Don't Look Down!: The Improbable Adventures and Battle-Tested Lessons of a Serial Entrepreneur

California serial entrepreneur Robert “Bob” Campana set out to document his life story for his family. Somewhere between reminiscing and fact-checking old receipts, he realized his journey might resonate with others—and it does!

Don’t Look Down! is a lively cocktail of Campana’s family roots, his globe-trotting youthful escapades, and his trials-by-fire in building businesses across industries—often with nothing more than grit, duct tape, and a questionable amount of optimism. He doesn’t just dish out the victories; he serves up the flops too, with a side of hard-earned wisdom.

Campana delivers no-nonsense insights on setting real goals, tracking progress (without losing your mind), and pushing forward when life inevitably throws you curveballs. From hot tubs to helicopters, the ride is as entertaining as instructive. Campana’s humor and honesty will resonate with young adults trying to figure it all out, midlife professionals wondering how they got here, and retirees plotting their encore.

Readers will come away seeing their own capacity for resilience, persistence, and adaptability—with Campana’s golden rule etched in their minds: Stay the course. Adapt to change. Never stop moving toward your vision.

Robert “Bob” Campana is a California builder, landscape designer, real estate developer, restaurateur, and all-round serial entrepreneur. Born in San Francisco, he grew up in the Sierra Nevada foothills. At age twenty, he quit his job on a backwoods survey crew to travel the world, a journey that changed his life. Returning to California, he started a small business manufacturing and installing redwood hot tubs and eventually grew the company into one of the state’s premier swimming pool builders. He later launched and acquired several other successful ventures, including Modesto’s popular Redwood Café, which Yelp calls “one of America’s most romantic restaurants.” In 2022, he created Redwood Café Tours to develop luxury small-group adventures in Europe, Asia, and Oceania. An experienced helicopter and airplane pilot, he travels the world and celebrates life with his wife, Lynna.

Niles Howard is a business journalist, editor, and author. A Northwestern University graduate, he has held senior positions at Inc. and Money magazines and with other major media companies. He advises investment, law, and consulting firms on communications and marketing.