Conversations with the most interesting, funny and inspiring people in snowboarding.

Rome Snowboards Founders | Shepard Fairey X Guerilla Marketing | Spray Skiers | European Pow | Retail

Episode #59

Today we chat with the founders of Rome Snowboards, Paul Maravetz and Josh Reid . Paul and Josh share the story behind leaving Burton and founding Rome, they discuss guerrilla marketing tactics that were directly inspired by Shepard Fairey, their share their love for European resort pow we touch on their thoughts on industry wide pricing challenges and much more.

Josh Reid and Paul Maravetz at their Rome Snowboards office in Waterbury, VT.

Josh Reid and Paul Maravetz at their Rome Snowboards office in Waterbury, VT.

Photo Credit for featured image: Shem Roose

Follow Paul and Josh on Instagram at: @romefounders

Details on the second annual The Not Snowboarding Podcast Camp:

 

TNSP CAMP dates will be March 2nd – 6th, Bear Valley Mountain, California. *Not BIG BEAR in SoCal.

If you’re looking to fly in – book flights to Sacramento arriving on the 2nd – no later than 3:00PM PST (if you want to be picked up). Departing flights on the 6th no earlier than noon (if you want to be dropped off).

Pricing is $430 per person = airport pickup/drop, 3 days lifts (Sat,Sun & Monday), lodging, one vegan dinner, house stocked with basic breakfast items, snacks, beer and Unlimited side/backcountry options right out of the door. TNSP party favors and there’s more in the works.

$200.00 (non refundable) deposit due on December 1st.

Let me know if you have interest in attending and/or any questions via email: nate@shredsoles.com

Click here to get in on the pre launch of the brand new Shred Soles Maximum Comfort Snowboarding Insoles Enter your email address at the bottom of the home page.

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This episode’s topics include:

Rome’s roots in friendship and snowboarding
Getting certified to ride in the 80’s and 90’s
Dealer Councils
Board design and The Agent
Stiffness vs. price
Launching Rome in 2002 – how Shepard Fairy influenced their marketing
Gorilla snowboard marketing
God Bless Snowboarding
Balancing the friendship and business relationships
Nate applies for a job at Rome
The Burton rumor
Snowboard design
Listener questions
European lodge
Sales cycles
Sneaky Powder Days
Getting kids on snow
Props to Burton on the riglet parks and LTR program
The Lodge and the European office
Spray Skiers
Quotes from the episode: 

We bought a couple of cheap computers and eventually went for it.” -Josh
“There’s Kemper, Look, Sims and Burton – there’s too man companies in the industry…”-Josh
“There weren’t a lot of other brands that really drew us in at the time…. the other point was how big the ski companies were at the time.” -Paul
“The ski industry was slow to embrace snowboarding.”-Josh
“We officially started paying ourselves and other people here in November of 2002.”-Josh
“…. the boards were all designed around a size 8 foot. The average size in America is 10.5.” -Paul
“To hear that a graphic is good or a graphic is bad from the people that have to sell it is huge.”-Josh
“I can make a super expensive board soft or stiff – it doesn’t cost an iota more.” -Paul
“Before 2004, we didn’t have any money to advertise at all.”-Josh
“We don’t have any money to advertise in a magazine… So we made our own magazine and advertised in it.” -Josh
“Taking the step to start doing fun shit together again.”-Josh
“It’s so much easier to disagree when we fundamentally get along.”-Josh
“Weekly meetings get scheduled after 10…. On powder days meetings get moved back.” -Paul
“We don’t have any connection with them (Burton), we both worked there and we did stuff well early on. I think that fueled the rumor.” -Josh
“Shift deliveries later an hold price longer…. We can’t uninvent Christmas.”-Josh
“There’s all these structural barriers for young kids in snowboarding.” -Paul
“If you have the free time and it’s fitting over there (Europe), in terms of resort riding (Alaska not included) it’s the best in the world…. You can scare the shit out of yourself inbounds.”-Josh
“We do feel that a snowboard company should be owned by snowboarders.”-Josh
“It’s a rounding error… Snowboarding’s not giving us (Nike) the return.” -Paul
“You can’t just sit there and plan forever…”-Josh
“When we started, nobody was telling us that it’s a good time, except one guy.” -Paul

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Harrison Montgomery | Hate | Solution Based Selling | Lines | Retail Sustainability

Episode #34

 

Harrison and Nate discussed:

  • Boot fitting – razzing Nate about his MasterFit boot fitting certificate
  • Working at Nova Bikes in VA – both Harrison and Nate worked there
  • Transitioning from retail to medical device sales at OR Solutions
  • Open heart bypass surgery
  • Appointment setting
  • Picking your line and looking ahead
  • Driving the speed limit
  • Advice for someone that wants to get into the industry
  • Running a shop sustainably
  • Office Space
  • Online retail 
  • Harrison Hates persona
  • Solution based selling
  • Shit kits
  • Harrisonhates on Instagram 
  • www.harrisonhates.com
  • WTFkits.com
  • South of The North

Quotes from the episode: 

“At the end of the day the cyclical part of our entire lives comes down to the buying and the selling.”

“I had fallen asleep at the wheel and broadsided a one ton dually pick-up truck… I have seven titanium plates in my face, jacked up my knee and knocked all the teeth out of my mouth.”

“So here I was 24 – 25 years old and I was the number one salesperson in the company.”

“I experienced things professionally that I didn’t enjoy that helped get me to where I am.”

“At this point if someone is dismissing snowboarding as a fad – they should be punched in the face.”

“Some of my friends gave me shit – instant rep, just add water.”

“I’ve had some really good years, but it’s been seven or eight years since it’s been great.”

“Skateboards don’t cost as much and the margins suck.”

“I’d love to be the guy drawing the lines… There’s this recurring theme about the lines.”

“Marketing is the closest thing to being a sales rep, but you get a paycheck…”

“If it wasn’t for the retailers, I wouldn’t have a job…”

“Too many retailers have tried to be too big. Too big a store, too many staff, too much product and not a real plan to deal with it when it doesn’t work out.”

“Why would we open another store while this one’s not perfect.”

“My job is not just to sell you stuff – it’s also to be an advisor.”

“Invest in the little guys – invest in the guys that aren’t all over the internet.”

“There’s still a touch it, feel it, see it component to how I buy.”

“Would you really want to buy a car online without driving it?”

“What’s the most important part of your set-up? Boots man.”

“Oh, and then there’s Harrison with 25% of the country.”

“…What has made all of those experiences worth it is the guys that I get to do it with.”

“I walk into a shop and I’m like what is this bullshit on the wall!”

“If you have a sale section in your store – it should be the smallest part of your store.”

“I don’t think I’d want to open a shop with less than 100K in the bank.”

“You can’t make a living in this industry just selling one thing anymore.”

 

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