Here’s a pic of Tim from Tawas City (Michigan) sporting his Snoloha fleece jacket and enjoying an Island Ale (yep…that sounds about right as well) with his friend Scott “Purveyor of Paradise” during his recent trip to the Bloomington (Indiana) Cheeseburger in Paradise location.

Tim has a special connection with that particular place on this planet and I’m humbled to know that he thought enough to include Snoloha during this most recent journey.

Thanks again, Tim!

The coolest part of the interview…I got to make a request, “Hollow Man” by The Boat Drunks.

The inaccurate part…for some reason I said that Oliver (my European Licensee) was from Germany and living in Italy. He’s from Germany and living in Spain, duh!

“I wanna take your boat as far as it goes, feel Jamaican sand between my toes
I wanna ride on the wind just as far as I can
I won’t be any trouble to haul- I can sleep anywhere at all
And I don’t eat very much for a hollow man”

“Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out”

Yes, I just quoted Alanis Morissette. Didn’t think I’d ever do that on this blog.

The overwhelming response and connection to the question “What does Snoloha mean to you?” has been amazing and has given me a renewed focus and energy.

What does this have to do with irony?

It’s obvious (overwhelming obvious) that Snoloha is viewed as an escapism brand. As a vacation brand. It is an emotional connection to something far deeper than a simple logo. It’s a way to deal with the realities of everyday life…by getting away to your favorite “somewhere” between the islands and the arctic, which may actually be the islands, or way up in Alaska. It doesn’t matter. What matters is the feeling you get. The feeling of being relaxed, inspired or energized.

To have created this brand and connection, personally, is a very rewarding feeling. The irony is this brand and lifestyle that I love and believe in, is also the cause of stress and worry due to running a business around it, which leads to me needing my “escape” as well. Then when I escape, it allows me to focus and clear my head to come back to promoting the brand that I needed an escape from, after just leaving the lifestyle that the brand promotes. Are you picking up what I’m laying down? It’s an ironic circle that I’ve created for myself.

Luckily, the lifestyle, the customers, the fans and the connection makes it all worth it. If it was just me chasing my tail trying to grow this brand, that would probably lead to a psychological meltdown of sorts. But since folks like you have taken this brand and incorporated it into your life, well my psychological meltdown will most likely be due to something unrelated to Snoloha!

I’m getting my “escapism” fix this weekend at Boyne Mountain. The weather dude is calling for 40’s and clear, sunny skies. Snowboarding in a hoodie, grilling in the parking lot and chairlift conversations with good friends I haven’t seen in sometime IS EXACTLY what this brand stands for. It is exactly what I need and is exactly why I decided to make a living doing what I love.

Don’t expect any live Tweets or Facebook updates from me though. That’s the other irony. Social media is an important element for me to connect with customers and grow Snoloha online. However, a “mobile device escapism” is also needed. Yes, I promote Snoloha through social media, yet the brand promotes social media escape…see the irony?!

I think it’s time for me to make an appointment with a shrink.

Nah. Snowboarding & no iPhone will do the trick.

Enjoy the weekend!

This is pretty cool….Snoloha on Christopher’s phone. That is the GOGGLES design, and notice the wireless network name, “sNoLoHa.”

Thanks again, Christopher!

Remember, if you want a chance to win FREE Snoloha gear…simply email your photos or post them to the Snoloha Facebook page (when we launch the new website, there will finally be a photo gallery that is more user friendly for you to upload photos).

Keep ‘em coming!

The responses are great, and there is a common thread among all of them. Words like state of mind, feeling, lifestyle, mental vacation, relaxation, enjoy, escapism & no worries were all used consistently to describe what the brand means. People genuinely ‘feel’ the brand. Though I set out to create a community and connection around the brand, these responses and connections are at a level that I could have never imagined or asked for. It truly has become an escapism brand. It is very, very rewarding and humbling to know that this word and concept that I created in my head has an actual impact on people. THAT is what makes all the stress involved in growing a small business worth it.

This feedback has also helped me become more focused in positioning the brand. I felt I was heading down a slippery slope by casting a wider net in an attempt to grow. And quite frankly, when asked “what is Snoloha?”…even I have always had a bit of a struggle to give a short answer. I think many entrepreneurs go through this at some point…not wanting to alienate potential customers by being extremely focused on the ones you know you connect with.

I’ll be contacting winners this week regarding the free gear for sending in their answers.

I really don’t know what else to say other than THANK YOU.

