This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Cameron Kirkconnell, a world-record spearfisher who works as a yacht broker with Ikonic Yachts, based in Miami. This story has been edited for length and clarity.
When I was really young, somebody asked me what I wanted to do for a living, and I said, “I want to fish and hunt.” My father was a lawyer, and my whole extended family is lawyers. Before that, everybody had been ship captains.
After I got out of the Maritime Academy, I started working on the ships. I have the absolute highest license you can get, so I can captain anything in the world. I worked on oil tankers, oil drilling, break bulk, cargo ships, container ships, and some military contracts.
I love spearfishing, so I got very good at that and was traveling a lot during my time off. In the early 2000s, we had forums, so we’d meet people around the world and travel and spearfish together. I ended up working for one of the biggest spearfishing companies in the world, designing gear. It created this incredible network around the world. My aunt told me when I was in my teens that if I could ever figure out how to make money by networking, I’d do very well.
I had an opportunity to start guiding spearfishing about 13 or 14 years ago, and that just took off. My initial niche was the finance world. Everybody that I work with is very successful and at the absolute pinnacle of whatever business it is. The allure of spearfishing is that when you’re doing it, there’s nothing else you can think about.
Guiding spearfishing led to yacht brokering
The way we do spearfishing is breath-hold diving. So we hold our breath, and we go down, and we try to shoot fish, and then we bring them back to the surface. The base of the partnership with a dive buddy is that trust with them. Because if you and I are in the water together, you’re there to make sure nothing happens to me, and I’m there to make sure nothing happens to you.
My clients told me they wanted me to start buying and selling their boats. They said I know more about boats than anyone they’ve ever met, and that they literally trust me with their lives. I can’t tell you how many of the boats that I buy, the clients never step foot on until it’s bought, because they trust me that much.
I’m very decisive, and I’m very confident in my abilities because of all of the years leading up to it and understanding the personalities and the people that I’m working with. Being able to mesh that with picking the right boat and seeing the right deal out of a hundred is pretty unique.
There are surprising similarities between spearfishing and yacht brokerage. The ultimate satisfaction from guiding spearfishing is at the end of the day, you get a high five or a hug from the client and your buddy. With brokerage, when you finally get the right boat, and they say, “You were right, this is amazing, thank you.” I’m also not trying to act any differently or change who I am. When I first got into this, I bought two suits, and I have not worn either of them once.
People ask how to become a yacht broker. I could never have planned the path that I have taken. But I would say get as much experience as possible across the board. Start at the bottom, scrubbing decks. It’s all about relationships.
The relationships are the most valuable asset that I have, and you’re not just going to cold call people and get that. Life’s too short not to do cool stuff and to be surrounded by good people. Treat people fairly, keep it simple, stay transparent, and genuinely look out for others, not just yourself.
