Bob's Blog Archive

January 4, 2010

I’d rather be skiing.  I couldn’t get that quote out of my head last night as I was getting myself mentally ready for the first work day of 2010.  It’s not that I don’t like my job, or the people I work with because I do.  It’s not that business is bad or that our financials are in trouble because they’re not.  And it’s not because I’m lazy and don’t like to work or shun responsibility because that’s not me.  No, I actually came to work on Monday January 4, 2010 with a smile on my face thinking about all the opportunities we have for our brand.  But still, I’d rather be skiing.  I guess that’s what a week in snowy Steamboat Colorado will do to you.  Or at least it did it to me.  I skied for 6 straight days over the December Holiday season and if I had more time and money I could have doubled that.  So why am I putting this on my blog site at Broner Hat Company? 

It’s because I saw more people wearing hats and gloves last week than I did the entire month back here in Michigan.  For anyone like me who sells hats and gloves for a living, you tend to notice things like this.  I mean I saw all kinds of hats - troopers to face masks, Peruvians to outbacks, cowboys to beanies, fleece to wool, ivy’s to fedoras, lined and unlined, both male and female.  Really, few heads were uncovered.  It was validation that we are in a relevant business.  And with so few of the hats being our brand it sends a bittersweet message.  Yes we had a decent year in 2009.  And yes, consumers call here everyday wanting to know where they can buy a Broner hat.  But the fact is that our market share in this world is tiny to put it mildly. 

So that’s why I came to work with a smile on my face this morning.  2010 is a year of opportunity for us at Broner:  An opportunity to help more retailers; an opportunity to open new markets, an opportunity to gain more market share, and ultimately an opportunity to make more people smile while wearing our stuff. 

It’s that time of the year again where we are packing our sample bags, making our appointments, polishing up the trade show booths, and booking our reservations.  The road show is about to begin. 

It’s a new year, a new decade, and the first day of the rest of our lives.  But before we go, take a look at the photo below and meet my new “friend”.  I’d rather be skiing.