The Story of a Red Shirt has been a bit quiet lately, and I think I have a pretty good excuse. The last week+ I have my head in my computer and fingers on my keyboard loading content into our new website. This afternoon, we went live!
Take a look around. I would love to hear people’s thoughts – www.atayne.com.
I thought I would piggyback on last week’s post/rant about jumping on the bandwagon by providing a sneak peak at some of our soon-to-be launched Point of View (POV) graphics. The best part about our new graphics is the medium continues to match the message. In addition to more messages, we are offering more mediums.
Not only will you be able to express your POV while getting active in our 100% recycled polyester performance top, you will be able to do the same while “trashing” around in our new lifestyle top – the Trash T (65% recycled cotton/35% recycled polyester).
Below is just a small sampling of some of the graphics we will be launching this fall. Be sure to check us out as we launch our fall line and new website the week of September 14th.
Last week I was in Northern Virginia meeting with one of our retail partners, Potomac River Running (PRR). For all you Atayners in the DC area, stay tuned for the launch of our fall line at PRR in mid-September. We have some great new features and many new POV graphics for our tops.
After meeting with Jeanette, their apparel buyer and a running friend of mine, I browsed through the store to see the latest and greatest in running gear. As I looked around, something immediately caught my eye in the women’s apparel section. It was a ladies green running top with the statement “running is renewable.” The quote was accompanied by a recycling symbol on the upper left chest. After I got through a brief moment of jealousy (why didn’t I think of that graphic), questions started to race through my head.
I immediately scuttled over there to check it out. I touched the fabric and it had a nice, soft feel. I could tell it was a cotton/polyester blend. Not necessarily designed for hard-core runners. I looked at the content label and saw 50% polyester/50% cotton. I continued onto the hangtag to see if there was any recycled material to support this bold environmental message. Nothing.
At this point, I started to get disappointed, mad, and I might even say, a little irate. In my mind this was clearly another case of greenwashing, the practice of companies disingenuously spinning their products and policies as environmentally friendly.
Since then, I have decided to take a step back. Maybe I am too close to the situation. Maybe my standards for a “green” or “sustainable” product are too high. Maybe I should ask others what they think. So here it goes. I have asked myself the following questions over and over again and would love to hear your thoughts.
Of course, I have an opinion and a very strong one. To quote Marshall McLuhan, “The medium is the message.” Translation: the material an environmental message is printed on is just as important as the message itself.
I see this as a perfect example of comedian Stephen Colbert’s poke at greenwashers, ”I believe in climate change for a very important reason: so I can market the new Colbert Report Green. It’s just like regular Colbert Report, except we reduce emissions by jumping on the bandwagon.”
As always, I would love to hear what others think– the good, the bad, or the ugly.
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On July 24th, we welcomed a new Atayne fan into the world – Kaidin. While I did not make it down to Massachusetts to immediately greet my new nephew, Atayne was absolutely present. Understanding the true performance of our gear, my brother-in-law Erik sported his long-sleeve top in the delivery room. Kaidin joins his big sister Kayley as some of the youngest Atayne fans out there.
While I do not have my own kids yet, I think a lot about the future of Kayley and now Kaidin. After spending some quality time with them this past weekend, I have started to think about how time flies by. Before I know it, Kayley will be going into high school and Kaidin into kindergarten.
As I look ahead to when they will take those big steps, I can’t help but think about where Atayne will be. Especially: what type of impact will we have created? What changes might we inspire?
The answer to those questions is anybody’s guess. The only thing I can really do is set goals and work to achieve them. Five years from now, when Kaidin walks into school for the first time and Kayley opens her first high school locker, I can only hope that Atayne has helped to make the world a better place. These are the gifts I hope to give to Kayley, Kaidin, and all the other little Atayners out there.
These are definitely ambitious goals, and many people may not think they are possible. But as Dr. Seuss told us, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.”
