Meet Middleton & Emmaline | Co-founders | Saltwater Disciple

We had the good fortune of connecting with Middleton & Emmaline and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Middleton & Emmaline, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
We launched Saltwater Disciple in August 2023. That summer, taking many of our friends out on the water in Charleston showed us how much joy it brought them and highlighted the unique experience of seeing Charleston from the water. We quickly noticed that each friend or group had their own idea of the perfect day—some wanted to relax, others were eager to explore the beaches. This insight inspired us to offer unique and customizable experiences to cater to these preferences. Thus, we launched Saltwater Disciple with the goal of bringing hospitality to the boating world, catering to each customer’s unique desires.

What should our readers know about your business?
Saltwater Disciple is a personalized boating experience in Charleston, SC. Our vision for Saltwater Disciple was to redefine the boat charter experience in the Lowcountry by infusing it with southern hospitality. We create personalized journeys for our customers, offering them the freedom to shape their day on the water—whether they wish to relax on the shores of Capers or Dewees Island, hunt for shark teeth or embark on a sunset cruise. Our goal is to cultivate an environment where we could truly connect with and serve our customers in a way that’s both unique and memorable.

We are incredibly proud of building Saltwater Disciple from the ground up and achieving a successful launch. This business is the result of countless hours of hard work and dedication. We spent an entire year meticulously developing our website, strategically planning for the upcoming summer, and putting together a comprehensive marketing strategy. We built our social media presence and sought out reviews. It took a tremendous amount of effort, collaboration, and lots of prayers to make this dream a reality. We are so grateful for the customers who took a chance on us and referred us to their friends. We are excited to continue serving our customers and building new relationships.

Getting started was anything but easy. We faced significant upfront costs, and Middleton’s captain’s license took longer than expected to be finalized. Learning how to build a website from scratch was a considerable challenge. We worked hard to establish connections with local hotels, partner with influencers, and pass out business cards to increase our brand visibility. We leveraged social media to build brand awareness in the boating industry with the support of friends who followed us and engaged with our posts from the beginning. These are just a few of the many challenges we faced. Prayer, inviting God into our conversations, and trusting in His plan was what helped us persevere. We also sought advice from those who had successfully launched charter companies, gaining valuable insights from their experiences.

In addition to building the business, we also learned how to work together as a team.. . Every step was a learning curve, but each one was essential in getting Saltwater Disciple off the ground. Through it all, we’ve gained lots of knowledge—it’s been incredibly rewarding.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would start out the day with breakfast at The Daily in downtown Charleston. Then, we’d take them out for a boat day because experiencing Charleston from the water is a must! We’d explore islands like Capers and Dewees. They would float in the water or lie out on the beach all day. We’d cruise back through the Lowcountry marshes and make it back in time to head out for dinner on Sullivan’s Island. For dinner, we’d eat at Obstinate Daughter or Sullivan’s Fish Camp. We’d walk down to the beach to watch the sunset after dinner. To wrap up the night, we’d get ice cream at Off Track downtown.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We owe a big thanks to our parents for providing financial and emotional support, our website developer Christian Gibson, Captain Jamey, and Captain James at Stoked Party Boats and Newland Charters, respectively, and Elissa Windsor and Jack Desplaces for content development. We couldn’t have done it without their support.

Website: https://www.saltwaterdisciple.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saltwaterdisciple/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Saltwater-Disciple/61556700690510/

Other: Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g54354-d27952967-r955820867-Saltwater_Disciple-Mount_Pleasant_South_Carolina.html

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@saltwaterdisciple