I’ll always remember the primary time I set foot in a run specialty retailer. It was 1990, I used to be a 22-year-old beginner runner, and I had simply signed up for my first race — the Philadelphia Distance Run Half Marathon. All I knew once I walked into the shop was that I wanted a brand new pair of footwear and a few garments to prepare for the race that was taking place in a couple of brief weeks. What I obtained was one thing far more — a deep dose of knowledge and a actuality examine from the grizzled man on the retailer, who had been working since earlier than I used to be born.
From that day ahead, working specialty shops have held a particular place in my coronary heart. You recognize it the second you stroll in, the scent of the rubber and foam, the brilliant colours of the garments and the footwear and all the additional working stuff, and — most of all — the figuring out, assured glances from the oldsters working there which might be concurrently useful and smug, concurrently figuring out and questioning, totally skilled and greater than barely curious.
Simply over a 12 months in the past, I wrote on this house about my determination to depart training and dive full-time into running-related pursuits. On the time, I deliberate to occupy my time with teaching, writing, podcasting, broadcasting, and, in fact, working. Over the previous 12 months, I’ve carried out all these issues and cherished each minute of it.
Alongside the way in which, nonetheless, I discovered myself in a part-time job on the iconic Phoenix, Arizona, run specialty retailer Runner’s Den. What began as a 15-hour-a-week facet gig slowly blossomed into one thing I actually loved. Every single day, individuals of all styles and sizes from all walks of life got here into the shop, and I helped them. Typically efficiently and generally not, however I noticed that I actually cherished the work, and the work cherished me. Actually, it didn’t even really feel like work.
The writer (left) with co-worker and pal Derek Rehill exterior Runner’s Den. Photograph: Robby Foster
To be brutally sincere, I’ve by no means actually appreciated retail buying, and I actually by no means envisioned myself working in a retail enterprise. However, over my time at Runner’s Den, I noticed that retail will not be all gross sales and gamesmanship. Actually, at its core, it’s actually all about constructing and sustaining relationships — with the shoppers, employees, manufacturers, and with the business as an entire. And, within the strategy of constructing these relationships, I noticed it’s one thing that comes naturally to me and one thing that I get pleasure from.
So, subsequent week, I’m transferring on from Runner’s Den to turn into the supervisor on the Sole Sports activities working retailer in Tempe, Arizona. Runner’s Den is owned by Sole Sports activities and, along with three different shops within the Phoenix metro space, represents the most important working specialty operation within the U.S. Southwest. Shifting ahead I plan on persevering with to teach, podcast, write, broadcast, and, better of all, run. But additionally, I plan on bringing collectively 25 years of management expertise and 35 years of working expertise to make Sole Sports activities the very best model of itself — and simply possibly, gentle a spark for some beginner runner on the market, like my spark was lit all these a few years in the past.
Bottoms up!
A throwback picture from one other a lot cherished native specialty working retailer, the San Francisco Working Firm, a couple of decade in the past. Photograph courtesy of San Francisco Working Firm.
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s beer of the week, appropriately, comes from The Store Beer Firm in Tempe, Arizona. Espresso Brown Nitro is sort of a chocolate espresso bar in a beer. Easy, not too candy, and simply plain tasty, Espresso Brown is just an important beer.
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