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Back in early June, I went on a fishing and canoe trip with my father and our friend Tommy. After a few too many Bud Lights and a voyage led by Captain Morgan, we got into a deep conversation on the age-old question, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”
This is one of those questions with a very legitimate argument on both sides. Ultimately, it all depends on how one defines sound. The answer is yes according to the scientific definition of sound (vibrating air molecules that move in waves). But it would be no if you take the pragmatic approach (sound is the interpretation of these vibrations).
By the end of our debate, we agreed to disagree. I stood strong with the pragmatic definition, Tommy the scientific one, and my dad split somewhere down the middle.
You may be wondering why I chose to tell this story. The answer is because I think it relates to an important issue that we face in our world and especially the United States. If something is out of sight and out of mind, does that mean it is out of existence?
Anyone who knows me well can probably guess that the something I am referring to is trash.
Each American generates on average 4.6 lbs of trash per day. That is over 1600 lbs per year! What happens to most of that trash? We put it out on the curb, a truck picks it up, and it “goes away.” Out of sight, out of mind. But here is a little secret; it does not disappear. We either bury it in a landfill, or burn it in an incinerator. In a landfill, it will degrade into its chemical or biological components, many of which are very toxic. These toxins will eventually leach into the water stream. Or trash might be incinerated. In that case its harmful chemicals and pollutants would be released directly into the air. Why die a slow death, right? Check out this story in the NY Times for some more eye opening information.
When you throw something away, it might seem to be out of sight, making it out of mind, but it is far from out of existence. That battery you threw away will come back to visit, unfortunately, you just won’t see it.
I do not want to be too doom and gloom here, so let’s end on a positive note. We are making progress. Although there is still a lot of room for improvement, the recycling and composting rate for municipal solid waste is at its highest level ever of 32.1%. Plus, people are starting to take things into their own hands to change behavior. Something as simple as this set-up at the Bay Area Discovery Museum might just create enough of a pause by reminding people that trash gets buried.
If you are looking for a few simple steps you can take, I recommend these.
There is a particular question that I get a lot. I think people feel it is easy to answer, but it is not. It may be phrased differently each time, but the essence of the question is, “What do you do on a daily/weeky basis?”
It is not an easy question to answer because I do a lot of different things. As a result, my typical answer is, “What don’t I do?” I do not intend to sound arrogant, the reality is I do something different every week, day, and even hour. From accounting and financial projections to product development and marketing activation, my to do list runs the gamut. But since people seem to be interested and want more details, I thought I would give people some insight into the last week and a half of my Atayne work life. This is by no means all inclusive. It is just a little snapshot to give a bit more detail than the typical non-answer.
Monday – July 27
Tuesday – July 28
Wednesday – July 29
Thursday – July 30
Friday – July 31
Saturday – August 1
Sunday – August 2
Monday – August 3
Tuesday – August 4
Wednesday – August 5
Thursday – August 6
In a nutshell, that is what I do. Some things are fun (trash running) and others rather painful (accounting). Some great things happen (sell 1,000 units to Bowdoin College) and some not so great things happen (phone dies and computer crashes). It’s a lot of peaks and valleys and the only thing that is ever certain is uncertainty.
There is a particular question that I get a lot. I think people feel it is easy to answer, but it is not. It may be phrased differently each time, but the essence of the question is, “What do you do on a daily/weeky basis?”
I
It is not an easy question to answer because I do a lot of different things. As a result, my typical answer is, “What don’t I do?” I do not intend to sound arrogant, the reality is I do something different every week, day, and even hour. From accounting and financial projections to product development and marketing activation, my to do list runs the gamut. But since people seem to be interested and want more details, I thought I would give people some insight into the last week and a half of my Atayne work life. This is by no means all inclusive. It is just a little snapshot to give a bit more detail than the typical non-answer.
Monday – July 27
Lead a 6:30am trash run for the greaterthan> conference.
Work on 5 year financial projections and sales plan.
Finish updating the business plan and executive summary.
Start working on an application for the Top Gun Program.
Finish Beach to Beacon volunteer briefs and send to the 25 volunteers for Saturday’s event.
Send out a few tweets.
Respond to lots and lots of email.
