S2 E11: David McIntosh of Sunny California: Surf, Moto and Community on 41st Avenue | OTC

What if the real product isn't the surfboard, but the community that forms around it? David McIntosh, founder of Sunny California, joins us at his new Pleasure Point flagship on 41st Avenue - a surf shop, art gallery, coworking club and live event space built for the people who live here. We start with a quick read on the Santa Cruz market: rates ticking up, first-time buyers feeling cautious, and why homes priced right and presented well still move fast while overpriced listings sit. Then Dave tells the long version of his story: a punk rock kid from Baltimore who became a 20-year concert promoter, moved his family to London and Australia, and reinvented himself through web design and surf e-commerce. That path led to Midtown Surf Shop, a Carmel store that took off, and finally Sunny California, a brand built on California-made goods, shapers and artists. We also get tactical about what makes retail work today: the sacrifice and total commitment behind a big vision, hiring people who genuinely love helping customers, curating quality over cheap price points, and creating a destination people want to hang out in. Plus Jerry and Dave on where surf culture meets motorcycle culture, and the "stealthy" moto collectors hiding in plain sight around Santa Cruz. Chapters 0:00 Welcome back and market whiplash 1:12 Rates, first-time buyers and pricing it right 2:26 Condos still soft 4:38 A new studio and meet Dave McIntosh 5:31 From Baltimore punk to UC Irvine 7:39 From bad bands to concert promoter 9:23 London, BlackBerry and the move to Australia 11:54 Life and culture in Australia 14:01 Web design becomes surf e-commerce 15:50 Opening the first Midtown Surf Shop 18:31 Turning Midtown into a community hub 21:07 Carmel's instant success 21:57 Launching the Sunny California brand 23:18 How Carmel elevated the style 24:34 How do you fund the vision? 26:26 Sacrifice and living in his car 27:53 Total commitment and business plans 32:14 Going all in on 41st Avenue 33:36 Hiring people who carry the torch 37:09 Designing for the community 40:12 California-only brands, shapers and artists 42:20 Building a local business in Santa Cruz 44:30 Anticipating a changing Santa Cruz 46:26 Surf meets moto 50:08 Santa Cruz's stealthy moto collectors 52:04 Family and kids in the shop 53:51 The grand opening and Barney Barron gallery 57:20 Where to find Sunny California Find David McIntosh and Sunny California Surf Shop, Art Gallery, Event Space and Surf Club 📍 Santa Cruz: 912 41st Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 | (831) 306-8292 🕗 Mon to Fri 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Sat and Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 📍 Carmel-by-the-Sea: SW corner of 5th and San Carlos | (831) 250-5418 🏄 Sunny California Surf Club coworking: https://sunnycalifornia.com/pages/sunny-california-surf-club 🌐 https://sunnycalifornia.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunnycaliforniabrand 📸 Santa Cruz events: https://www.instagram.com/sunnycalifornia_santacruz Listen to the full episode: [PASTE EXISTING HEADLINER LINK] Hosted by Brandi Jones (Keller Williams Thrive), Ryan Buckholdt (CrossCountry Mortgage) and Jerry Seagraves (Seagraves Insurance), with Brian Upton of Santa Cruz Vibes. Have you been to Sunny California yet? Tell us your favorite find in the comments, then subscribe and share this with a friend who loves Pleasure Point. #SantaCruz #OwningTheCoast #SunnyCalifornia #PleasurePoint #41stAvenue #SurfShop #SurfAndMoto #SantaCruzBusiness Brandi Jones | REALTOR® | KW Thrive Santa Cruz 🏡 Real estate strategy + aligned decisions for your next chapter. Reach out anytime if real estate is part of your next chapter. 📞 (831) 588-5145 🌐 brandijonesrealtor.com 📍 Santa Cruz • Monterey Bay • Santa Clara County DRE# 01385191