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I Didn’t Get Here Alone.

21 May 2013 / 0 Comments / in Bidness, Blog, Daydreamin'/by

Being a ‘solopreneur’ is sometimes the greatest feeling (I love the ability to make decisions on the fly and do things the way I envision doing them)…but sometimes it can feel like your working in a silo.  I’ve been very candid about my thoughts on networking and being a horrible business owner.  So for me, it’s a different connection that’s important to make, and thankfully I get a dose when needed.

Just the other night, we were out rigging the ‘Snoloha’ in the marina parking lot and a gentlemen stopped by to offer a hand, introduce himself and let me know he follows this blog and believes in what Snoloha stands for.

Just this week an email came in from a guy who has had enough of the  9-5 rat race and is taking the entrepreneurial leap and had some questions for me and my experience getting a brand off the ground.

This morning I read this very interesting article from CNN – Use your money to buy happier time.

“Focusing on how money can improve our time, rather than on how money can swell our coffers, offers the possibility of much more happiness.”

And as I’m typing this, I’m listening to Kenny Chesney sing “I Didn’t Get Here Alone” and the lyrics are fitting.  I’m a LONG, LONG way from getting this brand to where it needs to be, and sure, it would be nice to have ‘Chesney money’ to afford my own place in the Virgin Islands, but hey…success is what you define it as, and I’m not stuck in a cubicle, miserable, working for some prick and counting the days until the weekend hits.

“Yeah, I hit walls and I wanted to quit
I picked myself up but the truth is, yeah, the truth is

I didn’t get here alone
That road’s just too rough and long
I might be the one the spotlight’s on
But, I didn’t get here alone
Yeah, I know I didn’t get here alone

The crew, the band, yeah, and all you fans
That stood in line rain or shine
I want to thank everybody out there for the ride

‘Cause I didn’t get here alone
Ain’t traveled one mile on my own
You’re why I sing my song
You’re why I sing my song”

As I’ve said many times, I don’t have what it take to write a song and I can barely strum through Margaritaville on my ‘traded a pair of skis for an acoustic guitar’, but I do have this brand and all of you out there who are crazy enough to appreciate what it stands for.

I didn’t get here alone.

Thanks.

Office Time

15 May 2013 / 0 Comments / in Bidness, Blog, Daydreamin'/by

This Unsalted Sailing Magazine is requiring quite a bit of ‘office time’.  I’m still not sure if this is a brilliant idea that we’ve come up with, or if it will be a giant time suck with little results.  But hey!  We won’t know until we try, right?

As a result of what’s been a very busy spring, I’ve really struggled with new blog topics.  Call it writer’s block, I guess.  It happens.  What I like to do when it does happen is re-visit blog posts from the same time frame a couple years back…this one is from May of 2007 (Snoloha was just a fragile newborn at that time) and seemed appropriate given the amount of screen time and office time needed right now:

“Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about about mission statements.” Peter Gibbons, Office Space

The joys of owning a business: A regular paycheck? nope. A set schedule? not quite. Guaranteed customers willing to buy your product? that would be too easy.

How about working wherever you feel like it for the day? !’m currently working on the Fall / Winter product line and catalog. It requires a lot of office time, which I don’t particularly care for. Office time can drive me crazy, and as Buffettt says, if “we weren’t all crazy we would go insane”. So as I stared out the window today I realized I don’t have to stay in this office and work all day. After all, there is no over-bearing, micro-managing boss to get in the way.

So I packed up my messenger bag, hopped on the bike, and peddled down to Clinch Marina, where I set up my “temporary office space” on an empty and inviting picnic table, and spent a few hours working on the catalog and product line.

This is what I call “office atmoshpere”. Not a bad way to spend the workday.

Clinch Marina

Snoloha Stamp of Approval

02 May 2013 / 0 Comments / in Bidness, Blog/by

A couple weeks ago I received an email from a fellow small business and brand owner.  It was from Matt and his new sandal company from  Minneapolis, Minnesota called Bokos.

I get a decent amount of inquiries and solicitations and most of them are ignorable. This one was different, though.  It had a ‘real’ element to it.  And the name intrigued me.  And I really liked the language used to describe the sandals, “From your gym bag to your camping gear, your front closet to your back porch, we’re confident that wherever your Bokos end up, they will soon become your new favorite sandals.”

I also really like the price.  They are affordable, as sandals should be.

Of course, being the sandal and flip flop fan that I am…I needed to try a pair out.  Matt was very gracious and sent a pair my way…even though there was still snow on the ground at the time!

Well, I dig ‘em.  They are comfortable.

So I’m confident in giving Bokos Sandals the Snoloha stamp of approval.  You should get a pair…and if you use the code SNO you can get 20% off…and the regular price is only $16.00.  I’m no mathematician, but if my calculator is right 20% 0ff of $16 is $12.80.

OR…if you spend $50 or more on Snoloha gear…you can get a pair of Bokos for FREE (just let me know your size and color in the Order Notes box during checkout — Men’s Bokos & Women’s Bokos).

Bokos Sandals

Serial Entrepreneurs? Or Buffoons?

22 Apr 2013 / 0 Comments / in Bidness, Blog/by

First Snoloha and Bay Breeze teamed up to launch Unsalted Sailing — Events and Merchandising.  In order to extend the Unsalted Sailing reach we decided to also launch the Unsalted Sailing ‘digital’ Magazine.  Yes, ‘digital’, as in for your tablet, mobile device, laptop and desktop.  We have no interest, nor do we have the capital necessary, for a print edition — that sounds painful.

Why are we doing this?  Because we either suffer from serial entrepreneurship…or we are buffoons.

It’s probably a mixture of the two, especially depending on who you ask.

The real answer is that it’s a way to focus on Great Lakes Sailing and promoting Unsalted Sailing.  And yes, it’s brought to you by Snoloha and Bay Breeze, so we hope to introduce folks to both our other companies as well.  Diabolical, I know.

So Snoloha is now in the publishing and media business (oh, it’s also in the consulting business, but that’s a different blog post).  We are anticipating the inaugural issue to hit digital newstands in late May.

The story of sailing the “Snoloha” last summer to Omena will make the issue.  It ended up being a pretty story…stressful, but a good story.

snoloha_sailing

Listen & Win & Free Shipping

14 Jan 2013 / 0 Comments / in Bidness, Blog/by

The Snoloha Radio Show

Episode #2 of The Snoloha Radio Show is a wrap and aired on Friday. If you didn’t hear it, it is available to listen to at your leisure. It’s the “Pine Tree Paradise Edition”, featuring Trop Rock artists from the Great Lakes region.

Here’s the deal…give it a listen and post a note over on Facebook of the name of the Swim Skinny song I introduce and I’ll send you Swim Skinny’s “Naked & Wet” CD (while supplies last).

Build a SnoMon

Mother Nature has not cooperated all that well with the Build a SnoMon promo. It’s gonna continue to run throughout the winter…so if you get a chance, Build a SnoMon, Get a FREE t-shirt, and I”ll Donate.

FREE SHIPPING!

 Yup, free shipping on all orders.

Snoloha On

02 Jan 2013 / 0 Comments / in Bidness, Blog, Daydreamin'/by

The beginning of a new year.  The chance to hit that reset button.  More resolutions to make.  More resolutions to eventually fade.

I’m feeling particularly energized for 2013.  I’m staring at a VERY BIG to-do list from a career perspective this year.  It’s gonna be fun, busy, challenging, difficult, stressful, rewarding…you know, the usual roller-coaster ride of self-employment.

It all starts with Snoloha.  And it branches out from there.

Snoloha has officially become much more than a clothing brand.  I am ‘stoked’, as the kids say, about this.

So in addition to casual and relaxed gear for you to wear while escaping reality every once in a while, here’s what’s a happenin’:

  • Snoloha is the official clothing and escapism partner of Bay Breeze Yacht Charters and Sailing School.  Not only does this mean we will be working closer together, including a full Snoloha & Unsalted Sailing retail presence at Bay Breeze, but you will also see yours truly playing a more pivotal role within the Bay Breeze Crew.
  • With this Bay Breeze relationship also comes the development of Snoloha Caribbean Charters.  This will take a little time to grow, but all the pieces are there.  We have all the knowledge and experience to work with you every step of the way to booking that dream vacation you keep thinking about.  This is the ultimate escapism plan.
  • I’m working on the next Snoloha Radio Show in conjunction with my buddy Jim from The Shore Radio.  The first one was a little rough.  I learned a lot.  The goal is a new show at least every 2 weeks.  That means doing 26 Snoloha Radio Shows in 2013.  Oh baby.
  • Unsalted Sailing – Inspired by the Great Lakes and brought to you by Snoloha and Bay Breeze – continues to grow.  Without Snoloha, and everything this brand has given me, Unsalted Sailing would not be possible. We go to Chicago for Strictly Sail this month and then to the Grand Rapids Boat Show in February.
  • Build a Snomon.  I Donate.  You Could Win.  This is just a fun promo.  I hope you are able to participate.  It could very well flop.  But oh well, one thing I’ve gotten over and learned…I won’t know unless I put it out there.  Better to know if something won’t work, than to never know at all.
  • Trop Rock’n.  I’m not sure how this will play out yet.  But I’m trying to figure a way to work more closely with some of my favorite artists, and who have also expressed an interest in working with Snoloha.  Stand by…
  • Snoloha Licensing and Partnerships.  This is a world all it’s own.  Some days it scares the hell out of me.  Other days it makes perfect sense.
  • Living on Snoloha Time (LOST) – I’ve already started working with Joe the Designer on a new logo for this.  I won’t get into all the gory details now, but this concept will entail an entirely separate website based completely on ESCAPISM.  Should be cool.

 Keep Calm and Snoloha On

Reflection & Vision

31 Dec 2012 / 0 Comments / in Bidness, Blog, Daydreamin'/by

Well, it’s that time of year.  Reflecting.  For me, reflecting helps clarify the vision.

2012 was another interesting trip around the sun for Snoloha and myself.  It marked Snoloha’s 5th year in business…which is the equivalent of at least 10 years in grey hair and stress that goes along with the roller-coaster ride of growing a brand.

It was a year full of learning new things about the brand.  Yes, after all this time I’m still learning.  And as a result of this learning, the brand and I are evolving.  And I’m excited.

So what’s on the horizon for 2013?

  • New products and new designs, of course.
  • A new Snoloha.com website, featuring a mobile friendly version and a new social media attitude (I’ve been working hard on this)
  • The introduction of Living on Snoloha Time.

But this is where it’s getting interesting and is evolving:

  • The Snoloha Radio Show will become a regular piece of the puzzle.
  • Snoloha Caribbean Yacht Charters
  • Snoloha Prints
  • Unsalted Sailing (the Snoloha & Bay Breeze collaboration) is growing.
  • You’ll see a much closer overall relationship developing with Bay Breeze Yacht Charters & Sailing School (more on this later).
  • Working with more Trop Rock based artists.
  • New retailer developments and relationships.
  • Continued pursuit of licensing opportunities.

There’s more.  But I’ll feel too overwhelmed if I continue on.

Most importantly, THANK YOU for the continued business and support.

Reflection.

Reflection

 

All the Ramblings