Advice. Critiques. Compliments. Questions. And a ton of other words that describe what you’re bound to hear when starting a business.

Maybe some people are simply better listeners than others, or maybe they are just more interested. But for some reason they get it, while others shake their head as if you have no idea what you’re doing. However, if they managed to listen, or if they were the least bit interested, they’d realize that you indeed do have an idea what you’re doing.

I had a good friendly debate recently about the Snoloha brand and what it stands for and where I see it going. Snoloha is NOT interested in being the next Quicksilver, Billabong, DaKine, or any of the other popular surf related clothing companies that are mass-marketed and homogenized to the point that it is difficult to tell them apart. Now I should mention that I like all the aforementioned brands, but I do not intend on becoming any of them.

Ask LeBron James about becoming the next Michael Jordan, and you’ll hear him say something like, though it’s flattering, he’s just interested in being LeBron James.

Same thing. Snoloha is only concerned with being Snoloha. When I decided to start this company, I didn’t do it to try and become the next Big Brand. I did it because I am passionate about what Snoloha stands for, and I truly believe that there is a very large market out there that is just as passionate about this lifestyle.

I think that good brands are the ones that stick to their core values. They don’t forget their reason for entering into the marketplace. Sure there are times when brands need to adjust and adapt, but the meaning of the brand can remain consistent. I’m sure Snoloha will experience many growing pains and will adjust accordingly, but at the end of the day, Snoloha will always be a brand that represents a lifestyle and tells a story. People appreciate honesty. They appreciate humbleness. They appreciate a brand that is real.