Matt Redhawk is an entrepreneur, author, and filmmaker based in Idaho. His family lives off the grid, living their values each day. His book Drought and Dreams: Stories of Self-Reliance During America’s Darkest Times explored the economic and social pressures surrounding the Great Depression, bringing the indomitable American spirit to light. His popular company, My Patriot Supply, stocks everything that concerned families need to prepare themselves for power outages, bad weather, and other disasters. Since it is a one-stop-shop, customers find that they are able to meet life’s challenges much more easily.

Redhawk has also directed a short film which is gaining in popularity. Home is the story of a family attempting to find their father in the aftermath of a disaster. The movie is a compelling case for disaster and survival preparedness.

Redhawk has built his businesses from the ground up, diversifying from My Patriot Supply to Alexapure, a water purification company, Patriot Pantry, and Colonial Concepts. His vision for helping Americans prepare for the worst has led him to business success. He is a good example for future entrepreneurs to follow.

Hello Matt, can you please tell us a bit about you?

I am an entrepreneur from Idaho. I am deeply committed to living off the grid and to living my family’s values. I believe strongly in self-reliance and self-sufficiency. In addition to my entrepreneurial work, I am a published author and filmmaker.

What are your focus areas and why?

My strongest focus area is disaster preparedness. I believe that most Americans are woefully unprepared for weather emergencies, loss of electricity, and other catastrophic events. I truly believe that every family should keep a fully-stocked disaster kit which can support them completely for up to a month. It is even smarter to be provisioned for a full year. Too many people don’t even think about their safety during a disaster, expecting the government to take care of their every need.

How would you describe “My Patriot Supply” in a few words?

My Patriot Supply is a broad-ranging website which sells emergency survival food, essential equipment, and water filtration supplies. If a customer needs to provision his or her family in the event of an emergency, they can get everything they need from My Patriot Supply.

Where do you think it is really making an impact?

I believe that My Patriot Supply is making a huge impact not only in the survivalist community, but also among ordinary Americans who are looking for ways to safeguard their future against disaster. Even if you never need our products, it is smart to keep them on hand in case of an emergency.

Do you think integrity is an essential part of the entrepreneurial spirit?

Integrity is one of the most crucial parts of the entrepreneurial spirit. If a business owner can’t be trusted, there is no reason for customers to come back. Integrity means handling your business’s affairs carefully and always following through with all of your promises. It means selling a quality product and standing behind the sale.

What advice would you give to young people just starting out and hoping to make it?

I would tell young entrepreneurs that the most important thing they can do is to be passionate about their work. You can have the best idea for a business but fail if you are not sufficiently dedicated to your profession. Passion is what keeps me working long hours for My Patriot Supply and my other businesses. I truly believe that my product meets a market need and that I need to spread the word about my business.

Do you find as an entrepreneur, that you enjoy the challenge of the industry being complex with the game rules that are always changing?

I do enjoy the challenge of working in a shifting market. As the years have gone by, my company has built up a significant amount of momentum, enabling me to branch into side businesses which support my core survival concept. I enjoy exploring new parts of the market and widening my reach.

If you could turn the time, what would you love to change in regards
to your career?

I would have gone off the grid sooner. I was nervous about the possibility of keeping my family safe when we were far away from public services, but as we spent more time on our ranch, I became more confident about my abilities. My wife and I are both strongly dedicated to the principles of survivalism, and we are raising our child to be the same way.

What are you most excited about at the moment?

I am truly excited for the prospects of my newest business venture, air filtration. My Alexapure air systems can help to make indoor air clean and safe for people with all different types of health issues like allergies and asthma. I use these products myself, and I recommend them highly.

The last word or final thoughts?

My final thought is that everyone, no matter where they live, should take a careful look at their own disaster preparedness plan. I’ve said it before, but you can’t always rely on the government to keep you alive during a natural disaster or other catastrophic event. I’m not saying this because I want to sell more products, I am saying this because I believe that people’s lives could be at stake in the event of a disaster.