Jake Holland’s path has been anything but ordinary. From growing up in rural Northern California to a 20-year racing career, and from engineering roles at GE and Hamilton to designing research equipment at the University of Nevada, Reno, Jake has built a career on persistence, ingenuity, and grit. In this episode, Jim and Jake talk about his journey from racing and engineering into entrepreneurship, the lessons he’s carried into his new venture HAViK, and how balancing precision with resourcefulness has shaped both his career and outlook on building a business.
Jake grew up in Calpine, a tiny town in Northern California, where necessity shaped his creativity. With only a few kids in town and little access to stores, he and his brother spent their days outdoors, breaking and fixing dirt bikes, go-karts, and makeshift vehicles. His father, a mechanic, served as a hands-on role model, demonstrating how to fabricate parts with nothing but scrap metal, a torch, and grit. Jake credits this upbringing with instilling resourcefulness and adaptability — traits that later defined his approach to engineering and racing.
Jake’s father introduced him and his brother to go-kart racing when Jake was nine. Though reluctant at first, Jake quickly became obsessed, while his brother lost interest after an early crash. This led to a long and diverse racing career spanning dirt tracks, pavement ovals, and even the NASCAR Whelen series. By 14, Jake was piloting a Buick Regal against adult racers; by his twenties, he was winning IMCA Modified races. He ultimately raced competitively for 20 years, often while juggling school, engineering work, and family life.
Racing wasn’t just competition — it honed his problem-solving. From modifying tools to repairing cars under pressure, Jake learned to engineer solutions quickly, a skillset he would later carry into professional engineering and product design. Eventually, after marriage and the birth of his first child, he retired from racing in 2018, recognizing the demands of family life outweighed the lifestyle of constant travel and maintenance.
Even as a child, Jake knew he wanted to be a mechanical engineer. After earning his degree, he worked for T&D Rocker Arms, designing components for race engines, then moved to GE, where he learned lean manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies. Later, at Hamilton, he worked on advanced robotic systems for fluid handling. His role at the University of Nevada, Reno exposed him to cutting-edge research challenges, where he designed and machined experimental equipment never before built, such as deep-space vacuum chambers.
Each stage added tools to his “engineering toolbox” — from manual machining to CNC programming to production efficiency — and reinforced his philosophy that both crude improvisation and high-precision design are vital. As he and Jim agree, being overly reliant on either “redneck hacks” or “corporate perfection” limits creativity; the best engineers can operate in both worlds.
Jake shares stories about meeting his wife Lindsay (formerly his chemistry TA at UNR), their age gap, and how persistence paid off in winning her over. Marriage and children shifted his priorities forcing the difficult decision to leave racing but also grounding his career moves in family needs. He recalls choosing jobs with flexibility, like the UNR machine shop role, so he and Lindsay could spend more time together while raising their son.
Jake’s connection with SendCutSend began with his first knife-making venture, where he would bring Damascus steel scraps to Jim for laser cutting. This grew into contracting work and eventually a full-time role. Together, they collaborated on ambitious projects, including the Jet-a-Send car built for SEMA, where Jake’s methodical CAD design and Jim’s iterative approach fused into a proof of concept for SendCutSend’s capabilities.
His role expanded into media and education, where, despite an awkward start in front of the camera, Jake embraced content creation as another engineering challenge: persistence and iteration would lead to improvement. His on-camera presence eventually helped make him recognizable to customers and fans.
Now, Jake has launched HAViK, a new company focused on outdoor gear, starting with knives. He describes the process as equal parts exhausting and thrilling — every day split between production and R&D. Early batches sold out quickly, though packaging and sheaths required immediate iteration. Unlike his first knife venture, this time he is fully committed, drawing on business lessons learned at SendCutSend.
Jake emphasizes the importance of starting before you feel ready, of viewing a business like any other project: scope it, break it into steps, execute, and iterate. He warns against perfectionism and encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to outsource where possible, use services like SendCutSend, and avoid getting paralyzed by unknowns. For him, the reward lies not just in the products but in the process of building a brand from the ground up.
This episode features Jim Belosic in conversation with mechanical engineer, fabricator, outdoorsman, and race car driver Jake Holland. The two trace Jake’s journey from rural childhood tinkering, through two decades of competitive racing, into engineering careers at companies like GE and Hamilton, and ultimately to entrepreneurship with his new venture, HAViK. Along the way, they reflect on creativity born from constraints, the balance between precision and “redneck ingenuity,” and the importance of persistence in both careers and business building.