Here’s a sample of some of the feedback:

Snoloha: It’s a state of mind. It’s knowing that when life gets hectic you can relax with a cocktail on the beach or the ski slope. It’s knowing that we work all week for the weekend. It’s working your tail off so you can get away from it all. It doesn’t matter if that’s on the beaches of St. Thomas, the slopes of Whistler, or the above ground pool in your neighbor’s backyard.

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“Escapism” is what is means to me.

I put on my Snoloha gear and head to the boat. No worries, no cell phones, no emails…etc. Just me and the sea. It’s a time to slow down and enjoy the moment. We rush around while at work, heads down, trying to get through the day without anymore obligations being heap on us at the job. If people only knew that we looked forward to the tedious jobs of varnishing, polishing bright work, and stowing lines properly, they would think us crazy. But while doing this, all the problems and deadlines at work fade away and we have one simple goal….get out on the water, raft up with good friends, get an adult beverage in your fist, and enjoy the sunset.

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Relaxation…..the ability to “escape” to a place you love being -sometimes mentally & other times physically. Cutting loose & enjoying your moments!

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The responses thus far have been GREAT, and I appreciate the time and feedback…and remember, by sending in your answer to that question you have a chance to win FREE Snoloha gear.

I had to share Tim’s photo from St Maarten and part of his answer to the “question that is bothering me so”:

“Snoloha is the spirit of enjoying the really cool places on this planet, From Sutton’s Bay (Michigan) to St. Maarten, as long as there’s sun, sand, snow, really blue water, and “dos cervesas mui frijo” (two beers really cold).”

Keep ‘em coming…

In addition to all these changes, the positioning of the Snoloha brand will also be…not necessarily “changing”, rather “focusing” on a more targeted customer and retailer.

In my head I have a very clear vision on where Snoloha is heading. However, I also have learned that this brand connects with people on a variety of different levels. But, it’s difficult to be all things to all people. So honing in on the who the brand connects with most is very important at this stage of growth.

If you’d like to participate in the conversation and the changes, here’s the deal…I’m gonna ask a question I’ve asked before. This time though I will choose random winners from the notes I get and they will receive some cool new Snoloha gear.

Snoloha – What does it mean to you?

You can email me directly, or send a note through the Contact page.

As the brand has grown and more people have connected with it, there are some obvious consistencies in “who” it resonates with. I have to be very careful not to go down the path of being all things to all people. That is a recipe for disaster. It’s important in these early growth stages to concentrate on the segment of the market that is most passionate for what the brand stands for.

During the show last week I was standing next to one of the veterans in the ski rep world who I had originally met when I first got into the business 15 years ago. We were talking about Snoloha. Off to the side stood a young skier with his baggy pants, Skull Candy, bleach blond hair, and a ball cap that had a perfectly straight bill slightly cocked to the side. He overheard me say “Snoloha”. His response…“Snoloha!?, dude that sounds sick.” From what I can tell, that meant he liked it. And if he ended up being a customer…great! Turning customers away is NOT what I’m talking about here.

The problem is…that youth market, and what they view as “sick”, changes like the weather. What’s sick today is…healthy next week.

I thought it was sick (see, I’m hip) that he liked the word “Snoloha”. And I resisted the urge to reach out, put both hand on the bill of his hat, giving it a little curve, straightening it out a bit and telling him “that’s how you properly wear a hat young man.”

Moving forward there will be subtle adjustments with designs and communications. I need to talk a bit more directly to those who connect with this brand. And if you are a regular reader of this blog, well that probably means you. It also means retail growth takes on a slightly different, more targeted approach that I am very excited about.

The website…it’s being worked on so stand by.

New product…some of it is already here, but I’m patiently waiting to release it with the new site, and more is on the way.

That’s all for now. Unless you are watching the Olympics (which is “real” reality TV)…go outside and play.

Perfect timing for any of you that experience those mid-winter blues. Or if your like me, you’re digging the snow and love adding a little tropical flavor, after all that is the whole Snoloha concept.

Click here to listen.

Here’s the play list:

Song Title / Artist / Album

This Island / Island Castaways Band
Two Parts Rum / Brad Baxter
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems / Don Middlebrook / Beach Bar Serenade
Heros and Villains / Brian Wilson / Smile
Livin’ Well / Hanna’s Reef / Angels in Tropical Shirts
Paradise Quickly / John Frinzi / Shoreline
Island Mojo / Jimmy Parrish and The Ocean Waves / Let’s Go Fishin’
Daylight Dolphin Time / Sam Rainwater / Vacation Location
Time Flies When You’re Having Rum / Scott Southworth and Tom Trabucco
Sloop John B / Will Brady / Solo Guitar
Tropical Breezes / Dave Calhoun / Salmon Chanted Harbor