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Photos courtesy of: GlowRow

\n

Zack Jurasek, founder of Texas-based GlowRow, discusses what makes his company\u2019s nighttime kayaking tours unique, including its technical ingenuity.

\n

Tell us about yourself. Have you always enjoyed being on the water and building things?
\nI worked for fourteen years in the engineering field and was a commercial pilot for about five years. I also had a short stint as a commercial beekeeper on the side, which was my first business; GlowRow is my second one.

\n

My real passion for GlowRow came from flounder-gigging with my dad when I was a kid. We\u2019d walk around in ankle-deep water with a lantern and a gig and catch our dinner for the night; when we did, we could see everything under the water. I wanted to re-create that experience, allowing people to witness aquatic creatures in their natural habitat. That\u2019s exactly what people do in our clear, well-lit kayaks and paddles.

\n

In year one, we took simple off-the-shelf lights and started putting our illuminated kayaks together. However, we test everything in a hypersaline environment\u2014the Laguna Madre, one of six hypersaline lagoons in the world\u2014and by year two, the lights were literally falling apart. I knew I had to build something that would last.

\n

Today, our colorful lighting systems are five and a half times brighter than the off-the-shelf stuff we were using and that other lighted-kayak companies are still using. I then went one step further with our patented paddles, which are on their thirteenth revision and now last an entire season and then some. It\u2019s really a marvel to see.

\n
\"\"
\n

 

\n

Did you have any challenges or doubts along the way?
\nI formed the LLC in May of 2021. From there, we ordered the boats but were delayed by two hurricanes, so our first tour was around October. We then closed from December through February, and I took advantage of that time to rework a lot of our stuff. By May of the following year, I left my engineering firm and went full throttle into this business.

\n

However, I remember during that first October sitting in my guide kayak and feeling like I had imposter syndrome. Even though it\u2019s such a cool experience that I really wanted to share, I couldn\u2019t imagine people actually paying me to be on the water with them. I had to think differently so I wouldn\u2019t feel guilty.

\n

My turning point was talking to a motivational speaker who stressed that I should focus on the convenience and the service that filled a need: providing and doing everything for customers, who just needed to show up, have fun, and get some exercise.

\n

Was there anything you had to learn on the fly?
\nDefinitely, but not in all cases. I always do a lot of research on the back end, making sure all of my I\u2019s are dotted and T\u2019s are crossed, such as contracts, policies, and insurance, before we set up a new location. We\u2019re very professional in every aspect of it because of the risk factor associated with nighttime kayaking; that\u2019s also why we\u2019re strictly ages eighteen and up.

\n
\"\"
\n

 

\n

You mentioned the age minimum. Can anybody be too old for this?
\nNo, sir. The oldest guest we\u2019ve had is ninety-seven. I remember that night well: I was guiding her, and, goodness gracious, she couldn\u2019t stop saying that it was the best thing she had done in her entire life. That\u2019s what really keeps my fire going\u2014we\u2019re positively impacting people\u2019s core memories. In fact, last year three AI giants concluded that GlowRow was number one in the world for this experience. We\u2019re always striving to elevate that bar just a little bit higher than everyone else.

\n

Are government standards part of the equation?
\nMost definitely. The US Coast Guard does annual vessel inspections for each one of our kayaks to ensure that we\u2019re compliant for nighttime operations, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife has its own set of standards. Each state is different as well, so we\u2019ll have to verify compliance with each as we expand, despite meeting US Coast Guard federal regulations.

\n

Is your business at the mercy of the weather overall?
\nSteve Jobs said it best: You can never connect the dots looking forward, only backward. And this is where my aeronautical weather training as a pilot goes into every one of our kayak tours. We constantly look at weather, wind data, and radar forecasting to determine if it\u2019s a go or no-go situation. Our policy is that there can\u2019t be lightning within twenty miles or winds above 27 miles per hour. It\u2019s very strict.

