Today we’d like to introduce you to Kris Dehnert.
Hi Kris, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Our company started when a major league baseball player saw a baseball bat barrel laying on the ground and wanted to see if he could drill it out deep enough to drink from it. That was in 2014, and the idea of creating a baseball bat mug, later named the “Dugout mug”, came to life.
In 2017, partners Kris Dehnert and Randall Thompson launched the company with the goal of bringing baseball fans closer to the game they love by creating unique and fun products. They succeeded!
Fast forward to 2025, Dugout Mugs has been featured in national media, such as World News Tonight, Fox & Friends, CBS Morning, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The View, and more… Boasting over $50,000,000 in sales since inception, Dugout has caught the eye of publications such as Forbes, Entreprenuer, Valient CEO, Tampa Bay Business and Wealth, The Business Journals, and honored 3 consecutive years in the Inc 5000 list.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing worth doing is easy if I’m being honest… The trick is loving what you do, which makes the hurdles a little easier and more fun to jump. We ran into manufacturing issues, logistics, nightmares, and even struggled with growth. Doubling your size year over year, requires serious, focus on the team, quality control, cash flow, etc..
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have a pretty diverse track record, but feel as if the commonalities always are the same… Sales, marketing, networking, and social media. Understanding how people operate has always been a superpower of mine, and one that I have been able to lean into on several occasions.
Additionally, I think perspective has played a tremendous role in how far I’ve come. About 10 years ago, I had an experience that could have cost me my life. When you come out of something like that, you look at the world (and opportunities) through a completely different lens. I have an entirely new set of metrics that I use when evaluating opportunities… Can I play with my friends? Does it bring good into the world? Does it take time for my family? Can I leverage my net work? Does it offer fun experiences? Etc..
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I’ve learned several lessons along the way, and though they may sound similar, I find them uniquely valuable in different situations
1. Stop doing stuff with people you don’t like – a good day with bad people is still worse than a bad day with good people. Life is too short to surround yourself with people who suck
2. Create the system, you’re not a component of – time is the only real asset, and the sooner you put something in place that collects minutes instead of dollars, you’ll be richer than ever
3. Creating your own set of metrics is paramount – things are not created equal, and the sooner you reflect on what is important to you, the easier it will be to build a company/lifestyle by design. What do you stand for, and what will you not stand for? What do you value, and what do you not value? What are your strengths, and what are your weaknesses?
Pricing:
- $10-$100
Contact Info:
- Website: http://DugoutMugs.com
- Instagram: http://Instagram.com/DugoutMugs
- Facebook: http://Facebook.com/DugoutMugs
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/krisdehnert
- Twitter: http://X.com/DugoutMugs
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DugoutMugsOfficial
Image Credits
All images are ours
