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The last day of 2007. I’m trying to get at least a half-day of work in before relaxing with some friends to ring in the New Year, followed by a day of college football to “kick-off” 2008 (yes, very bad and obvious pun).

I’m sitting at my desk looking out the window at the snow covered ground, listening to Ziggy Marley’s “Tomorrow People”, and wondering what to write about for the last blog post of the year. I guess a little reflection makes the most sense, right?!

2007 for Snoloha started with zero retailers and a website that had only been launched for about a month and a half. Not many people had heard of the brand and there had not been any PR. I had a clear vision in my head at what I wanted to accomplish for the year – open 20 to 30 retailers, create an online community via the Barefoot & Exposed blog and the Snapshots & Scenery photo gallery, drive online sales, and generate some word-of-mouth and PR.

As of today there are 20 retailers, customers across the country and across the Atlantic in England, there have been 295 blog posts, 11 Snapshots & Scenery winners, some great PR (especially the MSN coverage), there are over 3,000 results when you Google “snoloha”, countless supportive emails, and a growing Snoloha community that I am most proud of.

It is this community, this “family”, that will continue to drive and grow this company and this brand. The intimate connection that Snoloha has to this community means more than selling a t-shirt. This connection is really what Snoloha is all about. It is exactly what I sought out to create and share. Not a t-shirt company, but a lifestyle and a brand that can be shared and expressed around the globe.

Thank you for understanding what Snoloha really is. Thank you for the support and for the business.

2008 should be fun!

Have a happy and safe New Year.

Seth Godin, my favorite marketing author and blogger (I hate that word), has a wonderful post today that is a must read for anyone thinking about making a change and taking a chance for the New Year.
Here’s a snippet:

“The thing is, we still live in a world that’s filled with opportunity. In fact, we have more than an opportunity — we have an obligation. An obligation to spend our time doing great things. To find ideas that matter and to share them. To push ourselves and the people around us to demonstrate gratitude, insight, and inspiration. To take risks and to make the world better by being amazing.

You get to make a choice. You can remake that choice every day, in fact. It’s never too late to choose optimism, to choose action, to choose excellence. The best thing is that it only takes a moment — just one second — to decide.”

Visit Seth’s blog to read the entire post.

I got home last night from the holiday travels, opened my email, and was welcomed with these great shots from Dave and his family near Seattle. It looks like they had a beautiful Christmas Day snowfall, and had some fun building a SnoMon!

Thanks for the photos Dave, and for the support!

I’m going to attempt to “punch out” for a full day and a half! However, since I have a 3 1/2 hour drive ahead of me this afternoon, which means plenty of time to “think”, I really won’t be completely punched-out…mentally you never are. After all, this company and concept was conceived while driving and letting my thoughts wonder…

…in the meantime have a Merry Christmas!

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” ~Dr. Seuss

I love hearing these stories:

A friend of mine is currently down in the Virgin Islands working with a yacht charter company. While at a local restaurant, a family stops him as they recognize his Snoloha shirt. They own some themselves and were purchasing more for Christmas gifts.

I get a phone call from a buddy who tells me that he and his wife are at a Best Buy and a Snoloha hoodie just walked by.

A Snoloha hoodie is spotted on a fellow employee at a hospital as they are leaving for the day.

Another friend is picking up photos (and wearing a Snoloha shirt), as the gentlemen behind the counter mentions how his wife has Snoloha clothing that she wears.

A retailer tells me how the first lady through the door on a Saturday morning is asked how she can be helped, and she replies “do you carry Snoloha?”

These stories make my day. It’s so exciting to see and hear how the brand is growing. If you have any that you like to share, let me know.

I’ve been under the weather for a few days, which is a difficult thing to deal with when you own your own business. When I had a “normal day job” that I hated, getting sick felt like being in elementary school again. It was a day off from school!

But now, it’s not as easy to just take a day off. Plus, I truly enjoy what I’m doing. I never really “punch out” or take a day off. Well, I took yesterday “off”, and pretty much slept, watched ESPN, Fox News, and read. I’m reading a great new book on branding, and I highlighted a quote from it that I wanted to share:

“At the end of the day (whether the end of your day is at 4:40 P.M. or 2:00 A.M.), work and career is about fulfillment and feeling good about what you do with your life.”

A Sailor’s Christmas
Jimmy Buffett & Roger Guth

“Sail on the horizons gotta landfall rendezvous
Captain steers a well-known course, he steers straight & true
As he trims the sheets, he sings a song
He learned on boats and bars
Sailor spends his Christmas in a harbour ‘neath the stars

He’s traveled through the doldrums, typhoons and hurricanes
He’s logged a million soggy miles with water on his brain
But Christmas is the season better suited for dry land
He’ll tell some lies, meet some spies
And dance barefoot in the sand

The sailor spends his Christmas in a harbour on the hook
Caye con les, no work today, let’s shell the ol’ log book
The waterfront is reveling, the season has begun
The sailor spends his Christmas in a harbour having fun.”

A good friend, and fellow small business owner, has just “re-launched” his website with a new look and new features – Manitou Boatworks & Engineering. If you’re in need of a boat survey or consulting, Mark is the guy to get a hold of. Manitou Boatworks & Engineering also operates a a boatyard facility with indoor & outdoor storage, transportation (up to 35′), along with small repairs and shrink-wrapping.

I have been invited to participate in an interview for a business / entrepreneur book that is to be published in January. I was working on the interview this morning, and of course the question comes up regarding what your business is. Right now, it’s a clothing line. But it is so much more than that. The bigger picture and what Snoloha actually represents is far beyond clothing.

So what is it?

It is:

Sipping on an early morning cup of coffee.

Being fortunate enough to catch the sunrise.

Relaxing in the lodge after a day on the slopes.

Enjoying a backyard barbeque.

Spending a day at the beach.

Sailing an afternoon away.

Staring at the flames of a campfire in the woods.

Snowshoeing with the dogs.

Sipping on a cold one with friends.

Watching the sunset as it steals another day away.

I didn’t forget, just a little behind this month. The winner for November’s Snapshots & Scenery contest is Dave from Yorba Linda, California. Dave sent in this shot of a ukelele playing snowboarder. Thanks again, Dave, and enjoy your Snoloha gear!

Remember, to visit the gallery and create your own album for a chance to win Snoloha gear.