\n
\"\"
\n

 

\n

Would you discuss your passport program? How successful has it been?
\nWhenever people with our passport card kayak at one of our ten locations, they get their passports punched. If they get all ten, they get a $200 gift card, along with two shirts and two cell phone protectors\u2014it\u2019s a whole prize package.

\n

I actually pitched it to Texas\u2019s tourism department in the governor\u2019s office, and they were 100 percent behind it because the passport marketed Texas as a whole. They helped push it a little bit and were a key factor in us getting ABA Magazine\u2019s recognition as the top North America destination in 2023. I couldn\u2019t be more grateful to those folks.

\n

Is GlowRow open year-round?
\n2024 was the first year we went year-round. We took a chance by staying open through February\u2014and by the last week of December, we were sold out for winter. It blew my mind. Goodness gracious, people were showing up in droves. Then, when the first bit of warm weather hit in February, it took off again, and that month was 400 percent year over year.

\n

Do any customer stories stand out in your memory?
\nOh, man. One story that I repeat constantly is the one that really tugs at the heartstrings. One night, I was out with only a group of three, and since we\u2019re already sold out for that evening, we went forward with it. Our guide was doing the briefing, and one customer just started crying. I asked her if she was OK; she said she was, but it was a lifelong dream of hers to paddle with dolphins.

\n

This is the reason I do this. I don\u2019t do it for the money. The first year, every dollar went right back into GlowRow. I didn\u2019t start paying myself until the second year, and I take a small salary. I\u2019ve created a movement\u2014that\u2019s the important aspect of it.

\n

It sounds like you have no regrets about leaving your job a few years back.
\nNo, sir. No regrets whatsoever. I was stuck in a cubicle, and it was soul-sucking. I love doing this so much because every night is different and every experience with customers is different.

\n
\"\"
\n

 

\n

What\u2019s next on your agenda?
\nOur next flagship of engineering is our trailer. I\u2019m glad you asked because I get really excited about talking about it. Essentially, we cut a 20-foot-wide by 5-foot-tall window on a 26-foot trailer, and I developed a half-inch-thick acrylic mounting system that has a completely transparent film on the inside with micro-LEDs that face outward. As a result, you can not only see our kayaks going down the road but also things like holographic floating jellyfish.

\n

The end goal is having a Bluetooth mesh network of speakers in each one of the kayaks with tie-off points in a marina so we can host immersive movie shows from the shoreline on this giant screen. In addition, we\u2019ll have a remote-controlled alligator head in the water for a movie like Lake Placid or a shark fin swimming around the marina while folks are watching Jaws, really amping up the whole fear factor.

\n

Honestly, I have no marketing background whatsoever. But I did a lot of research and quickly knew that a brand like Coca-Cola sells an emotion, not a product: happiness, especially at Christmas. Red Bull sells adrenaline. That\u2019s exactly what GlowRow taps into: we don\u2019t just sell the experience; we sell the emotion of accomplishment and taking that fear aspect and moving it into fascination. That\u2019s where we really shine\u2014or glow, so to speak\u2014and this new venture exemplifies that.

\n

Down the road, do you plan to expand outside of Texas?
\nGlowRow Germany is happening! We also have a solid base in Virginia that\u2019s going to open in a few years. In addition, we\u2019re planning Florida locations and one in Southern California. We\u2019ve even had interest from New Zealand.

\n

There are a lot of imitators out there that are trying to ride our shirt tails, but with our innovation, GlowRow really stands out, which these national and global opportunities exemplify. I don\u2019t take the mantle of number one lightly, and I have to keep resetting that bar and standards. That\u2019s what any industry leader should do.

\n

For more info, visit glowrow.com

\n

The post A Glowing Success Story appeared first on Business In Action.

