Signing up for the big race

We have all done it.  For some reason we feel drawn to do it.  Maybe we see others do it and think "I can do that too" or perhaps it just intrigues us down in our core.  

When I was in the 6th grade I ran a marathon but I was a running fiend for two years prior to that.  Then I went off and ran in college, but not before doing my first bike races and triathlons.

After college I worked for Nike, Maxxis, Team In Training, Specialized Bicycles and Blue Competition Cycles.  I held roles from retails sales associate to customer service, to brand manager to product manager and a few things in between. 

For the last 7 years I have been importing apparel for endurance athletes.  Top notch stuff.  Best in class fabrics and sewing.  Great fit and function.  Clean aesthetic.  All the things that appeal to me.  But there was something missing in it.

For starters there was no customization available for teams.  The line lacked creativity, yes you can have a clean aesthetic and creativity in the same design (see Rapha, Tracksmith, Isadora). 

The product line had some holes in it and there were certain pieces which would be made "perfect" with just a few tweaks.  Lastly, the sizing was off.  I shouldn't have to wear a LG or XL at 5'10" 165.  Why couldn't it be made to fit me?

For several years I played the idea of launching my own brand.  On long runs my mind would wander off to the kinds of products I would develop, the stories I would use to tell people about my products.  I would think about "what" I would want my brand to be.  I just couldn't think of what to call it...so I did nothing about it.

But know there is a name.  More on that in another post. And I have gone and done it.  I have signed up for a big...BIG race.  The race of my own brand.  Come along, won't you?

Chance Regina

This was taken in part from a journal entry I made back in November of 2018.  Over the next couple of months I will posting blogs about the journey of launching this brand.