February 24, 2011

Random thoughts Blog -

It’s been 2 months since the last blog.  In that one – I blogged about how fast time flies, saying that before I knew it, it would be April.  Well, here we are…almost.

In the first 2 months of 2011 I’ve visited with retailers and traveled to:  Fargo, Indianapolis, Vegas, Virginia, Minneapolis, Tampa, Vegas again, and Wisconsin.  I’m headed back to Vegas, New York, Seoul, Shanghai, and Hong Kong - all before the month of March is over.  (The Seoul, Shanghai, and Hong Kong part is visiting suppliers) 

About Las Vegas

The Vegas trips are because industry trade shows end up there.  I could do a whole blog on Vegas.  But, instead, I’ll just do one paragraph.  I love Las Vegas.  I do not gamble (other than a few sports bets).  Thankfully, I do not gamble because I spend about 20 nights a year in Vegas.  I can’t believe that the whole town is basically built on folks losing money there.  It seems so simple to understand why not to gamble.  It is statistical math that you can not win when you throw any amount of time into the gambling equation.  They even tell you in their advertising.  The one that gets me the most is the slot adds on taxi cabs.  You know the ones that say “Our slots pay 97%, the best odds in Vegas!”  Well holy cow!  I wonder why they don’t say, “Hey stupid – give me a dollar and I’ll give you 97 cents back!”  But I’m not here to judge or preach.  Keep losing money there and folks like me get a better “playground”. 
I love Las Vegas because I like – nice weather, good restaurants, live music, pretty women, exercise rooms/gyms, cocktails, night clubs, golf, and swimming pools.  And Vegas is great at all of these.  So, going to Vegas for work is a good thing for me.

My Airline Priority Card -

The frequent flyer card is one of my most prized assets.  The airlines do a good job of rewarding their customers for flight miles.  And, I have a lot of flight miles.  So, as I like to tell my friends, I travel better than rich people.  And, I mean it.  Do faster lanes in security, special tags on your luggage, no baggage fees, priority boarding privileges, and unlimited first class upgrades sound good to you?  I could do a whole blog on airline travel but I won’t.  Just know that I am one spoiled traveler. 

A good wife -

Finally, I must give a shout out to my wife who has been holding down the fort these last 2 months without me.  My kids are doing fine, and my home is in order.  That sure makes my job easier.  I’m not sure she knows how much that helps me.  But when she reads it in this blog, she’ll know.   Who says husbands don’t know how to communicate?

Why all the travel –
My job is all about building the Broner brand.  Our brand is only sold through the retail channel.  We design, buy, and sell hats and gloves.  This can not be done in Michigan alone.  There are not enough retailers, and no manufactures.  So, travel is necessary.  To be successful in my job, I need to meet the best retailers and the best manufactures.  And that’s what I’ve been doing.

MAGIC Show results –
Fantastic?  We took 300 feet of booth space in the Streetwear section of MAGIC and had a wonderful show.  We wrote 47 orders and opened 10 new customers to the Broner brand.  Imagine that, people writing business at a trade show.  Reminds me of days gone by.

Come on April –

Luckily, this work travel is seasonal.  Most of the selling for fall 2011 and shopping for spring 2012 will end come April.  The new “road show” won’t start again until August.  My friends, family, and employees will have to get used to having me around again.  So, what will I do with a “normal” schedule?  Maybe I’ll take my wife to Vegas…  

Enjoy

Doing business in Las Vegas

Working hard at The Hat Barn

Stars in Hats