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My good buddy, Seattle Dave (seen here with his beautiful family sporting a Snoloha polo), came up with the idea for Feel Good Friday’s…and I like it. Posted below is his most recent post. Feel free to visit his profile to learn more, add him as a friend and send him a comment that his wife is to pretty for him (I think I owed you that one, Dave).

“OK, everybody the wheels are in motion. We’ve had our little warm-up last week. It’s time to jump in head first and full blast!! Feel Good Friday is about spreading joy and fun to any and all!! So be free with your kind words and let the good deeds flow like cheap wine!! Today is your day to make your world better. There’s a run on the bank, smiles are the currency, and you’re the teller!! Enjoy all of it!! Snoloha!!”

In keeping the spirit of Feel Good Friday, take a moment to really understand what happened yesterday on the Hudson River (for those of you living under a rock, a plane was forced to land on the Hudson River in NYC). Life can change in a split second. Those folks most likely have a new take on life and probably will possess a more optimistic attitude, smile a bit more and generally appreciate everything around them more.

Remember that the next time the stress builds.

When that car in front of you is driving too slow. When the line at the grocery is too long. When the restaurant gets your order wrong. When something just doesn’t go your way. You know, those really, really stupid things that seem to set off too many people.

Is it really worth it? Really?

Of course, there’s always a little Buffett that will sum it up best:

“Take it from me cuz I found
If you leave it then somebody else is bound
To find that treasure, that moment of pleasure
When yours, it could have been

Some people never find it
Some… only pretend, but me:
I just want to live happily ever after every now and then”
~Jimmy Buffett, “Happily Ever After”

Deep breath.

No posts for a few days now. I’d like to say it’s because it’s too damn cold to type, but that’s not the real reason.

Actually, it’s been a busy few days for Snoloha.

I had an interview with JimmyPirate from TropiCast that will air in the latest episode to go live this weekend.
So be sure to give it a listen to hear some great Trop Rock music and my goofy voice for a few minutes.
We also discussed something that is really cool for the Snoloha brand, but for now it has to remain “in the vault”,
as they’d say on Seinfeld.

You might notice the website looks a bit different, especially if you visit the homepage. That’s because we widened it!
We also added the “Feeling Social” box on the bottom along with the social logos in the main navigation bar.
There’s still some updates that need to be done, including an image fader on the homepage, sidebar edits in this blog (so the body is not too wide), and new photos coming soon.

Also, we are putting together The Snoloha Winter Luau at Scott’s Harbor Grill in conjunction with Grand Traverse Yacht Club
and Bay Breeze Yacht Charters & Sailing School. This should be a fun event. Nothing like wearing Hawaiian shirts and flip
flops while listening to a 4-piece steel drum band in the middle of winter.

The votes have been coming in, and flip flops now have a narrow lead over lounge pants (vote below). I’ll probably let this
run for just a couple more days and then make the decision as to what product is next on the horizon for Snoloha.

Lastly, there are a handful of fleeces left at 38.5% off. So grab ‘em while it’s cold! And, the “buy one hoodie at regular price and get a free Snoloha beanie ” promo is still active. Just visit the store and you’ll see the links just below the Snoloha Login.

This weekend I’m visiting Leelanau Roasting to pick up some Snoloha Coconut Cream Coffee. Now is a perfect time to re-order or order for the first time. Not only is the taste so much better than anything you can buy at the grocery (or the gas station), but the smell alone is worth the price.

And they keep you warm!

They say (not sure who "they" are…pundits, experts, the voices in my head) that consumer spending will help turn around our sluggish economy.  Okay.  So in order to do my part in helping stimulate this economy, here’s the latest Snoloha Promo:

Buy any regular priced hoodie (Men or Women) and get a FREE Snoloha beanie.  You’ll have to trust me to send a good color.  Just think, once you own your very own hoodie, you can visit Montana just like Johnny and Rob pictured below!  Then send in photos to win more gear.  Are you seeing how this viscious circle works?

Also, since it’s January and COLD in the northern latitudes, I need to get rid of what’s left in these Snoloha Fleeces (Men or Women).  They sold quite well in December and all that’s left in men’s size are XL & XXL.  All that’s left in women’s is Large!  But if these sizes work, buy now at 38.5% off!

This promo is good until the 7:30 pm Seinfeld episode ends on TBS January 22nd (which means 8:00 pm EST).  That’s 2 weeks…but inventory is limited!
As alway, thanks for the continued support!  And remember to spread the Snoloha love.

