A Note from Our Industry Chairman, John Sarkisian

This is an unprecedented time for our society and for our economy. However, we the business community, have been here before. In the early 90’s it was the Gulf War and the Savings and Loan Crisis. In 2001, the horrific 9/11 attack and still somewhat fresh in our memories the 2008 mortgage/ real estate crash. While each situation was unique, they all brought economic hardship and ultimately revival and growth. Now is a time for leadership and taking action for your business to survive and ultimately thrive.

First, it is time to recognize your most important asset and your largest cost: PEOPLE. Your leadership group will step up to the task and the ask. You as a group have the opportunity to take care of your team. You may have to let some of your team go with the hope you can rehire them in the future. You must right-size your business and maximize the cash you have to survive. On the liability side of your business it is the time to talk to your landlord, your lender, your suppliers and others. They are your partners and will work with you to get through this together. They want you to survive and know you will repay them for their help. Don’t leave any stone unturned to retain and acquire cash. Call a customer and see if they need product. Why not? You may be surprised.

While this is a difficult time it might just be the best time to be in the Health and Wellness/Sports and Active Lifestyle business. Our population understands the importance of health in their ability to fight off this and the next virus should it arrive. Once fear and uncertainty is behind us, they will be spending again with our companies.

Take care of your self. Each and every day be the best athlete you can be. Mindset, Nutrition, Movement, and Recovery is critical for you during this stressful time.

SDSI and our SAL community collectively is here to help you.

Zoom In on the Community

“Good friends come out on Rainy days.” It started last week when we got the San Diego Pro Sport execs on a Zoom video meeting. We did not discuss the obvious… instead we talked about aligning our sport interests to celebrate San Diego sports the minute it is safe to do so. It was uplifting. This week we have had 2 Zoom calls with over 25 members - both industry and service providers… we got down to basic, actionable strategies about the employment issues, leases and abatement ideas, disaster aid, and crisis loans, to name a few. But mostly, it was an uplifting opportunity to compare notes with people we know and trust. By the way, that's a good definition of “community,” yours and ours. Next week we will continue these membership Zoom meetings. Nick will connect with invites or you can rsvp with him now on this link: (nick@sdsportinnovators.com.) Make it a point to participate. Our goal is to reach every SDSI member. You can “give or get. ” Believe me, both feel good.
-Bob

SDSI COVID-19 Resources
If you are like us, you are on full information-overload-mode in this continually changing business landscape. Because of this, SDSI has a curated resource page with relevant information targeted towards Sport and Active Lifestyle businesses with less than 50 employees. It also features several webinars from our service providers to provide specific answers to your questions. Visit our COVID-19 Resource page for more.

Support Local Businesses Through the SDSI Member 2 Member Discount Program 
Show our local businesses community how much you care by making a purchase on their ecommerce website. The SDSI Member 2 Member Discount program offers lots of great deals on gear to keep you motivated to workout at home. Or start planning your first post “stay-at-home order” outdoor adventure now! Contact renne@sdsportinnovators.com if you have trouble redeeming a discount or would like to add your company to the program.

Bill Walton PSA on COVID-19 for Portland Trailblazers
Bill gave a message to Blazer fans and beyond via the Portland Trailblazers social media outlets. View the less than 2 minute clip on the Blazer’s twitter. It's definitely worth the watch. This just in: on this day in 1973 Bill had a phenomenal game against Memphis State so SportsCenter recognized his performance in that championship game and shared some antics of Bill being Bill. (Sorry for the video quality - the DVR missed some of the early clips.)

Orucase Answers the Call
One thing can be certain over the past few weeks is that there is a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for our healthcare employees! Accelerator Grad and SDSI member, Orucase, has shifted tooling on their production lines from sewing travel cases for bicycles towards creating PPE facemasks. In doing so, they hope to supply up to 50,000 masks a week to serve the surging needs in both medical grade face masks as well as a consumer facing model. Bravo Orucase, and thank you for proactively stepping up to help human beings, first and foremost… We are sure they’ll get back to making top of the line bike travel cases in due time. Read the full post and support Orucase however you are able to.

Surftech Products Featured in Spring 2020 Gear Guide
The beach closures are only temporary - when they open back up, what better way to enjoy the water, fresh air, and practice social distancing than with a Stand Up Paddleboard? Surftech landed many products on supconnect.com’s Spring Gear Guide for 2020: two paddles (the Pontoon Paddle and the Camelia Paddle) as well as two hard top boards (the Aleka Tuflite V-tech and the Catalyst Tuflite V-Tech.) Read the full gear guide or go directly to the board reviews for the Aleka and the Catalyst.

More Product Reviews with the TaylorMade Spider S Putter
While you're waiting for the beaches to open, you can be working on your short game. Lockdown means "get creative" - you can putt into a coffee mug in your living room or towards a target in your back yard... Maybe even involve the kids for a homeschooling lesson in science/physics or math/geometry. GolfMagic recently reviewed the new TaylorMade Spider S putter in Chalk White and determined it was their “favourite ever model in the companies acclaimed Spider franchise” which is high marks. It not only won in the looks-department but reviewers found it stable, forgiving, easy to align, with a smooth & predictable roll… what else could you want in a putter? Read the full review.

