10 a.m. Thursday October 14th
It’s now officially time to start my career search.
My intuition says “stick with what you know” and I know bicycles. Where does this leave me? Who knows? I absolutely cannot stay in Warrensburg, Missouri if I want to start a career in the “Industry.”
I have a dream for bicycle culture one that is based on two principles, shop support and local initiatives.
This is a tough business though. Being a Rep. would afford me the opportunity to meet with retailers but in my experience Reps only pass through to do one thing….Sell. Don’t get me wrong I appreciate their appearances in our store, Freeride Bike and Skate Shop (www.freeridebikeandskate.com), but the bottom line is that they only come around when business is booming and all but forget about us when things aren’t so good. Which is essentially when we need them the most. Are you listening Specialized…what about you Trek?
This brings me to my next point, local initiatives. I’m talking about a corporate development officer that makes things happen in a particular region. A person who knows the names of men and women from store to store and understands what they need to boost sales. I’m talking sustainability here.
Essentially this is where I come in. I want a career that allows me the time to take shops under my wing and build them in to profit centers that are beneficial to both the retailer and supplier. This of course is a hard road, given constantly rising costs, a deflated economy, and a few thousand under-developed markets, throughout the U.S.
I will search and I will find the company that I am looking for because I believe they are looking for me as well. 
