Compromises

I have had to make a number of compromises regarding this venture, each one I thought chipped away at the vision. To help you understand my frame of mind, I have a 2 year old son named Maxwell Christian. I love him dearly and would never think of compromising my job as a parent. In the same respect, I have a two year old daughter named Maxwell Christian & Co., they are siblings in my eyes. Thinking of the company in that manner caused unnecessary frustrations and slowed the startup process. I am a stubborn, persistent individual when it comes to my goals, which in moderation is needed to be successful. Left to my own devices, I'll attempt to force a round peg into a square hole, not good. The time and energy used to repeatedly bang my head into the same wall can be better utilized in other areas. I was a bad parent to the company, holding it back to keep my selfish vision alive. Eventually, I realized that compromises are needed to keep the company afloat, manageable, and within targeted goals. Its growth is dependent upon control, less is more. It is to be shared and added to by many individuals; to control it is to stifle its growth. Today, I see myself more as an Air Traffic Controller, preparing the company for takeoff.

Damn Business Plan

Honestly, nothing will test your mettle in the pre-startup stages more than a business plan. They can be anywhere between 10 and forever pages, depending on the scope of your business. And when you think you are done, you are never done; it is a living document. But there are advantages in having to analyze every aspect of your venture. Completing a business plan not only helps an individual see pitfalls, but can help you realize the full potential of a business. On the other hand, it can scare the shit out of you. Many of us don't really know what goes into running a business, the amount of time, nor true risk. Personally, the whole process drove me crazy. I have a few compulsions, one being that things have to be done perfectly. I see everything as an extension of me. This does not bode well in situations such as writing a business plan. At times, it was agonizing, but the process helped me see the complete business. Ultimately, I ended up with 21 pages; cover page, table of contents, executive summary, business description, marketing/sales analysis, industry analysis, competitive analysis, operations plan, management summary, funding request, and 3 year projections. I rewrote this plan over and over, dove me insane. Ultimately, it ended up in the hands of a loan officer who praised me for its thoroughness, insanity has its benefits.

Lessoned Learned

Looking for a designer was not an easy process. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was living in Albany, NY, not exactly the fashion capital of the world. New York City was 2 hours away, but my knowledge of fashion was limited and that made navigating NYC that much more difficult. I decided to concentrate on an area I was familiar with and made frequent visits too, Chicago. I found a fashion illustrator in NW Indiana, which is literally Chicago. First off, let me inject that an illustrator is not a fashion designer. An illustrator is someone who illustrates the concept on paper, no technical skills. I contracted the individual at $100.00/design, which is below standard rates. He drew me a series of designs with french cuffs and European cuts, none of which would work for the Big and all market. It wasn't a good fit. I needed more knowledge of the market and a better idea of what I wanted to accomplish. A friend of mine who had been in business 30+ years suggested I write a business plan. I took that advice and went back to the drawing board.

Making Shirts

At the time, "making shirts" is all I had to go on and I really did not know what that entailed. So I purchased a book," How to Start a Clothing Line" by Jay Arrington(never buy this book or any of his books). It gave a generalized version of the process one needs to go through to start a clothing line, very generalized. I adhered to this book like it was the Bible, following the suggestions, highlighting, and applying to my situation, nothing clicked. I went on to purchase the Pantone Color Guide, fashion design software, a fabric swatch book, and a production design book, total $600.00, which was a waste of money. I toyed with the design software, began taking measurements on shirts, and began crafting a brand. Initially, the clothing line was called Maxwell Scott, but a luggage company in Europe already had the name, so I scrapped it. This is about the time that I realized that I am not a designer, the whole process frustrated me. So I shelved the books and software and went looking for a designer.

The Burlington Coat Factory Saga

Feb/2007

At the time, I was living in Albany, NY with my pregnant girlfriend, working as a counselor, and training for my next arena football season. As with any other period in my life, I liked to shop for clothes. I am an admitted clothes whore, no denial here. I have tried rehab, 12 step programs, and quitting cold turkey, but to no avail. At times, I find myself wandering the streets aimlessly in the wee morning hours waiting for the store to open. On this occasion, I found myself in Burlington Coat Factory looking for my next high. They have racks and racks of clothing for Big and Tall men, though I wouldn't wear 90% of it. The other 10% is my goal, though this trip proved to be even more disheartening. I am a methodical shopper at times. I will comb through racks and racks of clothing to emerge with 1 shirt. On this day, I triumphed with 10 shirts, which are good odds that 4 will fit properly. I carried the booty back to the fitting rooms and try on shirt after shirt, until they all are sitting in the "back to the rack" pile. All were 3XL, but some fit like a XL, others weren't long enough in the sleeves, and some looked like a belly shirt on me. Now the belly shirt would be cool in some circles, but a no no for an individual with stomach hair, pride, and common sense. Thoroughly frustrated, I walked through the store a little pissed at the two hours spent searching for something to wear and coming up with lint in my hair. I peered across the racks of clothing and a light bulb goes off. As they say, from chaos comes clarity. So began the idea of making my own shirts.

Intro

I have never in my adult life experienced something as physically and mentally taxing as starting a business. It has been characterized by ups and downs and one moment triumph can erase months of stagnation. By comparison, my years of college and arena football seem like a walk in the park, but are not nearly as satisfying. This is a journey that started in 2007, so there will be significant backstory. A little bit about the company, it is an apparel company focused on providing new styles to the Big and Tall market. Why Big and Tall? Well I am 6'5", 265lbs...all Big and Tall. My interests are personal and I am not only trying to outfit the entire Big and Tall population, but also myself.