Am I?
Am I just another A-Hole growing a “lifestyle brand”? Seriously. I saw a new business the other day that is selling a stick. The kind of stick that falls off a tree. But it’s not just a stick, it’s the lifestyle around the stick they are selling.
Okay. I made the stick business up. But I have noticed that just about every new business launched these days seems to have this idea that they are going to market the product around a lifestyle and connect with like-minded individuals through social networking. Original. Not really.
It really got me to thinking about Snoloha. I actually started questioning if I’m just another wannabe lifestyle entrepreneur trying to build the next Life is Good (the second coolest brand your money can buy). I let it get to me, big time. I really took a hard look at my brand and my business. I took a hard look at my vision and where I see this brand going.
The answer, after stressing a considerable amount, to the question “am I just another a-hole trying to grow a lifestyle brand?“…(all jokes aside, I know who you are!) is NO.
I’ve been working on this concept and brand since 2003 when the idea first came to me. The first version of Snoloha.com was launched late 2006 and we debuted at retail in early 2007. Mistakes…I’ve made a few, and there are going to be plenty more. Stress…you betcha. Worry…uh-huh. Fun…absolutely. Fulfilling…without a doubt. Regrets…nope. This isn’t a half-assed attempt to be the next Life is Good. This is a full fledged, totally committed to the ups and downs and the bumps and bruises of small business life, drive to be the first Snoloha…and not the next Life is Good.
Speaking of mistakes (and I’ve made more than a few)…the inventory on the website right now is still awful. I’ve got a bunch of blanks ready to be printed but they are in line behind all the summer retailer orders that need to be delivered first. So there IS new inventory coming! There are also a few items that probably were not the best idea to add to the collection that I NEED to get rid of and will be marking down to an attractive “must buy” price.
Lastly, since I’m on a roll here, there’s still the part of me that wants to incorporate giving back as part of the business model. The easy thing to do and the most common, of course, is to say with every purchase you make a certain percentage or dollar amount goes to a certain cause. But, as always with me, I don’t much care for easy and common. After a very long talk with a close friend / advisor about his topic, there are some initial thoughts and ideas in place. It’s going to take some work, but I think it will be fun, interactive and will make an impact…stay tuned.
If you’ve read this far…you deserve something. How about a couple free Snoloha Koozies or a new H2O Bottle (neither of these items are on the site yet) with your next purchase? All you have to do is shoot me a note and write Koozie or H20 Bottle in the subject line. I’ll match it up with the name on your order. Easy as that.
One response
This is an awesome post with a great message behind it and kudos to you for being transparent in your business – we need more of this in the world and that’s what it’s all about!
There are so many ‘me too’ companies out there trying to focus on the lifestyle because they are finally catching on. Poo poo on them for just now figuring it out and keep in mind, not too many of them are original. Snoloha is the all encompassing escapism mentality and no other brand portrays that image.
Keep living it, keep trucking forward and make a difference!