with some relaxing self-massage and stretching in GP’s amazing Cedar Grove. Another day would be spent climbing Mt. Wilson or another fun peak in the Angeles National Forest, and then feasting on sushi at one of the fantastic sushi bars on Ventura Blvd in Studio City. As you can probably tell, my two goals for this itinerary are to (1) eat and (2) be active outside as much as possible! The last must-have experience would be paddle-boarding in Malibu, and taking some bikes out for a spin up and down the coastal bike path. Before heading back to Burbank Airport, I would insist on grabbing cookies at Diddy Riese in Westwood. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Gavin and Jack, my sons who save me, time and time again. And to the dear friends I made decades ago, as well as the dear friends I’ve made since founding Rawlogy. I will cherish all of you for a lifetime, and beyond.

Website: https://www.rawlogy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rawlogy/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marek-bowers-7271981b

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rawlogy/

Other: Our Brand Story: https://vimeo.com/510796254

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.