Rod
Purveyor & Explorer of the Snoloha Lifestyle

Johnny, who is from Michigan, now living in California, pictured here in Montana, uploaded this photo to his Snoloha Community profile… and BAM! just like that he’s the first Snapshots & Scenery winner for 2009 and will be the lucky recipient of free Snoloha gear.

Do you want to be a winner too? Your odds at winning are better than that lotto ticket in your pocket. It’s simple…and free! Just visit the Community, create a profile and upload some pics. Or, if you prefer Facebook, visit the Snoloha page and upload your own fan photos. Of course you can always email them to me as well.

Funny how things sometimes just come to you. With the New Year upon us and all those resolutions just waiting to fall to the wayside, I was trying to think of a clever blog post. I found myself staring at this PowerBook screen wondering what to type. I continued to stare. The iTunes library is on shuffle and a Jim Hoehn tune came on that fit the bill.

Regardless of what happens with those resolutions, this message is fitting everyday, all year long.

“Live For The Moment”, from the Playa del Pressbox album.

“He’d spent a couple of fortunes on wine, women and song
The rest he guessed he’d wasted on get-rich schemes gone wrong
He never found a single gold doubloon, but that didn’t lessen the wealth
‘Cause the search for treasure was more then the measure, of the danged ol’ treasure itself

He said, keep one eye and one eye only on the future
One eye and and one eye only on the past,
Split the difference and live for the moment
Because you never know which day will be your last”

I wasn’t sure where to start with this one. So I revisited the last blog post I did in 2007 for some inspiration. I started that post off by listening to Ziggy Marley’s “Tomorrow People” and staring out the window at the snow covered ground. 2007 was an extraordinary year and was fun reflecting on.

This first morning of 2009 I find myself listening to Kenny Chesney’s “The Life”, and staring out the window at the snow covered ground. However, reflecting on 2008 seems a bit different. What a year for all of us. The election, Wall Street, Main Street, The Big 3, The Crazy Weather, The dismal Michigan football season and The 0-16 Lions (and this is just a partial list!).

“If you don’t know your past, you don’t know your future” – Tomorrow People

Through all the bad news that happened, Snoloha managed to experience some good things in 2008, including signing a licensing agreement to grow the brand throughout Europe, winning as Most Slacker-Friendly business for a second straight year, introducing new designs and new products, more media coverage, and most importantly a growing number of new customers, repeat customers and new fans.

So now what? What’s the plan for 2009? In one word, “online.” In one phrase, “online in 09.” Michael Michalowicz, author of “The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur”, even posted my resolution on his blog (Snoloha is number 34).

So what does this mean? This means my efforts are focused on the website, on Facebook, Twitter and the Snoloha Community. Yes, I’m going to sacrifice some brick-and-mortar growth. And what I mean by that is I’m not going to actively pursue accounts and reps. If a retailer is interested after hearing about the brand, that’s a more ideal scenario. In fact I received an email just yesterday from a retailer inquiring about carrying Snoloha. Perfect!

You’re probably wondering “why?” Why would I make this decision? Seems crazy. The short answer is to maintain the integrity and story of the brand. Snoloha is a connection. Snoloha is a story. Snoloha is a lifestyle. It is a made up word and concept that you must take a moment to grasp. It is not suppose to be anything similar to what is already available. So….it is very hard to get that across in a crowded retail setting when Snoloha is jammed in a corner in order to make room for the “big boys” (Patagonia, North Face, Burton, Roxy, etc). So why not open a Snoloha branded store? Good question. I’ve considered it. But after 12 years on a retail floor, I know what I’d be getting into…which are all the reasons I got out in the first place. And by going “online in 09″ I can take care of a good portion of business on an iPhone while sailing across Grand Traverse Bay this summer…can’t do that with a retail store!

So there you have it, “online in 09.”

In addition to “online in 09″, my goal is to release new designs and products, assist Oliver in Spain in growing Snoloha throughout Europe, seek out additional licensing opportunities, seek out partnership opportunities, move forward with potential retail expansion in the Seattle area (that would be you, Seattle Dave) and the Washington DC area…and collect more photos from all of you!

“And to think that I thought for a while there that I had it made
When the truth is I’m really just dying
To live like Jose

Wouldn’t that be the life?”

“The Life,” Kenny Chesney