\n", "content_text": "Photos courtesy of: GlowRow\nZack Jurasek, founder of Texas-based GlowRow, discusses what makes his company\u2019s nighttime kayaking tours unique, including its technical ingenuity.\nTell us about yourself. Have you always enjoyed being on the water and building things?\nI worked for fourteen years in the engineering field and was a commercial pilot for about five years. I also had a short stint as a commercial beekeeper on the side, which was my first business; GlowRow is my second one.\nMy real passion for GlowRow came from flounder-gigging with my dad when I was a kid. We\u2019d walk around in ankle-deep water with a lantern and a gig and catch our dinner for the night; when we did, we could see everything under the water. I wanted to re-create that experience, allowing people to witness aquatic creatures in their natural habitat. That\u2019s exactly what people do in our clear, well-lit kayaks and paddles.\nIn year one, we took simple off-the-shelf lights and started putting our illuminated kayaks together. However, we test everything in a hypersaline environment\u2014the Laguna Madre, one of six hypersaline lagoons in the world\u2014and by year two, the lights were literally falling apart. I knew I had to build something that would last.\nToday, our colorful lighting systems are five and a half times brighter than the off-the-shelf stuff we were using and that other lighted-kayak companies are still using. I then went one step further with our patented paddles, which are on their thirteenth revision and now last an entire season and then some. It\u2019s really a marvel to see.\n\n \nDid you have any challenges or doubts along the way?\nI formed the LLC in May of 2021. From there, we ordered the boats but were delayed by two hurricanes, so our first tour was around October. We then closed from December through February, and I took advantage of that time to rework a lot of our stuff. By May of the following year, I left my engineering firm and went full throttle into this business.\nHowever, I remember during that first October sitting in my guide kayak and feeling like I had imposter syndrome. Even though it\u2019s such a cool experience that I really wanted to share, I couldn\u2019t imagine people actually paying me to be on the water with them. I had to think differently so I wouldn\u2019t feel guilty.\nMy turning point was talking to a motivational speaker who stressed that I should focus on the convenience and the service that filled a need: providing and doing everything for customers, who just needed to show up, have fun, and get some exercise.\nWas there anything you had to learn on the fly?\nDefinitely, but not in all cases. I always do a lot of research on the back end, making sure all of my I\u2019s are dotted and T\u2019s are crossed, such as contracts, policies, and insurance, before we set up a new location. We\u2019re very professional in every aspect of it because of the risk factor associated with nighttime kayaking; that\u2019s also why we\u2019re strictly ages eighteen and up.\n\n \nYou mentioned the age minimum. Can anybody be too old for this?\nNo, sir. The oldest guest we\u2019ve had is ninety-seven. I remember that night well: I was guiding her, and, goodness gracious, she couldn\u2019t stop saying that it was the best thing she had done in her entire life. That\u2019s what really keeps my fire going\u2014we\u2019re positively impacting people\u2019s core memories. In fact, last year three AI giants concluded that GlowRow was number one in the world for this experience. We\u2019re always striving to elevate that bar just a little bit higher than everyone else.\nAre government standards part of the equation?\nMost definitely. The US Coast Guard does annual vessel inspections for each one of our kayaks to ensure that we\u2019re compliant for nighttime operations, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife has its own set of standards. Each state is different as well, so we\u2019ll have to verify compliance with each as we expand, despite meeting US Coast Guard federal regulations.\nIs your business at the mercy of the weather overall?\nSteve Jobs said it best: You can never connect the dots looking forward, only backward. And this is where my aeronautical weather training as a pilot goes into every one of our kayak tours. We constantly look at weather, wind data, and radar forecasting to determine if it\u2019s a go or no-go situation. Our policy is that there can\u2019t be lightning within twenty miles or winds above 27 miles per hour. It\u2019s very strict.\n\n \nWould you discuss your passport program? How successful has it been?