45.6770° N, 111.0429° W

Chester Floyd is a motivated 25-year-old entrepreneur. Currently the head (Bowyer) and owner of RER BOWS. Chester builds some of the finest handcrafted traditional bows on the market today. Lots of hard work, blood, sweat and tears go into owning a custom woodworking business. However, the rewards of having a business at 25 and being (his own boss) are endless! Whether he is training for his next ultra marathon or chasing elk with a bow he handcrafted, you can bet Chester is giving it all and shooting for the moon. 

Chester grew up in the heart of America's Dairyland (Eden, Wisconsin). After high school, Literally a day after high school graduation Chester moved to Montana to chase elk, trout, and all of the other great things the treasure state has to offer. He currently has the RER BOWS shop set up in (Bozeman, Mt) 

1. Regarding your favorite outdoor passion, how did you get into what you do?

My passion is the outdoors and bow building. I believe my passion or love for the outdoors came about because I grew up in a very “Magical” place. Yes, I was very lucky! Just imagine riding the school bus home through the rolling hills of Wisconsin. What you would see is beautiful hardwood forests in their prime fall colors, golden corn fields ready to be harvested, and whitetail deer! As I hopped off the school bus, I would proceed to run for my camouflage, throwing it on quickly. I would then walk up or down the hill to my favorite tree stand in hopes of seeing that classic, corn fed, Wisconsin giant. I feel like that is a good example of how I got my love for the outdoors. Growing up in an outdoorsy family and setting was one of the catalysts for why I do what I do now.

My Father (Greg Floyd) is and entrepreneur having started two businesses. My older sister (Cora Floyd) owns her own business as well. It runs in the blood. Dad always encouraged us to go after our dreams. I do believe that with hard work, and keeping your nose to the grindstone you can almost accomplish anything! In high school, my brother (Ike Floyd) and I built custom duck calls on a lathe. I then fell in love with custom woodworking. 

Three years ago my brother (Ike Floyd) went to purchase a new bow from (Kevin TerMatte) who owned RER BOWS at the time. (Kevin) Proceeded to tell (Ike) that he was selling the business. One phone call later and I was flying back to Wisconsin to work under the master bow builder (Kevin). I had two goals in mind; one was to become a master bowyer. And two was to buy the business eventually. Long story short I purchased the business and moved RER BOWS to Montana. I always wanted my own business but never thought it would be a dream business. Actually, I take that back…. You can create your own dream business if you work hard at it. In this case, I was in the right place at the right time and took advantage of an opportunity and ran with it! 

2. Tell us about the first time you had a successful adventure. i.e. your first amazing trip, successful hunt,  or fishing trip.

Could remember. However, the one that sticks out would be my first bow kill at 12 years old. I remember daydreaming in school about what would walk by my tree stand that evening. I'm sure nothing got accomplished in class that day. When the bus dropped me off at school, I proceeded to sprint to the camouflage bin and quickly got dressed. Then decided that the top woods on my parent's property would be the best suite the wind that night. After walking to the stand and settling in, I was finally in my element! The Floyd family, at that time, were meat hunters. That meant we did not pass many animals. My mother was an excellent cook and venison was one of the family favorites. Not long after getting to the stand the squirrels started rustling in the leaves which can easily be confused like a deer when you're an avid new bowhunter. A couple of hours had passed and still no sign of deer. With about twenty minutes of shooting light left I finally caught the movement of a deer coming right down the trail. Because of excitement, the rest is a blur. I managed to let an arrow fly. It was a terrible shot. However, the arrow hit the hind quarters and the femoral artery. The deer only went fifteen yards and tipped over. Rather be lucky that good at that point. Talk about a proud little guy! It was a small button buck that a 70-pound kid could drag back to the house (Which I did). If I remember correctly, my mother made chicken fried steak out of the loins the next day.

3.  What’s the first thing you say to people when they ask why you do what you do?

I am a business owner that builds custom bows. I do it because I love the challenge. You can be a craftsman, a salesman, an accountant, a marketer, or artist. But if you put all of those things together you have a business owner that has to hustle. It is hard work, but it comes with high satisfaction and rewards. 

4. How do you mix/balance your professional life with adventure?

As of right now, I'll be honest. Combining professional life with adventure is challenging at the moment. It takes hard work to start a business which doesn't allow much time for play. It takes the time to get things up and to run. If you start a business, you better have a five-year business plan. In RER BOWS' five-year plan, this guy is going to have a lot more time to relax. Set yourself up for success and you will have your time one day! That being said, when I do get time off you can find me hunting, fishing, or trail running. 

5. What are the 3 pieces of gear you would never go without?

My trusty RER BOW, A good pair of footwear, plenty of nutrition (snacks/water) if that counts as gear. Traveling efficiently in the mountains is everything to me. Being a runner, you can cover lots of ground while hunting. Footwear, nutrition, and a bow are really all a fella needs. For example, spring bear hunting I would find a bear a mile or two away with an hour of light left. It's nice having the confidence to be able to run after it. And not just say “I'll never make it in time.” 

6. What do you do to stay in field shape?

I am currently training for the “RUT” 50k in Big Sky Montana this fall. Signing up for a race is a perfect motivation to stay fit for hunting and your general overall fitness. Not to mention running allows me to blow off steam and think about things (my form of meditation). I am currently running about 40 miles a week and slowly increasing mileage. With one day a week in the (Mountain Project Gym) here in Bozeman to keep my body balanced. My goal is to peak at about 80 miles a week, which will be about a month before the race. Then I will slowly taper in mileage until race day. It's hard to stay motivated in the gym. Most people only work out to “Look Good” which is great because I like to “Look Good” as well. But, why not have multiple reasons to stay fit. Set multiple goals for yourself like “I want to be in better shape for elk season” and or “ I want to place in the top 20 in the Rut Run”. Doing that has tremendously kept me motivated to stay fit. 

7. Do you have any advice for the guy or girl reading this who is considering a leap into your world?

Do not be afraid to fail. If you are afraid to fail, you can never take risks. Risks will allow you to unlock your full potential. Surround yourself with good people that have shared interests. Opportunity will then come knocking at your door, (recognize it and take advantage)!! And most important, (keep your nose to the grindstone)!! 

8. What’s one thing we could do as a society to protect the environment vital to your passion?

I'm sure that this will be a pretty standard answer. Join a conservation group and become aware of problems we now face regarding our public lands. Also, respect the places we recreate. Next time you see trash on some public land or anywhere for that matter. (PICK IT UP)!!!

9. Tell us something that's true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

The Green Bay Packers will win the super bowl next year! (Go Pack)!!

10. What is your favorite quote?

“Measure success in proportion to your efforts.” 

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