Press Release
Book Details
Little Giant: The Story of Aruba’s Surf Shop and the Rebels Who Built It by Marcia Heath
RELEASE DATE: August 13, 2024
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Marcia Heath, 970.217.9695, marcia@littlegiantbook.com
Short Description
An unlikely success story set in the Caribbean
Little Giant by Marcia Heath tells the true story of David Putnam and Yair Lichtenstein, college buddies who left promising careers to open Bula Surf Shop on the idyllic shores of Aruba. The turning points in their improbable journey from rookie retailers to thriving cofounders reveal the power of big dreams and intelligent risk taking.
Blending memoir, biography, and psychological insights, the author discloses how the two Generation X trailblazers inspired her own journey from burnt-out baby boomer to finding her creative calling as a writer. It’s just one of the surprising takeaways in this engrossing true story about authentic living and the true measures of success.
Little Giant is for anyone who wants to start their own business, transition to a new creative field, or get inspired by two mavericks who refused to settle for what society expected of them.
Long Description
The world separates doers from dreamers. This new book celebrates the rare few who are both.
The two college buddies appeared to have it all—advanced degrees, a running start on impressive careers, and beautiful new girlfriends. Trouble was, they were living someone else’s idea of a great life.
In Little Giant: The Story of Aruba’s Surf Shop and the Rebels Who Built It, Marcia Heath recounts how David Putnam and Yair Lichtenstein made a pact to quit the rat race and headed to the idyllic shores of Aruba in the heart of the Caribbean. That’s where Bula, their little giant of a surf shop, got its start and their unlikely success story begins.
When the two friends started Bula Surf Shop in 2003 on a shoestring, they gave themselves three simple rules to live by: stay best friends, have fun, and do something good. As self-made entrepreneurs, they faced the usual dark moments of personal doubt, financial worries, and a revolving door of employees. More than once, they feared for Bula’s survival, but the shop thrived on grassroots support that never wavered.
Little Giant recounts the full arc of their underdog journey, from their early (often hilarious) rookie defeats to their personal and business breakthroughs. Fueled by their passion for ocean sports, they turned a nondescript storefront into a thriving community hub, proving that you don’t have to live in Silicon Valley or have an MBA to succeed as a start-up trailblazer.
“I wrote this because I’d dutifully climbed the corporate ladder but didn’t find happiness at the top,” says Heath, who drew from 25+ years as a professional editor, writer, and brand expert to write the book. “After years of reading a mountain of self-help books based on theory, I finally found real-world inspiration in the unconventional mindset of two surfer dudes in the Caribbean.”
In Little Giant, Heath reveals how David and Yair’s daring choices ignited her own journey from burnt-out baby boomer to finding her creative calling as a writer. It’s just one of the unexpected takeaways in this true story about the power of pursuing your dreams and seeking success on your own terms.
Little Giant is for anyone who wants to start their own business, transition to a new creative field, or get inspired by two mavericks who refused to settle for what society expected of them.
About the Author
Short bio
Marca Heath is the founder of Bungalow Hill, a solo shop that helps artists promote their worth and their work. A former publicist at Simon & Schuster and an executive editor at Harcourt, she spent two+ decades in brand marketing and strategic planning at start-ups, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 subsidiaries. She lives just outside Belfast, Maine. Little Giant is her first book.
Long bio
Marcia Heath is a professional editor, writer, and founder of Bungalow Hill, a solo shop that helps creative people promote their worth and their work. A former publicist at Simon & Schuster and executive editor at Harcourt, she spent two+ decades in brand marketing and strategic planning at start-ups, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 subsidiaries. She’s fascinated by true stories about quietly exceptional people who defy the odds of success, exactly like the heroes of her first book, Little Giant. The author earned a degree in English Literature from Mount Holyoke College and attended the Radcliffe Publishing Procedures Course. She lives just outside Belfast, Maine, with her husband and their overly affectionate Boykin Spaniel.
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