Design: Seven Cycles brochure: Wrapping up all the text today – just about. About 16,000 words in total – thanks to John L. Still a lot of photos to take. Lots of page layout to complete. And printer logistics to manage. Sending this to the printer on Thursday. Not too far off the original deadline of Tuesday.
Graphic Design: The Ride Studio Cafe stickers finally showed up. This is version 1.0. I’m already working on 2.0.
Recruiting: Still investing many hours each week. I think we’ve found people for three of the positions. Still working hard to find the right people for the four other positions. I’ve been doing so many interviews I sometimes forget what I’m doing. I feel like I’m providing therapy, or doing interviews for a magazine or something. “Tell me more about the time you took a swing at your co-worker.”
Production Management: Working through the plan for Q4 and a strong wrap-up to Q3. Too many good options on how to make this happen. No shortage of good ideas; it’s the execution that’s the challenge. Not enough hours in the day or people to help make it all happen.
Writing: I wish I could write. John L. is killing me. Patrick Brady’s piece for the Brochure is really strong. Pretty much everyone that’s contributing to the brochure put together great pieces. I’ll be dragging this piece backwards, as I so often do. I’m surrounded by writers. How did that happen?
Management: We were talking about overcoming sales person bias today. A challenge I see all the time – in myself, at Seven, and with retailers. It is very difficult to step away from your personal world view. However, Seven’s best retailers do this every day. It is one of the fundamental differences between providing what your customer wants and reinforcing your own view of the way the world is supposed to work. More on this later.
Note: I wish I got paid to disappoint people. I’d be able to retire already. Then I’d have time to not disappoint people.
Quote: From Seven’s 2013 brochure: “Seven is a place where, in the midst of a frantic workday, a particularly beautiful frame can bring everyone together for a few minutes.” Find out who made up this lie by getting a copy of the new brochure. Printed soon.
Four-time national champion and two-time Olympian Mary McConneloug will line up for the XC world championships this weeked in Leogang, Austria with her trusty Seven IMX 29 SL, a butted Ti and carbon 29″ hardtail. McConneloug has been riding for Seven since 1999, and has worked with the company, and the rest of her sponsors, to build up her ultimate XC rig.
As an aside, Mary raced two Olympics on the same Seven.
A few people from Seven Cycles traveled to Chicago to visit Higher Gear a short time ago. We’ve worked with Higher Gear for many years; they’ve been one of Seven’s largest and most important retailers for much of Seven’s life.
During our trip Higher Gear shot some video; they’ve edited it and created a really nice piece about Seven. Somehow they spliced together my ramblings to create a coherent series of sentences. Actually, Ignore my talking and enjoy all the riders and Higher Gear’s great shop.
Higher Gear says:
Rob Vandemark visited our shops in Chicago. He talks about Seven’s incredible production process and the exceptional service of Higher Gear in selecting a custom bike. There is just ONE BIKE. Yours. Seven.
Tuesday location: Studio | Seven | Studio || 6:30 am – 10:10 pm
Business Development: After fifteen years we are scheduled to start paying back Seven Cycles’ first investor. This is an important milestone. A.N. was the first person – with capital – to believe in the project. Through Seven’s history we’ve had a total of four investors – while ensuring that employees maintained the vast majority of company ownership. As of today we have only two investors; we paid down the other two years ago. Now we’re about to start the pay-down schedule for number three. It’s a huge deal, to me, that we’re paying him back, with interest, as promised. A.N. is very special to me because he was Seven’s first – a believer when no other potential investor was willing to risk capital. A.N.’s return on investment is better than he would have had in the stock market so I know he’s happy about his investment. And that makes me happy.
Monday location: Seven | Studio || 7:25 am – 8:35 pm
NO BRI AO RO. That’s How You Spell “Mo Bruno Roy” after one season.
Graphic Design: Working on 2013 decal scheme for Mo Bruno Roy‘s bike #3 – the Mudhoney Pro. For this bike Jordan and I are doing a different design. The bike is completely different so Matt Roy thought a design that would stand out next to the twins might be good. We’re going different but not radically different. We’re keeping it classy San Diego.
Project: Natalia sent processed images from the Seven Cycles brochure photo shoot. She shot well over 700 images. She sent us a couple hundred. We’re trying to narrow it down to about 50; too many from which to choose. Great images!
Project: Brochure deadline looming. Actually we’ve missed the “to printer” deadline. It’ll be worth it though. We’ve got about 30 of the 60 pages laid out. Cover and back cover images just about right. about 4,000 of the 30,000 words ready. Lots of work left to do in the next couple days.
Note: Mo Bruno Roy crushed it at Quad Cross today.
Note: It felt like a long day, for my short work day. Still feeling last week’s longish days.
Note: When I’m working at the Studio I feel like I’m in a long series of half conversations. Always started never finished. Always more to learn but not time to focus. Always more to help with no true depth from me. I’m a good multitasker but it is impossible to multitask when I’m listening to someone. It’s a good problem though.
Great event tonight at Ride Studio Cafe. Way too tired to write much about it. Here’s a quick rundown:
Where: Ride Studio Cafe
When: 7:30 pm until 11:00 pm
Why: NECX season is starting this weekend!
Who: About 80+ people showed up with food and beer
Weather: It rained buckets up until about 7:15 pm. So it’s amazing that anyone showed up at all. We had flooding in a lot of streets.
We had way too much food and beer left. We tried to eat and drink everything but we just couldn’t do it.
I was too fried – even at the start of the party – to take any photos. Super weak!
I got to catch up with a lot of people I hadn’t seen in a while.
Special guest: Molly Hurford! She signed copies of her brand new book, “Mud, Snow, and Cyclocross.” She was very gracious and stayed way later than intended. Hope she made it to her cross race for the next morning.
Special Thanks:
Patria: For managing the event and making is successful. She was on her feet and keeping everyone enthusiastic to be there in the wet weather.
Kurt Johnson: For coming up with the idea and getting a lot of people to show up. He’s one of the good guys. Manager of Seaside Cycle, Kurt has always treated RSC super well. Thanks for bringing the NECX community together.
Jeremy Katz: For co-creating the idea and being an ongoing positive force in the RSC community.
Friday location: Seven || 6:50 am – 10:55 pm
Great event tonight at Ride Studio Cafe. Way too tired to write much about it. Here’s a quick rundown: