HomeSnoloha

As promised, I’m keeping you posted with what’s coming up…

Here’s a fun pic submitted by Capt Dave – Elvis and Santa Claus jumping off the top deck of the Willy T, a steel 100 ft. schooner anchored in The Bight, on Norman Island (British Virgin Islands).

In case you’ve never been to the Willy T, well, let’s just say it’s one of those places you have to see for yourself to completely understand.

It’s about that time to choose a Snapshots & Scenery winner. So if you haven’t done so yet – visit the gallery, register as a new user, and upload some photos for a chance to win Snoloha gear.

What type of photos are we looking for?

Anything that represents your lifestyle somewhere between the islands and the arctic. It could be a sailing excursion in the Caribbean, or a ski trip to Colorado. Heck, upload a pic of a backyard barbeque. Or perhaps you have a shot of you or someone you know sporting their Snoloha gear. The goal is to share all of our experiences with other Snoloha family members.

Here’s Callie sporting the Ladies Snoloha Tank as a bathing suit cover-up. And yes, kids gear will be coming soon, so stay tuned!

Available this Fall / Winter – Snoloha Zip Hoodies.

TIME Magazine has a Q &A with Jimmy Buffett that you can either read or listen to here. One of the 10 questions that Jimmy answered was submitted by a Snoloha customer (or family member, as I like to call them), Mr. Tom Schisler:

If you could work with one artist you haven’t already worked with, who would it be?—Thomas Schisler, BALTIMORE
Jerry Garcia and I had always talked about doing a Parrothead-Deadhead show together. Unfortunately, we can’t do that now. I love what Jack Johnson does. He believes in what he does, and it works. I know how that feels. I would love to do a big show with Jack.

Had a chance to hang out at the Evolution Sports Water Park over the weekend to do a little playing, and a little selling. We threw some pieces of bamboo together for a Snoloha display in the sand. Had a chance to talk with some tourists from Cleveland about the brand. And even had a phone call from a hotel just down the beach who had some guests inquiring where they could purchase Snoloha gear! As much as I enjoy all the aspects of running a business, without question, my favorite is being able to talk with people about Snoloha one-on-one. That intimacy, that interaction, that connection, cannot be duplicated or replaced.

Remember to check out the water park if you’re in the area this summer.

SAIL Magazine is accepting photos for a contest they announced in July’s issue. There are some very cool pics featured on the site so far. Below is a shot of a sailing trip we took last summer from Traverse City to Elk Rapids.

“We have no patent on anything we do and anything we do can be copied by anyone else. But you can’t copy the heart and the soul and the conscience of the company.”

-Howard Schultz, Chairman of Starbucks

Available this Fall…

I love this design. Snoloha Sailing. Could be anywhere. Could be somewhere in the Caribbean, somewhere off the New England coast, somewhere off the Pacific coast, somewhere in Great Lakes. Wherever your favorite “somewhere” is.

What “somewhere” does it remind you of? Let me know.

“Men go back to the mountains, as they go back to sailing ships at sea, because in the mountains and on the sea they must face up.”
-Henry David Thoreau

I’m reading a book called “Small Giants”. As it states on the cover, it’s about “companies that choose to be great instead of big”.

One of the concepts that the companies highlighted in the book have in common is “a culture of intimacy”. Intimacy with employees, suppliers, community, and customers.

For Snoloha, there are two customer bases that are important to achieve this sense of intimacy with – retailers and the end-users. I hate that word “end-users”. I only use it to differentiate between the two types of customers.

Well, with the retailers, I can hop in my Jeep and make a road trip to meet with them, I can give them a ring, and I can shoot them an email. I know exactly who they are. I can make a very conscious and targeted effort to let them know I appreciate their business and support. And I can be sure they know they have my support.

However, the customers that are buying from the retailers, or from the website, are a bit more difficult to create that sense of intimacy with. I don’t know who all of them are. Hopefully connecting with the brand and what it stands for is a good start.

While at one of my favorite local eateries over the weekend, a friend pointed out a fellow patron wearing a Snoloha hat. How Cool! I stopped by her table to shake her hand and thank her for the business and the support. A sense of intimacy, indeed.

Then on the short walk home, we encountered a guy peddling by wearing a Snoloha visor. I stopped him, introduced myself, and thanked him for the business and the support. Another moment of intimacy.

It felt really, really good to be able to personally thank Snoloha customers for their support. It would be great to be able to meet them all, but I know it’s simply not possible. But little by little, and encounter by encounter, hopefully our customers will feel that sense of intimacy with the brand and the company. After all, the reason I started Snoloha wasn’t just to peddle t-shirts, it was to build a brand, a community, and to give-back and make a difference in this crazy world.

Again, it was Henry Ford who said, “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.”