My new venture
Thanks to Rich's boot in my @ss I left my real job 5 years ago. I've been working out of the house trying to make a living designing web sites (Endurance Nation being one), producing ads and brochures for clients. While I'm still doing that work I've always wanted to create a product that was sports related, had a strong design element and was an outlet for my photography. Plus I have no desire to going back to the real world as I love the day-to-day scramble to make a buck. I'm no doubt motivated by the entrepreneurial spirit of Rich and Patrick and I appreciate the support I get from those guys with ventures like this.
So here it is. Soigneur Athletic Skincare Products http://www.soigneur.net/
Here's to making it big in 2010.
Dan Socie
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Comments
Congratulations, and good luck, on your new business venture. It takes a lot of guts to strike out on your own. I have been contemplating this more the past 2 years but just can't give up that steady income, regardless on how miserable it makes me.
Knock'em dead!
Pete
Dan
Congrats and best wishes for your new venture. Always great to hear the cool things people do.
My fave line from the product description..."tip: put your shorts on first." Reminds me of a friend of mine who inadvertently put Gold Bond Medicated powder in his shorts during 24 Hours of Moab.....DANG!
Again, congrats!
I've been out on my own for 5 years now. But the world of advertising & marketing is feast or famine. Last year was a famine year (ouch) and really drove home the idea that I need multiple revenue streams to survive. The down year actually motivated (lit a fire actually) to follow-through and start this business.
Really an exciting component is following through with the idea. Actually the thought of not being able to train at anytime during the day was the real motivating factor.
Hey Dan,
Congrats! PnI are really interested in talking to you about how you lined stuff up, production, etc. We have no experience with any of that. And I can't WAIT for you to rub down my legs at ToC. AWESOME!
Dan,
best of luck to you, we wish you much success!
Out of curiosity, what was it about the current state embrocation products that lead you to decide you could offer something different/better? I don't know much about these products at all, and would love to learn some!
Mike
As everyone else has said , Best of luck.
Me too. Awesome is right!
Products akin to Belgian Knee Warmers? I've used that many times.
For those that don't know. Embrocation is a fancy word for linament. Basically i've created a warming cream that you massage into your legs before you go out for run or ride. If you haven't experienced the joy of warm legs on a ride or run. It's really worth a try. It's coffee for your legs.™
There are a handful of companies (many European) that make an embrocation but they sell it as magic. This special secret weapon that you put on for special occasions. To me it's not magic and I'm going to try to encourage everyone to try it. Remember when you first used chamois cream and wondered how you rode without it? It's like that but for your legs. Oh and yes Soigneur chamois cream will be coming out soon.
On the business side..
I spent a lot of time on the phone last year calling contract manufactures. Mainly because my wife wouldn't let me formulate in the basement. Steph said I wasn't allowed to use any of her pans plus she was afraid the house was going to look like a Meth lab. Anyhow I got turned away by everyone I called. They all wanted massive orders - 50,000+ and all I wanted was a prototype run of 2,500 so I could test my concept. I eventually found company in Arizona would formulate and produce at the #'s I wanted.
I told them the basic ingredients and properties of how I wanted it to perform. They took it to their in-house lab to formulate and would send me samples to test. I made 8 revisions making sure it contained all the properties that I wanted (scent, heat, application, etc) I then tested it on all sorts of skin types - especially fair skinned female athletes to see how it would react. I put my money down and now it's up to me to get everyone to try it.
I'll be bringing jars with me out to ToC. We'll be riding with warm legs at that camp.
Dan
Dooooode, if it helps me keep pace with the EN Chickas at TOC, I'll be first in line to be your spokes person and order crates of the stuff!
Sounds nearly perfect for my 43 degree basement trainer rides (no heat in the Pain Cave!). Might have to try me some.
I would love a jar as well it says shipping feb 15th, is there way to get the EN advance order?
I actually have very little product left. My user testing group got pretty large. This fall at the 'cross races I was like the local dope dealer. Guys coming up to my car for some Leg Crack™. And my wife was worried the house was going to look like a meth lab. Ha!
This is Kate my unsuspecting Podium Girl model