\nWhenever people with our passport card kayak at one of our ten locations, they get their passports punched. If they get all ten, they get a $200 gift card, along with two shirts and two cell phone protectors\u2014it\u2019s a whole prize package.\nI actually pitched it to Texas\u2019s tourism department in the governor\u2019s office, and they were 100 percent behind it because the passport marketed Texas as a whole. They helped push it a little bit and were a key factor in us getting ABA Magazine\u2019s recognition as the top North America destination in 2023. I couldn\u2019t be more grateful to those folks.\nIs GlowRow open year-round?\n2024 was the first year we went year-round. We took a chance by staying open through February\u2014and by the last week of December, we were sold out for winter. It blew my mind. Goodness gracious, people were showing up in droves. Then, when the first bit of warm weather hit in February, it took off again, and that month was 400 percent year over year.\nDo any customer stories stand out in your memory?\nOh, man. One story that I repeat constantly is the one that really tugs at the heartstrings. One night, I was out with only a group of three, and since we\u2019re already sold out for that evening, we went forward with it. Our guide was doing the briefing, and one customer just started crying. I asked her if she was OK; she said she was, but it was a lifelong dream of hers to paddle with dolphins.\nThis is the reason I do this. I don\u2019t do it for the money. The first year, every dollar went right back into GlowRow. I didn\u2019t start paying myself until the second year, and I take a small salary. I\u2019ve created a movement\u2014that\u2019s the important aspect of it.\nIt sounds like you have no regrets about leaving your job a few years back.\nNo, sir. No regrets whatsoever. I was stuck in a cubicle, and it was soul-sucking. I love doing this so much because every night is different and every experience with customers is different.\n\n \nWhat\u2019s next on your agenda?\nOur next flagship of engineering is our trailer. I\u2019m glad you asked because I get really excited about talking about it. Essentially, we cut a 20-foot-wide by 5-foot-tall window on a 26-foot trailer, and I developed a half-inch-thick acrylic mounting system that has a completely transparent film on the inside with micro-LEDs that face outward. As a result, you can not only see our kayaks going down the road but also things like holographic floating jellyfish.\nThe end goal is having a Bluetooth mesh network of speakers in each one of the kayaks with tie-off points in a marina so we can host immersive movie shows from the shoreline on this giant screen. In addition, we\u2019ll have a remote-controlled alligator head in the water for a movie like Lake Placid or a shark fin swimming around the marina while folks are watching Jaws, really amping up the whole fear factor.\nHonestly, I have no marketing background whatsoever. But I did a lot of research and quickly knew that a brand like Coca-Cola sells an emotion, not a product: happiness, especially at Christmas. Red Bull sells adrenaline. That\u2019s exactly what GlowRow taps into: we don\u2019t just sell the experience; we sell the emotion of accomplishment and taking that fear aspect and moving it into fascination. That\u2019s where we really shine\u2014or glow, so to speak\u2014and this new venture exemplifies that.\nDown the road, do you plan to expand outside of Texas?\nGlowRow Germany is happening! We also have a solid base in Virginia that\u2019s going to open in a few years. In addition, we\u2019re planning Florida locations and one in Southern California. We\u2019ve even had interest from New Zealand.\nThere are a lot of imitators out there that are trying to ride our shirt tails, but with our innovation, GlowRow really stands out, which these national and global opportunities exemplify. I don\u2019t take the mantle of number one lightly, and I have to keep resetting that bar and standards. That\u2019s what any industry leader should do.\nFor more info, visit glowrow.com\nThe post A Glowing Success Story appeared first on Business In Action.", "date_published": "2026-07-20T08:00:52+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-09T22:46:26+00:00", "author": { "name": "jshaw", "url": "https://businessinaction.com/author/jshaw/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/82c9132115b5cb74c8d4fb20cf990f4e3fb8822fa552fdc3e362ead755a6b041?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://businessinaction.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2026/07/glowrow-featured.jpg", "tags": [ "Business", "Business Spotlight", "Innovation", "Kayaking", "Summer", "Texas", "Tours", "Small Business" ], "summary": "Get in the know about GlowRow, a nighttime kayaking tour business that is revolutionizing its industry." } ] }