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Dateline: 20??: Channel-less Distribution?
Well, during my tenure here at SDSI, 3 years and counting, three events or occurrences spring to mind:
The first is the easiest one… we, you, all of us, have formed a community where there wasn’t one. It's an awesome thing for the home team to consider. Who would guess that a bunch of eclectic non joiners like each of us would reverse all previous experiences and join forces, rallying around our “healthy living” space and celebrating our role in setting the San Diego lifestyle business in motion. Wow, thanks to all of you.
The second experience was definitely Amazon. When we presented our first Amazon 1.0 clinic, I contemplated if Amazon was the devil or angel? I would say the question remains unanswered. But one thing is for sure. It has completely changed the face of buying, never mind retail.
It created very complicated selling strategies for major brands and similar actions by retailers. Specialty brands struggled with control issues and pricing. Retailers struggled with the same. Distinct market channels emerged to protect brands or prices or legacy distribution strategies. Pundits (me included) decided that the Omni channel was the answer… be everywhere, do a good job, keep high intentions… it will work out.
Uh, not so well.
The third wave hit me just this week when I saw this quote from the management team at Zumiez:
“With the increasingly blurred lines between retail channels, we’ve moved toward a channel-less world in which the empowered consumer isn’t focused on going into a store or buying online but rather transacting with a trusted retailer. With the barriers between the physical and digital worlds coming down and the increased speed at which individuals communicate, trend cycles are rotating faster than ever before. The same holds true for the pace at which demand for emerging brands can go from local to global in nature. In this type of environment where consumers can access so much information, a new level of transparency in retail is being created that is driving out inefficiencies within the market and forcing consolidation in the industry.”
Channel-less sales, empowered consumer, trusted retailers, rapidly emerging brands… brothers and sisters, the future is here right now. It’s an amazing time of opportunity. SDSI will do its part to create insights into the business tools for the future, continuing a special focus on digital marketing... it’s the new frontier!
-bob
SDSI Gateway Workshop
Registration is now open for SDSI’s first Gateway Workshop. From idea to traction, the Gateway Workshop is the ultimate entrepreneur’s primer. We collaborated with members of the SDSI community to build this half day workshop that covers common sticking points for entrepreneurs looking to create and grow a business. The workshop will take place on Wednesday, October 17th and is open to all interested entrepreneurs, regardless of industry. Learn more and register.
American Wave Machines Launches OffShore Surf
OffShore Surf is one venue offering food, bar, retail, and an authentic surfing experience on a standing wave. Wondering what it is going to look like? Take a look at the concept video. In a smaller footprint than their tech used at the Waco Barefoot Ski Ranch, OffShore will allow spectators and non-surfing guests to get a front row seat. This operation will be headed up by Greg Lombardo - read the full press release.
The Global Action Sports Foundation (GASF) Partners with CA | TF
The GASF’s purpose is to empower athletes regardless of their socio-economic status, develop facilities to improve performance, and contribute to the general growth and well-being of action sports. Their objective is to invest in the character development of current and future role models, regardless of their financial status, with the aim of enacting positive cultural impact on a global scale. The GASF just recently partnered with SDSI Member CA | TF who hosted our last Advisory Board Meeting. Visit the GASF website and sign up to be notified of any updates and take a look at the CA | TF website as well if you missed that meeting!
25,000 ElliptiGO’s On the Road
Congratulations to SDSI Accelerator Grad and Advisory Board Member ElliptiGO for selling their 25,000th unit! After eight years and 24,999 units, their target customer remains the same: “The 25,000th bike was purchased by Shannon Kievman, a runner and a mother of four from Manchester, CO. Kievman was recently diagnosed with arthritis in both of her feet and sought out a way to keep working towards her running goals while reducing impact.” Read the full press release.
Doing Good Through Sports to Help the Homeless
In a few short weeks, there is a unique opportunity for San Diego's sports community to unite and raise funds to help the homeless in San Diego County. The Sports Banquet, which will take place October 23 at Petco Park, is an annual gathering of San Diego's sports community to do good through sports. This year's event will benefit The Lucky Duck Foundation, which is already having a meaningful impact locally to help alleviate the suffering of homeless individuals. We encourage you to support this important effort. More details on the event page.
Surftech and prAna Team Up Again for 2019; Hires Mark Mertens
The new Surftech collaboration line for 2019 features the award winning previous models as well as a few new choices for 2019. Take a look at the highlights for the Stand Up Paddleboards, Paddles, and Leashes at the shop-eat-surf coverage or view the entire 2019 Surftech Catalog. Surftech also added a new integral team member to focus in on the Florida market as the lead sales rep for Surf and Paddleboards: Mark Mertens.