Tuesday – July 28
Lead another 6:30am trash run for the greaterthan> conference.
Drive to New Hampshire for a meeting with a potential graphics printer and order fulfillment partner.
Drive to Newburyport, MA for the Yankee Homecoming 10-miler.
Lead trash run and manage all the recycling for the event.
Make late night drive back to Portland.
Wednesday – July 29
Get up at 5:45am (very little sleep) to take Becca to the airport.
Re-organize event inventory to be ready for Beach to Beacon expo.
Catch up on email from traveling the day before (this may sound minimal but it takes a couple hours).
Send thank you notes to all the Yankee Homecoming race volunteers.
Finish Top Gun Program application and submit.
Start working on application questions for the Investor’s Circle Fall Conference application.
Thursday – July 30
Meet with Bowdoin Bookstore and get a commitment for nearly 1,000 units of our new Trash T (65% recycled cotton/35% recycled polyester) to use for their Sports T program (https://store.bowdoin.edu/bookstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_8&products_id=79&zenid=56dc9cf7bb1e98c68b7599dda659ab95)
Continue working on the Investor’s Circle application questions.
Edit business plan for Investor’s Circle.
Start working on a 1-Page Overview on Atayne for Investor’s Circle submission.
Head to Beach to Beacon expo to sell some Atayne product.
Friday – July 31
Finish Investor Circle application questions.
Cell phone dies, head to Verizon Wireless to activate an extra phone I have (thanks Mike you are good for something!)
Miss FedEx delivery of Pre-Production (PP) samples while at Verizon store.
Get home, finish and submit Investor’s Circle application.
Go to Beach to Beacon expo.
Help arrives at the Expo so I can run out to FedEx to pick the PP samples.
Back to Beach to Beacon expo.
Pack up at expo and head to my car at 8:30pm. Battery is dead, left the lights on.
Find someone to give me a jump.
Pack the car while getting mauled by mosquitoes.
Prep for the Beach to Beacon trash run the next morning.
Saturday – August 1
After about an hour of sleep, wake at 4am to head to Fort William and set up for Beach to Beacon (B2B).
Leave Becca at the finish area and head to start line to meet the trash runners.
While standing at the finish line, see an older gentleman (70+) sporting an Atayne top. I take another look and realize it is Leon Gorman, former President/CEO and current Chairman of LL Bean.
Run the B2B course with other trash runners, and we pick up 10+ bags of trash (not including trash we helped pick up at the aid stations).
Finish cleaning up at the finish line.
Head home to shower and unpack.
Sunday – August 2
Return trash running gear and Atayne 10×10 tent to storage.
Catch up on a lot of neglected emails.
Look at PP Samples, take measurements, and prepare feedback to send to the factory.
Monday – August 3
First Monday of the month means Accounting day : (
Transfer information from all our accounts into Quickbooks. Code all expenses.
Reconcile July banking statement.
Work on content label design for the Trash T.
Tuesday – August 4
Prepare Purchase Order and send to manufacturer for the Trash Ts.
Work on design for the Bowdoin College hangtag.
Go to physical therapy appointment for my knee (not work related but it took 3 hours out of the middle of my day).
Send thank you notes to all the Beach to Beacon volunteers.
Write and submit creative briefs to designer for new content labels and hangtags.
Wednesday – August 5
Check and respond to email while doing my physical therapy exercises.
Head into office, open computer. Won’t turn on. Try to avoid freaking out.
Drive to Bath to drop off at Mac-Care (with a gentleman who has worked on my computer before).
Head back to Portland and borrow Becca’s personal laptop to get some work done. (She is a life saver in more ways than one!)
Back into office, catch up on the morning’s neglected email.
Write monthly update for Atayne investors.
Start working on this blog entry.
Thursday – August 6
Ask Becca what day today is. Cannot believe it is Thursday. How did I lose a day?
Ride bike into office.
Get phone call from Mac-Care. Computer is fixed and looks like I will not lose any data!