Get Your Employees (Virtually) Cookin’ with Fit City Adventures Team Building
Fit City Adventures offers local companies unique wellness concierge services brought right to their doors and devices during this work-from-home period to keep teams connected. The Farmer’s Market Challenge and Virtual Cooking Class was featured on Fox 5 with Heather Lake. In addition to organic meal deliveries with online cooking classes in your kitchen, Fit City also offers “Healthy Happy Hour" meditation sessions and online private fitness classes. Keep employees healthy and engaged with “playshops” like improv or take advantage of comprehensive wellness services like mobile IVs and B12 shots, juice deliveries, and on-demand health support and prescription delivery. Check out the Fit City Friday blog with local resources and partner discounts and their full list of services. Contact SDSI Member, Founder and Chief Experience Officer, Angela Minardi at angela@fitcityadventures.com or call 858.367.9992 to get started today and receive an SDSI discount.

Vuori Maximizing Its Downtime with Mall Closures
SDSI Advisory Board Member, Joe Kudla spoke with a media outlet about closing stores (which Vuori did proactively before the lockdown because “it was obviously the right thing to do”) to button up employee product training and other efficiencies to make the in-store experience better for the customer. “We’re getting very buttoned-up,” Kudla said. “The things we’re working on — product training for our store employees, building better feedback pathways between store employees and the design team — they’re not very sexy, but they’re important things that can get neglected when you’re growing really fast.” Read the full article to see what other Direct to Consumer Brands are doing.

San Diego Seals to Pay Workers During Season Suspension
Speaking of “right things to do,” the San Diego Seals, owned by Alibaba Chairman, Joe Tsai, said they will pay all full-time and part-time employees their regular wage, including hours the will miss after the suspension of the National Lacrosse League through the end of the regular season due to the coronavirus outbreak. Read the full article from Fox 5 News or the announcement directly from the Seals.

Red Door Interactive HQ to Revitalize Neighborhood
In case you missed the announcement last month, Red Door will be moving to the Sherman Heights neighborhood and 10 News interviewed CEO, Reid Carr, on the plans. Red Door has put forth a sizable investment in obtaining the lot and has renderings with construction expected to be completed by April of 2021. Read the full article or watch the brief video from ABC 10 News.

Procopio Featured as Many of San Diego’s Top Lawyers
San Diego Magazine has published their list of San Diego’s top Lawyers and it is no surprise that Procopio lawyers earned a whopping 52 spots including (but not limited to) our SDSI friends: Lisel Ferguson (Environment and Natural Resources) and Jason Femrite (Corporate and Securities). Read the full list broken up into part 1 , part 2, part 3, and part 4.

Moss Adams Is Here to Help
During this unparalleled time, Moss Adams is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation as it evolves so they can provide up-to-date guidance and support to help you combat uncertainty. For regulatory updates, strategies to help cope with subsequent risk, and possible steps to bolster your workforce and organization, please see their dedicated webpage detailing COVID-19 implications for you and your business. Please reach out to Kevin Dusi, Moss Adams Tax Partner- with any questions you might have, or you can also ask questions here.

Red Door Interactive Lends A Hand
Red Door Interactive recognizes during this time that those of you reliant on eCommerce may need extra hands on deck to maximize the increase in traffic and demand as consumers shift their primary purchasing behaviors to online. Red Door has a team ready to go that can support in all aspects -- from development, to optimization, and more. Contact Red Door for more.

Retailers, Wholesalers, & Brands: Prepare Yourselves for Success!
SDSI Board Member and Mentor, Donna Desrosiers, has extended an offer for retailers, wholesalers and brands that wish to use this time to have their “strategic playbook" in place to ensure long term success in this short term of uncertainty. Will you be ahead of the curve when business resumes, have the relevant inventory in place and cash flow to capture market share? This crisis will pass and the choices we have are: fight, flight, or freeze. If you are a fighter, take a look at the services Donna offers or contact her today for some complementary guidance.

Digital Operative Providing "Preferred Rates" to SDSI Colleagues
There are times when we all need a little bit of help. During these uncertain times, our best support is our ability to provide agile support to folks who need to get online, adjust budget strategies, or just need an extra set of hands. From March 25 - May 30, Digital Operative will be offering "Preferred Rates" to our colleagues within SDSI to help them continue to move their projects along. DO is seeing folks continue to invest in Amazon, media, content, social and website development. If they can help by taking a call and providing any type of insight, referral or direction, then they want to do that. If that turns into an engagement, then that's a bonus. Please reach out to BJ Cook, CEO and Co-founder of DO at bj@digitaloperative.com to set up a time to speak.