Cirque-It Fitness Holds First Professional Training at Flagship Studio
Fitness professionals came from as far as Washington, D.C. to train with Cirque-It Fitness founder, Master Trainer, and SDSI Accelerator graduate, Elizabeth Skwiot, on September 8. Completion of the training allows trainers to coach Cirque-It Fitness classes at their home studio or club and earns them continuing education credits. Visit cirqueitfitness.com for more information and to sign up for a free workout at the San Diego location. Also, listen to episode 106 of The Fit Fifteen Podcast to hear more from Elizabeth.
Slyde Handboards Featured on Season 10 of Shark Tank
SDSI Accelerator grad, Slyde Handboards, will be featured in a company update for season 10. Originally airing on season 7, Slyde was able to secure $200k from Mark Cuban and Guest Shark Ashton Kutcher. If you missed their initial airing, check out the video recap highlighting the deal. Make sure to tune in to ABC the night of Sunday, October 14th to get caught up on what Slyde has been up to since they first appeared on the show.
Reef Expands Product Line and Branding
Inclusion is the new focal point for Reef's “Beach Freely” campaign and the company is now starting to add products that are more inclusive now including the Reef One, Escape Sling, and Reef Coast. Reef CEO, Roger Spatz, said in regards to the new branding “We also want to be very crisp in how we share our purpose. We are about uniting the world around the fun, freedom and spirit of the beach.” Read more on Shop-Eat-Surf.
Bold Brew Highlighted in SDBJ
Founders Jack Doheny and Jake Solomon were featured in the San Diego Business Journal congratulating them on their strong retail presence aiming for $1.5M in seed funding. “In 2016, when Solomon presented the idea to Doheny to launch an all-natural energy drink that had no sugar, no dairy and no preservatives, based on cold brew coffee, they knew they had found their niche.” Read the full company profile at the SDBJ (subscription required).
Farmers Insurance Open Tickets On Sale Now
The event is about three months away, and is always a great time always a great time. But, similar to Comicon, in that people leverage their networks to secure tickets at the last minute… Why do that when you can get your tickets now and not have to pull strings from your cousin’s boss’s business partner? As expected, some areas are already selling out so get your tickets today. Visit the Farmers Insurance Open website for info on suite/ticket availability.
Events.com Partners with Two Big Events
Events.com has added yet another marquee road race to their list of clients. The 8.15 mile race is coveted as one of the 100 Great Road Races by Runners World Magazine. Additionally, Events.com has been selected as the official registration partner for Canada’s largest and oldest open water swim, Across the Lake Swim. The event organizer for Across the Lake Swim was most impressed with the benefit of the integrated sponsorship sales software to streamline sponsor outreach. Read the press release from The Great Aloha Run and the Across the Lake Swim.
Hookit Provides Data for SportsPro’s Most 50 Marketable Athletes
SportsPro re-ordered its 50 Most Marketable Athletes using the Hookit Marketability Score, which is based on social media reach, engagement, and promotion quality. At the top of that list is USA Snowboarding phenom, Chloe Kim. Chloe was one of only three athletes that share a top-10 ranking on both the Hookit scoring and the original 50 Most Marketable Athletes score. Read the overview for a deeper look.
SDSI Accelerator Gears up for 12th Cohort
The SDSI Accelerator program - formerly known as Springboard – has accepted six unique companies to this class. This is the 12th cohort of pairing teams of mentors with growing companies and we extend a big thank you to our team of mentors who make this program possible year after year! Read on to learn more about the varied companies accepted to this class of the SDSI Accelerator:
Aret Basewear – Technical basewear with a luxury feel, built by women, for women. With a focus on sustainability and empowering females, Aret Basewear can go from hiking to swimming and so many places in-between. Meet their Toura top and learn more about their vision at aretbasewear.com
Case by Case – A unique and protective phone case with attachments for every way you use your phone. With sleek magnets, Case by Case’s functional logo makes attaching accessories like additional power, bike mounts and much more, intuitive and easy. Attach yourself to infinite possibilities! phonecasexcase.com
Pulson by Counterpace – Run in sync with each beat of your heart. Counterpace is a training app and sensor that improves your running by synchronizing your step and heart cycle timing. Use science to run or walk faster, farther and easier. counterpace.com
TruFit – With a focus on adaptive fitness and youth, TruFit helps anyone experience success with fitness. A versatile suspension-based kit and training program increases strength and cardiovascular fitness so you can be ready to tackle any activity, indoors or out. gettrufit.com
Underwater Torpedo League – A competitive league played completely underwater. Get ready to push yourself to the limit and get the torpedo to the goal whatever way possible. Deep Water Fitness can help anyone improve their confidence in the water, increase water safety and get fit. Go Deep. Live Empowered. utlnation.com
VanCraft – VanCraft enables travelers and adventure seekers to pursue their own dreams by building, selling and renting capable freedom vessels. Fully self-contained, ready for rugged roads and life off the grid, VanCraft vehicles are at the epicenter of #vanlife. van-craft.com
Forum on the Future of Mission Valley Stadium Site
Learn more about two critical initiatives that will have a major impact on our region at a public forum on October 2. Nick Stone from SoccerCity as well as Jack McGrory and JD Wicker from SDSUWest will present information about their respective initiatives and answer questions. It's a great opportunity to get the facts before heading to the polls in November. Get out there and vote for one or more of these initiatives to help build sports infrastructure in San Diego!
