Workboard Week of September 11, 2022
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Workboard Week of September 11, 2022
Where do we begin with this update?
We are coming off the tail end of the first summer release in which we featured:
3 types of linen trousers
3 different colorways for mesh shorts
1 colorway in the performance 1/4 zip
1 colorway in the performance tee
5 colorways of the run club hoodies
6 different variations of running shorts (lined and unlined)
I always get a bit of nervous excitement when heading into releases in which we are unveiling a new product (to our brand). I am fully aware that products have the potential to flop. The only way to try and mitigate this risk is through careful planning and deep research (on top of ensuring the quality is high).
I felt we had made a lot of progress with our pre-release process. I have slowly let Shawn take the reigns on more touchpoints crucial to a successful/smooth release. Some of our most time-consuming tasks (in no particular order):
Envelope stuffing (cards, stickers etc)
Breaking down the products (from the box they were shipping in) - into "pick and pack" boxes
Box taping/prep
General warehouse setup. It's important to keep the flow of pick —> pack —> ship uniform so that we don't have to retrace steps multiple times for 1 package.
I want to say that I am not above any of these tasks. The frustration lies in these tasks being time and focus-intensive. This means that I cannot also be doing something else while doing them. The problem lies in the inability to work on FUTURE revenue-generating items during this prep window.
Some ways that I think I can make better use of my time (always open to ideas, so if you've read this far and have any… please leave a comment below);
Continue to hire out help where needed. My mindset has shifted from "I can do everything" to "I need to hire help where needed" so I don't become weighed down trying to manage every single task. I don't see this talked about enough in the small business world.
Offload specific responsibilities to Shawn. This process takes a bit longer and has a learning curve. In no way do I expect him to be able to just pick up and do the things needed to be done without having questions or making mistakes along the way. The (mental) issue I run into is dealing with the time crunch around releases and wanting to get things completed quickly. The alternative is to teach —> iterate —> have potential mistakes —> teach —> and then complete the tasks. It seems each release, Shawn has taken on more responsibility. We are trending in the right direction, and with time we should continue to be able to offload some of the work.
After each release, I take a step back and look at what went right/wrong. This exercise has drastically reduced last-minute needs. The stress of last-minute changes/needs is heavy, and finding ways to eliminate some is important (knowing full well that there will always be things that come up).
We are in the process of prepping for the restock of;
Mesh Shorts
Running Shorts (lined and unlined)
NEW Performance 1/4 zips colorways
Black
Sky Blue
Grey
NEW Cotton Tee (café scene back print + Minted New York front left chest embroidery)
Black
Tan
Sky Blue
NEW Performance Tee colorways
Sky Blue
Black
Maroon
Grey
Navy Run Club Tank top
Last but not least — Jewelry Update
All of the silver chains have been completed. We are just waiting for the rings to finish production (it should be sometime this week — today is September 12, 2022). There were some minor delays, but other than that, we remain on schedule. I think the jewelry volume warrants a release on its own. This is a rather massive silver order, + we are introducing the rings for the first time. As I learn more about the finalization + tentative release date, I will certainly let everyone know.
I hope everyone has a fantastic week.
Marcus
Training
This week's training block was 58 miles with 5 lifts:
Monday: Rest (Lift - Push)
Tuesday: 9 Miles (Gen-Aerobic) (Lift - Pull)
Wednesday: 9 Miles + 6x800m at 5km race pace (VO2 max) (Lift - Legs)
Thursday: 6 Miles (Recovery) (Lift - Push)
Friday: 11 Miles (Med-Long Run) (Lift - Pull)
Saturday: 8 Miles + 8x10sec hill sprints & 8x100m strides (Gen-Aerobic + Speed) (No Lift)
Sunday: 15 Miles (Med-Long Run) (No Lift)
This was supposed to be a "recovery" week; however, I felt my legs were sore more than any other week of training. I don't know if this is good or bad… but alas, we got it done. Heading into a 70-mile week this week.
Looking forward to an intense week of training.
Articles I found interesting this week:
Bystanders in your life - The importance of seeing, smiling and talking to people
Would you ever consider doing something like a core collection (maybe the athletic line) with a few basics that are always available and besides that some special drops with creative and unique
Something I've struggled with in my own company is getting stuck in the weeds of working IN the business instead of ON the business. Seems like this might be the case with you specifically with the warehouse operations. While incredibly important, stuffing envelopes, breaking down boxes, and picking and packing are all relatively low leverage tasks. Something that can be taught and outsourced relatively easily. Your time would be better spent on the highest leverage tasks that only you can do - the things that are going to really move the business forward. Love these updates btw.