The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Starting a Brand

I've never really considered myself someone that wanted to be an entrepreneur. I think everyone wants to be their own boss in some capacity, but that usually means taking a lot of risks. Most people can think of some "great" idea they have, but they never take it to the next step.

It's no secret that I love hockey and spend a TON of time at the rink. Whether I am at Clayton's men's league games, his brothers Mustangs games, a Rivermen game, or on the rare occasion, an NHL game, I can say that I've dedicated a lot of time to hockey. Something that I've found at the rink, is that it can be hard to dress fashionably without freezing your butt off. It can be even more difficult to find hockey apparel that isn't cheesy or supports a specific team. That's when I came up with an idea; natural hockey apparel that is sleek and supports the overall sport of hockey.

Design

I have been dabbling with Adobe Illustrator since I started my full-time job a few months ago. As a marketing professional, I think it's super important to continue to grow your skills and improve your resume. I have an end goal in mind, and therefore I'm always looking at the next step to get there! Anyway, I've watched 4 or 5 different videos and read some tips and tricks and shortly after that, I created my first design.

It felt great. Knowing that I created something being completely self-taught was an awesome feeling and I definitely gave myself a pat on the back. I knew that I loved the design, but I am also aware enough to know that other people needed to like it.

Feedback

I turned to people close to me initially to get some honest feedback. Friends and family can be harsh, but it's best to hear it early on and adjust, rather than get down the road and have your dreams crushed. Of course, I asked Clayton his opinions first. He supports all my dreams and ideas, but I know that he would give me his honest opinions. He loved the initial design and immediately gave me ideas for future designs. I am part of several facebook groups, and I turned there for feedback too! I got tons of positive feedback and it solidified that I should just go for it!

Launch

I shopped around for the best site to launch our design. I knew there were different variations of sites like TeeSpring, and I found a site that offered a flat shipping rate, which I liked. It was actually super simple to get started. I uploaded my design, picked different apparel items, and decided on color options! I chose the date that I wanted to launch, and thus the campaign was born....and now we wait (and pray) for sales!

I'll be doing some marketing and social media work of course, and I know that I have the support of friends and family as well! I am very excited to see where this goes, and who knows, I might have a full fledged brand on my hands! :)