Get another call from Mac-Care. More work required on my computer, but still appears to be fixable. Can’t pick-up today : (
Finish blog entry and post.
In a nutshell, that is what I do. Some things are fun (trash running) and others rather painful (accounting). Some great things happen (sell 1,000 units to Bowdoin College) and some not so great things happen (phone dies and computer crashes). It’s a lot of peaks and valleys and the only thing that is ever certain is uncertainty.
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Last weekend Becca and I made the trek to Vermont for the Vermont 100-miler. We were going out for a fun filled weekend “crewing” for Mike who was attempting his first 100-miler. Neither of us had ever been to a 100-mile race event and really had no idea what we were supposed to do as Mike’s crew. All I knew is we had to meet Mike at certain points of the race and make sure we kept him alive (fed, hydrated) and moving in hopes of finishing the race under his goal of 24 hours.
To me, this meant we would be sitting around for hours waiting for Mike to come to an aid station, give him some water and food, watch him take off down the trail, and repeat for 24 straight hours. When you look at it that way, it does not really sound like a fun filled weekend.
To tell you the truth, Becca and I had a great time. We camped out for a portion of two nights (with a bit of sleep), met some great people (Jeff, Geof, and Serena), caught up with a few friends (Paige, Stephen, Kelly, Jamie & Mike’s parents), and got to enjoy the beautiful Vermont horse country. We also got to see Mike demolish his goal of 24 hours. He finished in just over 22 hours 20 minutes, an incredible 100-mile debut.
Serena, is this what it takes to get 3rd place? No can do Mike!
All that being said, the point of this post is not to recap our weekend or even recap Mike’s race (he did that on his blog and I encourage you to check it out). I am writing this to congratulate Mike. But it is not to congratulate him for finishing the race or achieving his goal. (We already did that in person and email.) I want to congratulate him for the focus and determination it took to prepare properly for the race, which ultimately helped him to make the Vermont 100 his ____ (I think you all know the next word).
I have known Mike for nearly 15 years. And one consistent thing about Mike is his love of dreaming up ideas, the crazier or more off-the-wall, the better. In college, he dreamt up things he wanted to do or businesses he wanted to start. A couple of my favorites include:
Mike now knows that when he gets silence after sharing an idea, it is my way of gently telling him it might not be the best idea. Not to say he does not have good ideas. He actually has many of them, including doing trash runs at races. But for every incredible idea, he typically has 10, let’s call them, more interesting ones.
And when Mike decides to jump on an idea, he does not always think it through. This often leads to him being a bit unprepared. If you read back on his blog you will see many of these instances including arriving for a 50-miler at 11pm the night before the race with no lodging arrangements. He also locked his keys in the car that same night and started the race with his water bottle sitting securely on top of his car. I personally get quite a bit of amusement from these adventures.
As much as I like to bust on Mike, this is not the point of today’s blog. When he told me that he had signed up for the Vermont 100, I was a bit concerned. He had yet to even run a 50-miler, an important qualification for getting into the Vermont race. I told him several times you can’t just wing a 100-mile race, especially with an aggressive goal of finishing under 24 hours.
Mike hardly tried to wing this race. He put a great training plan in place working with Bryon Powell and followed it. And he put together a thoughtful race plan and followed it, improvising as appropriate. He put together a seamless plan for his crew (we knew at every aid station – what to feed him, how to hydrate him, and what clothes to offer him). He even had his bags packed with all the gear and chow to sustain him when we arrived in Burlington 36+ hours before race start. So congrats Mike! Keep dreaming, and with a little bit of planning you will go further and faster than you ever imagined!
P.S. And of course, Mike’s Atayne gear contributed to his success. We like to say: you will run faster (and further) without the weight of the world on your shoulders.
Run Forrest Run
“My momma always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’”
-Forrest Gump
Generally speaking, I have to say I agree with Momma Gump. I don’t necessarily believe in destiny. I think people have the ability to choose their path in life. Take me for instance. Who would have ever thought that I would be “destined” to start a company that makes athletic gear from “trash” and organizes people to go out for runs and pick up trash?