Help the EDC Help Us in San Diego
For the region to remain competitive, proactive measures to promote economic inclusion must be taken. The EDC and its Inclusive Growth Steering Committee continue their 2018 focus on creating a platform for inclusive economic growth and that achieves three main goals: 1) building a strong local talent pipeline 2) equipping small businesses to compete 3) addressing the affordability crisis. See how you can help by visiting the EDC website and sign up for news and research on inclusive growth.
Lucky Duck Foundation's Swing & Soiree
The Lucky Duck Foundation's 10th Annual Swing & Soiree golf tournament and party is an inspiring annual event hosted by Pat & Stephanie Kilkenny. This year's event will be October 15th at the Santaluz Club. All funds raised will be matched by the Lucky Duck Foundation to help alleviate the suffering of homeless individuals throughout San Diego County. In the past year, the Lucky Duck Foundation has installed three industrial tent structures, which serve as temporary bridge shelters and have helped more than 750 people get off the streets and on the path to securing permanent housing. We encourage you to support their efforts by attending the Swing & Soiree. More details can be found on the event page.
 TurningPoint Tips – Inside Sales, the New Growth Engine
Have you considered building an Inside Sales team? Over the past 10 months, we have completed nearly 15 searches for SDRs (Sales Development Reps) or Inside Sales Managers, and the trend is showing no signs of slowing. While some corporations are continuing to focus on their traditional Outside Sales structure, many companies from Fortune 500 tech businesses to service-oriented start ups, are leveraging the effectiveness and efficiency gained by incorporating Inside Sales into their selling strategy. This is simply a direct response to the new buying cycle, whereby prospects no longer expect to be courted in person. Moreover, many buyers indicate that they care more about the technical knowledge of their account manager, than they do about the number of face to face interactions. In fact, IBM recently stood up its second 700+ inside sales office in the U.S. The San Diego and Orange County chapters of the AAISP (American Association of Inside Sales Professionals) are quite active, and provide a phenomenal resource to companies looking for guidance. Please contact Ken Schmitt at TurningPoint Executive Search if you are interested in a copy of the slide decks from the conference presentations.
Open Jobs
Inside Sales Manager – Professional Services, San Diego
Branch Manager – Environmental, Orange County
Inside Sales Manager - A/R, V/R Technology, San Diego
Sr. Content Creator – Healthcare IT, San Diego/Orange County
VP Business Development – Professional Services, Los Angeles
Territory Manager – Medical Device, TX and Northern CA
Sales Account Executives – Medical, Orange County and National
Inside Sales - Technology, Orange County
Digital Operative – Multiple positions available click for info
ElliptiGO – Sales Operations Specialist click for info
Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa - Multiple Positions Available click for info
Hookit – Multiple Positions Available click for info
KPMG - Multiple Positions Available click for info
Procopio – Multiple Positions Available click for info
J!NX – Sales Operations Agent click for info
soccerloco – Customer Service Agent click for info
Oct. 24 – Board of Directors Meeting at Hobie, Oceanside
Nov. 13 – Advisory Board Meeting, TBD
Dec. 11 - SDSI Holiday Party, Solana Beach
Oct. 2 – SDSU West / SoccerCity Public Forum, Mission Valley, CA click for info
Oct. 4 - Sales & Marketing Leaders of the Year Awards, Del Mar, CA click for info
Oct. 5 – Surf Cup Sports Gala, La Jolla, CA click for info
Oct. 6 – Pacific Beachfest 5k, Pacific Beach, CA click for info
Oct. 14 – Shark Tank Update on Slyde Handboards, ABC click for info
Oct. 15 – Lucky Duck Swing & Soiree, San Diego, CA click for info
Oct. 23 – SD Sports Banquet, San Diego, CA, click for info
Oct. 24 – SDVG Quick Pitch Competition, San Diego, CA click for info
Jan. 24-17 – Farmers Insurance Open, La Jolla, CA click for info
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