First Employee at Sweet Spot Skirts

Sweet Spot Skirts is pleased to announce their new Marketing Director

With remarkable growth during the first two quarters of 2011, I knew it was time to begin the search for help.  After a month of interviews, I am confident that I have the very best and first employee of Sweet Spot Skirts! 

Let me introduce you to…… Samara Encke!

Samara grew up playing basketball in Camas, WA. After graduating as an honor student from Camas High School, she completed her Business Marketing degree at Gonzaga University, where she also studied abroad in Florence, Italy. Upon graduation, she has been able to gain work experience in the South Pacific, France and the Middle East, learning invaluable lessons about international business, communication and budgeting. She has been a fan of Sweet Spot Skirts since the beginning as her 2009 first edition Sweet Spot Skirt “Urban Princess” has seen quite a bit of Europe! Currently living in Kansas City, Missouri, Samara was expanding her business knowledge working for a local company when she found out that Sweet Spot Skirts was growing and looking for some marketing expertise. Sweet Spot Skirts was lucky to steal her away and I am sure you will all agree once you have had time to meet and interact with her. She is excited to put her passions to use in the fitness meets fashion industry!

Samara has a wonderful sense of humor, enjoys the details and speaks two languages. **Those of you who speak French… feel free to call the Sweet Spot Skirt phone and keep her in practice!  She hit the ground running in early September with a trip to Interbike Expo in Las Vegas, huge fabric buy at one of our local manufacturers, a triathlon sale with AA Sports and a wonderful event, Cycle the Wave in Seattle.  In just a short time, Samara has helped Sweet Spot Skirts turn the corner with inventive and new ideas for 2012.  We are posturing ourselves to begin a wholesale program…so your local bike, fitness, yoga, ski shops can carry our skirts year round.  Yes, of course… we will remain in the USA and stick to our business goals:  1.  Have Fun   2. When that goal is reached, have just a little bit more fun 3.  Stay out of debt!

Please welcome Samara to the Sweet Spot Family! She can be reached at Samara@sweetspotskirts.com .  Keep a watch on the new blogs that will be coming out starting November 7^th, when we embark on our 6 week long West Coast trip. We will be flashing Southern Oregon, Northern California, San Fran Bike Expo, ending down south in the great OC. Give us a shout if you have friends in that area… we can always set up a good flash mob sale for them.

Changing the world one skirt at a time!

Thank you to all of you for your support and dedication to helping us grow!

Stephanie

**Do you feel the alliteration? Sweet Spot Skirts, Stephanie, Samara and of course Sophia.    BIG QUESTION:   Who will be next to come aboard the SSS Ship!

Retired Skirts….Such a Sad Time!

I can't tell you how sad it is when we run out of fabric for a particular skirt.  Most of the time when it is gone it is GONE!  Here are some skirts that have retired recently….

This is “Spiralgraphic”  A fun purple and flashy skirt that I didn’t really care for at first and is now my go to skirt to match almost anything!  It had a turquoise band to begin then we replaced it with green, as our creative team felt it went much better.  I think it had a different name at first too.  RIP Spriralgraphic

This skirt is a cross breed…. we took “Evie” and “Sangria” and for the first time ever, put two distinctly different patterns together.  Only made about 10 of these, called it “the mix” and they were wildly popular.  I have Evie, Sangria and The Mix….I only wear The Mix.  Matches almost every workout top I own and the blue in most running shoes matches perfectly.  RIP:  Evie, Sangria and The Mix

Meet Lynnell, she is wearing “The Web.”  Who knew women liked spiders?  I hate spider, detest them like snakes… but I love this skirt.  Soft and Subtle, yet catches peoples eye.  I really like wearing this one with my brown UGS in winter after skiing.  I take off my waterproof pants, and throw this skirt on over my long underwear! ( Do we even use the word “long underwear” anymore.) and proceed to the dinner or after ski snacks in the lodge.  Chrystal Mountain Ski Area has our skirts available right now.  One of only three places that carries them.  Amsterdam and Camas are the other two places.   RIP the web

Enough sadness for tonight…

my first “free” night!

I keep saying how cool it is to meet and see again.. all the women who are buying my skirts.  The Friday Night Flash Mob was a success.  Thank you Nancy for hosting us!

Learning curve of the traveling saleswoman:  check to see if there is room at the inn.  I never thought RV parks fill up….I guess in Seattle they do, when I called the only two RV parks near North Seattle, each quietly chuckled when I asked if they had a pull through space. It seems that they are full all summer with reservations made months in advance???? who does that?????

So, with no place to park, hook up and be cozy, I decided to head out to accomplish my second goal and find the water.  In Mukilteo, there is a lighthouse, water, sand, a place to walk my dogs, people, fishermen, sunsets ect…. it was amazing.  Dinner was at a recommended brew pub, Diamond Knot Brew Pub…. http://www.diamondknot.com/ They serve you the meat on a burning brick and it cooks on your table.  (which had a learning curve as well…. my first bite was raw ha ha) I am not a big beer person, but when in a brew pub…. I had the blonde.  It was good, and their hefeweisen is much like a german hef and had big tastes of banana and nuts.  Not a fan but glad for the experience.

Sat with common Mukilteo folk at the bar…. so nice to say they were great company, chatted about skirts (my plan is working) and real estate and life.  might just have been the best and fastest bartender around.  The girl behind the bar liked the skirts, she said she wanted one.  I have one that would match her tattoo!