Jeff Harbaugh Urges to “Keep Calm and Carry On”
Jeff Harbaugh wrote a really well thought out piece on the short-term and long-term future that is applicable to much of our community/space. While the full post is chalk-full of great information and is worthy of a read, we particularly like the closing, “Most recessions start with a decline in manufacturing. Governments are going to throw an amount of money you won’t believe at this and let’s hope it’s enough. But in the meantime, if brands/retailers, trying to compete, build bridges with customers and even their competitors and are mutually supportive with the goal of solving a common problem, I’m for it.” Read the full article with Jeff’s suggestions on navigating these times.

Tokyo Olympics Postponed Until 2021
In light of the global public health crisis, Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, announced on Tuesday that the Tokyo Olympic Games will be postponed. Abe said, "Considering the current situation, in regards to the Tokyo Games, as the host nation, in order to ensure that athletes from all over the world are able to compete in their best condition, and also in order to ensure the utmost safety for the spectators, I have asked him to consider postponing the games by about a year,” Read the full article.

Looking for Software Engineering Interns? The EDC has a Resource for You
Through the “Advancing San Diego” initiative, the EDC is providing up to 100 San Diego-based companies with paid interns! The EDC is actively recruiting companies that are interested in the program for interns to start in June of 2020. Read more about the program and application. Keep an eye out for Marketing/Operations/Sales internships in Winter of 2020.

Learn How to Maximize your eComm Business with Ad Spending- For Free
In effort to support the eComm community, Common Thread Collective opens its ADmission – online educational programming - for free until April 3.  Sign up today for access to webinars, video training, tools and resource to help you grow your eComm business with paid advertising.  Their blog post Coronavirus’ Impact on Ecommerce: The Latest Data and How to Respond is updated regularly with Data, Strategy and Resources. 

Guy Kawasaki Interviews Chris Bertish for Remarkable People Podcast
Guy Kawasaki interviewed South African big wave surfer, long distance paddler, and all around remarkable person. Guy asked Chris to rewind the clock back to 2000 to learn what Chris’s training methods were (and not many surfers were training like Chris was) and then followed along his journey from those training days in the pool to barely being able to make a flight out to California to participate in the 2010 Mavericks Big Wave Invitational which he ultimately won (despite a near death experience at the contest.) Listen to the full interview on Guy's website or wherever you get your podcasts.

“Grab your board and go sidewalk Surfin’ with me!”
Jan and Dean were on to something way back in the 60’s, but it took Sector 9’s Founders Steve Lake and Dennis Telfer to really make it happen, San Diego style. Faced with every grom’s challenge to “get to the beach,” Lake, Telfer and their buddies decided to transfer their love for surfing and skateboarding to create the ultimate longboard to surf the streets of La Jolla… the rest is history. From back yard start-up to a full scale manufacturing facility in San Diego, Sector 9’s longboards were soon famous and sought after for their arcing, powerful turns and their high speed capability. Today Sector 9 is an industry leader with a full collection of skateboards, trucks, wheels, apparel and accessories. And, if you’re feeling old school like these guys did in ‘93, Sector 9 can provide you everything you need to customize your ride… and hit the beach in style…. nothing better!

For a look at other SD Lifestyle Originals visit our website

Employees were working from home in unprecedented numbers long before the outbreak of COVID-19. In the recent weeks, that number is skyrocketed as employees from all industries have been forced to work from home where possible. In spite of the stressful environment this “new normal” was launched, many embraced it and were looking forward to working from home… the flexible schedule, no more long commute, working in their pajamas… But it doesn’t take long to realize, telecommuting brings with it a new set of challenges many are not prepared to manage.
TurningPoint has been a virtual model since its inception. Everyone from the CEO/Founder to our recruiters to our admin and operations staff have spent the last decade perfecting the balance between work/life when your work/life literally overlap. Our blog has some excellent tips for employers as they navigate this new normal… Read Part 1, Part 2, and watch helpful videos about working from home created by Ken Schmitt.

Open Jobs
Director of Marketing, SoCal – Confidential client, Digital Industry
Client Services Manager, SoCal – Healthcare Industry
Director Operations/Business Manager, SoCal – Financial Services
Director Sales, SoCal - Marketing Agency

Challenged Athletes Foundation – Jr. Graphic Designer click for info

Digital Operative – Multiple positions available click for info

Events.com – Multiple Positions Available click for info

Hookit – Implementation Specialist click for info

Isle Surf and SUP – Director of Marketing click for info

Red Door Interactive – Cross Channel Marketing Intern click for info

San Diego Seals – Director of Ticket Sales click for info

soccerloco – Customer Service Agent click for info

TaylorMade Golf – Specialist Retail HR click for info

Mar. 27 - Digital Breakfast Collab

Mar. 30 - Digital Breakfast Collab

Apr. 7 – SDSI Accelerator 15 Minute Presentation #2 (digital)

Apr. 28 – SDSI Board of Directors Meeting (digital)

May 19 - SDSI Accelerator 15 Minute Presentation #3 (digital)

Jun. 11 – Annual EDC Dinner, San Diego, CA click for info

Jul. 1 – Drives for Rides Charity Golf Tournament, Poway, CA click for info