Don’t get me wrong; I absolutely love what I do. Being able to start a company around things I am passionate about (an active lifestyle and the environment) is a dream come true. But I question if it was my destiny, or at least I used to.
My mom recently shared a picture with me that I drew when I was about 8 years old. I was not at all surprised to see it was a scene of people running. I used to draw sports pictures all the time – from running and soccer to baseball and basketball. What really caught my attention was the fact that I added a trashcan near the race finish line of the picture.
The Fine Art of 8 Year Old Jeremy Litchfield
As I reflect on this picture, I have few questions:
I don’t have answers to the first two questions, but maybe the answer to the third is something like this:
“I don’t know if Momma was right or if, if it’s Lieutenant Dan. I don’t know if we each have a destiny, or if we’re all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze, but I, I think maybe it’s both. Maybe both is happening at the same time.”
-Forrest Gump
I would love to hear other people’s stories of destiny, floating breezes, or both.
P.S. My very creative mother turned the picture into some great note cards that I use for hand written notes. If anyone is interested in custom note cards, I highly recommend her services. Leave a comment and I will make the connection.
Over the last couple months, I have mentioned that we will be expanding the graphics we offer on our tops. As we like to say at Camp Atayne, the Point of View is the Point.
We have several new designs in development, and I thought I would give the readers of the Red Shirt Blog the first sneak peek at one of these designs – Run with Nature, Not Against It.
Stay tuned for when we launch version 2.0 of our POV Performance top with 8 to 10 new graphics at the end of August.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.
In a recent issue of BusinessWeek, I stumbled upon an opinion piece where a reader from Bulgaria wrote into Suzy and Jack Welch (former CEO of GE) with this question, “What do you think about companies being ‘socially responsible’ during these difficult competitive times? Is it a necessity or a luxury?”
There were aspects of their answer that I found pleasantly surprising. The couple stated, “In this enlightened day and age, whether times are good or bad, companies must be socially responsible.” They then go onto say, “But tough economic conditions underscore a blunt reality. A company’s foremost responsibility is to do well. That may sound politically incorrect, but the reason is inexorable. Winning companies create jobs, pay taxes, and strengthen the economy. Winning companies, in other words, enable social responsibility, not the other way around.”
I don’t find anything “politically incorrect” about their answer. If you read their whole response, it is obvious they believe social responsibility is important. However, from their response it appears I have a very different opinion on what it means to “do well” or be one of the “winning companies.” It is obvious we have different opinions on what it means to be socially responsible.
To illustrate this point, let’s consider an alternative situation. What if, instead of the question going to BusinessWeek, it went to a general news publication like Newsweek, Time, or even the New York Times? And what if the question asked was, “What do you think about people being ‘socially responsible’ during these difficult competitive times? Is it a necessity or a luxury?” That situation seems a tad ridiculous, right?
When it comes to someone’s personal social responsibility, it is viewed as an intrinsic value, i.e. it is part of who they are as a person. During tough times, people don’t become less socially responsible; they just express the commitment in a different way. For me personally, I am passionate about a lot of environmental causes. However, given the fact I am an entrepreneur in a tough economy, I do not have the money to donate to the environmental groups I typically do. However, I find other ways to express my commitment. For example, when I walk to work I pick up trash along the mile and a half route. Does this make me less socially responsible?
I think most companies view corporate social responsibility (CSR) as external to what they are and what they do. It is something they are told is important and therefore they do it. It is does not come from their core, their heart, their purpose; it is a strategy. The problem with this thinking is during tough times, strategies change and some even are abandoned. I would go out on a limb and say that the CSR strategy is one of the first to go under the microscope.
I view social responsibility as a manifestation of a set of values. It is not a strategy with tactics; it starts with the organization’s purpose and ultimately should be expressed in everything the organization does. When you look at it this way, it becomes much more than donating and volunteering. While this list is far from exhaustive, socially responsibility is also about:
If you do those things, you will “do well” and be one of the “winning companies.” That is just my humble opinion; I would love to hear yours.
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