Blog: Thoughts on the Journey | Paracords and More

Our first order to Alaska

Wasilla to be exact. Its humbling seeing our items go far and beyond in this great country of ours. Kenneth C., Enjoy your bracelet.

Gibraltar Motorcycle Swap Meet part 2

With all that down time, some interesting things happened. We had more time to talk to the other vendors and boy were they a wealth of information. From suggestions on product line and expansion, to other events and just general encouragement, they were great.

Now don’t get me wrong, there may not have been a lot of customer traffic, but the ones that did stop by and a few that made a purchase were great. A few of them commented on if we were conducting a family business and praised us for doing so and bringing our children along.

We had several people that needed bracelets that were custom in terms of colors or size. When they came back for their items, we asked a few to take pictures so that we could document the event. All of them said they didn’t have any problem doing that.

Here are just a few of our great customers

Gibraltar Trade Center Motorcycle Swap Meet

Last weekend the family and I attended the Motorcycle Swap Meet at Gibraltar Trade Center in Mt. Clemons. It was an interesting event and was made quite a bit easier since Amy and I had just done a biker swap meet a week before. I was really curious how this one would turn out on Black Friday weekend. For this event the entire family went along, all five (5) of us.

When we went to the swap meet on the 18th of November, one think became glaringly clear. We needed another way of taking our items, which aren’t all that heavy or big, back and forth to our vehicle. Although it was probably only a football field from our vendor spot to our vehicle, I found it quite inconvenient carrying the six foot fold in half table that far. It was difficult, holding that, a couple folding chairs, a backpack and dragging a chest that although it did have a small set of wheels, was quite inadequate. If I didn’t hold that bin at just the correct angle, it wouldn’t utilize the wheels, it would just drag on the side of the case. I was on a mission.

When we got home from the Novi, MI event, I went searching on the net for a good folding cart that we could utilize. I found a pretty decent looking one on Amazon.com and placed the order. I also ordered a few swing arm lights and a power strip for this Gibraltar event since we would have access to electricity for the first time during an event.

Now back to the Gibraltar Swap Meet. In a nutshell, it was slow. Oh yeah, did I say slooooowww. I understand that not all events are going to be jam packed with people but even without a lot of things to compare this to, to me it felt sparse to say the least. We did make some sales and even a profit, but it was hard to stay busy and not get bored at times.

Next time, I’ll continue with what happened, Constant Reader.

Put a request out to the universe and Watch Out

I say that because it happened again. Just a few days before the show I told my wife I really wanted to figure out how to get some of our paracord items into a few stores and begin building upon that. I had never done it and didn’t personally know of anyone that had that I could pull their chain and ask a question.

As I said in the previous post, after a couple hiccups in getting to our last event, we finally make it there. I check in with the guy and get our tag for our spot. Amy and I go there and wouldn’t you know there is a vendor with a pretty large motorcycle setup with his things at our area. I check with the guy and show him that we are supposed to be at F-35. A real nice guy, he suggest that I take spots 37 and 38 two spots down since no one was there. I told him that wouldn’t be a problem as long as someone official gives the OK. So we walk back to find someone “official”. They had no problem with it and we took spots 37 and 38.

Now back to putting something out in the universe. As we are setting up there is a lady in spot 36 with her stuff all set up like we should have been. Well I digress…Initially she doesn’t say much more than hello. After we get setup and the initial crowd dies down she comes over to look at our table. While she is looking, she asks real nonchalant if we had ever considered selling some of our items wholesale. BING!! Like I said that is what we were just talking about. I told her I had never done that before. She was really understanding and suggested that we consider a price that she could buy several wholesale that she could put in her store. Well we did just that and told her a price for her to consider. She said that she would think about it and get with us at the end of the show so if she decided to buy any, she wouldn’t be taking away from our stock for the show.

True to her word, she came by in the last hour with cash in hand and we did the deal for 10 bracelets with a commitment for more in the future if it works well on her end. She even said that people had been coming in her shop and suggesting paracord bracelets. She said she was in the process of looking for a distributor of the bracelets when she met us. As I said in the title, Watch Out. I seems to me like our paths were meant to cross. Like energy attracting like energy.

Speaking of energy, its time to go rejuvenate mine. See you next time, Constant Reader.

I was so nervous for some reason

Not really sure why, specifically. Maybe it was because we haven’t done a show or event for over a month. Maybe it was because, it was a biker centered event which I’m still charting my way through this genre. It could have been all sorts of reasons, but I was a bit anxious about doing the Giant Motorcycle Swap meet in Novi, MI this past weekend.

It started out simple enough, my wife, Amy was going with me. I figured the traffic would be light on Sunday. WRONG!! Lots of construction making 3 lanes, 1 lane. This put us behind by several minutes. We did make it but found ourselves finishing the set-up when the show first started. Note to Self: Get there early and expect traffic problems enroute. I would rather get there early and walk around checking out the other vendors than get there like we did. I can’t complain too much. In the end it all worked out. I’m just anal about being on time and I’m allergic to late.

Next time I will be on time and will also continue with this discussion, Constant Reader.

I’m reading an old stand by from a different perspective. Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

I read this book maybe 12 years ago and I remember thinking it was pretty good although I wondered how the author remembered so many conversations when he was 9 years old, so many years later.

Last week the thought popped in my head to re-read this book now that I’m doing this particular business and find out if it has a different meaning in this context. So far it definitely does. I’m looking through a different lens. If I remember when I first read the book, I was renting a couple houses and had even considered growing a large real estate empire. Actually I was pretty good at the business and had some success with it. There were a few things that inherently go with that type of business that I just didn’t care for and that was the real tipping point that pushed me away. I don’t really miss it or regret that decision.

I’m glad to be in this business and have enjoyed the lessons I’ve learned. I never hesitate to revisit past lessons from a new perspective to see what information can be gleaned with the new perspective.

We’ll see what this experience and revisiting this book can hold for me. See you soon Constant Reader.

Sleep deprivation

I’ve heard so many things when it comes to sleep and business. Donald Trump on his show the The Apprentice always gives the contestants a challenge that will force them to lose some sleep. Even on the American Idol show, in the beginning right after the try-outs, there is always a group competition that forces them to stay up most of the night and work on routine including choreography and music that they will need to perform the next morning in front of the judges. This exercise usually always stresses out a few of the contestants beyond their limits.

I write this thinking about myself. Yesterday, I was sleepy the entire day and had no opportunity to take a nap or anything. Now I’m not some old geezer that must put on his sweater jacket like Mr. Rogers and take a nice couple hour nap everyday. Just every once in a while sleep deprivation catches up with me.

For those that know me personally, I’m pretty much known as a laid back guy. Really LAID back. It’s just always been my way. Now don’t confuse laid back with lazy. I like to stay busy most all the time. It might not always be physical labor, but I’m always, reading, learning, doing something. Because I’m always a little deprived in the area of sleep, I rarely lay down until it is bed time. I’m like a guy I heard talking about sharks. I’m always moving about because if I stop for too long, it’s over. Sleep city.

I’ve always also been an early bird. I’ve worked the day shift for a lot of years and actually enjoy getting up at 5am. The quiet of the morning and watching the world wake up has always been appealing to me. All is good unless I want or need to stay up a little late. Heck for me late is 12 midnight. The hard part is if I go to sleep late, I still wake up early between 5 or 6am. I function pretty well on 6 to 7 hours of sleep, but I’m like a mummy with only 3 or 4.

Hey now that I think of it, I’m depriving myself of sleep writing this. Goodnight, Constant Reader.

First show of the holiday era 2012 is a Motorcycle Swap Meet.

Doesn’t sound much like the holidays, right? This is one of the shows that we are doing. Before doing this business, I wouldn’t have imagined that motorcycle enthusiast would be interested in swap meets during the colder months. I guess it makes sense though. If you have interests or a passion for motorcycles, of course you would want to enhance your bike in the off season. Maybe pick up a deal here or there. Why not.

Well we’ve done a few biker events as you’ve probably read and and I would say we were embraced and patronized well. Definitely well enough to do more biker type events. I would have to say this wasn’t what I expected, but what do I know. Once you put a request into the universe and the gears get to churnin’, all sorts of surprises may be on the way. This was one of them.

Talk with you soon, Constant Reader

Stay focused, Jeffrey

This is a term I’ve had to repeat to myself over and over again. One thing I’ve said before is that I love the artistic aspect of this business. It isn’t like making fine art but it is making a rugged type of jewelry that people can wear everyday. As I’m preparing for an event, I get all these ideas of new things, Key Chains, bracelets, , necklaces, different colors and the like. Sometimes the ideas just come flooding out and I try and make them as fast as the ideas come.

There is only one problem. I can go down the road of exploring so many new ideas and tying new and intricate bracelets, that it is easy to lose focus and get distracted. I’m doing it right now.

Recently I started making a new bracelet with a dog tag, that we are developing, attached and it prompted a bunch of other design ideas. The problem with all the new ideas is if the process of making them is systematically different they slow me down and don’t allow me to make the amount of stock that I believe I will need for a show or event. Mind you that it is important to have something to sell. Something for people to be able to pickup and manipulate in their hands and decide if they will be able to purchase. I can’t go to the show, any show, with pictures and a bunch of order forms so I can’t take peoples orders and send it to them later. I don’t believe people expect that. It’s one thing if they are asking for something custom or something that has a unique process. It is a total different thing or expectation when people see you in person. They want to see that you actually created the item. I’ve wrote before how many times it has surprised people that I make them in the first place. Frankly I think people think I buy them. I’ve had several ask me how did I get my wife to make these for me. Now my wife is one of the most giving people in the world and I love her for that, but she isn’t about to just make hundreds of bracelets for me and send me on my merry way. I like making the items and I like talking to people about them. Actually it’s fun to surprise them.

So I’m going to stay focused, Constant Reader, and get back to work.

The generosity and kindness of others

You may remember me speaking about the local coffee shop and the owner allowing me to place a few bracelets at her shop. Today I stopped by and figured I would pick up the remainder of the bracelets as well as drop her gift off.

Maybe I didn’t speak of her gift. I told her the last time we spoke the least I could do would be to make her a bracelet of her choice. She picked a white and black two color with a pink ribbon. It looked really nice and I was looking forward to seeing what she thought of it. I mean really, she said she doesn’t want me to pay her for selling the bracelets, I’ve got to do something.

Well she really like the bracelet and I even made her a matching key chain. I hope she really enjoys them.

Back to the matter at hand. When I got there, she told me that she sold 8 bracelets and had just sold 1 key chain earlier this same day. I was very pleased that people seem to really like them and hopefully they will spread the word about them. Like I said I was planning on taking the remainder with me and she offered to keep them on her counter if I didn’t need them right away. I told her that I had a couple shows later this month but I didn’t need them at this moment. I think I’ll stop by in another week or so. Her generosity astounds me.

I hope to honor her and pay it forward very soon.

I’ll check with you soon, Constant Reader.

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