Interview
Questions
1.
Can you tell me a little about yourself
and your brand?
2.
What was the “spark” or start of your
company?
3.
Where did the idea for your brand come
from?
4.
What is the goal or main priorities of
the brand and company (outside of financial)?
5.
How do customers/athletes, and their
opinions, influence or impact your brand?
6.
Where do you see your brand in one year
and in five years?
7.
What is the impact of social media on
your brand and business?
8.
If you wanted people to know one thing
about the clothing (art, fit, durability, etc).
What would it be?
1. Love The Pain, Inc. is owned my brother in law (Ben) and I.
The idea was not to just have a brand but rather a lifestyle
that promotes healthy living and overcoming what we perceive
as limitations in all aspects of life. This is from the "About Us" section of our website:
"Love The Pain is not just a brand, its a lifestyle. For those who like to give it their all in exchange for a few seconds of extreme satisfaction. A feeling that cannot be explained in words. A feeling one must experience for oneself in order to fully grasp the power that comes with it. The concept is as simple as don't quit. Embrace the down as much as the up. Whether you are an amateur or pro we invite you to join the movement and Love The Pain."
2. Going into some personal details here, I have been fighting Crohn's Disease since I was 14 years old. 20 years later at the age of 34, my quality of life was at an all time low. I was landing in the hospital a couple to a few times a year, dealt with discomfort and pain daily and life was a struggle since this nasty disease dictated my entire daily routine. Not to mention the amount of medication I was prescribed over the years.
I tried different things to become healthier and change the course of my life but nothing really stuck. It was an uphill battle that presented challenges I felt were too great for me.
One day I just decided to ask Ben a few questions about what it is that he does (hes was already a couple years into the world of Endurance Sports and Triathlons). He went into some detail and at the end asked me if I wanted to run w/ him the next day. I was reluctant to say yes but something in me I guess was still searching for that one thing that would make my situation better. I replied with a yes and sure enough I ran 3 miles the next day. The day after he let me borrow one of his bikes and on the third day we went swimming. By the end of the day I was hooked! He pretty much became my personal trainer/coach until I was able to climb the ladder and ultimately become his training partner.
So regarding the "spark" - I guess we were already living that lifestyle, so the company came naturally.
3. The idea for the brand came purely from "The Pain" we were experiencing while training. We kept pushing each other by saying "Love The Pain" on a regular basis. It became our Mantra. It became our way of embracing the pain. We figured it's always going to be there, why not learn to Love it. For me it also reflected on the severe pain I experienced with Crohn's and it taught me to fight the disease rather then surrendering to it. Slowly but surely the symptoms started dying off.
4. Our main priority is to spread the "Love The Pain" mantra and educate people about the importance of physical activities and how crucial it is for strengthening not only the body but the mind as well. Our message is that no matter what you are going through in life, you can overcome the pain. I am living proof that it is possible.
Our company is targeted more around the Endurance Sports community specifically Triathlons as of right now but we plan on expanding to all sports. We also welcome all levels of experience to get on board this movement. Doesn't matter if you just started walking yesterday or if you are a pro.
5. Our goal as the owners of the company is to stay in direct contact with our customers/athletes. We highly value their feedback and adjust our products accordingly. We understand that it's our customers who make us successful so it is key to stay open to suggestions and remain in close contact with them.
6. In one year we plan on having a full line of active wear including tri suits, cycling jerseys and so on. A lot of this will already be available at the end of February but we feel that our creativity and the message will continue to snowball and gain traction as more and more people are becoming aware of their ability to take control of their life.
In 5 years we plan on being a major player in the Endurance Sports world. We would like to sponsor athletes and create programs that promote this sport from a very young age. (Both of my nephews ages 5 and 7 are triathletes in training already)
7. Social Media has been a huge impact. It has allowed us to reach out to our target market in the most personable way. We are able to communicate with endurance sports enthusiasts very easily and grow our brand through a cult type following. Organic and real.
8. We design, craft, create and test our products personally here in Los Angeles. We don't release anything that we wouldn't wear ourselves. Everyone should know that Love The Pain, Inc. is dedicated to high quality and high performance. We pour our heart and soul into our products because we plan on being here for a while!
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