Outside the brew pub was a great little store with ice cream.  Kinda like the general store from years past- only beach style!  I searched for the only ice cream that I feel compelled to indulge:  mint choc chip.  Before I tell you the next part of the story, I want you to remember this… Friday I woke up really early, didn’t have time for a shower (eww but I was going to be in the car with my dogs?  really), had a quick “other” business  meeting, picked up my new signs, my new tank tops, drove frantically to Seattle, had a flash mob sale, sweated, walked the beach, make up was gone, hair was disheveled, and I had those very red eyes and super pale skin that you get when you are super tired.  Not what I would say was attractive!  Now back to the ice cream.  I smiled and asked the nice looking man if he had any mint chocolate chip!  He smiled and said, “I am a sucker for a skirt let me go to the back and get some!”  LOL I had the best ice cream cone with the biggest smile ever!  you see it doesn’t matter if you are 175lbs (like me) or what you look like haggard or not!   All they see is the CUTE SKIRT!!!!   I will definitely be back there.

Now, to secure a place to stay.  As we grow this company, cheap is good!  So I did for the first time stay for free….. wait for it …… in a Wal-mart parking lot!   Ha Ha I have to admit it was a bit scary at first, but it was a 24 hour Wal-mart so there were people and such everywhere.  I did have a nice car show with all the young street rods, this parking lot seemed to be the gathering place for the twenty something gentlemen who have super powered up motors ect.  Just a bit intimidating!

However,  I had my dogs, a cool breeze flowing through the airstream, and my Tempur-pedic pillow…can you say OUT! 

Headed to Marysville next, super excited!  Then the adventure continues……

So I am now inspired….

With the business in high tilt and my other sordid jobs… I have really neglected my workouts!  That is no excuse and I need to stop making it mine.  Today I met and heard women tell their stories of losing 100’s of lbs.  They run.  They lift.  They do all sorts of stuff I DON”T DO!  How inspiring and motivating. So many of them have completed a half marathon and some have done five or six?????

I am humbled by their determination.  One gal had three kids, lost 70lbs, only got 4 hours sleep and still made the flash mob sale.  Now I have no excuses:

Today I am staying at the Kent KOA RV park.  I made sure to soak up some sun at the pool, it is important to use each amenity so to get full use of my $41.  LOL

I did run about 3 miles and also took the interurban path from the KOA to South Center Mall on my bike 12 miles. 

Thank you Tory and Laura for a great day of shopping with your amazing and fantastic women of Marysville.  I was inspired and for that ‘much thanks.’

Far Out Skirt

What is a Flash Mob Sale?

Sweet Spot™ Skirts just likes to show up in certain towns and show off the product.  We invite our Facebook friends and those who have emailed with questions or wish to see the skirts before buying.  It is usually hosted by someone from that town, so that we can go someplace cool.  The hostess guides us and greets friends, family and city folk that received the message!

Sweet Spot™ Skirts gives the hostess a sport skirt of her choice.  We usually stay about 1.5 hours and then it is off to our next adventure.  Look for the black Sweet Spot™ Skirt truck and Airstream Trailer.  Nothing fancy, just flirty and practical skirts and a bunch of fun women trying them on!  Email info@SweeetSpotSkirts.com for information on how to become a hostess. 

Nothing to buy, nothing to rent… just a few posts on your Facebook wall, a couple of emails and a couple of hours.  It is easy and appreciated.

Thanks to the past hostesses:  Lynnell Madsen;One Life Live Fit personal Training and Lisa and Sheri of Boise for the last two very successful showcases!

Thank you so much for the support and as always….

Changing the world one skirt at at time!

stephanie

 

An EMAIL I received this morning! Made my Day!

Hey Sweet Spot Skirt Fans:
I have had a great day!  First a 25 mile bike ride next to River Boise... wow.  Second, an oil change for my truck...needed.  Third, a flash mob sale in Boise...amazing.  I was checking my email tonight finally, and found this.....

"I just returned to Boise from Eastern Idaho and along the way passed a vehicle with your skirts and website painted on the side. Looked up the site and love it.  I am looking through your online catalog trying to decide which skirt to order my wife right now.  Just wanted to let you know that your advertising works as I otherwise would not have known about these. Great story. Thank you for being brave enough to go out and start a new business! I wish you all the luck in the world!! "

LIFE IS GOOD.... I LOVE BOISE!

4th of JULY We will have a float in todays parade!

I have not been very funny the last few days…pretty normal stuff so I didn’t want to bore you!


Made it safely to Red Lodge MT. I was able to see my Grandpa in the hospital: his tired body of 92 years was readying itself for the dying process. He said my name and I think mouthed the words “I love YOU”, and died two days later. It was bittersweet, he was ready to go home and join his wife in heaven and yet he will be missed so much. I am glad that I was here, the timing was perfect.

We have had a great few days of advertising for Sweet Spot™ Skirts. All of my nieces and nephews came out to help, from third grade to sixteen years old. I will post pics via facebook tonight! The truck and trailer will be here this morning and all the women and girls who bought a skirt this weekend have been invited to ride on the Sweet Spot™ Skirt Float this morning! Should be a blast.

We are definitely putting a dent in the Sweet Spot™ Skirt awareness for South Central Montana! Still humbled by the popularity of these awesome skirts, my family has been there every step of the way to help with time energy, marketing and support.

Let me take a moment to thank them: Haley, my sixteen year old non-skirt wearer niece, who I have converted into a skirt lover! Katie, my sister-in-law, amazing mother, channel 2 marketing manager, who is instrumental with ideas, suggestions and business planning. Larry, my brother, what do you say about having the best brother ever! Jared, he is my nephew, who makes everyday the “best day ever!!!!” More thank you’s in another blog!

Happy fourth of July! I am so grateful for those that have fought for our freedom which allows company’s like Sweet Spot™ Skirts to flourish!